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Jun 1, 2006
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Jun 1, 2006
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| Online Phonebook | Sandhills Guide | Business News | National News |
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Two incumbent county commissioners who lost in the May Republican primary election have plenty of company across North Carolina.
Commission-ers David Cummings, the Moore County board chairman, and Virginia Saunders, vice chairperson, are among at least 40 incumbents who lost primary contests this year. A few other incumbent commissioners faced runoff elections. Losing incumbents in adjacent counties include Tommy Emerson and Bunkey Morgan in Chatham County, Walt Tichener in Harnett, William Cameron in Hoke, and H.L. Webb in Richmond. The names and numbers were listed in the latest edition of CountyLines, monthly publication of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Larry Caddell, who defeated Cummings, and Cindy Morgan, who defeated Saunders, are shoo-ins for the November general election because the Democrats fielded no candidates for those seats. However, Jimmy Melton will face opposition from Democrat Teresa Marquez in November. Melton defeated Jerry Daeke for the District 5 seat in the Republican primary. Marquez had no opposition within the Democratic Party and her name did not appear on the May 2 ballot. The winner will take the seat being vacated by incumbent Commissioner Michael Holden, who decided not to seek reelection.
BUYOUT -- Tobacco buyout checks have been delayed because of a computer glitch in several parts of the country, but not in Moore County. Amber Waller, director of the Farm Service Agency, says checks have been mailed to all eligible quota owners in Moore County. The only exceptions were a few payments that were delayed because of ownership changes and similar technical reasons. The most common cause for delay was the situation in which the owner died, necessitating a change in statistical data establishing the new ownership. A report issued in late May indicated that about 600 quota owners did not receive their buyout checks in January. Among those owners were 155 in North Carolina. Waller says that the Moore County FSA office has received no calls about the computer delays in the dispatch of buyout checks. The checks are distributed annually to tobacco quota/allotment owners as reimbursement for discontinuation of the federal price support and quota system. Farmers may still raise tobacco but without price supports or planting controls.
AMERICAN IDOL -- Congressman Howard Coble, a self-confessed pop culture neophyte, joined others expressing outrage when Chris Daughtry of McLeansville was voted off the popular television series American Idol. Coble expressed himself by inserting a statement into the Congressional Record last week. In the statement he calls Daughtry the 6th District's favorite American Idol. Fans of the rock singer will gather Saturday at McPherson Stadium at the Bryan Park Soccer Complex in Brown Summit to honor Daughtry's accomplishment of finishing as a finalist on the successful reality TV show. "Most people know that my musical tastes run more towards bluegrass, but we were proud of Chris for finishing so strong on American Idol," Coble said. "I was told by many people, including some of my own staff, that he should have won the doggone thing. So, we decided to honor Chris by placing a statement in the Congressional Record, which we will present to Chris Saturday. We are proud of him no matter where he finished." In the statement, Coble admits that he is biased, but he goes on to point out that a previous Idol winner, Fantasia, hails from High Point, also part of his 6th District. "But I do know politics, and from everything I could learn, Chris Daughtry appeared to be the fan favorite. While I will not call for Congress to investigate this Idol election process, those of us who reside in the 6th District of North Carolina will always be convinced that our guy really won -- sort of like fans of Al Gore in 2000," Coble continued in the Congressional Record.
KEYNOTE -- Coble will be the keynote speaker Friday for an event at the Center for Fitness and Human Movement at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington. After the 12 noon ceremony he will tour the center. He is back in the 6th District for the Memorial Day break. |
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