February 2016 archives

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Monday, February 29, 2016

Incendiary: Trump's eagerness to weaken First Amendment sounds an alarm

Presidential candidate Donald Trump last week threatened to weaken First Amendment protections for reporters if he is elected president, making it easier for him to sue them. We find that more than a little disturbing. The Republican front-runner told...

Friday, February 26, 2016

Transgender law: Charlotte to allow transgender people to use restroom of choice

The Charlotte City Council has voted to allow transgender people to choose public restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. That is ridiculous and stands a good chance of being overturned, if some legislators have their way. House Speaker Tim...

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Girl Power: Selling cookies helps girls build essential life skills

Girl Scouts in the Coastal Pines Council that includes Wayne County will join councils across the country this weekend in participating in National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend 2016. The event provides girls with a chance to show off their cookie-selling...

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Trumped, again: Attacks from rivals don't seem to faze front-runner's supporters

Donald Trump picked up another impressive win Tuesday in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Trump easily bested his opponents in the Nevada caucuses, defeating Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio each by a two to one margin....

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Downtown: Streetscape brings infusion of activity

Renovating downtown Goldsboro was a lengthy and expensive process. For months, business owners suffered as construction on Center Street tied up traffic and kept many people from patronizing the shops and stores there. But a recently released report indicates...

Monday, February 22, 2016

The Donald: Trump in the driver's seat as campaign enters March

Donald Trump's strong showing in the South Carolina primary last week, coming on the heels of his win in New Hampshire, has given a boost to his drive for the Republican nomination for president. A majority of voters looking...

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Big gift: Maxwell family's generosity is something entire county will treasure

The Maxwell family of Goldsboro has donated $750,000 toward the construction of an agricultural-civic center to be built near Wayne Community College. It is a gift that every resident of Wayne County will benefit from. The center will be named...

Friday, February 19, 2016

Cuba trip: President takes a chance on visiting a country that still has a long way to go

President Barack Obama announced this week that he is planning to visit Cuba. Not everyone agrees that it is a wise decision. Proponents of the trip say it will go a long way toward bridging the gap between the...

Thursday, February 18, 2016

New lines: Republican lawmakers redraw congressional district lines

Lawmakers in Raleigh have redrawn voting maps for the 1st and 12th congressional districts. A federal court judge ruled recently that the two districts were drawn using race as a chief factor and therefore needed to be redrawn so...

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Valid test: State right to require welfare recipients to submit to testing for illegal drugs

The state of North Carolina has finally begun testing welfare recipients for illegal drug use. We believe it is sound policy to test people receiving benefits. Recipients of public money should have to prove that they are not using...

Friday, February 12, 2016

Fair awards: Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair a success due to work of many

Wayne County residents can take pride in the fact that it has one of the state's best local fairs. This week, fair officials brought home four trophies from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. It was the first time...

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Winners: Kasich, Bush finishes generate more interest than actual victors

Donald Trump got the victory he needed in New Hampshire Tuesday, but it was the undercard of candidates that provided the most drama. Trump received support from a broad spectrum of voters -- young and old, rich and poor, rural...

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Win needed: Front-runners and underdogs alike need New Hampshire momentum

Donald Trump needs a first-place finish in New Hampshire today or he risks watching the wheels on his campaign start to wobble a bit. Trump came in second in the Iowa caucuses to winner Ted Cruz, but he was...

Monday, February 8, 2016

Mystified: Are judges suddenly surprised that race is a factor in district boundaries?

A panel of three federal judges late last week struck down the boundary lines for two of North Carolina's congressional districts, saying that race had played too big a role in determining the districts' boundaries. What? Since first being used...

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Impact Wayne: Fund drive exemplifies what public-private teamwork can do

The Impact Wayne fundraising campaign being conducted by the Wayne County Development Alliance is nearing its $1.1 million goal. We hope it reaches it soon. The campaign is intended to raise money to help with economic development in the...

Friday, February 5, 2016

Survey: Healthy dose of data should benefit all Wayne County residents

The Wayne County Board of Health needs your help. Health officials are asking the public to take the time to fill out a survey on the quality of life here in the county. Board members and health officials will...

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Key seats: School board elections are crucial to economic development

Wayne County leaders gathered this week to talk about economic development and before long the conversation turned, as usual, to education. The county cannot expect to have business and industrial growth, several local and state leaders said, until it...

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Rubio rising: Iowa didn't give him first place, but it gave his campaign momentum

Ted Cruz may have finished first in the Republican caucus in Iowa, but he was not the night's biggest winner. That honor goes to Marco Rubio, who came from a distant third place in the polls to finish a strong...

Monday, February 1, 2016

Constitution wins: Justices rightly distinguish between executive and legislative powers

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory won a big victory the other day against the leaders of the Legislature. And in doing so, he also won one for the state Constitution. McCrory had sued the Legislature for making appointments he...