Anson's unemployment rate down .5% for August
(October 1, 2007) –- Anson County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5% in August, the lowest mark in 2007.
Anson’s jobless rate was 7.0% in July (794 unemployed); 7.4% in June (846 unemployed); 7.1% in May (805 unemployed); 6.9% in April (779 unemployed); 7.0% in March (789 unemployed); 7.3% in February (825 unemployed); and 6.9% in January (764 unemployed).
In August, Anson County’s labor force numbered 11,301 (up 7 from July); the number of employed people was 10,564 (up 64 from July); and the number of unemployed people was 737 (down 57 from July).
The August breakdown for Anson’s neighboring counties:
- Montgomery – 11,888 labor force; 739 unemployed; a rate of 6.2% (down .5% from July).
- Richmond – 20,506 labor force; 1,600 unemployed; 7.8% rate (unchanged from July).
- Stanly – 30,207 labor force; 1,466 unemployed; 4.9% rate (down .6% from July).
- Union – 88,491 labor force; 3,537 unemployed; 4.0% rate (down .4% from July).
For August, the state’s unemployment rate was 4.7% – down .5% from July. North Carolina’s labor force numbered 4,540,490 in August with 213,396 people jobless.
Statewide, Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 10.2% (down .8% from July), followed by Richmond (7.8%), Vance (7.4%), Graham (7.4%) and Edgecombe (7.3%) counties. Currituck County had the lowest rate at 2.6%, followed by Dare at 2.7%.
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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Chamber's Leadership Anson announces 2008 program
(October 16, 2007) -- Applications are now being accepted for the Leadership Anson Class of 2008.
The leadership development program, which was implemented in 1997 by the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, has graduated 183 participants in eleven years. The program, with assistance from South Piedmont Community College and Hornwood, is designed to develop a commitment to community through leadership.
Anyone who is an Anson County resident or who works in Anson County is eligible to participate. The selection of class participants is based upon the applicant’s community interests and current involvement, leadership potential, past accomplishments and the willingness to assume expanded leadership responsibilities. Participation will be limited.
The six-month, 11-session program will kick off with an overnight retreat at the Beth Haltiwanger Center in Montgomery County Jan. 11-12, 2008. Classes will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 29, followed by sessions on Feb. 12 and 26, March 11 and 25, April 15 and 29, and May 13 and 27, June 3 with a trip to Raleigh, and June 17, will be graduation. An orientation session, to prepare participants for the weekend retreat, will be held at the Chamber of Commerce office from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 7, 2008.
The tuition fee is $300 – which includes the cost for all materials, lunches, refreshments, contracted presenters and out-of-county field trips.
A limited number of Leadership Anson scholarships are available. Scholarship applicants are asked to fill out an application and submit it to the Leadership Anson Oversight Committee. The committee will set up an interview with each scholarship applicant.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9. The Class of 2008 will be announced by early December. Applications are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 107 E.. Wade St., Wadesboro; SPCC’s Lockhart-Taylor Center, 514 N. Washington St., Wadesboro; or by calling 704-694-4181.
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Deer hunters to vie for big bucks
(October 18, 2007) -- The 10th annual Big-Game Hunt Tournament will be held on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24.
Deerhunters may hunt anywhere in Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly or Union counties where they have legal rights to hunt, but their deer must be officially weighed at the Ansonville Volunteer Fire Department (located on U.S. 52 across the highway from Ansonville Elementary School) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on the days of the tournament. No hunting will be allowed on the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge during the tournament.
Hunters will compete for the top prize of $700 in the buck and doe categories, plus daily prizes. Youths ages 10-15 may compete in the Youth Division ($15 entry fee) or the Big-Game Hunt Tournament ($30 entry fee), but not both. The top prize in the Youth Division is $250.
To enter the tournament, hunters must register and pay their $30 entry fee by 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 19. Late registrations will be taken only at the Anson County Chamber of Commerce office, 107-A E. Wade St., Wadesboro, up until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
The tournament, sponsored by the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, offers money prizes for first, second, third, fourth and fifth places in buck and doe categories. Door prizes will be available during the annual banquet on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the fire department.
David Kelly, Morven, won the top prize in buck in 2006 with a 158.1-pounder; Tracy Holmes, Marshville, won the doe competition with a 119.1-pounder; and Justin Jenkins, Lilesville, won the Youth Division with a 121.3-pound buck.
Registration sites this year are, Anson Farm Home & Garden in Wadesboro, Mauney Farm Home & Garden in Norwood, Larry’s Gun & Pawn Shop in Marshville, Scotty’s Bait & Tackle in Lilesville, Stag & Doe Processing in Wadesboro, Tyson’s Grocery and Hardware in Ansonville, The Sportsman’s Closet in Wadesboro and the Chamber of Commerce in Wadesboro.
A special thank you to all of our 2007 Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors, Anson Bank & Trust, Burch Chiropractic Center, Cobb-Vantress, McCollum Trucking and McCollum & Associates Paving, Monroe General Rental, North Carolina Electric Membership Cooperatives, Pee Dee Electric, Progress Energy, Seago Distributing, Sportsman’s Closet, Lynn Thomas Grading and Triangle Brick.
For more tournament information, call the Anson County Chamber of Commerce at 704-694-4181 or visit www.ansoncounty.org/trn.html for tournament rules and a printable entry form.
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Cutting the ribbon to officially open Britt Insurance Agency's new home are, from left, Edward Leak, associate agent manager, Susan Herms, office manager of the Marshville office, owners Harold and Rosemary Britt, Lynn Edwards, executive director of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, and Don McRorie, mayor of the Town of Wadesboro. |
Britt Insurance opens new office
(October 18, 2007) -- Britt Insurance Agency held a ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening on Wednesday, October 16, for guests to meet Edward Leak, associate agent manager, and see the new premises. The office formerly was located in uptown Wadesboro.
The agency now is located at 1220 E. Caswell St. in Wadesboro. Britt Insurance, owned by Harold and Rosemary Britt, has another office in Marshville.
Lynn Edwards, director of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, welcomed everyone. Todd Moore, Chamber vice president, congratulated the owners on behalf of the board of directors and welcomed the agency and staff.
Wadesboro Mayor Don McRorie said, “I congratulate you on your move to new, better and bigger quarters … If there is anything we can do to help, feel free to call us.”
Anna Baucom, chairman of the Anson County Board of Commissioners, said it is always a pleasure for the board of commissioners to welcome new businesses to the community. Addressing Leak, she said, “I am pleased for you to have this facility and the board of commissioners wishes you every possible success.”
“I am impressed that all of you turned out for this grand re-opening,” said Harold Britt. “It’s a great location.”
After remarks were concluded, Britt officially cut the ribbon, opening the agency for business. Guests were invited inside to look around and enjoy light refreshments.
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Anson County designated a 21st Century Community
 (October 19, 2007) – Anson County and the N.C. Department of Commerce kicked off the 21st Century Communities Program at a gathering Oct. 16 at the Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro.
Approximately 50 people were in attendance – to include Department of Commerce officials, county commissioners Anna Baucom and Bobby Sikes, and members of the Anson Economic Development Corp.
County Manager Andy Lucas addressed the gathering, saying “This is certainly an exciting day for Anson County, and we should celebrate our success. This event also offers an opportunity to regroup and begin the work of forming new partnerships to shape the future of this great county.
“First and foremost, I would like to publicly thank all of the Department of Commerce officials for making Anson County a priority and selecting us to be a 21st Century Community. Second I would like to thank Rep. Pryor Gibson and Sen. Bill Purcell for their assistance and continued support for Anson County within the State Legislature,” Lucas said.
“Additionally, I would be remiss if I did not thank Ms. Mary Beck for all of her hard work and commitment to the 21st Century Communities application process. Next, I want to thank each of you for attending this “Kick-Off” event. You have all taken time out of your busy schedules to make this event a priority today, and on behalf of the Anson County Board of Commissioners, I want to thank you,” Lucas said.
“Let me reiterate this is a starting point. Moving forward, it is imperative we all work together, pushing and pulling in the same direction to make a difference in our community. Without each of you, there is no way Anson County will successfully emerge from the significant loss of our textile and manufacturing base. Today represents a new day. On the heels of a just released economic development action plan, this event focuses our attention on the issues that will have the greatest impact on our unique economic development situation” Lucas said.
“In a community with limited resources, it is vitally important we prioritize our critical needs and target the resources. Like any other successful program or initiative sound economic and community development starts with building a foundation. I view this foundation as something similar to Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs.’ We all need food, water, shelter and clothing to sustain life. With respect to successful economic development, the same principles apply. We must start by satisfactorily funding the strategies that will sustain our efforts. These being public education (including early education), workforce development which includes secondary and post-secondary education, sufficient product (shovel-ready sites), effective land-use planning, and sufficient infrastructure. These form the base of any effective economic development program … the foundation so to speak,” Lucas said.
“Once the foundation is adequately established we can begin to leverage our existing resource, such as water and sewer capacity, the new airport terminal, affordable and abundant land, accessible healthcare, etc.,” Lucas said, adding “This meeting is the commencement of our strategic efforts to engage and work hand-in-hand with our community partners and stakeholders. Together we can improve the quality of life for every Anson County citizens, create sustainable and well-paying jobs and become the jurisdiction of choice in the Charlotte region.”
Ravin Gore, community development planner with the Division of Community Assistance, presented a short PowerPoint presentation. She stated that Anson County joins Beaufort, Caldwell, Edgecombe, Graham and Harnett counties as 2007 participants in the 21st Century Communities Program.
The program’s mission includes:
- Ensure economic prosperity and sustainability in the state’s most needy communities.
- Identify communities that are experiencing economic development challenges.
- Create a strong partnership between the Department of Commerce and the designated communities.
- Seek creative strategies that support long-term economic vitality.
- Engage key federal, state and local partners in an effort to maximize resources.
Gore said the Department of Commerce will provide facilitation and direct assistance with the strategic planning process; assist Anson County in its efforts to identify resources for specific projects; and give all active 21st Century counties priority when applying for Commerce grants.
Commerce assistance includes a situational analysis for Anson County, whereby the Division of Community Assistance staff members will gather research and interview data and prepare the analysis, which is a preliminary assessment of the county’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Commerce also will dispatch a Community Readiness Team to Anson County to conduct community interviews and research that help define the local levels of need. The collected data will be used in developing the situational analysis for Anson County.
Cleveland Simpson, Department of Commerce assistant secretary, congratulated Anson County “of being chosen to join 25 other counties since the program was initiated in 2001.” He said the 21st Century Communities Program is part of the restructuring of North Carolina’s economy due to the decline of textile and manufacturing industries in the state.
“We will help counties to craft a vision to transition from the old economy to the new economy,” he said. Simpson said over $300 million in economic development funds have been facilitated from various sources and partners to be funneled into programs.
For more information on the 21st Century Communities Program, go to www.nccommerce.com.
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New Ventures kicks off artist series with Barry Stebbing
(October 24,2007) -- New Ventures Business Development, Inc., will present “Painting
America: An Evening With Barry Stebbing” Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
in its Artisan and Business Center, located in South Piedmont Community
College’s Lockhart-Taylor Center, 514 N. Washington Street, Wadesboro.
The public is invited.
The first in a planned series of events celebrating and discussing
local and regional rural artists and their creations, Stebbing will
recount his 12-month sojourn during 1990-91 along the back roads of the
continental United States with wife and photographer, Saundra, and Dutch
painter Frank Van Latum. While Barry and Frank were side-by-side and
completing three oil paintings within each of the 48 states, Saundra
recorded the journey with photos.
Stebbing, a resident of McFarlan, has been an artist his entire life.
He attended Maryland Institute of Art as a painting major and received
his degree in art education from Salisbury University. Graduate studies
were done in Cortona, Italy, with the University of Georgia, along with
studying portrait painting in Montreal.
He has spent several seasons painting the colorful landscapes of
Tuscany and southern France. Most of his works are done in oils or
pastels. His paintings have been exhibited in Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
Tuscany, Baltimore, and Chestertown, MD. He has spent many years
teaching art in the public school system, along with teaching adult
education and painting workshops.
Barry and Saundra have also been conducting three-day art classes
across the U.S. and Canada the last several years and expect that they
have taught more than 50,000 students the “joy of art.”
Lois Crumpler, project coordinator for New Ventures, calls the Stebbing
presentation and slideshow a perfect kickoff to the Artisan and Business
Center artist series. “Painting America is a story of sacrifice and
travail, passion and desire, discipline and determination, as their
meager budget allowed a stipend of $210 a week. This weekly allowance
was all-inclusive - food, lodging, gas, paints, etc. - leaving the
aspiring threesome spending most of their time camping in the
wilderness, setting the stage for an extraordinary adventure and some
very interesting anecdotes,” she declares while inviting the public to
attend.
“Seasonal refreshments will be served,” she adds, “and our art
gallery will feature a wide variety of acclaimed art for sale and
enjoyment from around the region.”
Co-sponsors for the event are New Ventures, SPCC, Anson County Arts
Council, Union County Community Arts Council and the Wingate University
Art Department. For more information, contact New Ventures at 704-272-5457 or online at
nvbdi.org.
New Ventures Business Development, Inc. is one of seven Business and
Technology Telecenters in North Carolina that were established under the
e-NC Authority, as designated by the North Carolina General Assembly.
The centers support economic development in rural counties by providing
resources for new business start ups and improving existing businesses
and by infusing technology into business operations. New Ventures was
incorporated July 28, 2005, and is recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit
corporation by the Internal Revenue Service.
Its Artisan and Business Center, which opened in May 2007, supports
arts and crafts, professional and service industry businesses in the
same space. Specifically, the center provides office and studio space
with shared services. The Olde Mill Gallery and Studios is designed to
spur sales and drive tourism traffic, utilizing a marketing plan to make
the center and Anson County a heritage-tourism and entrepreneurial
destination.
New Ventures has two e-commerce web sites, ebizanson.org and
ebizunion.org, that allow the arts and crafts community and local
merchants to reach markets outside their geographic boundaries. New
Ventures assists virtual and real tenants with administrative services,
training and consultant services, and monitors their progress and growth
closely. The center is becoming an economic hub bringing tourism and
discretionary income dollars into the area while the workforce
transitions from dying agriculture and textiles industries to the new
clusters driving the North Carolina economy – technology,
pharmaceuticals, banking, food processing, and vehicle parts. For more
information, contact New Ventures at 704-272-5457 or online at
nvbdi.org.
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Anson's unemployment rate at 6.3% in September
(October 26, 2007) –Anson County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.3% in September, marking the third straight month for a decline.
Anson’s jobless rate was 6.5% in August (737 unemployed); 7.0% in July (794 unemployed); 7.4% in June (846 unemployed); 7.1% in May (805 unemployed); 6.9% in April (779 unemployed); 7.0% in March (789 unemployed); 7.3% in February (825 unemployed); and 6.9% in January (764 unemployed).
In September, Anson County’s labor force numbered 11,340 (up 39 from August); the number of employed people was 10,623 (up 59 from August); and the number of unemployed people was 717 (down 20 from August).
The September breakdown for Anson’s neighboring counties:
- Montgomery – 11,815 labor force; 747 unemployed; a rate of 6.3% (up .1% from August).
- Richmond – 20,094 labor force; 1,503 unemployed; 7.5% rate (down .3% from August).
- Stanly – 30,341 labor force; 1,443 unemployed; 4.8% rate (down .1% from August).
- Union – 88,889 labor force; 3,460 unemployed; 3.9% rate (down .1% from August).
For September, the state’s unemployment rate was 4.5% – down .2% from August. North Carolina’s labor force numbered 4,540,947 in August with 205,047 people jobless.
Statewide, Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.2% (down 1% from August).
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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