January Headlines

     (January 6, 2010) –- For the 14th month in a row, Anson County registered double-digit unemployment numbers in November; however, the 14.9% rate was .6% lower than October's figure. In the 14-month span, Anson's rate stands 2.2% over November 2008's rate of 12.7%.
     For 2009, the unemployment rates have been 13.8% in January, 14.7% in February, 14.8% in March; 13.3% in April; 15.0% in May; 15.2% in June; 14.9% in July; 15.0% in August; 14.8% in September; 15.5% in October (readjusted by .1%); and 14.9% in November.
     In November, Anson County’s labor force numbered 10,543 (compared to an adjusted 10,646 in October); the number of employed people was 8.970 (compared to an adjusted 8,996 in October); and the number of unemployed people was 1,573 (compared to an adjusted 1,650 in October).
     Anson led the Centralina Workforce Region, followed by Lincoln County (13.6% -- down .1% from October), Rowan (13.1% -- down .1% from October), Iredell (12.6% -- down .1% from October) and Stanly (12.6% -- down .1% from October), Cabarrus (11.7% -- up .1% from October) and Union (10.4% -- up .2% from October). The Centralina region's combined unemployment rate was 12.2% -- unchanged from October -- with 406,727 in the laborforce and 49,473 people unemployed.
     According to Centralina Workforce data for November, Anson had 293 initial unemployment insurance claims; 2,879 total weeks claimed; $603,711 unemployment insurance benefits paid out; and 690 individuals receiving checks. Statewide, unemployment insurance benefits paid out totaled $218,118,047 with 205,202 individuals receiving checks.
     The November breakdown for Anson’s neighboring counties:

• Montgomery – 10,895 labor force; 1,428 unemployed; a rate of 13.1% (unchanged from October).
• Richmond – 20,052 labor force; 2,737 unemployed; 13.6% rate (down .6% from October).
• Stanly – 30,082 labor force; 3,789 unemployed; 12.6% rate (down .1% from October).
• Union – 92,339 labor force; 9,605 unemployed; 10.4% rate (up .2% from October).

     The state’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 10.7% –- down .1% from an adjusted October rate. The state's seasonally adjusted rate for November was 1.8% -- down .1% from October. North Carolina’s labor force numbered 4,531,625 -- compared to 4,544,493 in October and 483,425 people jobless -- compared o 484,120 in October.
     The civilian labor force estimates for all 100 counties are available on the Employment Security Commission's website at www.ncesc.com. For local information, call the ESC office at 704.694.6551 or visit www.ansonjoblink.com.

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     (January 7, 2010) -- South Piedmont Community College will offer several fitness courses in the spring semester at the Lockhart-Taylor Center, 514 N. Washington Street, Wadesboro. The courses are for all abilities, genders and fitness levels.
     The instructor, Leslie Snow, is an American Fitness and Aerobics Association (AFAA) Certified Personal Trainer. Snow is a life-long fitness enthusiast with extensive dance and resistance training experience. She is currently studying Okinawan Karate.
     The six-week courses include Circuit and Strength Training, which begins Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m. Morning and evening Pilates for Beginners classes will begin on Feb. 9. The fee for all students is $60 per course and a minimum number of students is required. Students must register and pay fees before attending. For more information, call Sandy Huntley at 704-272-5456.

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     (January 9, 2009) -- Entrepreneurship seminars for prospective and current business owners begin Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Old Charlotte Highway Campus of South Piedmont Community College. The first seminar instructs prospective business owners on how to start their business successfully.
     Real Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL) classes will start at SPCC’s Business Center in Monroe for eight weeks, twice a week beginning Feb. 3. Other seminars this spring will include topics covering credit, home businesses, eBay, bookkeeping, pricing and cost management, surviving through downtimes, non-profits, and more.
     The REAL course is designed to help prospective business owners develop or improve an idea that will provide an adequate income for the owner. Current business owners will learn strategies to improve or expand their operations, resulting in better profit margins. The course includes topics in all facets of business, including marketing, research, financials, operations and writing a business plan. REAL is also offered as a credit course. Seminars focus on one particular area of business and accentuate the material in the course.
     “Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to start and operate their own successful business,” said Vince Holloman, one of SPCC’s certified REAL instructors. “Past REAL graduates have had an 87 percent success rate in this area, as opposed to the national average of less than 25 percent.”
     Holloman said the seminars give a lot of information in a short time, and the REAL course gives students time to practice and discuss the seminar material.
     “This combination gives the business owner all the tools needed for success,” he said.
     For a detailed seminar schedule and more information on REAL, visit www.spcc.edu and click “small business centers,” or call Vince Holloman at 704-290-5222 in Monroe, or 704-272-5453 in Wadesboro. Registration for the REAL course is $95, which includes materials. Seminars are $5 each. REAL’s web site is www.ncreal.org.

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Levi Thomas, age 4, with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books.

     (January 12, 2010) -- The fourth annual Barn Blast will be held from 6-11 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, located on Anson High School Road, Wadesboro.
     The fundraiser for Anson County literacy projects is hosted by the Anson County Partnership for Children and is sponsored by Anson Bank & Trust.
     Tickets are available at the Partnership office, 117 S. Greene St. in historic uptown Wadesboro. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door.
     Natural Reaction will provide the evening's entertainment -- playing a mix of country and beach music. The dinner menu will include grilled barbecued chicken with all the fixings. Also on tap is a live auction with auctioneer Eddie Huntley, as well as a silent auction.
     All proceeds from the Barn Blast will benefit the Partnership’s literacy programs, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which currently serves 927 Anson County children. The program provides a free book in the mail each month to all registered children under the age of five. Registration is open to all children from birth to age five, and registration forms are available at the Partnership's office, by calling Shana Payne at 704.694.4036 or by visiting www.ansonsmartstart.org.
     Barn Blast sponsorships are available to all businesses and organizations beginning at $100. Major 2010 Barn Blast donors that have committed $1,000 or more include Anson Bank & Trust, Pee Dee Electric and the Wadesboro Rotary Club.
     For more information about sponsorships, call 704.694.4036 or e-mail programdev@windstream.net.

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     (January 12, 2010) -- Three Carolinas Primary Care physicians have been board certified in family practice by the American Board of Family Medicine.
     "Please join me in congratulating Dr. Jermaine Joefield, Dr. Charles Obiaja and Dr. Alok Trivedi on passing their boards," said Fred Thompson, Ph.D., Anson Community Hospital administrator. "Board certification is a significant milestone in the career of a physician.
     "The hospital, the medical staff and the people of Anson County are indeed blessed to have three new board-certified family practitioners. Their dedication to their profession and to their patients is commendable," Thompson said. "Well done Dr. Joefield, Dr. Obiaja and Dr. Trivedi.
     Dr. Joefield, a native of Tobago, was in a family medicine residency from 2005 until June 2008 at Spartanburg, S.C., Regional Hospital. She graduated in May 1999 from the University of West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad, with a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and botany; and spent five years at St. George’s University in Grenada.
     Dr. Obiaja completed his three-year residency in July 2008 in the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s Selma family medicine program. He graduated in 2000 from the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Havana, Cuba, with a medical doctor’s degree. His additional professional experience includes St. Ann’s Bay Hospital in St. Ann, Jamaica (2000-02); general practitioner and emergency room physician at St. Ann’s (2002-04); and general practitioner and health center medical director for the ministry of health, northeastern regional authority in St. Ann, Jamaica.
     Dr. Trivedi earned his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at B.J. Medical College (Gujarat University), India, in 2003 -- finishing in the top five percent of his class. He completed his family practice residency at Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 2009. His work experience also includes U.S. Home Health Care in Detroit, Mich., in 2006; and Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C., in 2005.
     Carolinas Primary Care, Anson Community Hospital and Carolinas Healthcare System, is located in the Plank Road Shopping Center, 919 E. Caswell St., in Wadesboro. Office hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information on Carolinas Primary Care, call 704-694-DOCS (3627).

     (January 25, 2010) -- The Wadesboro Civitan Club will host a "Groundhog Breakfast" from 6:30-10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church, 118 E. Morgan St., Wadesboro.
     Tickets for the pancakes and sausage breakfast are $5 per person. In addition, tickets for a split-the-pot drawing are $5 each.
     The breakfast is a Civitan fundraiser for scholarships and other community support endeavors by the club. The breakfast precedes the HOLLA!-sponsored Literary Festival that begins at 10 a.m. at the Hampton B. Allen Library, 120 S. Greene St., Wadesboro.
     For breakfast and/or split-the-pot tickets, contact a club member.

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     (January 25, 2010) -- The Anson Women's League will host its annual "Soup Luncheon" fundraiser from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at First Baptist Church, Lee Avenue, Wadesboro.
     Tickets are $6 per person; and diners may eat in or take out. The luncheon includes homemade vegetable beef soup, toasted cheese sandwich, dessert and beverage.
     For tickets, see an Anson Women's League member, call 704.695.7009 or drop by the Anson County Chamber of Commerce in historic uptown Wadesboro.

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     (January 25, 2010) -- The North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation has announced publication of "Waterways to the World: The Story of the North Carolina State Ports Authority," written by former Wadesboro resident Walter R. Turner.
     The North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina State Ports Authority (SPA) in 1945, which opened terminals in Wilmington and Morehead City in 1952. Over the years, SPA constructed berths, warehouses and related buildings, railroad and truck facilities to accommodate the exporting and importing of commodities.
     Topics discussed include the different ways that the two ports developed; an overview of the types and specific commodities the ports have accommodated to support the state’s business and industry, such as phosphates, rubber, steel, and lumber products; strikes initiated by the International Longshoremen’s Association; and development of container technology and its influence on globalization. Finally, the book covers the new era of leadership that began in the mid-1990s, which involved updating facilities, deepening the Morehead City harbor and the Cape Fear River, and expanding the number of shipping companies serving the ports.
     As historian at the North Carolina Transportation Museum for the past decade, Turner has become an authority on the state’s transportation development, especially regarding the 20th Century.
     He is author of "Paving Tobacco Road: A Century of Progress by the North Carolina Department of Transportation" and numerous magazine articles. A fifth-generation North Carolinian, he earned a B.A. degree in history from Methodist College (now Methodist University) in Fayetteville and a master of mocial work degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
     Turner served as director of the Anson County Department of Social Services in the early 1990s and his wife, Pam, has taught in the county's public schools. She is the daughter of Ruby Huntley and the late Col. Henry Huntley Jr. of Wadesboro.
     "Waterways to the World: The Story of the North Carolina State Ports Authority" (100 pages, soft cover, color illustrations, end notes, index, etc.) costs $15, plus shipping. To order from the Gift Station at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, go to www.nctrans.org/nctrans_cart/ or call 704.636.2889 (Ext. 238).

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     (January 25, 2010) -- The Leadership Anson Oversight Committee has announced the Class of 2010.
      Class members include Caroline Hightower, Anson County Partnership for Children; Donna Liles, Anson County Sheriff’s Office; Nichole Cox, Anson County Schools; Frances Moore, Lillie Bennett Nursing Center; Carrie Bunn and Merri Privett, Anson Community Hospital; Lewis McLendon and Gerald Cannon, Wadesboro Police Department; Ryan Teal, Anson County Emergency Services; Kevin Mullis, Lilesville Police Department; Joyce Cox, API Securities; and Teresa Downer, South Piedmont Community College.
     The leadership development program got underway with an overnight retreat at the Beth Haltiwanger Center in Montgomery County on Jan. 8-9.
     Classes will begin with “Team-Building Activities” and “Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge Day” on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Other topics for the program will be “Local Government Day,” “Health Care,” “Education,” “Local Leaders Panel,” “Industry Day,” “Community Service Opportunities” and “Heritage & Cultural Tour,” “Anson Agri-Business,” “Hornwood Day,” and “Legislative Day.” Graduation, which is planned by class members, has been set for June 15 at a site to be announced.
     An orientation to prepare participants for the weekend retreat and the ensuing sessions was held at the Anson County Chamber of Commerce office on Jan. 4.
     The Leadership Anson program was implemented in 1997 by the Anson County Chamber of Commerce and has graduated 216 participants. The program, with assistance from South Piedmont Community College and Hornwood, is designed to develop a commitment to community through leadership.
     For more information about the program, call the Chamber of Commerce at 704.694.4181 or e-mail ansonchamber@windstream.net. For photographs of the 1997-2009 classes, visit www.ansoncounty.org/la.html.

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     (January 25, 2010) -- On Jan. 21, the Anson Bank & Trust Board of Trustees formally announced the retirement of bank president Jim Strayhorn and the appointment of Dana Maness as the bank's new president
     The announcements were made by Donald P. Scarborough, board of trustees chairman, who said Strayhorn will become a member of the bank's board and will remain as an adviser with Uwharrie Capital Corp, Anson Bank & Trust's parent company. He said Strayhorn retires after 47 years in the banking industry.
     A native of Montgomery County, Maness earned his B.A. degree from Wingate College, and has been in banking for 15 years. He and his Wife, Johanna, have two children -- Elizabeth, age 12, and Thomas, 9.
     "I am fortunate to have worked under Mr. Strayhorn for five years at Anson Bank & Trust. My knowledge gained from his years of banking experience will prove to be beneficial as Anson’s community bank continues to grow," Maness said.
     "I am honored with the trust that my board of directors has placed upon me. I fully embrace the history and role Anson Bank plays in the economic success of Anson County. I look forward to leading my banking team as we continue to grow and help Ansonians achieve financial security," Maness stated.
     A graduate of the Leadership Anson program, Maness has served as chairman of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce and Wadesboro Rotary Club, and is currently chairman of the Anson County Partnership for Children's Board of Directors.

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     (January 28, 2010) -- The Small Business Center at South Piedmont Community College will offer the award-winning FastTrac® NewVenture™ program to emerging entrepreneurs beginning Feb. 15. Through funding provided by Gov. Beverly Perdue’s Charlotte Regional Economic and Workforce Recovery initiative, this program is offered at no cost to displaced workers wanting to pursue business ownership as a career. This program is part of FastTrac® LaunchPad, a joint initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Deluxe Corporation Foundation.
     The FastTrac® NewVenture™ program is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help budding entrepreneurs develop a business idea and then plan the critical steps to a successful business launch, including how to identify and reach target markets, plan and man operations, set financial goals, fund the startup and much more. To enhance classroom instruction, participants will hear from successful entrepreneurs, receive coaching from business startup specialists and work in small-group planning sessions with fellow entrepreneurs. At close, participants will present their business plans for review by peers and coaches.
     The program will be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 15 through March 24, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at South Piedmont Community College in Monroe and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at SPCC’s Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro. To apply, go to www.fasttrac.org and complete the online application. Click on "Program Locator - Get Started” and enter your ZIP code. Select the Charlotte Region Programs for Displaced Workers, then follow the link for the SPCC location. The application deadline is Feb. 11.
     For more information, contact Vince Holloman, director of the Small Business Center at South Piedmont Community College, at 704-290-5222.

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     (January 29, 2010) -- For 15 consecutive months, Anson County has registered a double-digit unemployment rate, capping off 2009 with a 14.8% rate -- up .1% from November and up 2.1% from a year ago.
     In the same boat with Anson are neighboring counties Montgomery and Richmond (15 straight months of double figures); Stanly (12 months); and Union (11 months). In the 12-month period, Montgomery had a 2.7% increase in its unemployment rate; Richmond (1.8%); Stanly (3.2%); and Union (2.6%)
     Anson's monthly rates since October 2008 have flucuated betweeen a low of 10.1% (October 2008) to a high of 15.5% (October 2009). Unofficially, Anson's average jobless rate in 2009 was 13.7% -- compared to 8.9% for 2008.
     The December breakdown for Anson's neighboring counties:

• Montgomery -- 10,763 labor force; 1,420 unemployed; a rate of 13.2% (up .1% from November)

• Richmond -- 19,865 labor force; 2,789 unemployed; a rate of 14.0% (up .3% from November)

• Stanly -- 29,748 labor force; 3,824 unemployed; a rate of 12.9% (up .3% from November)

• Union -- 91,353 labor force; 9,585 unemployed; a rate of 10.5% (up .2% from November)

• Cabarrus -- 83,439 labor force; 10,067 unemployed; 12.1% unemployment rate; up .5% from November.

• Iredell -- 79,246 labor force; 10,308 unemployed; 13.0% unemployment rate; up .4% from November.

• Rowan -- 70,530 labor force; 9,328 unemployed; 13.2% unemployment rate; up .1% from November.

• Stanly -- 29,748 labor force; 3,824 unemployed; a rate of 12.9% (up .3% from November)

• Union -- 91,353 labor force; 9,585 unemployed; a rate of 10.5% (up .2% from November)

• Centralina -- 403,105 labor force; 50,078 unemployed; 12.4% unemployment rate; up .3% from November.

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