Media

A stretch of highway giving direct access from Interstate 95 to Fort Bragg is open.

Local, state and national officials gathered Thursday morning to celebrate the opening of Fayetteville’s Outer Loop from Ramsey Street to Murchison Road. A stretch from Murchison to Bragg Boulevard opened in August 2014.

The new section of highway opened for traffic at 1:15 p.m.

Gov. Pat McCrory spoke briefly at the ceremony.

“The pavement’s hot,” he said. “I want cars on this road as quickly as possible.”

ROCKINGHAM — A new packaging company is coming to Richmond County, bringing nearly 100 new jobs along with it, state and local officials announced Thursday morning.

California-based Direct Pack, Inc. will locate an East Coast facility just outside Rockingham, creating 94 jobs over the next five years, with plans to invest $12.75 million, according to Gov. Pat McCrory’s office.

SALISBURY — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hasn’t responded appropriately to statements from a family whose son was killed in Iraq while serving in the Army, according to Rep. Richard Hudson.

Through social media and in a TV news interview, Trump responded to a speech from a Gold Star family by dishing out his own criticism. Gold Star families are immediate relatives of members of the military killed in action. Politicians on both sides of the political aisle have condemned Trump’s remarks.

LAURINBURG —Scotland County business and civic leaders will have a chance to bend the ears of officials in Washington about issues important to them.

The 20th Annual N.C. Business and Economic Development Summit held in Washington D.C. on Sept. 12 and 13.

“The NC Summit is a chance for business leaders in North Carolina to learn components to help our national economy prosper,” said Chris English, director of the Laurinburg/Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce, one of the groups helping round up local attendees.