GateHouse Media, owner of the Sun Journal of New Bern as well as newspapers in Kinston, Havelock, Marine Air Station Cherry Point, Camp Lejeune, Trenton, and Jacksonville, is offering buyouts in an attempt to further trim its payroll. GateHouse is seeking volunteers to accept a buyout package that offers six days pay for each year of employment. The cut takes effect on Sept. 7. Employees must decide by today, Aug. 27. Between Kinston and New Bern, staff has gone from a total of more than 30 a decade ago, to 11 now, with perhaps more cuts in the offing. The Post is aware of more than aRead More →

The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, creator and host of the annual NCRLA Chef Showdown presented by Got to be NC Agriculture, announced the 21 chefs selected to compete in its third annual cooking competition. Among those selected is Antonio Campolio of Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant in New Bern. The chefs and pastry chefs, all based in North Carolina, advance after cooking up the highest-rated dishes across three regional competitions. The main NCRLA Chef Showdown event takes place on Monday, Aug. 27, at Aria at Founders Hall in the Bank of America Center in Uptown Charlotte, N.C. From the Persimmons website: At the age of 12, ChefRead More →

The Entrepreneur Center of Craven County (TEC3) is holding Duct Tape Marketing™ seminars on Thursday, June 14. Two Sessions will be held at TEC3 at 233 Middle St #310, New Bern. Participants can choose the 9 a.m. – Noon or the 1 – 4 p.m. session. Lunch will be held from Noon to 1 p.m. The price for the seminar is $45 and includes lunch and materials. Current TEC3 members may attend the seminar and lunch at no charge. To register, visit www.cravenbusiness.com. Leading the seminars will be Dan Kraus, president of Leading Results, who is a Duct Tape Marketing certified consultant. Kraus has more than two decadesRead More →

A lot of news on the business front today, some well-sourced but awaiting official confirmation: New Bern Marketplace, the up-and-coming shopping center between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Trent Road, may well wind up as a dining destination. Columbia Development, the developer of the large shopping center, has not updated its tenant list (which already includes a Hobby Lobby, Five Below, Academy Sports, Ross, and, at 100,000 square feet, the Mother of All Harris Teeters), but reliable sources say it will be the location for  Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and LongHorn Steakhouse. All three restaurants are in NewRead More →

Sputtering debate over NC internet access may have new urgency By KIRK ROSS Carolina Public Press A new report shows the uneven spread of high-speed internet technology across rural and urban areas of North Carolina.  Courtesy of the North Carolina League of Municipalities Talk of spreading broadband internet access to the far reaches of North Carolina as an economic development engine and an equalizer in the education divide is as old as dial-up service and squawking modems. A legislative proposal to overhaul North Carolina’s broadband rules may accelerate the long-sputtering debate over the state’s role in ensuring access to high-speed internet service. Also pushing the conversationRead More →

City Laundry, New Bern’s quirky foodie/coffee/wine/beer/live entertainment venue on Pollock Street, is closing on April 30, according to a Facebook post. Here is the post: “It has been a wonderful ride, but we will close our doors on April 30th. We want to invite everyone to come say goodbye at any of our upcoming events (we have event pages for all of them). You can call us or message us here for a reservation to any of our last events. 252-876-7007. New Bern has been great to us, we thank you all for your support!” Here is a link to the Facebook event.Read More →