Update: The DCN News Blog Online TV (Your Edgecombe County Alternative News Source) Donations Are Welcomed

Update: I am not videoing these days because most events are being livestreamed. I plan to upgrade to a camera at some point in time to do livestream but that is probably not in the near future. I do not plan to get back active videoing until probably around 2022. In the meantime I will just watch livestreamed videos done by other folk.

I appreciate folk who have supported The DCN over the years.

Follow me on The DCN News Blog Online TV which automatically goes to my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. I also share my posts on Facebook.

I am an Edgecombe County Alternative News Source but not limited to news locally. Don’t get it twisted with Alternative Facts because I am about FACTS and not half-trues and lies.

Please Share my Posts that you like and Tag me.

I do what I do out of pocket attending meetings videoing and taking photos making them public for folk who do not attend for whatever reason. It takes funds to do what I do.

I video a variety of things from meetings, banquets, sporting events, funerals and other. I post my videos on YouTube where you can access them at anytime that is convenient for you.

I also take photos and post them on my Facebook page and make them available for others to see. If someone do not have a Facebook page they can still view the photos.

It takes funds to to travel places and then it takes funds for equipment.

Because of COVID-19 I have been working basically from home doing a lot of research. I pay to read the Rocky Mount Telegram and the Wilson Times. I read all kinds of news sources but try to make sure I validate the source is reliable before sharing information. My followers send me information that they want to be shared however sometimes they do not want to be named. I try to validate any and all information is factual before sharing it.

You have 3 options that you can send Donations PayPal, Cash App or send via USPS at Curmilus Dancy II P.O. Box 1391 Pinetops, NC 27864.

Thanking you in advance.

I Know Who My Real Friends Are Do You?

Do you know who your real friends are?

I don’t have to talk to them daily or hang out with them.

When we talk or see each other we are at the same status from the last time we talked or seen each other.

When we need each other we know we are going to be there.

And I don’t have friends who can’t be straight up with me because that is a dangerous friend that don’t want to talk about them trues.

Do you know who your real friends are?

NCDP Blasts Republicans’ Silence In New Video Following Mark Robinson’s Offensive Rhetoric

NCDP Blasts Republicans’ Silence In New Video Following Mark Robinson’s Offensive Rhetoric

Today marks one week since Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson spoke at the NC GOP Convention and still not a single Republican has condemned his divisive and hateful rhetoric. Today, NCDP released a video calling on members of the NC GOP to condemn Robinson’s speech.

WATCH

“Folks always like to ask me, the very first thing they like to ask me is ‘Well, you talk about standing up for the unborn. ‘What about in cases of rape or incest?’…That’s not any of my concern. That is Darwin.”

“Once you make a baby, it’s not your body anymore.”
“I do not fall for this whole transgender delusion.”

North Carolinians would like to know, is this what the North Carolina Republican Party stands for? Or is the NC GOP too weak to stand up to him?

“As the great Martin Luther King Jr. once said ‘it may well be that we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people…but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people’ and I refuse to be silent,” said NCDP Chair Bobbie Richardson. “While Republicans are too busy pandering to a former president, asserting control over a pregnant woman’s body, and comparing rape to natural selection – Democrats will continue to fight for the dignity and rights of every North Carolinian. We will call out Mark Robinson for his disgusting language. Will the GOP?”

Earlier this week it was reported that spokespeople for the state GOP didn’t respond to requests for comment Tuesday, or for requests Monday and Tuesday for video of the speech.

St. Stephens MBC Goldsboro Pastor Malcom E. Lewis Invite You To Sunday School & Morning Service Sunday June 13, 2021 10:00 AM & 11:00 AM

Pastor Malcom E. & Mother Lois Lewis along with the church congregation invite you to St. Stephens MBC 2nd Sunday Service June 13, 2021 11:00 AM after Sunday School.

You can join the live service by calling in to the Free Conference Call at 701-801-6982 no code needed.

You can also join the live service by clicking on the following Zoom Video Link.
Meeting ID: 810 6032 8160 Passcode: 538587

You can also join in person 206 Pearson St Goldsboro, NC 27530. CDC guidelines followed.

Note: On your phone or other devices you can click on the Zoom link before the service begin so when it begin it will come on and that way you will not forget it. I normally click on link about 30 minutes before the start time.

Pastor Malcom E. Lewis
St. Stephens MBC Goldsboro NC
Anderson Chapel MBC Macclesfield NC

5 Days 5 Ways: How Governor Cooper’s Budget Helps North Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5 Days 5 Ways: How Governor Cooper’s Budget Helps North Carolina Day 5: Putting Money In Your Pocket Yesterday, the Republican-controlled Senate passed a bill to cut personal and corporate income taxes and other business taxes by more than $2 billion over the next two years. When Senator Wiley Nickel introduced an amendment to keep the corporate tax rate in place and used the revenue for child care, saying 92% of corporate taxes are paid by out-of-state corporations, it was voted down by Republicans. Once again it is clear that North Carolina Republicans push for tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring working families. In striking contrast, Governor Cooper’s budget invests in those families through the Earned Income Tax Credit and state-level child care tax credits.  “A budget is a reflection of values and I applaud Governor Cooper for his investment in working North Carolinians,” said Bobbie Richardson, NCDP chair. “Instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthy, the Governor’s budget invests in the Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the best mechanisms we have to lift working people out of poverty. Instead of cutting the corporate tax rate, we are putting people back to work by helping them pay for daycare and after-school fees. These programs are a reflection of the values Democrats champion and ensure a budget that works for all, not just a wealthy few.” Governor Cooper’s budget reinstates the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help more than 850,000 North Carolina families, nearly all of whom earn less than $50,000 a year. This budget will also establish a Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) to help about 195,000 North Carolina families with out-of-pocket child care expenses. North Carolina has one of the highest rates of working poverty in the nation. One in eight North Carolina workers earns poverty-level wages, which for a family of four, is $25,750. Factoring in childcare where the average annual cost of care for an infant attending a child care center in the state is $9,650, over $600 more than the current in-state tuition at the University of North Carolina, how are North Carolina families supposed to pay for other necessities? That’s more than one-third of the state median income for a single mother. If we want to grow our workforce and lift families out of poverty, we should enact Governor Cooper’s budget now. ###

From The Desk Of Rep. James D. Gailliard

Alert from the Office of Representative James D. Gailliard STANDING COMMITTEES 2021-2022 · APPROPRIATIONS · APPROPRIATION, CAPITAL · EDUCATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGES · EDUCATION, K-12 · HEALTH Advocating for inclusive policies for Constituents in Nash County-Rocky Mount COVID-19 Vaccine Update We have now had 1,006,265 laboratory confirmed cases in North Carolina. There are 602 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Sadly we have 13,212 confirmed deaths for North Carolina. The COVID-19 data dashboard is available here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard Currently 54% of the adult population has been vaccinated with at least one dose and 50% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated. The full vaccine dashboard is available here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations 80% of Adults 65+ Have Received at Least One Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that more than 80% of adults 65 and older in the state have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. "Achieving 80% of older adults vaccinated is an important milestone in our fight against COVID-19," said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. "We are not done yet. Let’s continue to protect each other by taking our shot against this virus and bringing summer back to North Carolina." Vaccines protect people from COVID-19 and virus-related hospitalization and death. People who are fully vaccinated can do all of the things that they did before the pandemic. Those who are unvaccinated still need to wear a mask in public indoor settings and public outdoor settings when they cannot maintain physical distance, need to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19 and need to participate in testing and screening programs. NCDHHS recommends North Carolinians to "Vax Up or Mask Up." COVID-19 vaccines are widely available across the state. They are free to everyone. For those who still have questions, visit YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov to learn about COVID-19 vaccines and why these safe, effective shots are your best shot to getting back in control of your life and back to the people and places you love. Information for New Medicare Beneficiaries N.C. SHIIP holds virtual informational fair to assist new Medicare beneficiaries RALEIGH — Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program or SHIIP invites new Medicare beneficiaries to participate in a virtual “Welcome to Medicare Fair” to help with initial enrollment. The virtual fair will take place June 23, 2021 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. To register, visit www.shiphelp.org.  N.C. SHIIP is a division of the North Carolina Department of Insurance and provides free, unbiased information about Medicare, Medicare prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage, long-term care insurance and other health insurance issues to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. While SHIIP employs a small paid staff, a great deal of its outreach is performed through trained volunteers who provide one-on-one counseling in all 100 counties in North Carolina. The fair will include general sessions with expert presenters on Medicare eligibility, enrollment, costs, and coverage options. SHIIP experts will explain who is eligible for Medicare and when, how to sign up for Medicare, and what to do if you are still working when you are eligible for Medicare. The event will conclude with national presenters discussing the federal government’s role in Medicare, avoiding Medicare fraud, and the available Medicare assistance programs that help with Medicare costs. Since this event is government funded, there is no cost to attend. SHIIP counselors are not licensed insurance agents, and they do not sell, endorse, or oppose any product, plan, or company. If you have questions about your specific plan, we encourage you to contact your insurance agent or the insurance company. You do not have to wait for this event to get Medicare help from our program. For more information about Medicare, contact the N.C SHIIP office at 855 408-1212 or visit www.ncshiip.com. This project is supported, in part, by grant number 90SATC00002 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy. Representative James D. Gailliard committed to: The People of Nash County-Rocky Mount Progressive solutions for Rural Issues Principles that foster Common Sense Legislation

Rocky Mount City Council Committee Of The Whole Meeting Monday June 14, 2021

City of Rocky Mount, NC Gov. Offices

The Rocky Mount City Council Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Monday, June 14 will begin at 4 p.m. It will be followed by a regularly scheduled City Council meeting at 7 p.m. The meetings will be available live via the city’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

City to hold Town Hall session on Public Safety

Rocky Mount, N.C. – The city of Rocky Mount will hold the second in a series of virtual Town Hall sessions — #RockyMount4All — at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15. The session will focus on Public Safety. Speakers will include City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney, Police Chief Robert Hassell, Katheryn Zughbi of Fighting Crime News and Who’s Wanted, and Robert Davis of the Meadowbrook Community Improvement Association. 

Upcoming #RockyMount4All Town Hall sessions will bring together city officials, community leaders, experts and citizens to discuss key issues including Affordable Housing (Tuesday, July 13, 7 p.m.) and Business Development (Tuesday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.). For more information or to share your views, email outreach@rockymountnc.gov.

About Rocky Mount: The city of Rocky Mount, located in the Coastal Plains of North Carolina, was incorporated in 1867 and lies in Edgecombe and Nash Counties. Rocky Mount is a two-time All-America City on the Tar River. Serving as the Gateway to Eastern North Carolina, the city’s 875 employees serve approximately 58,000 residents daily. The city’s mission is to advance community well-being, safety and quality of life by delivering excellent public services and actively collaborating with the community towards a fulfilling and inspired future for its citizens. As a publicly-owned utility, the city of Rocky Mount is committed to safe, reliable service for its customers and operates in Nash and Edgecombe counties, providing customers with electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater (sewer), refuse, recycling and/or stormwater services. To learn more, visit http://www.rockymountnc.gov for news and updates.

Emerald Isle restaurant owner sued for giving employees Sundays off

https://wcti12.com/news/local/emerald-isle-restaurant-owner-sued-for-giving-employees-sundays-off

Rocky Mount NC – Police chief proposes high-tech crime-fighting system

New Police Chief Robert Hassell recently appeared before a budget work session of the City Council and sought support for a proposed real time crime-fighting intelligence center, but he is going to go back, do more research and consult legal scholars.

Hassell faced questioning, particularly from Councilwoman Chris Miller and Councilmen Reuben Blackwell and Andre Knight.

The council before Hassell became the police chief on May 3 discussed having cameras to support present ShotSpotter technology. ShotSpotter is a system of sensors designed to detect, locate and alert the police of gunfire in real time.

During the June 2 budget work session, Hassell spoke about having a Fusus online platform for Rocky Mount as the best solution to meet the needs of the police department. Fusus is headquartered northeast of Atlanta and is in the business of unifying data and live video feeds into cloud-based crime-fighting centers.

A cloud-based system is one in which information is stored, managed and processed on a network of remote computer servers hosted on the internet, rather than on local servers or personal computers. (Read more)

Rocky Mount NC – City finance director to fill post in Wilson

City of Rocky Mount Finance Director Amy Staton is going to become the City of Wilson’s chief financial officer later this summer.

Staton is scheduled to join the City of Wilson on July 6, with retiring City of Wilson Chief Financial Officer Kim Hands to remain through the end of August to ensure a transition, a City of Wilson spokeswoman told the Telegram on Friday.

Staton will be paid $175,000 a year, the spokeswoman told the Telegram. Staton has been receiving a salary of slightly more than $154,000 from the City of Rocky Mount.

The Telegram in a story published on Thursday reported that Staton on June 2 submitted her notice of resignation to the City of Rocky Mount, with July 5 to be her last day of employment with the municipality.

Staton has been employed by the City of Rocky Mount for nearly 25 years, with more than 14 of them being as the finance director.

Staton, who is a native of Rocky Mount, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Meredith College, with a concentration in accounting. (Read more)

Rocky Mount NC – City plans to launch public safety phone app

The City Council and the viewing audience recently heard about a proposed public safety app that would enable residents to use their cell phones to keep track of the police department’s reports of incidents and to quickly communicate with the police.

During the June 2 council budget work session, Assistant to the City Manager for Budget and Evaluation Kenneth Hunter gave a presentation and he used the MyCMPD app as an example.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in November 2020 launched the MyCMPD app so users can be alerted of incidents as they occur in areas and neighborhoods close to their homes, schools or workplaces and so users can view an online map to see the locations of police activity and emergencies in areas and neighborhoods.

The MyCMPD app has an icon that allows one to call the police, as well as icons to allow one to get to that police department’s Twitter link and to that police department’s website.

The MyCMPD app also has a “virtual officer” feature so one can file a report with the police online.

News reports said that in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the police department worked with public safety app developer Atlas One in Austin, Texas, to make MyCMPD a reality. (Read more)

Condolences Goes Out To The Entire Family Of The Late Larry D. Lyons

Click On Photo To View Obituary
Larry was neighbor at the Wiggins Crossroad Tarboro/Pinetops Hwy

Talking About Paying Folk To Go To Work

Folk complaining about folk should not be paid to go to work.

Folk complaining about the extra income folk are receiving.

Folk complaining about folk not paying their bills but have not been out of work. Hell yeah I agree with that if they are working they need to pay their damn bill and/or be evicted.

But folk need to be paid a living wage, receive benefits and that would be an incentive to go to work. I know it was for me.

I only have a high school diploma and work at one of the highest paid jobs in the Twin Counties so I have been blessed. Do I want to make more money? Hell yeah but I am good!

However there are many who have not been fortunate to get a job that they could live comfortable.

Times have changed since y’all started working.

Folk are sick of working for little of nothing. Oh but you have and had good paying jobs.

Hell I have worked on the farm but it was for my dad, granddad, uncles, cousin and atleast 2 White Men. But they all paid good back then. I was 5 years old when I started and was 9 when I started working with these other folk.

But I heard horror stories of other folk who experiences working on the farm that was not like my experience. Hell I loved it and even after working a public job after high school I still worked on the farm til 2010.

But Viola said nobody ought to have to work for less than $10 and hour I agree but should be more.

Hell I feel folk ought to be able to retire after working a job for 20 years no more than 30. Damn shame have to work til 65 years old and making crumbs.

Viola your children is working but it is children and others that come behind them that are experiencing what we are going through.

Daycare! Who can afford that? And if they can look at how much they pay out.

This is a different time.

I also agree with someone that said why not give folk like myself that worked through the pandemic something?

But ain’t nobody saying anything about all of these folk who have received the PPP loans? I believe if they gave the employees a fair amount they would not be having a shortage of workers.

I look at some of these places of employment and they never closed.

And these times ain’t no different than when folk lived on the farm and got tired of mess and went in the military and/or left and went to the city for a better life.

I remember when there were a lot of White teachers who could teach because their husbands had good jobs and/or were big time farmers.

My dad rented out a farm and he and my moma worked a public job. Like I said I have farmed and worked a public job up til 2010.

Some folk forget!

Pitt County – Sheriff Paula Stokes Dance Fought For Increase For Her Officers

Paula Stokes Dance

I fought really hard this year for raises that would put our officers on par with our local counterparts…to no avail. I fought and asked for pandemic bonus pay for officers who worked everyday in congregated settings and through face -to-face interactions with the public and crowds…to no avail. As Sheriff I bring in millions of dollars in revenue by keeping federal inmates and hoped that the extra un-budgeted money would help to attain those request…to no avail. I have detention officers on mandatory overtime due to understaffing because of open positions. Yet, some county commissioners are upset that I have had to reduce/eliminate the population of federal inmates (that I don’t have to keep) therefore not bringing in revenue that is not statutorily required by the Sheriff. Yet…some are dogged and don’t care about my officers and staff but rather only the money that federal inmates bring in. Many of my officers have been and continues to be exposed, and darn well should be paid for all that they sacrifice daily. I know this doesn’t really encourage anyone to apply but if you know folks who want to work, are looking for a job, and fit the minimum criteria listed below, please encourage them to apply. In the meantime…I’ll keep fighting

Pitt County Sheriff

REPORT: TRUMP WAS EVEN MORE OF A CORRUPT MOTHERF–KER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

The thing about Donald Trump‘s four years in office is that despite the fact that we knew in real time about most of the awful, corrupt, legitimately evil shit he pulled, months after his departure from the White House we’re still learning about previously unknown but equally terrible stuff he did. Like, for instance, siccing the Justice Department on his enemies in Congress.

Weeks after it emerged that Trump’s DOJ surveilled numerous journalists from outlets he regularly attacked, The New York Times reports that the Justice Department, then led by Jeff Sessions, took the “highly unusual step” of subpoenaing Apple for data from the accounts of Democratic representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, who serve on the House Intelligence Committee. (Trump, you may recall, regularly called the California Democrat “Shifty Schiff” and on at least one occasion said he should be arrested and tried for treason.) And the administration didn’t just go after the records of the two lawmakers—it demanded those of aides and family members too, including one underage child. According to the Times, in an attempt to find out who was behind leaks of classified information concerning contacts between Trump associates and Russia, the DOJ seized the records of at least a dozen people connected to the Intelligence Committee between 2017 and 2018. And while the department under Sessions was ultimately unable to tie Schiff and Swalwell to the leaks, that didn’t stop his successor, the even slipperier Bill Barr, who used his gig as attorney general to settle Trump’s scores, from giving it another shot.

Per the Times: (Read more)