North State Journal Vol. 4, Issue 17

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VOLUME 4 ISSUE 17

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019

Sports UNC moves to artificial turf at Kenan Stadium

CHUCK BURTON | AP PHOTO

Promoting workforce

Ivanka Trump, advisor to and daughter of President Donald Trump, visited North Carolina Tuesday morning along with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The two toured a Siemens facility in Charlotte while promoting job creation through apprenticeships. Trump and Ross also attended a meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, a federal commission that promotes business investment in training and workforce education.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

‘The Profit’ loses city vote against his huge US flag Statesville The Statesville City Council has voted against a proposed change to the city’s flag ordinance which would allow a local business to continue flying a large American Flag. That means flags in Statesville must be no larger than 25 feet by 40 feet. That’s roughly half the size of the American flag that Marcus Lemonis has unfurled outside his Gander RV company. Statesville has asked a court to order Gander RV to comply or pay a $50 per day fine. Lemonis runs Camping World and stars on “The Profit” on CNBC. He says the flag is staying. He’s said he’ll go to jail for contempt of court to protect his constitutional rights.

Federal Education Dept to investigate UNC event Chapel Hill The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a conference on the Middle East held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after a legislator raised complaints that participants were biased against Israel. The conference titled “Conflict Over Gaza: People, Politics, and Possibilities,” was co-sponsored in March by Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill. News outlets report that Rep. George Holding (R) asked for an investigation in April, citing “reports of severe anti-Israeli bias and anti-Semitic rhetoric at the taxpayer-funded conference.”

College game-day alcohol sales bill close to passage Raleigh The General Assembly is closing in on final approval of legislation giving N.C.’s public universities the option to sell beer and wine at campus athletic events. The Senate voted 3312 on Monday for its version of a House bill allowing trustee boards at University of North Carolina system campuses to decide whether to sell alcohol at their stadiums and athletic facilities. If the House agrees to minor Senate changes, the final measure then goes to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.

NORTH

ICE cooperation bill backed by NC Sheriffs Association

JOURNaL

Some urban sheriffs refused to back the bill

STATE ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Rocky Mount area set to welcome DMV staff Council of State with a 6-4 maThe Associated Press jority. The plan calls for the DMV ROCKY MOUNT — The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of headquarters to be relocated from Commerce and the Carolinas Raleigh to the former Hardee’s Gateway Partnership are going to Food Systems building off North Church Street and just roll out the red carpet for north of U.S. 64. state Division of Motor Farris has been pointVehicles employees in response to the planned “I think we’re ing out Rocky Mount’s experience with the afrelocation of the agency’s termath of then-RBC headquarters to the city. going to sell “We felt like once we some houses Centura Bank in 2005 announcing intentions got it secure, our work to relocate principal ofreally began because we — and some fices from Rocky Mount want our new partner people to Raleigh and many in DMV and their staff are going bank workers having to to feel right at home,” commute as a result. Chamber President and to decide “We understand the CEO David Farris said. that living anxiety any time an orFarris said the speganization relocates,” he cifics remain a work in in a rural said. “Change is always progress, but he said the community a little bit unsettling uncity’s chief civic organitil you get used to it.” zation and the local chief is a whole As for the DMV embusiness and indus- lot better ployees, Farris said, try recruiter are going than living in “We’re going to bring to help DMV staff transome of ‘em in, if they sition by getting them Raleigh.” want to, during the more comfortable with summer, and tour Rocky Mount. State Rep. Rocky Mount, have This is going to inlunch on us, go through clude publishing infor- James Gilliard the (former Hardee’s) mation about available services, conducting tours and building and see where their new holding gatherings for the DMV home will be — and get a little bit more familiar with Rocky Mount.” workers. There was an effort in May by The Council of State in March voted 10-0 in favor of the state De- Wake County state House mempartment of Transportation’s pro- bers to tack on an amendment to posal to shift the DMV headquar- a bill to shift more than $9.3 milters from North Carolina’s capital lion for the relocation of the DMV city. The Council of State is com- headquarters to Nash County to prised of North Carolina’s state- the state Division of Highways wide elected executive officers and Maintenance Fund. The effort has the power to make decisions failed 63-52. about state purchases of properties. Republicans control the See DMV, page A2

By David Larson North State Journal RALEIGH — After the N.C. Sheriffs Association expressed concerns about a House bill passed in early April to require cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers, members of both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly have worked with

the state’s sheriffs and with federal immigration officials to create a compromise bill. The N.C. Sheriffs Association has come out in favor of this version, which was presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee in mid-June, saying the bill, “provides an appropriate and careful balance under the Constitution for the rights of the accused and for the public safety of our communities.” The legislation requires proof of citizenship for any in their custoSee ICE, page A2

Whatley’s tenure at NC GOP focused on ‘reset’ By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — After a tumultuous year, the N.C. Republican Party elected energy consultant Michael Whatley as their new chairman at their annual convention on June 8. “Michael Whatley has been with us right from the beginning. A great Leader and @ NCGOP Chairman!” Tweeted President Trump a few days later. North State Journal sat down with Whatley, who ran on the idea of a “Reset in Raleigh,” to talk about the transition and to answer the question of what happens next. “You know, obviously we rolled up our sleeves this week, dug in and had a bunch of meetings here, a bunch of meetings in Washington D.C.,” said Whatley who said he had been “touching base” with all of the groups involved and getting the briefings on different activities within the party. “It’s been it’s been a good week. It’s been a really good week,” Whatley said. Once the housekeeping items are squared away, the to-do list for the new chairman will include focusing on the 2019 special elections and the 2020 races to “make sure that we understand exactly where we are before we start marching out forward.” “Well, first things first is we’ve got the special elections in the Ninth and the Third [congressional districts],” said Whatley. “We know that Dan [Bishop], has already come out of the primary there in the Ninth and want to make sure to do everything that we can do as a party to help him.” Whatley continued, noting the runoff in the Third Congressional District would be a wait and see type situation, saying that “we’ll see whether that’s going to be Joan (Perry) or Greg (Murphy) and make sure we have the See WHATLEY, page A2


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