Songwriting Contest Held at Merlefest

Songwriters Charles Humphrey III, Darrell Scott and Niall Toner will be among the judges that determine the winners of MerleFest 2014’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Now in its 22nd year, the contest is an opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. There are now three ways to enter the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest:  1) Mail-in applications to P.O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212. To enter by mail, visit  www.merlefest.org/CASCRulesandEntry for a downloadable form and instruction.  2) Entries may also be submitted through Sonicbids:  www.sonicbids.com/chrisaustinsongwritingcontest. 3) And new for 2014, applicants may now submit an online registration directly to the CASC website (http://www.merlefest.org/ChrisAustinSongwritingContest/). The deadline for contest submissions is February 19, 2014.  The first round of the CASC competition takes place in Nashville, Tenn., and is narrowed down to 12 finalists representing four categories: bluegrass, country, general and gospel/inspirational. Finalists are then invited to the final round of the competition, which takes place during MerleFest on the campus of Wilkes Community College.

More Jobs Coming to NC in Charlotte

Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker have announced that Eclipse Automation Inc. will be expanding its operations to Mecklenburg County under the name Eclipse Automation Southeast, LLC.  The new facility will be located in the Whitehall Technology Park in Charlotte. The company plans to create 50 new jobs over the next three years. “I’d like to thank Eclipse for creating valuable manufacturing jobs here in North Carolina,” said Governor McCrory. Eclipse Automation is a leading supplier of custom automated manufacturing equipment for the energy, health sciences, transportation, mining and consumer industries. Eclipse Automation partners with Fortune 1000 companies worldwide to build efficient and profitable assembly and testing operations. Salaries will vary by job function, but average annual compensation is estimated to be more than $75,000. For more information, including career opportunities, visit http://www.eclipseautomation.com/.

NC & SC State Line Debate

Have you heard?  The North Carolina/South Carolina line is uncertain.  So, they are having a meeting Friday to talk about it.  The North Carolina – South Carolina Joint Boundary Commission is a cooperative effort between North Carolina and South Carolina to reestablish the original and official state boundary in order to minimize jurisdictional conflicts caused by uncertainty of the precise boundary location. When the boundary was first surveyed between 1735 and 1815, there were few permanent monuments established to delineate the border. The joint boundary commission has worked to accurately locate the original boundary points and establish permanent monuments.  A meeting of the Commission is being held Friday at the Union County Conference Center in Monroe, NC, to discuss proposed legislation to minimize impacts to property owners.  For more information on the meeting, visit www.ncdps.gov

Sen Hagan's Statement on Black History Month

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan released a statement today honoring the beginning of Black History Month. Hagan was an original cosponsor of a bipartisan Senate resolution celebrating Black History Month. At Hagan’s request, language honoring the contributions of the Greensboro Four was added to the resolution.  Sen Hagan said, “This year, we begin Black History Month with a heavy heart after the recent passing of Franklin McCain, one of the Greensboro Four. In 1960, along with his classmates, Franklin sat at a counter where he wasn’t welcome, sparking the beginning of what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called ‘the rebirth of the civil rights movement.’ The Greensboro Four taught us all about justice, inclusion, community and equality, and it was my honor to ensure that they were included in the Senate resolution celebrating Black History Month.”

New Wilkes Jail Construction: On Budget and On Target

The Wilkes County Commissioners were given an update yesterday on the progress on the construction of a new jail or Wilkes County Detention Center.  The project began in April of last year, and Jack Hemphill of Hemphill-Randell Assoc stated that they are now beyond half way through and on target with the construction and funding in spite of record breaking rain last summer and record breaking cold last month.  Commissioners asked about any cost over-runs but were told that while contingency cost nationally usually average about 5 percent of the total cost, so far, any contingency costs with this project were only 3/10 of 1 percent.  Project Manager Kris Little said the building is now under roof and work is progressing well. They still expect to have construction completed by the end of July or first of August which will be followed by inspections and Sheriff Dept training on using the new facility.  Chairman Gary D. Blevins suggested that they have future discuss and development of parking and security for the judges entering and leaving the courthouse.  Commissioners Keith Elmore and Eddie Settle said they were very impressed with the work accomplished on the new detention center and believed the project was going well.  Project Manager Kris Little reminded Commissioners that this is an economic boost to Wilkes as several people working on the project live here in the county.

Economic Agreement with Gardner Glass Products Progressing

There was a public hearing held yesterday before the Wilkes County Commissioners' meeting concerning the economic development agreement with Gardner Glass Products.  A representative from Gardner Glass Products said this is Step 2 in applying for grant funding in doing local improvements and creating 24 additional jobs locally.  Of the grant funding requiring matching funds, the County will be responsible for 35,000 dollars.  No one from the public was at the hearing to speak out for or against the agreement, so Commissioners continued with their regular meeting.  Doing the meeting, action on the Public Facilities Agreement with Gardner Glass was postponed due to some delays in paperwork and action pending from the North Wilkesboro Board and the Wilkes EDC.  Action is scheduled to be taken on that agreement at the next Commissioners' meeting later this month.

Wilkes County Schools Update

What's been happening recently in Wilkes County Schools? East Wilkes High School’s FFA sponsored a Hee Haw fundraiser in the Stone Center on Saturday, January 25, 2013. Two shows were per-formed; a lunch show and a dinner show. Approximately 200 people attended the event. Students raised over $2,000 for the FFA. Close to 20 members of the FFA participated in the show. The Central Wilkes Middle School Beta Club participated in Holiday Mail for Heroes. This project focused on holiday cards for military personnel at Walter Reed National Medical Center. Holiday Mail for Heroes is a program sponsored by the American Red Cross. The Regional Science Fair was held at Appalachian State University on December 17, 2013. Nine projects from Wilkes were chosen to represent Region 7 at the State Science Fair which will be held on Mar28-29, 2014 at Meredith College in Raleigh. McKenzie Starr, sixth grade student at West Middle School was hailed the victor after a hard fought competition with Adam Nguyen, an eighth grader from North Middle. The competition between the two finalists lasted 21 rounds. Both McKenzie and Adam are previous Wilkes County Spelling Bee winners and McKenzie placed fourth in the Regional Spelling Bee in Winston-Salem in 2013. From Dr. Marty Hemric, Superintendent of Wilkes County Schools:  I congratulate our schools on the successful comple-tion of our first semester! I know we are eager to move forward into the second half of our school year as soon as the winter weather cooperates. Thanks to everybody for your positive attitudes with all the calendar adjustments—we’ll hope for an early spring!

Local Trivia Night for Special Olympics

Wilkes County School employees and their families are invited to “Movies, Music & More,” the team trivia competition held each year as a benefit for the Special Olympics of Wilkes County.  This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, March 1^st, at the Stone Center. Doors open at 5:00pm with dinner available upon arrival, and the competition begins at 6:00pm.  Admission is $10/person (includes meal) with all proceeds going to the Special Olympics.  Schools, churches, businesses, etc. are invited to field teams, and individuals wishing to play may join or form a team upon arriving the night of the event.  Everyone is welcome. “Movies, Music & More!” is part of the Horace Mann Trivia Challenge series sponsored by Horace Mann Insurance and local representative Keith Lyall. To see the list of question categories for the upcoming event and photos of past events visit the series’ web site at www.horacemanntrivia.com.

NC Catching Up on Food Stamp Backlog

State and county workers across North Carolina have reduced the backlog of FNS cases  (food stamps) by just over 72 percent in the last 10 days, ensuring benefits for thousands of families.  As of Monday, February 3, there were a total of 6,742 outstanding FNS applications and recertifications statewide, compared to 23,415 total cases reported on January 23. "I am extremely proud of the collaboration between our DHHS staff, county DSS agencies, county administrators and the General Assembly to see that families are getting the help they need," said DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos. In its January 23, 2014 memo, the USDA mandated that the state eliminate all applications and recertifications pending over 90 days and to complete any expedited applications older than 7 days by February 10. As of Monday morning, 55 counties had 10 or fewer pending untimely new applications. 

BBB Warning About Extended Auto Warranty

BBB is continuing to warn automobile owners about the dangers of making a hasty extended warranty purchase based solely on a postcard or phone call you may receive. It has become unfortunately too commonplace that these typically result in high pressure sales combined with misleading coverage offers, high prices, and having either no clue with whom you are talking to or mis-representation about who they are. The Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina has confirmed recent calls were not originated from locally and regionally known car companies. The BBB offers the following advice to keep in mind if you’re considering an after-market car (extended) warranty:  Don’t give out personal information,  including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers,  over the phone or by email unless you are absolutely certain with whom you are dealing.  Don’t be pressured into making an abrupt and un-informed decision.  Insist on getting a contract that clearly explains all terms and conditions before signing up or providing credit card or other payment information. The BBB says-- Consumers should always check out the company first with the BBB atwww.bbb.org; Caller ID can be “spoofed”; Local phone numbers are easy to obtain; and Consumers can place their phone number on the federal do not call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov.