A.P. Dillon - Randolph Record

01 Mar

NC House Speaker ‘grateful’ to officers following traffic incident

A.P. DillonBusinessdrunk driving, DUI, law enforcement, NC House Speaker, Officer Jason Perdue, Tim Moore

RALEIGH — North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) is grateful to the law enforcement officers who were on hand when the vehicle he was traveling in was rammed by an apparent drunk driver. Moore said he, Rep. David Willis of Union County and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Gurley were returning to Raleigh after a series of events in Wilson. The speaker’s security officer was driving the SUV westbound on U.S. Highway 64 near Knightdale around 9:30 p.m. when it was rammed from behind at least three times, Moore told reporters at the Legislative Building. Moore praised his…

15 Feb

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

A.P. DillonGovernment, NewsAetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, contract change, insurance, state health plan

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available. Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website. “We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board…

25 Jan

State and federal officials investigating Randolph County substation damage

A.P. DillonNewsattack, power grid, substations, vandalism

RALEIGH — State and federal law enforcement officials are investigating a gunfire incident at a Randolph County power substation. The incident involved a transformer at an EnergyUnited power substation in Randolph County that sustained damage from gunfire. Investigators believe the incident occurred sometime around 3 a.m. on Jan. 17, according to a statement from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a call there had been damage to the substation on Post Road in Thomasville that morning. The substation serves around 1,500 customers, however, none of them lost power because the load was transferred to another area substation.…

25 Jan

Cigna and Randolph Health contract impasse causes coverage interruption

A.P. DillonNewscigna, healthcare, insurance, randolph county, Randolph Health

RALEIGH — Cigna insurance plan members received notification that they would no longer be covered at Randolph Health after February 10. A letter from Cigna on “Continuity of Care” obtained by North State Journal indicates the insurer and Randolph Health have been unable to agree on a contract. Cigna’s letter informed members that if hospital stays were approved by February 10, their continued stay would still be covered. For medical care beyond that date, members would have to seek treatment at a different in-network provider. A list of in-network providers offered by Cigna includes Chatham Hospital, Cone Health Wesley Long…

11 Jan

N.C. Treasurer delivers over half a million in found funds to state education officials

A.P. DillonNewsDale Folwell, Education, NC Treasurer, officials, state funds

RALEIGH — Last week, N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell delivered a check for over half a million dollars to State Superintendent Catherine Truitt and N.C. State Board of Education chairman Eric Davis. “At a time when so many schools are in need of money and resources, especially in rural and inner-city districts, every penny found to further North Carolina’s educational mission is a blessing,” Folwell said in a press release. “I see that need not only as a member of SBE, but as chairman of the Local Government Commission, which reviews and approves financing for school projects throughout North Carolina.” …

28 Dec

Group files lawsuit against Governor’s School following controversial firing

A.P. DillonNewsAlliance for Defending Freedom, David Phillips, Governor's School, professor firing, staff firing

RALEIGH — A lawsuit has been filed in Wake County against the state’s prestigious Governor’s School by the Alliance for Defending Freedom on behalf of English professor Dr. David Phillips following his “mid-session” termination in 2021. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a non-profit based in Arizona. ADF describes itself as the “world’s largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights.” The North Carolina Governor’s School is a summer residential program lasting four weeks for “gifted and talented high school students, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique…

02 Nov

NC Treasurer announces largest one-time supplemental bonus for state retirees

A.P. DillonGovernmentCJRS, Dale Folwell, LGERS, LRS, TSRS

RALEIGH — N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell announced the largest one-time supplemental bonus for state retirees of an additional four percent in this month’s payment. The bonus will go to benefit recipients of the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSRS), Consolidated Judicial Retirement System (CJRS), Legislative Retirement System (LRS) and the Local and Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS). “The TSERS, CJRS and LRS payments were appropriated by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Roy Cooper. The LGERS payment will come from retirement funds,” said Folwell in a press release dated Oct. 25.” “The LGERS one-time supplement was approved…

03 Aug

Randolph Rep. McNeill receives inaugural “Order of the Keeper of the Public Purse”

A.P. DillonNewsRep. Allen McNeill

RALEIGH — Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph) has been honored as the first recipient of the “Order of the Keeper of the Public Purse,” according to a press statement from N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell. Folwell, along with the Boards of Trustees of the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System, passed a resolution honoring McNeill for his work related to the state’s retirement systems. “It’s hard to say in words the contributions that Rep. McNeill has made to the retirements of those that teach, protect, and otherwise serve the people of North Carolina,” said Folwell in a statement. “But for his…

16 Mar

Moore County School Board keeps controversial ‘George’ on the shelves

A.P. DillonNews"George", books, controversy, Moore County Public Schools, School Board

RALEIGH — On March 14, the Moore County Public Schools Board held its regular monthly meeting which included discussion on the state’s Pre-K through fifth grade reading initiative and a vote on whether to keep the controversial book “George” in the county’s public school libraries. The board revisited the recommendations made by the District Media and Technology Committee to keep the controversial book “George” in two of the district’s school libraries: McDeeds Creek Elementary and Union Pines High School. The book has been heavily criticized by parents for its sexual content and transgender storyline. The book, written by Alex Gino,…

02 Feb

Moore County book controversy heads to school board

A.P. DillonNewsbooks, Education, library, schools

Alex Gino on September 15, 2016 in front of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in Berlin during their participation at the section International Children´s and Young Adult Literature of the 16th International Literature Festival Berlin. (Christoph Rieger | CC BY-SA 4.0) RALEIGH — The controversial book “George” remains on the library shelves in two of Moore County's public schools while a complaint filed over the book heads to the Moore County Public Schools board. The book, written by Alex Gino, has been considered controversial for its transgender storyline of a fourth-grade boy who believes he is a girl named Melissa.…