New Bern ranks second in North Carolina and 75th in the nation for EMT and paramedic services, according to Security Choice. Among North Carolina cities, Greenville ranked 19th, New Bern 75th, and Asheville ranked 83rd. The survey took into account all of the data available for 645 cities across the nation. The final categorization was based primarily on five categories which were weighted by level of importance to those in the profession: 35% Mean Salary of EMTs Paramedics/EMTs by City 5% FBI Crime Data 25% Location Quotient for Paramedics/EMTs (Share of employment in the City vs National Average) 15% Paramedic Job Projection 20% Cost of Living “Paramedics and Emergency Medical TechniciansRead More →

A bill seeks to address the problem of people languishing in hospital EDs, waiting for a psychiatric bed, but mental health advocates decried the process. North Carolina Health News In the waning days of this year’s legislative work session, lawmakers abruptly revived and passed a bill aimed at revising North Carolina’s laws to address the flood of people with mental health crises in hospital emergency departments. Officials from the state’s hospital association had convened administrators, advocacy organizations, academics, mental health professionals and others over several years to examine some legislative fixes. Those leading that effort say they’ve come up with a bill that will improveRead More →

Alleviating current and future congestion is one of the benefits being touted for the proposed N.C. 43 Connector that would run from U.S. 17 Business (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) to south of U.S. 70/U.S. 17 in New Bern. The city of New Bern submitted the N.C. 43 Connector Project to NCDOT to be considered for funding. Through the Strategic Mobility Formula that prioritizes projects based on safety, congestion, benefit-cost and local priorities, it scored well enough to be funded at the division level due to strong support from the city. The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday voted to endorse Alternative 2 of theRead More →

Mayor Dana Outlaw declares the first and second motions dead based on lack of seconds. Alderman Sabrina Bengel promptly followed up with another motion that passed on a 4-1 vote.   Newly elected aldermen outvoted their more senior colleagues on Tuesday, initiating a more lenient utility rate deposit policy that takes effect July 1 but is not retroactive. On Alderman Sabrina Bengel’s motion and Alderman Jameesha Harris’ second, the board voted 4-3 for the revised policy, which states: Per fiscal year, deposits will not be assessed on the first payment arrangement.  Payment arrangements may be billed as installments.  No late penalties or fees will beRead More →

More than 700 educators, business leaders, and elected officials filled the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center on Tuesday afternoon for the sold-out Partners In Education Spring Luncheon. The annual event helps raise money for Craven County schools through PIE grant programs. The organization, Partners In Education is the local education foundation for Craven County Schools.  PIE awarded more than $170,000 through a variety of grants and programs during the 2017-18 school year, PIE President Ervin Patrick said. Dr. Cecil Staton, Chancellor of East Carolina University, served as keynote speaker. John Bircher, attorney with White & Allen, and a 1988 graduate of West Craven High School,Read More →

NC Civitas | The state budget for FY 2018-19 contains nearly 170 line items totaling $30 million that are highly inappropriate or outright pork. Appropriations directing funding to local pet projects include items such as walking trails, playgrounds, county fairs and highway signs. Moreover, dozens of nonprofit organizations receive direct appropriations in the budget. Make no mistake, these nonprofits perform admirable work. However, it is highly inappropriate – and unfair favoritism – to single out nonprofits for specific appropriations of state tax dollars, instead of having them go through the appropriate grant process. There is little doubt that a large percentage, if not all, of theseRead More →

Republican’s school safety plan makes some temporary changes, while giving lawmakers time to assess what else might be needed. Education NC |  Republican lawmakers announced at a press conference last month $35 million in school safety grants that made their way into the revised 2018-19 budget. The one-time money is meant to temporarily address school safety needs while the state gathers more information on what districts and schools require to protect students. “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” said Rep. David Lewis (R-Dunn). “I think this is an ongoing process.” Image courtesy: NCGA Republicans The school safety plan stems fromRead More →

Longleaf Politics |  The latest major court ruling stemming from the General Assembly’s infamous 2016 “power grab”1came on Friday, as the N.C. Supreme Court settled a battle between the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education over direct control of the public school system. Both the state superintendent and the Board of Education declared victory after the decision. But the ruling is very clearly in favor of the General Assembly and the elected superintendent. As it turns out, sometimes even a power grab results in clearer public policy. What was the lawsuit about? Let’s start all the way at the beginning: the state constitution. It sets up twoRead More →

Longleaf Politics | A recent memo sent by the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association to its members this week provides us a revealing glimpse of how politics works in real life. The new deal with state lawmakers that the memo discloses is a little in the weeds. The bill in question is House Bill 500, currently under consideration. It’s an omnibus ABC bill, meaning that it makes a lot of little adjustments to the state’s alcohol laws. It passed the House last April and is now in Senate committees. The bill got a few new amendments in a Senate committee. One enables wholesale business owners to transferRead More →