China May Buy Tar Heel Tobacco

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Agreement between the United States and China has been reached to allow China to buy American tobacco.

Chinese agriculture specialists and scientists visited Moore County tobacco farms last summer as part of an inspection tour across North Carolina and other tobacco-growing states.

Tobacco growers and companies have expressed interest in the sale of American leaf to China as a means of boosting lagging sales in this country.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, the Democrat representing the 2nd District, said Monday that the final protocol between the two countries had been executed.

Negotiations began last year after China dropped a ban on tobacco imports. Local agriculture experts said that the tour by the Chinese scientists last summer apparently cleared up any doubts the Chinese might have had about possible contamination from American-grown leaf.

REAPPOINTED — Dolores H. Yount has been reappointed to the Moore County Board of Health.

She fills the registered nurse slot on the health board. The Moore County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to reappoint Yount.

At the same time the board voted to reappoint Sally Thomas to the Pleasant Living Healthcare Advisory Board, the nonprofit agency that operates Quail Haven Retirement Village in Pinehurst.

SHELTER — As part of their consent agenda Monday, the commissioners voted to authorize endorsement for a grant application by Friend to Friend Inc. for 2001 emergency shelter funds and Victims of Crime Act funds. No local match is required.

Friend to Friend, the nonprofit agency providing services to the victims of domestic violence, is applying for federal funds through the Governor’s Crime Commission. The application will go to the North Carolina Emergency Shelter Grants Program under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.

COOPERATION — Moore County officials were emphasizing cooperation Monday when they held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facilities accommodating EMS Base 5 at the Moore County Airport.

Commissioner Chairman Michael Holden pointed out that the county used the services of its own public works department to assist the private contractor in renovating and enlarging the airport facilities.

In addition to expressing appreciation to the towns of Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Pinehurst for providing facilities to the county, Holden told everyone that the county’s EMS program is dependent upon Sandhills Community College to train emergency medical technicians and paramedics who run the program.