In the News

Take off your belt and shoes, empty your pockets, step through the metal detector and pay an extra $17.5 million.

That is how much investigators say has been spent on “premium” salaries for Transportation Security Administration employees who have been promoted without doing any additional work.

Larry Wooten, president of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, quoted former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to demonstrate how important is was to celebrate benchmarks of success during the Davidson County Farm Bureau annual meeting.

“It's when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached,” he said. “It is important to take the time to recognize milestones.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The two U.S. House representatives who represent Robeson County have blasted an Internet article that hung the label of America’s “poorest city” around the neck of Lumberton.

The chairman and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security Friday sent a joint letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole questioning the implementation of the agency's proposal to shift exit lane responsibilities to airports.

CONCORD, N.C. -- Each day, 42 percent of the traffic traveling on Interstate 85 through Cabarrus County gets off at Exit 49, Charlotte Motor Speedway President and COO Marcus Smith said Tuesday during a meeting attended by local and state tourism leaders, and U.S. Rep.Richard Hudson.

Smith and other local tourism leaders told Hudson that funding improved infrastructure at Exit 49 would be one of the best things government could do to help the area and local tourism.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both of Robeson County’s representatives in the U.S. House oppose military action against Syria.

“The important constitutional question to be answered regarding our country’s potential involvement in a foreign country’s civil war is whether such action meets the threshold of endangering our national security,” Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Democrat from Lumberton, said in a statement. “The recent actions in Syria raise very serious concern regarding the use of chemical weapons.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rowan County business leaders in Washington, D.C. for the N.C. Business and Economic Development Summit will meet today with the Federal Aviation Administration to pitch a $10.4 million improvement project at the Rowan County Airport.

PEMBROKE — The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has received a grant of almost $1 million to fund a project that will support new businesses, promote economic development in Robeson County and inject life into downtown Pembroke.

UNCP Chancellor Kyle R. Carter said the 16,000-square-foot UNCP Entrepreneurship Incubator, which is projected to open in January 2015, will provide office space, supplies and services to start-up businesses.