Latest Articles

Four property owners suing the Town of Emerald Isle alleging an unlawful taking of their beachfront lots would strike a blow nationally for property rights protections if they win, their lawyers say.
The epicenter of the fight between the conservative grassroots and the Raleigh establishment is in The Outer Banks' House District 6.
As North Carolina continues to struggle with one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, many families are finding ways to trim their household budget. But how many of you would think that adding an expensive cable channel that nobody watches would count as tightening your budget?
Washington High School’s National Honor Society Induction was held Monday, May 7 in an evening candlelight ceremony. Forty-eight new members were inducted based on scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
North Carolina should consider joining almost every other state in making the juvenile justice system the default destination for 16-year-olds charged with crimes.
As the short session of the General Assembly enters its first full week, legislative leaders on both sides of the voter ID issue say they don't know what action, if any, will be taken to change requirements to vote.
Some have suggested the United States faces another economic crisis even worse than the "housing crisis" caused by the subprime lending debacle. It has been suggested that the impact of this crisis will rob millions of college students of their future. The crisis? The student loan debacle.
On Monday, May 21st Washington Police Department assisted NC Probation and Parole officers at 221 Pierce St. During this operation officers seized 288 grams of marijuana.
In unadjusted terms, the state added 20,000 jobs in April; over the past year, the number of jobs statewide has risen by 26,600. The vast majority of those gains have been in the private sector, which has accounted for 25,900 of the jobs added since April 2011.
PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. (PotashCorp - Aurora) announced today that it is reducing staffing levels at its phosphate facility by approximately 150 full-time positions, or about 15 percent of its current workforce.
It's hard to read or watch any news without learning about some disturbing development in the Middle East. Americans ought to pay close attention to those developments.
It is amazing how many things politicians and bureaucrats can think up for other people to do. We are repeatedly directed to implement all manner of great sounding things.
In what some are calling "punishment" to the cities that sued over annexation reform legislation passed last year, state lawmakers have rewritten the law so that it is even more unfavorable to cities wishing to engage in involuntary annexation.

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Government

Publisher's note: The author of this fine report is Sara Burrows, who is an associate editor of the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

'Unconstitutional' petition process replaced with a simple majority vote

RALEIGH In what some are calling "punishment" to the cities that sued over annexation reform legislation passed last year, state lawmakers have rewritten the law so that it is even more unfavorable to cities wishing to engage in involuntary annexation.

In response to a district court judge's ruling that it was unconstitutional to allow property owners to reject involuntary annexation by petition, Republican state senators have written a new annexation reform law that makes all city-initiated annexations subject to a vote by all registered voters in the annexed area.

In order to reject an Sara Burrowsinvoluntary annexation under the original reform law, 60 percent of al... (read more)

Op-Ed & Politics

Publisher's note: The author of this fine report, Dan Way, is a contributor to the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

Property owners say town ordinances let beachgoers trespass

RALEIGH Four property owners suing the Town of Emerald Isle alleging an unlawful taking of their beachfront lots would strike a blow nationally for property rights protections if they win, their lawyers say.

But Emerald Isle's lawyers contend a property owners' victory would impair government maintenance of and public access to the beaches that are the tourism livelihood of oceanfront economies.

"I would think any beach town would have an interest in how this plays out," said Brian Edes, an attorney wit... (read more)
The epicenter of the fight between the conservative grassroots and the Raleigh establishment is in The Outer Banks' House District 6. A July 17 GOP runoff features the top finisher, a Tea Party favorite, vs. the #2 finisher -- a former Democrat legislator backed by GOP power brokers in Raleigh. Local GOP officials are lining up behind frontrunner Mattie Lawson, while it appears Raleigh politicos like Richard Morgan allies Thom Tillis and Harold Brubaker are lining up behind former Democrat Arthur Williams:

Stan Deatherage, owner/publisher/editor of BeaufortCountyNow.com is endorsing Mattie Lawson in the run-off with Arthur Williams on July 17. Deatherage's endorsement appears in Saturday'... (read more)

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Community

Washington High School’s National Honor Society Induction was held Monday, May 7 in an evening candlelight ceremony. Forty-eight new members were inducted based on scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
On Monday, May 21st Washington Police Department assisted NC Probation and Parole officers at 221 Pierce St. During this operation officers seized 288 grams of marijuana.
When Deputies arrived, the suspect had fled the scene. Deputies found an adult female victim with multiple lacerations to her face and a juvenile female with a swollen area on her forehead.
Washington Police received a report of a robbery at the Days Inn Hotel on Carolina Ave. in Washington. Shortly after 2:00a.m., two neatly dressed men approached employees in the parking lot of the hotel and inquired about a room.
Investigator Jim Adams applied for and obtained a warrant charging Davis with one count of Obtaining Property by False Pretense for selling stolen property.

Business

Fifteen percent of workforce to be laid off: Expect region.immediate impact in Beaufort County, and surrounding region.
Press Release:

PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. (PotashCorp - Aurora) announced today that it is reducing staffing levels at its phosphate facility by approximately 150 full-time positions, or about 15 percent of its current workforce.

Following a review of key operating processes, changes were identified to lower operating costs while maintaining the operational capability of the facility. These changes are necessary to maintain the facility's long term competitiveness in a global marketplace.

"This is a difficult day for our employees and our company," said Steve Beckel, General Manager of PotashCorp - Aurora. "As a company, we never take these decisions lightly. However, remaining competitive for the long term is in the best interests of both our community and o... (read more)

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The Region

Publisher's note: The author of this fine report, Dan Way, is a contributor to the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

Property owners say town ordinances let beachgoers trespass

RALEIGH Four property owners suing the Town of Emerald Isle alleging an unlawful taking of their beachfront lots would strike a blow nationally for property rights protections if they win, their lawyers say.

But Emerald Isle's lawyers contend a property owners' victory would impair government maintenance of and public access to the beaches that are the tourism livelihood of oceanfront economies.

"I would think any beach town would have an interest in how this plays out," said Brian Edes, an attorney with the Wilmington law firm of Crossley, McIntosh, Collier Hanley & Edes that is defending the town.

Jeanette Doran, executive director and general counsel of the Raleigh-based North Carolina Institut... (read more)

The Arts

Publisher's note: Some new and not so improved funny, or not so funny words from our friend Gene. One thing we can all be assured of - "somebody's laughing."

Balcony View
Bill and Marla decided that the only way to pull off a Sunday afternoon quickie with their ten-year-old son in the apartment was to send him out on the balcony nd tell him to report on all the neighborhood activities.

The boy began his commentary as his parents put their plan into operation. "There's a car being towed from the parking lot," he said. "An ambulance just drove by."

A few moments passed.

"Looks like the Andersons have company," he called out. "Matt's riding a new bike, and the Coopers are having sex."

Mom and Dad shot up in bed. "How do you know that?" the startled father asked.

"Their kid is standing out on the balcony too," his son replied.

Today is the Oldest you've ever been, Yet the You... (read more)
Publisher's note: As redundant as a pacing lost soul, I am loathe to admit, Wyatt is probably our most read writer. Over a month ago, March 12, 2012, I was perusing our sister publication, Better Angels Now, and I noticed that so many of Wyatt's reviews, of the many fine films that occupy the public's interest, have not been availed to our readers through our Beaufort County Now publication.

Consequently, over the next many weeks, possibly months, we will endeavor to remedy this mild injustice by publishing these reviews, in our current improved format, for your edification. Here below is our fifteenth in a series of these older articles of interest by our good friend, Wyatt Sanderman Day.

The Coen Brothers Create a Dark Comedy from the Annals of the Inane

"Burn After Reading," the latest edition in Ethan and Joel Coen's offbeat and often distinctive films: some comedies, som... (read more)

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Living

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever." --- Thomas Jefferson

What is happening in the US? Are we turning away from God, as many claim, or are we witnessing just the opposite? Are we seeing the error of our ways and turning towards Him?

Are we, as a nation, witnessing a Christian restoration or an atheist transformation?

I think the answer is that both forces are engaged in a great struggle. The progressive nature of our courts combined with the misinterpretation of our Bill of Rights, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment, and combined with the enormous power of the liberal media have allowed the atheist movement to have greater force than it deserves. ... (read more)

Announcements

Edward Earl “Pinky” Pinkham Jr., 41, a resident of 2221 Raleigh Road, Rocky Mount, died Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at Southern Village Nursing Home.
Mrs. Mary E. Goddard Wilson, a resident of Washington, died Thursday, May 17, 2012, at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.
Ms. Romaine Woods, 58, a resident of 132 Old County Road, Belhaven, died Friday, May 18, 2012.
John Louis Smith, 71, died Saturday, May 19, 2012. Services will be held, Tuesday at 3 p.m. at his home.
Mrs. Rosalee Williams “Rosie” Floyd, 78, a resident of River Trace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Washington died Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Vidant Beaufort Hospital in Washington.
Mrs. Katie Simmons Jackson, of 471 Blake St., Washington, died Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.

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