N.C. General Assembly Update from State Representative Beverly Boswell - Tuesday, May 1, 2018 | Eastern NC Now

    Press Release:

Rural Infrastructure Authority Grant for Beaufort County

    Last week, the City of Washington (Beaufort County) received a $30,000 grant from the State to help InterMarket Technology expand its business by acquiring a generator to insure against interruption of power. The project will add 52 jobs and attract $2,575,000 in private investment. Part of elevating economic performance, includes encouraging rural communities to prepare for economic development opportunities by helping communities inventory assets and craft strategic plans for development, and by proactively investing in public infrastructure to make locations more competitive - through programs such as Rural Ready Sites.

New State Record Bluefin Tuna Caught off Oregon Inlet (Pirate's Cove Marina)

    The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record for bluefin tuna. Retired Army General Scott Chambers of Townsend, Delaware, reeled in the 877-pound fish March 17 after fighting with the fish for 2 1/2 hours off Oregon Inlet. It measured 113 inches curved fork length (tracing the contour of the body from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail) and had a girth of 79 inches.

    Chambers caught the fish using trolling dead bait on 130 pound line test on a 130 Shimano rod and reel aboard the charter boat A-Salt Weapon fishing out of Pirate's Cove Marina in Manteo, N.C. Chambers' fish broke the former state record bluefin tuna by 72 pounds. That fish was caught off Oregon Inlet, as well, in 2011. The world all-tackle record for bluefin tuna is 1,496 pounds and it was caught off Nova Scotia in 1979.

North Carolina's 2018 Economic Development Strategic Plan

    North Carolina has a huge, growing, and dynamic economy - larger than the economies of all but 21 nations in the world. Through the hard work of generations of our citizens and leaders, we have developed assets in a diversity of industries - science and technology, manufacturing, banking and finance, healthcare and medicine, education, agribusiness, transportation, and others - that make us the envy of many states.

    However, as we continue to make the steady transition from a traditional manufacturing and agriculture base to a vibrant, innovative knowledge-intensive and advanced manufacturing economy, not all regions and people have felt the same progress. More work is necessary to ensure that North Carolina, especially Eastern North Carolina, is attractive to new industry; that our existing businesses and entrepreneurs are positioned to grow in an increasingly competitive world; and our economy works for all our people, including those who have been impacted by automation, globalization, and larger structural economic forces.

    During the upcoming 2018 legislative session, we will seek to implement a vision of creating a better educated, healthier and more prosperous state with opportunity for all to live more abundant, purposeful lives. In implementing this vision, the Republican controlled N.C. General Assembly will continue to focus on creating jobs and investment throughout the state, with a special emphasis on rural economic development as well as workforce development to support these efforts.

    North Carolina's economy is a conglomeration of unique regional economies - each tied to conditions across the state, the nation, and the world to varying degrees. Therefore, each region requires its own analysis and objectives in order to make meaningful change.

Beaufort County Youth Gain Confidence through STEM Programs

    Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) drive North Carolina's twenty-first century economy. STEM education provides skills essential to workforce development, ensuring North Carolinians are ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Established in 1914, the Police Activities Leagues (PAL) are designed to keep kids out of trouble after school and foster a good relationship between law enforcement and young people. Usually, that's done with sports. But Beaufort County's PAL is using STEM education instead. Please watch the video link below to learn more about the after-school STEM program in Beaufort County: https://vimeo.com/265569972

• Contact: Rep. Beverly Boswell
•     beverly.boswell@ncleg.net