Blog

Travel is going to change soon for thousands of motorists who drive through Davidson and Rowan counties on I-85. And, this change is good.

I signed a $136 million contract today authorizing a team from Flatiron Constructors Inc. and The Lane Construction Corp. to replace the Yadkin River bridge. Design work is under way right now, and construction is set to begin in October. 

The bridge was built in 1955 and cannot effectively handle the 60,000 vehicles per day that rely on it to cross the river. It is too narrow, and when an accident occurs, traffic backs up for miles, which makes it difficult for emergency crews to get to the scene to help. Replacing it will greatly improve safety and reduce congestion.

This is the first of two phases that will upgrade the nearly seven mile corridor. We are working to find the money to pay for phase two, which will widen about three-and-a-half miles of I-85 to just north of I-85 Business.

In her budget, Gov. Perdue proposes establishing the N.C. Mobility Fund to pay for expensive projects of statewide significance. The first project that would be paid for from this fund would be widening I-85.

Improving this stretch of I-85 is a top priority for the state because of its importance to regional and statewide mobility, as well as interstate commerce. Replacing the Yadkin River bridges – the most critical safety need – is a tremendous milestone for us. 

Last week, Gov. Perdue recognized “National Volunteer Week" and every week she recognizes the importance of creating jobs in North Carolina.  So last week I welcomed the chance to work on both volunteerism and workforce development.

I had the pleasure of volunteering at Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Inc. (HVO) in Waynesville, Haywood County.  HVO is a remarkable manufacturing facility providing hundreds of quality jobs for a diverse population.  Many of those employed at HVO are workers with disabilities. 

Wendy Cagle, Regional Director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center at Western Carolina University, joined me as George Marshall, president of HVO, gave us a preliminary tour and then put us to work.

I had two work assignments.  First, I assisted Loretta Ewart in tagging the surgical non-woven drapes. Second, I followed Tim Coleman’s lead in processing labels.

The employees, clients and management at HVO work diligently and responsibly.  The company is successful on many levels, and it was a privilege for me to represent the Governor as a volunteer there that day. 

Juleigh Sitton, George Marshall, Wendy Cagle

Juleigh Sitton and Tim Coleman

Loretta Ewart and Juleigh Sitton

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives heard testimony about some of the great things happening in North Carolina to bring high-speed broadband to rural areas of Western North Carolina.  Leonard Winchester, chair of the WNC Education Network (WNC EdNet), Dr. Cecil Groves of Southwestern Community College, and Earl Gohl, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) delivered testimony to the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

They appeared before the House to speak about the importance of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s involvement in regional projects.  North Carolina has used over $500,000 in ARC funding to support the build out of the WNC EdNET.  The project connects the six far western counties (Jackson, Swain, Graham, Cherokee, Clay and Macon) to a fiber ring. 

The fiber ring connects every public building including schools to the network.  There are over 70 sites connected to fiber and project partners include school systems in each county, charter schools, Southwestern Community College, Tri-County Community College, Western Carolina University and the Cherokee Nation’s Tribal schools.

I’m overseas right now, trying to bring jobs back to North Carolina.  Along with Department of Commerce officials, I spent much of yesterday meeting with German businesses with large footprints in North Carolina already.  We toured a Siemens facility, met with their top corporate leaders and discussed ways we can help support future growth in North Carolina.  Last year, Siemens announced a $50 million investment that would create 226 jobs in Charlotte over the next five years. 

We’re also meeting with a number of other German businesses about bringing jobs to North Carolina and we’ve hosted a reception for German business prospects and travel agencies that arrange travel packages to North Carolina. 

Before the trip is over, Commerce officials with have met with companies in Germany and Sweden in high-growth industries including energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and tourism.  International investment is a critical part of creating jobs back here at home.

In the last decade German companies invested $2.2 billion and created 11,000 jobs in North Carolina.  In 2008, North Carolina exported $792 million worth of goods to Germany, making Germany our eighth largest trading partner.  Germany also accounts for more than 115,000 visitors each year, making it our second-largest overseas tourism market. 

Gov. Perdue with Emilia Mueller, Secretary of Commerce for the state of Bavaria

I just returned from the mountains, where we had a wonderful ceremony Tuesday to mark the reopening of the stretch of Interstate 40 that had been closed since Oct. 25 because of a rockslide.

Cleaning up and stabilizing the mountain was a tremendous challenge. Crews spent months battling harsh winter weather as they blasted and removed 7,000 truckloads of rocks – enough to cover 37 football fields with a one-foot layer of rock. They also used a helicopter to install 540 rock bolts deep into the slope.

It was a real team effort, involving DOT officials from North Carolina and Tennessee, the Federal Highway Administration and the National Forest Service. They received tremendous support from Gov. Perdue, other state and local elected officials, the tourism community, the media and, of course, the public. It was an honor to be able to acknowledge their contributions at the recently reopened Welcome Center at mile marker 10.5.

It was a privilege to share the podium with Board of Transportation member Conrad Burrell and Cece Hipps, Executive Director of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, who noted the hardships endured by local residents as well as interstate truckers and travelers for whom I-40 is not just a road but a lifeline.

We marked a major milestone on Tuesday but we recognize that our job is not done. While the road is now safe for travel, crews will continue work through the summer to stabilize several sites in the area. Although it was cold and rainy outside, a warm spirit reined inside the Welcome Center. Every member of the rockslide team had a reason to smile as we watched the cars and trucks stream by on I-40.

The Commission of Indian Affairs has taken action to assist needy North Carolinians who qualify for help in securing decent, safe and sanitary housing. On Tuesday, by a unanimous vote, the Commission agreed to revise its Payment Standard for the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program to more closely align with rising housing costs.

The Commission has long served as a designated Public Housing Agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Section 8 program provides rent assistance for families in Granville, Person, Halifax, Warren, Hoke, Sampson and Columbus counties.

The subsidy allowance was increased in light of rising rents, unemployment and other difficulties experienced by economically-disadvantaged families. It will have a modest yet meaningful impact, giving us an edge in negotiating with landlords and providing expanded housing opportunities for eligible families in counties served through the program. 

This change not only will provide direct benefit to eligible families, but also to communities and the state as a whole. When folks know they can count on basic housing, they are in a better position to care for their family and seek long-term employment. That is the goal of this program, and we will work hard to assist as many families as the funding will allow.

For information, contact the Commission’s Section 8 staff at 919-807-4440 or visit http://www.doa.nc.gov/cia/progr-s8hap.htm.

Strawberries, anyone?  Join Farmer Roger Ball on the Halifax Mall on Thursday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Office of State Personnel and our many partners kicked off the Farmer on the Mall Project Tuesday on the Bicentennial Mall.  A pilot project of the State Employees Wellness Initiative, Farmer on the Mall will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the growing season.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the most positive things you can do to benefit your health.  A plant-based diet helps to reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses.  At the same time, consuming local produce benefits the local economy. It is estimated that for every dollar spent, $3 to $7 is returned to the local economy.

As the growing season progresses, so will the offerings at Farmer on the Mall.  I, personally, am looking forward to fresh corn, tomatoes and butter beans.  But no matter what your palette craves, you know it’s going to be good.  Because we all know Goodness Grows right here in North Carolina!

For more information, visit http://www.osp.state.nc.us/Wellness/farmeronthemall.htm

By the way, the strawberries are delicious!

Last week it was announced that unemployment decreased in all of the state’s 100 counties in March.  While these numbers do not reflect seasonal adjustments, Employment Security Commission Chair Lynn Holmes commended the Governor’s JobsNOW “12-in-6” program as an example of one state initiative dedicated to getting unemployed North Carolinians back into the workforce.

Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW “12-in-6” program was created in August 2009 with $13.4 million in federal recovery funds.    The money was used to hire community college teachers and expand community college course offerings to train local workers in six months or less for occupations that matched local employer needs.

As of March 31, 2010 nearly 11,000 students have enrolled in “12-in-6” training classes and 2,600 workers have completed training. The classes, which began in the fall and require six months or less to finish, vary in occupation areas. Nursing, phlebotomy, office support, masonry, plumbing, carpentry, welding, food service, and auto body repair are only some of the courses offered and community colleges have the flexibility to teach courses that are tailored to their local economy’s needs as well.

Jobs are Gov. Perdue’s number one priority and on-the-ground, targeted job training like JobsNOW “12-in-6” are critical to our economic future. 

On any given day, injuries and violence result in 2,225 visits to the emergency room, more than 400 hospitalizations, and sadly, 17 deaths in North Carolina.  In the course of a year, the latest data shows that more than a million North Carolinians are injured severely enough to have to go to the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital—adding up to more than the populations of Charlotte, High Point, and Wilmington combined.  Injuries and violence are the leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 60. As former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop put it:  “If a disease were killing our children at the rate unintentional injuries are, the public would be outraged and demand that this killer be stopped.”

In the face of this challenge, over 75 public and private agencies have joined forces to reduce injuries and violence in the state.  On April 28th, these partners will release North Carolina’s first Statewide Strategic Plan for Preventing Injuries and Violence. 

The plan addresses topics including the prevention of car wrecks, drug overdoses, falls, suicides, and assaults.  And it’s ambitious – with a goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from injury and violence by 15 percent within five years.

Developing this statewide plan is the first major achievement of the State Advisory Council on Injury and Violence Prevention, established in 2009.  The State Advisory Council, which includes representation from hospitals, universities, state agencies, advocacy groups, and others, will lead the implementation of the plan.

You’re invited to join the partners, advocates, and policy makers at  Injury and Violence Prevention Day, this April 28th from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  in the auditorium of the Legislative Building of the NC General Assembly.  We welcome your support for this important cause!

To view or download the Statewide Strategic Plan for Preventing Injuries and Violence, please visit: www.injuryfreenc.ncdhhs.gov

To RSVP to Injury and Violence Prevention Day (it’s free!), please visit: http://bit.ly/apufs7

On Thursday, April 22 I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the Coastal Community Action, Inc. appreciation luncheon for volunteers at the Havelock Convention Center.

Carteret Community Action, Inc. was established in 1965 as a private corporation with a public mission—to reduce the amount of poverty in our communities, and to assist families and individuals in becoming self-sufficient. It began with three employees and a budget of $27,000. Twenty-five years later it employed more than 100 people, had a budget exceeding three million dollars, and served five counties (Carteret, Craven, Jones, Pamlico, and Onslow).

In 1998, the Board of Directors changed the name of the organization to Coastal Community Action, Inc. (CCA) to more accurately reflect the service area, which is now seven counties in eastern North Carolina: Carteret, Craven, Jones, Pamlico, Duplin, Onslow and Lenoir.  
 

In 2010, CCA has a staff of almost 200 employees and a budget exceeding eleven million dollars. Services are provided to eligible area residents in seven major program areas. CCA is directed by a fifteen-member tripartite board, comprised of representatives of the community, of the poor, and of elected officials or their representatives.

The 2010 Volunteers of the year are pictured below, from left to right:
Eliza Hill, Foster Grandparent Program, Carteret County 
Minnie Powell, Senior Companion Program, Jones County 
Teresa Wade, Family Services Program, Carteret County 
Sherry Dillahunt, CCA Agency, Craven County 
Medvene Williams, Section 8 Housing Program, Carteret County 
William (Bill) Anderson, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Carteret County

Not pictured is Yesenia Langley, Children's Services Program (Godette Child Development Center), Craven County