Governor Cooper Announces Grant For Water Infrastructure In Pinetops

PINETOPS, N.C. (WITN) – Town and county leaders gathered at Pinetops Town Hall Thursday as Governor Roy Cooper spoke about a grant that will help the town replace older water lines.

It’s been a complaint in the town for years. Restaurant Co-Owner Ernest Pitt Jr. says, “Somebody come in like you know y’all water tasting is nasty and all that we don’t need that with the business we got going on and what we’re trying to establish in Pinetops.”

Now $7.9 million will go toward replacing nearly 8 miles of water lines within the town. Some business owners say they’ve had to leave their water running constantly in order to prevent it from being dirty. But there are other problems too.

“Our system is so aged in so many areas, and the lines just they develop leaks, and you try to fix one in because the pipe is so old it will actually go down the line a little bit and find another weak spot rupture again,” said Mayor, Brenda Harrell.

According to Governor Roy Cooper, water line breaks are causing 25% of water loss per year in Pinetops.

In fact, he says crews have worked in the same area three different times just this week and the impacts stretch beyond just Pinetops. $1.1 million will be used to connect 20 homes through Edgecombe County to the city’s water system.

“You know wells can be unreliable. Sometimes the water runs out at a well, sometimes the pumps go out in a well, so this will provide a very reliable source of clean water,” said Eric Evans, County Manager.

Both of these new projects are expected to . . . (Read more)

Rocky Mount City Council, Pinetops Town Commissioners, Conetoe Town Commissioners Going Into The New Year

With the upcoming 2022 Elections beginning soon folk you better not get caught up in the noise. 

During the last election I made some bad choices and if I was to do it again I would have chosen to support Elaine Burnette Williams for Rocky Mount City Council. For me and listening to others, the Black woman’s voice has been missing and that would have been the better choice.

Some say that the election was not about TJ and Elaine but about Pastor Thomas L. Walker and Pastor James Gailliard. I am just talking about what they were saying.

I supported Councilman T.J. Walker because he was family but he has been very disappointing. First of all he did not attend the meetings in person regularly, when he did come, he came late and/or left early. But the main thing I have a problem with is I understand he is no longer a youth pastor at his granddaddy’s church. I would not allow politics to come between me and family because being a politician is a 4 year contract but family suppose to be for life. Now keeping in mind families fall apart for many reasons. I know we get grown and want to do grown folk stuff but when we have family, we need to listen to them. We ain’t going to agree with everything but there are some things that they tell us that is the gospel truth.

Councilman TJ Walker you are the youngest member on the council and it is time for you to step up your game. Folk were saying that you didn’t need to be the Mayor Pro-tem but now is the time for you to be more focused and committed to the council. I hope you don’t continue to get caught up in the young folk thing and do what you were elected to do. You see if you do that, the young thing will take care of itself. Don’t get above yourself just because you are now Mayor Pro-tem because that is more of a ceremonial thing and only last for a year.

Some folk have been mad since the Rocky Mount City Council has been a Black Majority. Because of that you guys have to walk a thin line and to always do what is right.

Pinetops Town Commission need to step it up because it makes no sense they do not have a Town Administrator. Natalie Watson Bess left to become an assistant Edgecombe County Manager and she has not been replaced.

Pinetops citizens need to get more involved in their local government. I just don’t understand why some citizens do not attend the Town Meetings seeking to make Pinetops a better place to live work and play. Pinetops have a lot of potential but from being familiar with the town and the citizens, it is disappointing to see the standstill they are in.

I have not attended a Pinetops Town Meeting in a few years but I plan to attend some in 2022.

The Town Of Conetoe has got a complete mess. I attended the swearing in of their Commissioners this month and the new commission is starting from the bottom. The town was left in a mess and the only way I see it getting on track is that LGC will have to come in and guide them. The new mayor and the 2 old Commissioners that have been on the commission need to go home. It appears they have been a part of a commission that has done just wanted they wanted to do and not by policies and procedures.

It appears the 2 new Commissioners Democrats want to come in and learn the role of leading the town and to get the town back on track. Because they are new they will have to learn their roles while fighting the 3 Republicans who have the Trump mentality because they actually think Conetoe belongs to them. The meeting was standing room only and it need to stay that way until the Town is back on track.

The main focus should be the seeking to hire a qualified Town Clerk. The Town Clerk is the one that runs the town especially of that size. The Mayor is talking about what he is going to do but he don’t even understand that he don’t have a vote unless he has to break a tie. But that will always be the case simply because the Town Commission is a make up of 2 Republican and 2 Democratic Commissioners and he being a Republican Mayor, until they learn their roles about how Government works, they are going to just vote together just because of their party affiliation.

Gerry Butch Lynch is the only Black on the Commission and his first time holding a political office has his work cut out for him. It began the 1st night because them Republicans tried to say his house didn’t sit in the city limits. The Edgecombe County Board of Elections and the State Board of Elections both validated it but they just ignored them. The Mayor told everybody to leave the room so they could talk about Butch’s residency. I said I am not leaving the room and I told everybody else to stay. The Mayor then proceeded to talk about the residency issue. They made a complete fool out of themselves.

I can’t wait until the next meeting to see how the Mayor carry out the meeting because it is obvious he has no clue of how to do so. I hope that LGC is present because if not I see the meeting being a disaster.

Because I am a Community and Political Activist first, I am an Edgecombe County Democratic Party Precinct Chair, serve on the Edgecombe County Democratic Party Executive Committee and the NC State Democratic Party Executive Committee, member of the Edgecombe County African American Caucus of the NC State Democratic Party I am going to be very visible and active in Edgecombe County Politics in 2022. So anyone that has a problem with that that will be a you problem because I am actively engaged in politics locally, statewide and nationally.

Looking forward to the 2022 Elections and I will be educating the citizens of Edgecombe County but not limited to about politics, political leaders and political issues.

Ready!

Pinetops removed from state financially distressed list

The state Local Government Commission has removed Pinetops from a list of government entities designated as financially distressed.

Pinetops had a total assessment criteria score of 12. It was placed on the list because its score exceeded nine for entities providing both drinking water and wastewater services.

Town officials began working on the town’s standing with the state shortly after being notified of its placement on the list — and brought the effort to fruition when the town board on June 22 adopted its fiscal year 2021-22 budget.

The budget maintained the town’s 46-cents-per-$100 valuation property tax rate, but it put into play some key steps that led the LGC to take action at its August meeting.

“Pinetops officials demonstrated a willingness to find out what’s right, get it right and keep it right, and were able to work their way off of the Unit Assistance List in short order,” said State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who chairs the Local Government Commission. (Read more)