Campaign season begins with a flurry of filings – Source The Rocky Mount Telegram

The 2010 campaign season formally opened at noon Monday as several incumbents and a few challengers lined up at Twin Counties boards of elections offices to pay their filing fees.

Nash County Sheriff Dick Jenkins and Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight each filed for re-election early in the day. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Evans: DA should stick to basics Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

District Attorney Robert Evans officially started his election campaign Monday, calling for stronger community involvement and transparency from his district attorney’s office. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Tarboro businessman leads panel

An Edgecombe County funeral director has been named president of the state board that regulates the funeral and cremation industries.

J.T. Willoughby III recently was elected president of the N.C. Board of Funeral Service by his fellow board members. He was appointed to the board by former Gov. Mike Easley in 2007. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Note: Congratulations Bro. Willoughby III. I agree he is the man because he is very professional. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

LIFE WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE

A very humorous and revealing story is told about a group of white people who were fed up with African Americans, so they joined together and wished themselves away. They passed through a deep dark tunnel and emerged in sort of a twilight zone where there is an America without black people. (Read more @ Zimbio)

Regular Meeting of the Edgecombe County Board of Education

Regular Meeting of the Edgecombe County Board of Education
Edgecombe County Board Rooms
412 Pearl Street
Tarboro, NC 27886

February 8, 2010
AGENDA

6:30 P.M. (OPEN SESSION)

(1) Call to Order of Regular Meeting of the Board

(1.1) Pledge of Allegiance

(2) Recognition

Ethics Training – Board of Education

(3) Public Comments

(This time for public comments has been established for citizens who desire to address the board and who register prior to the start of the meeting. The Board has established a 3-minute time limitation for comments to be taken into consideration by the Board. Public comments must relate to items on the agenda. Feedback will not be given during the Board Session. If a response is necessary, the Board will respond within ten working days. Thank you. [Edgecombe County Board of Education Policy 2210])

(4) Approval of Agenda

(5) Approval of Open Session Minutes

(6) Items for Information

(6.1) 2008-2009 Audit Report – Gerrelene Walker

(6.2) College Round Up – Bob Whitehead/Faye Smith

(6.3) New Teacher Evaluation Implementation – Karen Dameron

(7) Committee Reports

(8)A. Consent Items (One Motion Approval)

(8.1.A) Approval of Field Trips

(8)B. Items for Action

(8.1.B) Approval of Changes to 2009-2010 School Year Calendar

(8.2.B) Approval of 2010-2011 School Year Calendars

Motion Required: I make a motion under the North Carolina Open Meetings Law, Sections 143-318.11 (a) (1), (a) (3), and (a) (6), to go into Closed Session to consider personnel matters, to consult with the attorney to preserve attorney-client privileged information, and to prevent the disclosure of student records rendered confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and the disclosure of personnel records rendered confidential under G.S. 115C-319 through 321.

Board Agenda February 8, 2010

Page 2

CLOSED SESSION:

(9.1) Personnel Management

(9.1.1) Listed Personnel (Contracted, New Hires, Resignations, Retirements, Substitutes, Transfers, Leave Requests, etc.)

(9.2) Student Management

(9.2.1) Student Transfers

(9.2.2) Mid-Year Graduates

(9.3) Review of Closed Session Minutes

OPEN SESSION:

(10) Approval of Closed Session Items:

- (10.1) Personnel

- (10.2) Closed Session Minutes

(11) Board Correspondence

(12) Items Brought by Board Members or Superintendent for Consideration/Discussion

(13) Adjourn

Races heat up ahead of filing’s first day – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

Filing for the 2010 primary elections begins today throughout the state.

As candidates prepare to announce their campaigns for a handful of open positions in Nashville, Tarboro, Raleigh and Washington, a few races already have grabbed headlines in the Twin Counties. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

Butterfield Applauds Nash County U.S. Marshal Nominee

U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield

First District of North Carolina

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For Release:  Immediate

Date:  February 4, 2010

Contact:  Ken Willis
Phone:  (202) 225-3101

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Butterfield Applauds Nash County U.S. Marshal Nominee

Washington, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield today applauded President Obama’s nomination of a Nash County Lieutenant Sheriff as a U.S. Marshal.

Today, President Barack Obama nominated five U.S. Marshals, including Scott Parker from the Nash County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office.

"Scott has a long and distinguished record in law enforcement," Butterfield said. "He would make an outstanding U.S. Marshal and I fully applaud his selection by President Obama. I know he will continue to make us all proud."

Currently, Parker serves as the Narcotics Division Commander of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, where he has risen to the rank of Lieutenant since joining in 1995. From 1989 to 1995, he was an Assistant Commander with the Roanoke Chowan Narcotics Task Force in Hertford County, North Carolina. Parker served with the Nashville, N.C., Police Department from 1987 to 1989.

“These nominees have spent their careers risking their own safety to protect their fellow Americans,” President Obama said. “Their courage and selfless dedication to the public good are unparalleled, and I am honored to nominate them today to continue their work as U.S. Marshals.”

Butterfield said he had expressed his support for Parker to U.S. Senator Kay Hagen, who also recommended Parker’s nomination.

Note: Congratulations Scott, make us proud. C. Dancy II DCN Publisher

You Are Invited

If you can be with us visit www.hkonj.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20s-J5r6jXA&feature=youtube_gdata

Project idle while Princeville lacks attorney – Source The Rocky Mount Telegram

PRINCEVILLE — A town project and federal funding are in limbo while Princeville lacks a town attorney.

The Princeville Board of Commissioners is searching for a new town attorney after voting 3-1 to end Town Attorney Anthony Flanagan’s contract during the Jan. 25 regular meeting. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

See related:

Princeville NC

N.C. Senate seat attracts another challenger – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

A second challenger has stepped forward to run against N.C. Sen. Clark Jenkins in the 2010 Democratic primary election.

Florence Armstrong, a former Edgecombe County commissioner, announced her plans this week to run for the N.C. Senate seat held by Jenkins, D-Edgecombe. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

See related:

Senate District 3 Race

Speaking Truth to Power – BLACKS & SUPER BOWL XLIV by William Reed Columnist

The National Football League’s showcase event will draw an audience numbering in the millions and money in the billions for the NFL and team owners.  While African American fans root, bet and grouse about the game and competing teams, we’d be remiss not to ask the NFL, and its member teams, “Are NFL hiring and retention practices acts of equal and equitable opportunities?”

The bloom is off the rose in the “hunt” for Black coaches.  Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell is the fourth African-American to stalk the sidelines in a Super Bowl.  But, even with that progress does the league still fall short in on-field and front-office practices?  Despite what you see on the field – seven times out of 10 it is an African American player – the NFL is a good “old boy network” of rich White men.  The NFL exemplifies the difference between the nouveau riche and real wealth.  It is run by  men who regularly write checks in the millions.  The National Football League is big business .  The 32 teams have millions of fans that generate billions of dollars for the NFL from merchandise, TV contracts, advertising and ticket sales.  Billions of dollars are generated in the teams’ participation in an annual 17-week competition and culminating in the final annual competition between the National and American Conferences: the Super Bowl, America’s biggest entertainment event.

On the field, a few stars like Colts quarterback Payton Manning makes $14 million a year and play multiple seasons; but the average NFL player plays 3 years, makes $770,000 a year, and a career average of $2.3 million.  Playing in the NFL has made many rich, but within five years after retiring most have lost all the money he made.

Upstairs, in NFL owners’ boxes are billionaire owners such as: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Seattle Seahawks – net worth of $16.8 billion.  Others include Malcolm Glazer, Tampa Bay Bucs, $2.5 billion; Wayne Huizenga, Miami Dolphins, $2.5 billion; Cleveland Browns, Randolph Lerner, $1.6 billion; Robert McNair, Houston Texans, $1.5 billion; Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons, $1.5 billion; Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, $1.3 billion; Robert Kraft, New England Patriots, $1.4 billion; Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, $1.3 billion; and Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has a net worth of  $1 billion.

In 2002, attorneys Cyrus Mehri and the late Johnnie Cochran accused NFL of denying Black coaches a fair chance to compete for head coaching jobs.  That led to establishment of the "Rooney Rule," which requires that each team interview at least one minority candidate prior to filling a head coach position.

Two NFL owners recently ran a rook on the Rooney Rule.  The Redskins recently hired Mike Shanahan as their new head coach and give him a 5-year, $35 million contract. The Redskins also interviewed their secondary coach, Jerry Gray, an African American, for the job.  The Seahawks tapped famed USC coach Pete Carroll for five years for $35 million.  But, Seahawks management first flew to Minneapolis to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, an African American, for the job.

During the 2009 season, seven of the league’s 32 head coaches – Mike Tomlin at Pittsburgh, Marvin Lewis at Cincinnati, Mike Singletary in San Francisco, Perry Fewell at Buffalo, Lovie Smith at Chicago, Raheem Morris at Tampa Bay and Jim Caldwell were African American.  But, it is difficult to square the Rooney Rule with reality.   Leslie Frazier – reportedly a "candidate" for seven NFL head coaching jobs over past years, is simply being interviewed multiple times just to comply with the rule.  The Redskins were in such a lather over how to comply with the rule that team officials interviewed Gray even before former head coach Jim Zorn was fired – ostensibly to clear the path for Shanahan.

Bottom line is that neither Frazier nor Gray had a chance of head coaching jobs at Seattle or Washington.  Snyder and Allen are at the top of their game; so if Shanahan and Carroll make them more money and build their legacies as NFL owners, ain’t that just “the boyz doin’ business as usual.

(William Reed – www.BlackPressInternational.com)

See related:

William Reed

Police Academy grads join department’s ranks – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

Boosted by federal stimulus dollars, the Rocky Mount Police Department marked an all-time high in staffing levels Tuesday as 18 officers were sworn-in to active duty at Nash Community College. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)