ENC Regional News: Recent Episodes
Public Radio East
Our Montford Point Memories series, honoring the legacy of the first African-Americans in the Marine Corps, continues with recollections from 92 year old Vaughn H. Whitworth. Mr. Whitworth grew up in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He was drafted into the Marine Corps in November 1943 and sent to Camp Montford Point for basic training when he was 17 years old. The complete interview with Mr. Whitworth will soon be archived in the Military Collections at the State Archive of North Carolina in Raleigh.
Our “Montford Point Memories” series continues this week with recollections from 92-year-old Robert S. Hammond. After enlisting in the Navy in 1943, Mr. Hammond was sent to Hospital Corps School and the U.S. Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. After completing his training, Hammond became one of the first African American Navy Corpsman sent to Camp Montford Point. The complete interview with Mr. Hammond will soon be archived in the Military Collections at the State Archive of North Carolina in Raleigh.
Our “Montford Point Memories” series, honoring the legacy of the first African-Americans in the Marine Corps, continues with recollections from 89-year-old Johnny B. Cody. He was 19 years old and living in Georgia when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Mr. Cody was sent to segregated facility Camp Montford Point for basic training in January, 1948. The complete interview with Mr. Johnny B. Cody will soon be archived in the Military Collections at the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh.
Hundreds of residents at apartment complexes in Carteret County have been evicted from their homes because of roof damage from Hurricane Florence. Now, citizens and Marines are pitching in to try to help people who were displaced pack up their belongings and find somewhere else to live. Jared Brumbaugh was at one of the affected apartment complex in Morehead City yesterday and has this.
Two campgrounds in the Croatan National Forest remain closed due to significant damages from the winter storm earlier this month. Jared Brumbaugh has more. Cedar Point Campground near Cape Carteret and Flanner’s Beach Campground just south of New Bern could remain closed for the remainder of the month. Temperatures in the single digits caused multiple pipe breaks inside the walls of sanitary facilities , the porcelain to crack on toilets and damage to showers. Recreations Program Manager for the Croatan National Forest Jeff Kincaid. “With this freak winter weather we had recently, the plumbers, we haven’t been able to have a local plumber get out and even assess the situations yet. One plumber told me I was number 35 on his list.” Kincaid says the target date for reopening the campgrounds is February 1 st . Day use facilities and trails are still open at Cedar Point and Flanner’s Beach. Oyster Point Campground in Newport is open for camping.
The annual crab pot cleanup project started Monday and runs through February 7 th . Jared Brumbaugh has more. The removal period allows derelict and abandoned crab pots and fishing gear to be removed from internal waters. The Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is in its fifth year and is funded primarily by the General Assembly. This year, 76 commercial watermen will participate in the cleanup effort which creates jobs for them while the no-potting period is in place. Coastal Education Coordinator with the Coastal Federation Sara Hallas. “Most of the pots will either be, if they’re in good condition, will be returned to their owners, if they can be identified. And the rest of the pots will be scrapped for metal or recycled into as many parts as we can.” The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries will issue proclamations reopening waters in different areas as they are determined to be free of pots. Last year, 4,300 crab pots were removed along with 3.5 tons of various marine debris
The Onslow Water and Sewer Authority is asking customers to check their plumbing for leaks after historic high demand is being reported across their service area due to the recent winter storm. Jared Brumbaugh has more. ONWASA normally pump around 7.5 million gallons of water every day during the month of January. According to CEO of ONSWASA Jeffery Hudson, the rate of demand has nearly doubled to 14 million gallons of water over the last several days. “That’s incredibly high for us. It exceeds even our water demand on the busiest day of summer when all the tourists are visiting our beaches.” Hudson says they expected an increase in water usage due to residents allowing water to trickle from their faucets to prevent frozen pipes. But the demand for water has continued to increase even as temperatures rose above freezing. Five to six million gallons of extra water is being used right now, and Hudson is urging homeowners to check for leaks. “We’re also encouraging people to remember to
An organization that helps former inmates transition back into their communities in Onslow and Jones Counties is getting a $225,000 state contract.
A four month bridge replacement project is underway in Carteret County, prompting a road closure near N.C. 58. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The bridge over Hadnot Creek north of Cape Carteret was in constant need of repairs making it functionally obsolete and structurally deficient. Communications officer for the State Department of Transportation Divisions 2 and 3 Brian Rick says the span was built in 1961 to standards no longer used today. “This doesn’t mean it wasn’t safe, it means that it was not properly equipped to deal with the amount of traffic and the type of traffic that’s on the road. The new bridge is going to be able to carry commercial as well as standard vehicles.” Work on the replacement bridge began January 10th and will continue until late May. During construction, a portion of Old Church Road will be closed. Traffic will be detoured north to N.C. 58 and back to Old Church Road. For PRE, I’m Jared Brumbaugh.
Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation are out in force pretreating the roads before the freezing rain and snow start falling here in eastern North Carolina. Jared Brumbaugh has more. 345 employees have been activated in Division one, which includes 14 counties in northeastern North Carolina and the areas where the most snow accumulation is expected. More than 100 trucks with plow tanks and salt spreaders spent yesterday treating the bare pavement primary roads with an anti-icing agent/brine solution. Crews in Division One are prepared to work in shifts to provide 24 hours coverage as storm conditions dictate. In Division 2, which includes Jones, Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, Beaufort, Pamlico, Craven, and Carteret Counties, DOT crews began pretreating roads yesterday and will continue applying a brine solution to roads this morning ahead of the storm.
AAA Carolinas estimates a record breaking 3.1 million North Carolinians will travel this holiday season. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The majority of North Carolinians will be driving to their destinations, with close to 2.8 million people hitting the roads over the 10 day holiday period which starts Saturday and runs through Jan. 1. Those driving to their holiday destinations will encounter higher gas prices than last year. North Carolina’s current average is $2.31, compared to $2.18 in 2016. To reduce delays, the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be suspending most lane closures across the state. However, N.C. 58 in Emerald Isle will remain closed for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Mallard Drive/Emerald Isle landing. A detour is in place. I’m Jared Brumbaugh.
Ten thousand medication disposal kits are headed to the Pitt County Coalition on Substance Abuse for distribution. As Jared Brumbaugh reports, the kits are an effort to get rid of unused opioids. The disposal kits help prevent people from becoming addicted to opioids by providing a simple and easily accessible way to dispose of unused medications. Communications Director with Trillium Health Jennifer Mackethan says the Deterra Drug Deactivation System works by combining water and activated carbon to neutralize any organic medications containing opioids. “It’s really just as easy as adding some water, putting in the pills, you close the packet and then shake it up. And within a few minutes, it has done its job and the medication and the chemicals are deactivated so they can no longer be used.” Trillium will receive two to three shipments of the 45-pill capacity kits from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Executive Director of the Pitt County Coalition on Substance Abuse Elizabeth Montgomery
Changes to entry procedures are causing traffic delays for commuters going to Marine Corp Base Camp Lejeune during the morning rush hour. Jared Brumbaugh has more. Sentries are now conducting Department of Defense-mandated visual and physical inspections of DoD-authorized ID card. According to a press release, two sentries will be positioned in each lane of the highest volume gates to inspect cards between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. The base expects traffic flow will eventually improve as commuters adjust to new morning departure times. Base chief of staff Col. Thomas Bruno says other Marine Corps installations are already implementing these standards, saying it took longer at Camp Lejeune because of the larger population and the construction of the Wilson Gate. For PRE, I’m Jared Brumbaugh.
A materials science company has announced plans to open a state-of-the-art facility in eastern North Carolina and expand manufacturing operations in the Piedmont. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The Governor’s Office announced that Corning Incorporated will create 428 jobs over three years in North Carolina. The company plans to invest $86 million in Edgecombe County to build a warehouse facility that will create roughly 111 new jobs. Corning also plans to add 317 jobs and invest $189 million to expand their Durham location. Although salaries will vary by position and location, the average wage at the proposed Edgecombe County facility will be $33,771. The company’s projects will be facilitated, in part, by two Job Development Investment Grants. Over the course of the 12-year terms of each grant, the project will add $1.157 billion to North Carolina’s economy. For PRE, I’m Jared Brumbaugh.
Record salinity levels revealed in the Neuse River early this month are just now approaching normal levels. Jared Brumbaugh has more. On December 4 th , a salinity of 10 units, which is about a third of the strength of sea water, was measured at Streets Ferry Bridge more than 12 miles upstream of New Bern. That’s the highest it’s been in a decade. Research Associate at the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City Nathan Hall says only an inch of rainfall last month meant less freshwater coming into the system from areas upstream, decreasing the river flow by half. “You have low river flows, it allows the salinity to creep back up the estuary, the salt water especially in the bottom waters because saltwater is more dense than the incoming freshwater in the river.” Hall says salinity levels at the Streets Ferry Bridge have returned to a normal level of zero units. The Neuse River Modeling and Monitoring Program involves boat trips every other week to
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is shutting down one of the major connectors to the Outer Banks for a week while crews repair the swing-span drawbridge. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The Alligator River Bridge, linking Tyrrell and Dare counties, will be closed to all vehicle traffic and boat navigation Jan. 10 through Jan. 16. Crews will repair and replace electrical and mechanical components located beneath the bridge’s swing-span drawbridge. Communications Officer for NCDOT Division 1 Tim Hass says the work is part of extensive renovations aimed at extending the life of the 58-year-old span. “This is a $16.7 million renovation project and they’re working on virtually everything: the structure, the deck, the swing span. The whole idea is to keep this thing running and safe for traffic until such time as we have the funding to replace it.” Work to the structurally deficient bridge has been ongoing on since spring 2016. During the closure, signage will guide traffic around
Spirit AeroSystems will be expanding their operations at the Global TransPark in Lenoir County. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The company, which manufactures components for the Airbus A350 aircraft, plans to invest nearly $56 million in Kinston over the next five years. The project was made possible in part by a performance-based incentive grant from Lenoir County up to $1.5 million. Lenoir County Executive Director of Economic Development Mark Pope. “We’ll see hopefully jobs increasing, and an investments like this always is good because they’re putting money back in the community and it can be used for a lot of things.” Spirit came to Kinston in 2008. The company employs 850 workers from six surrounding counties. There’s no word yet on how many jobs the expansion would bring. “There’s about a 12,000 square foot addition to the building that they’ll start underway really soon, you’ll probably see some of that immediately where they’ll start doing that, boring and doing some concrete work.
After nearly a decade of planning, Onslow County Commissioners broke ground on an air traffic control tower at the Albert J. Ellis Airport. Jared Brumbaugh has more. The $4.5 million project includes the construction of a 90-foot tower to manage air traffic arriving and departing from the County operated commercial service airport. $2.4 million in grants were awarded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation. Once completed in late 2018, the six story facility will be staffed by FAA-certified air traffic controllers. Local controllers will coordinate air traffic between towers at New River, Wilmington, Cherry Point, Seymour Johnson, New Bern as well as the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center. Ellis Airport serves 300,000 passengers annually and employs 370 jobs. It’s one of the busiest commercial airports in the United States without its own air traffic control tower.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce has released the economic development tier rankings for 2018, and three counties in eastern North Carolina will be changing their designation in the New Year.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension is bringing its business training classes to farmers in the state's eastern region.