VOLUME 8 ISSUE 39
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2023
the
BRIEF this week
HPU President Qubein to receive Charles Kuralt Award High Point High Point University President Nido R. Qubein was selected to receive the North Carolina Travel Industry Association’s Charles Kuralt Award on Nov. 16 in Raleigh. The award recognizes an individual who brings exceptional, positive public attention to the State of North Carolina through some form of mass communication. Qubein was selected for his PBS series Side by Side, which airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. NORTH STATE JOURNAL
NC Democratic Party rejects recognizing Jewish organization Raleigh A vote held by the North Carolina Democratic Party to recognize a Jewish Caucus in a vote where several in party leadership, including chair Anderson Clayton, refused to vote. The state Democratic Party already has a number of recognized affiliated organizations, including an African American Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, Hispanic/Latinx Caucus and Transgender Caucus, among others. The vote failed with 16 in favor and 17 against, but with a total of 16 leaders not voting all, including Clayton. WFAE reported that some Jewish Democrats questioned whether the party had been taken over by “the anti-Jewish left.”
AP PHOTO
First lady Jill Bidenreceives the official 2023 White House Christmas Tree at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The tree is an 18-and-a-half-foot tall Native True fir from Cline Church Nursery in Fleetwood
White House Christmas tree once again comes from NC
NORTH STATE JOURNAL
DeSantis picks up 10 South Carolina endorsements from former backers of Tim Scott Columbia, S.C. Ron DeSantis has picked up 10 endorsements in South Carolina from former backers of Sen. Tim Scott’s presidential campaign, support the Florida governor is hoping can shore up his strength in the first-in-theSouth primary state. South Carolina state Reps. Bill Taylor and Tom Hartnett Jr. — as well as more than a half-dozen municipallevel elected officials who had backed Scott — are now announcing their support for DeSantis. “Ron DeSantis is the leader we need for this exact moment,” Hartnett said. “He not only is the only candidate who I know can win, but he will be a president who will follow through on his promises to reverse the decline of our country.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
North State Journal
Commission reverses course on proposed concealed carry instructor rules By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
ty College Public Safety Training Center in Raleigh. “I do believe that in taking the comments from this group and others at the last meeting and really trying to consider those and work on some of the issues raised by the group, I think that we have revised the rule to a place where it will address the large number of concerns that we heard in the last meeting,” Cooley-Desmukes told attendees. She added the Commission tried to consider the feedback received to “make sure that we are not creating a burden on instructors that is more than what we need to create in order to ensure that the rules are followed.” Unlike the August meeting where hundreds of citizens packed the Raleigh training center location meeting room,
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission nixed proposed rules for concealed carry instructors after facing significant pushback from over 2,600 instructors across the state. At a secondary sub-meeting of the Commission held in Garner on Nov. 15, Chair Leslie Cooley-Desmukes told those in attendance that the proposed changes discussed in August that would have required a pre-course delivery report, a post-delivery report, and a student roster, were no longer on the table. That meeting, held at the Garner Performing Arts Center, followed the Commission’s main meeting held at 10 a.m. at Wake Technical Communi- See COMMISSION, page A8
Grand Champion Grower in the National Christmas Tree AsWASHINGTON, D.C. — The sociation’s National Christmas Christmas tree received Mon- tree contest, which is one of the day afternoon by First Lady Jill top honors of the group, which Biden marked a familiar jour- helps select the White House Christmas tree each ney from the mounyear. Members of the tains of North CaroNational Christmas lina to the Blue Room Tree Association have of the White House. presented the official The centerpiece “We are of the annual deco- honored to White House Christrations in the White mas tree for display in have the House, the 18 ½ foot the Blue Room since Fraser fir this year opportunity 1966. hails from Cline to represent North Carolina’s Church Nursery in Christmas tree indusFleetwood, just off the Christmas try ranks second in Highway 221 in Ashe tree growers the nation in number County. of trees harvested and Christmas tree of America, cash receipts, usualgrowers Amber Scott by continuing ly over 20% of the enand Alex Church, who tire supply across the the tradition are the second-genercountry, just behind ation owners of the of providing Oregon. Christmas tree farm a tree to the The Tarheel State started by their parleads among the seents, presented the White House lection the White winning tree to the Blue Room.” House Christmas tree first lady and several as well, with 2023’s military families. the 11th one chosen “We are honored Amber Scott, for display. to have the oppor- Cline Church The winning tree tunity to represent is nothing new for Nursery the Christmas tree the industry in Ashe growers of America, County, which has by continuing the tradition of now sent 7 Christmas trees to providing a tree to the White the White House, more than House Blue Room, which will any other county in the country. be viewed by millions of peoThe mountain county is also ple,” said Scott last week as the largest Christmas tree proRobert Downing, White House ducing county in the U.S., with Chief Usher and Dale Haney, around 12,000 acres in active White House Superintendent production. The farms help of Grounds, arrived to measure drive the local economy, proand select the tree to make the viding over 700 jobs year-round trip to Washington. and swelling to over 2,000 The family was named 2023 during the Christmas season.
State Board of Education presented with Parents Bill of Rights appeals policy, parent guide outline By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — At its November meeting, members of the State Board of Education were presented with a parental ap-
peals process policy and draft outline of the parents’ guide to student achievement as required under the new Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation. The appeals policy includes a structure for hearing procedures
for parental grievances and concerns filed in a public school district. A parent has the right to request a hearing by the state See PARENTS, page A4
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