NEWS
Justin Hill Kinston Free Press June 6, 2012 North Carolina’s Eastern Region — specifically Lenoir and Craven counties — hosted U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier Wednesday as she toured several STEM East facilities and participated in a roundtable discussion with students, teachers and public and private partners. “We need to find out what’s happening on the ground,” Dann-Messier said of the reason for her visit. “We don’t have the answers in Washington — they are on the ground with those of you doing this work on a daily basis.” The day started with a tour…
Justin Hill Staff Writer Kinston Free Press North Carolina’s Eastern Region — specifically Lenoir and Craven counties — hosted U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier Wednesday as she toured several STEM East facilities and participated in a roundtable discussion with students, teachers and public and private partners. “We need to find out what’s happening on the ground,” Dann-Messier said of the reason for her visit. “We don’t have the answers in Washington — they are on the ground with those of you doing this work on a daily basis.” The day started with a tour of…
David Anderson Staff Writer Kinston Free Press In the coming weeks, the construction workers who have been a fixture off Hull Road in Kinston for the last two years will depart, and be replaced by those hired to staff the state’s newly-opened veterans’ nursing home. It’s a project which has been five years in the making — county officials hosted a groundbreaking in 2007. “I’m excited,” said George Graham, chairman of the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners. “We’ve had a lot of people call and inquire about procedures to apply for a job up there. … There have been all…
David Anderson Staff Writer Kinston Free Press Next week, the final four roads which the Global TransPark rail spur needs to cross will be closed. The N.C. Department of Transportation will close John Mewborne Road near Rouse Road Extension on Monday; then Rouse Road Extension near John Mewborne on Tuesday; Rouse Road near C.F. Harvey Parkway on Wednesday and AeroSystems Boulevard — the access road to Spirit AeroSystems’ plant at the GTP — will close Thursday. Each road will be closed for a day, according to news releases from DOT; detours will be available for drivers. Transportation officials have closed…
Justin Hill Kinston Free Press As the local economy — specifically, industrial growth — expands toward levels not seen in 50 years, Lenoir County Economic Director Mark Pope believes an important part of the plan has to be presenting students with information about career opportunities. “We’ve moved ourselves from a very agrarian and textile-based (economy) since the 1980s,” he said. “We’ve done that a lot in the last six or seven years … our goal is to pool our labor force from our youth.” Tuesday, a student exploratory council, consisting of 16 high school students from Arendell Parrott Academy, Kinston,…