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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Craven County Board of Commissioners, Mayor, New Bern
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Note: This has been corrected since originally posted to reflect that there had never been more than two women on the board, not one. The glass ceiling was cracked, if not shattered, on Tuesday, as three women took their seats on a Board of Aldermen that had never had more than two female members throughout its existence.     And one of the first things the more feminine board did on Tuesday was vote unanimously to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1972, a proposed Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”) to the Constitution passed both houses of the U.S. Congress and was sent to the statesRead More →

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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Mayor, New Bern Fire Department
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Alderman Sabrina Bengel takes the oath of office after being selected mayor pro tem. Alderman Jeff Odham is in the background. The two sit on opposite sides of the dais and, judging from their first meeting Tuesday, are on opposite sides of other things, too. Former New Bern mayor Lee Bettis will have his name restored to a fire truck the Board of Aldermen authorized to buy during his last meeting as mayor but the subsequent board ordered removed because he was convicted of crimes. Ward 1 Alderman Sabrina Bengel, using the New Business portion of the meeting that she has complained about on herRead More →

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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Mayor, New Bern, New Bern business and commerce
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CITY OF NEW BERN BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2017 – 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL COURTROOM 300 POLLOCK STREET 1.   Meeting opened by Mayor Dana E. Outlaw.  Prayer Coordinated by Mayor Outlaw.  Pledge of Allegiance. 2.   Roll Call. Consent Agenda 3.   Approve Minutes. Minutes from the regular meeting on November 28, 2017 are provided for review and approval. ******************** 4.   Consider Adopting a Resolution to Initiate the Upset Bid Process for 508 Third Avenue. (Ward 2) An offer in the amount of $2,500.00 has been received from Tonyah L. Dillahunt for the purchase of 508 Third Avenue.  The property is owned solely by theRead More →

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In: Board of Aldermen, New Bern, New Bern Fire Department, Planning and Zoning
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Three developers persuaded New Bern planning and zoning board members to hold off endorsing a proposed revised street ordinance, saying a Fire Department push for wider residential streets and bigger cul de sacs will hurt the environment and push up costs for new houses that could make affordable housing a thing of the past. The board voted unanimously (with one absent and one vacancy) to table the decision and send the proposed ordinance back to staff for further discussion and research. It was one of three option the board had: Approve it and forward it to the Board of Aldermen for further consideration, reject it,Read More →

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In: Craven County Board of Commissioners, New Bern business and commerce
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Belk, the North Carolina-based retailer that relies so much on holiday receipts to meet investor expectations, got into some hot water over its decision to ban Salvation Army bell ringers, so much so that it has reversed course and decided bell ringers are welcome, after all. Here’s the Tweet that Belk sent out on Dec. 2: Belk‏Verified account @belk Dec 2 Christmas truly is the giving season and we’d like to welcome Salvation Army bell ringers to all 294 Belk stores. Merry Christmas!  Happy ending to a story that started badly for the retailer, which has a store at New Bern Mall. Belk was once a family-ownedRead More →

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In: New Bern
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Bellk Belk found itself in hot water last weekend after it turned away Salvation Army bellringers at its New Bern store — and most of its 294 stores across the Southeast. Steve Tyson wasn’t going to stand for it. The Belk corporate honchos didn’t waste time in responding to the outcry of protests. They restored bellringer access the next day following a flood of complaints and threats by shoppers that they will spend their money elsewhere if they couldn’t donate their money outside a Belk store. In corporate America, nothing gets their attention more than thousands of potential shoppers saying they’ll spend their money somewhereRead More →

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In: New Bern, New Bern business and commerce
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New Bern has been selected as a top retirement destination by Where to Retire, the only magazine in America geared toward helping people with retirement relocation decisions. New Bern is profiled in the January/February 2018 issue, available nationwide on Dec. 12, the magazine announced in a news release today. New Bern gets promo’d on the magazine cover, left, under the headline, “Low-Cost Havens.” Where to Retire Editor Annette Fuller said New Bern possesses qualities important to today’s retirees. “Say hello to North Carolina’s stunning Inner Banks — the lesser-known cousin to the state’s Outer Banks. The star city is New Bern, at the confluence ofRead More →

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In: New Bern Post, Opinion
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Odds and ends I’ve collected over the past week. Could it be? In October, aldermen approved $15,876 to allow for New Bern Police special operations to attack the opioid epidemic. I sent an inquiry to the city for additional information about this. Here is the response: Chief (Toussaint) Summers is at a conference & I (city public relations director Colleen Roberts) wanted to make sure to touch base with him about the New Bern Police Department budget and your inquiry.  He has responded that the money will be used for special investigative purposes. That is all the detail that can be provided. Well that wasn’t very informative,Read More →

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In: New Bern Fire Department
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The New Bern Firement’s Museum dedicated an important relic — a fire house bell — commemorating the three New Bern firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. The museum took the opportunity to show off its newly completed interior, including a second floor that gives a glimpse of a firefighter’s life, educates visitors about the Great New Bern Fire of 1922 (said to be the largest city fire in North Carolina history). Here is a Facebook video of the dedication: And here is a Facebook video of the interior of the museum:Read More →