Sunday Reader, which debuts today, is a curated collection of what people were talking about in New Bern this past week. It appears first thing Sunday mornings. By Randy Foster of New Bern Post The VOLT Center is an acronym in search of a meaning. Or it’s a stylized word that harkens to a previous use of the facility as the city’s electrical generation plant. The old power plant is bordered by Country Club Road, First Street, Spencer Avenue, Park Avenue, and Rhem Street. It was an eyesore being used as storage and a fueling station.  After Dana Outlaw was elected mayor in 2013, theRead More →

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A 21-year-old New Bern man was life-flighted to a trauma center in Greenville after he was the victim of a hit-and-run incident late Wednesday afternoon. Michael “Mike” Garris was walking on Country Club Road near the Rhem Street intersection shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday when he was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. A motorist who came upon the scene shortly after the incident said the man was unconscious in the roadway and being tended to by two women who found him there. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call New Bern Officer Williams with the Traffic EnforcementRead More →

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The City of New Bern has completed renovations to the old garage site in preparation for its new use as a workforce development and training center.  The renovation project, located at 114 Rhem St., was finished ahead of schedule and the building is currently under lease with Craven Community College.  City and college representatives did a final walk-through today (Oct. 27, 2020) and city staff handed over the keys to the new tenant.  The old city garage will soon become Craven Community College’s Diesel Mechanic and Heavy Equipment Operator Workforce Training Center, an expansion of the Volt Center. “We are proud to once again partnerRead More →

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In: Craven Community College, Education, New Bern, Planning and Zoning
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Craven County Commissioner Johnnie Sampson Jr. and the Rev. Ethel Sampson are both hospitalized in a battle against COVID-19. New Bern Alderman Sabrina Bengel revealed the Sampsons’ situation during her videoblog program, CityTalk, on Friday morning. No other details were available. Craven County has 280 active cases as of today, with 18 Craven County residents hospitalized for COVID-19 related reasons. There have been no deaths reported over the past 24 hours, and the total stands at 48, the highest death toll of the eight-county region in and around Craven County. Craven County has had 1,866 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic reached its borderRead More →

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In: Craven Community College, Craven County, Craven County Board of Commissioners, Health
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On March 12, the New Bern Post called for local governments to take leadership in the face of the spreading and deadly COVID-19. They said they are going enough, denied anyone local was being tested, and said they were waiting for the state for guidance. Within two days, Craven County had one COVID-19 case and, under a governor executive order, went to distance learning for K-12 and banned mass gatherings of 100 or more. Meanwhile, other cities, counties, and school districts in the state WERE taking local initiative. Waiting for cases to appear is too late. The key is prevention. According to Dr. John Campbell,Read More →

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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Community issues, Craven Community College, Craven County, Craven County Schools, Mayor, New Bern
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Residents in the Ghent neighborhood are begging for help from City Hall to do something about cars using residential streets as cut-throughs, raising the question, why wouldn’t City Hall help? Could it be that City Hall doesn’t want to be seen as responsive when residents ask for help? That’s actually been an argument (“We don’t want to help you because then we’d have to help everyone”). Could it be that City Hall thinks that throttling back on Ghent cut-through traffic will only push the problem elsewhere? (That actually happened recently when through-traffic was blocked and cars — temporarily — used nearby streets as a detourRead More →

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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Business, Commentary, Community, Community issues, Craven Community College, Farmers Market, Mayor
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Here is your opportunity to be a part of a world premiere event telling one of New Bern’s most compelling stories, the Stanly-Spaight Duel. Auditions for Honour, The Musical with book and lyrics by Bill Hand and music by Simon Spalding will be held July 10 at 6 p.m. and July 13 at 10 a.m. at Craven Community College at Orringer Auditorium. Participants will be asked to present a one-minute monologue of their choice and to read from the script.  They will also be asked to sing one of two songs.  The songs and more details are found at www.Facebook.com/HonourTheMusical Performance dates are Jan. 23-26Read More →

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In: Community, Craven Community College, Entertainment, History, New Bern Historical Society
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An effort by New Bern city staff to start a farmer’s market at City Market on First Street was dealt a crippling blow on Friday when a key partner announced it is backing out of the plan. The city was going after a $200,817 grant from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund to beef up plans to revitalize its old Electric Utility Yard on First Street. The plan, called the Volt Center, is well underway and includes a classroom area in partnership with Craven Community College. That much has been publicly known. What wasn’t known outside tight circles around City Hall was a revived effortRead More →

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In: Board of Aldermen, Business, Community issues, Craven Community College, Farmers Market, Food
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Ed’s note: This article was modified from its original form to clarify that the Leadership in Education category is not limited to Craven Community College faculty. Businessman and former county commissioner Steve Tyson was named for Individual Leadership and James F. “Smoke” Boyd, owner of The Flame Catering & Event Center, was picked for Business Leadership by the Craven Community College Foundation’s 9th annual Community Fabric Awards. The college’s Kathryn Amerson was named in the Leadership in Education category. The event was created by the Craven CC Foundation to “showcase excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of service and inspiration of others.”Read More →

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Computer-aided drafting and 3D printing are among the programs and skills that will be demonstrated during Craven CC’s Spring Open House on Tuesday, March 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. NEW BERN – Craven Community College (Craven CC) will host a Spring Open House for new students Tuesday, March 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Student Center on the New Bern Campus. The open house will have information relevant to all types of students, ranging from those embarking on a college journey or looking to take the next step in their career. This event will give students the opportunity to tour classrooms, getRead More →

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In: Community, Craven Community College, New Bern
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