Tag Archives: North Carolina

Pintful: NC Brewers Guild looks to expand its reach

Published in North Carolina News on February 18, 2014

“I kind of feel like this job is my destiny,” says Margo Knight Metzger, the new executive director of the N.C. Brewers Guild.

The 34-year-old Raleigh resident left a job as public relations director for the N.C. Division of Tourism to start in January as the first full-time leader of the organization that represents the state’s craft beer industry.

Her previous jobs included representing the state’s wine industry. “I have had kind of an unusual career path that has involved following my own muse,” she said. “Somehow all of my skills have led me to this and I feel like this is the perfect fit for me.”

In a recent conversation, Knight Metzger assessed the tasks ahead of her and also the state of North Carolina beer. Here’s an excerpt of the edited transcript:

Q: What is your focus as the new leader?

A: I am eager to help the leadership in our state, lawmakers, policy makers and other decision makers in government, understand the value of this industry. It’s nearly an $800 million industry with 10,000 jobs. I don’t think we’ve done a very good job proving that point and

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Prospectors find massive 753 carat sapphire

Published in North Carolina News on February 18, 2014
Prospectors find massive 753 carat sapphire

A fossicker has uncovered an enormous 753 carat sapphire whilst simply scanning the ground at the aptly named Gemfields, near Emerald, QLD.

The discovery of the golf ball sized sapphire, uncovered by ‘specking’, is believed to be the largest found in the last few years, according to The Morning Bulletin.

“This is an exciting find not just for the lucky fossicker but also for anyone thinking of heading out to the Sapphire Gemfields,” Central Highlands Development Corporation (CHDC) tourism development officer Peter Grigg told The Morning Bulletin.

“It goes to show that you can come to the largest sapphire gemfields in the Southern Hemisphere, explore and get your hands dirty, and hopefully walk away with a fantastic memento.”

Grigg added that “it’s also amazing how it was found. No digging, no panning, no shovelling. It was just picked up off the ground”.

The sapphire is yet to be valued, however the sapphire pictured (which is 593 carats) is valued at around $600.

Two years ago an amateur couple uncovered a 50.5 carat emerald during weekend prospecting.

Kevin and Libby Barrieault from North Carolina, in the US, found the emerald at the North American emerald mine

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2nd pipe threatens new Dan River spill, McCrory says

Published in North Carolina News on February 18, 2014

Gov. Pat McCrory

JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ/News Record

Gov. Pat McCrory

 

Governor Pat McCrory.

Posted: Monday, February 17, 2014 2:01 pm

2nd pipe threatens new Dan River spill, McCrory says By Taft Wireback taft.wireback@news-record.com news-record.com

Posted on February 17, 2014

Contact Taft Wireback at (336) 373-7100, and follow @TaftWireback on Twitter.

Posted in
Government,
Local news,
North carolina,
Rockingham county

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Haywood revives film commission

Published in Asheville Attractions on February 5, 2014

Haywood County is no stranger to the silver screen. It was a star in the blockbuster movie “Cold Mountain,” and will be there again when “Serena” comes out later this year. But neither of these place-based novels set in Haywood were actually filmed here — the production companies went overseas instead.

But Haywood’s tourism leaders aren’t giving up on the idea of turning the county into a film hotspot — not just for movies, but TV shows, reality shows, commericals, even catalog shoots.

They have revived the idea of a Haywood Film Commission, something that was around in the 1980s but had fizzled over the years. 

“And we’re going to change that,” Seymour said.

 

Roll Camera

When a production company begins looking around for potential locations to film, whether it be a major motion picture, independent project, music video or commercial, there are three categories they address — location, support services and crew. 

Location could be a bustling city or backwoods farm, where support services can encompass catering, engineers and makeup artists, while crew can be those with editing and marketing backgrounds. The possibilities are as endless as the positions that need to be filled when the cameras

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NC Commerce Department slows transition

Published in North Carolina News on January 29, 2014

RALEIGH Citing a desire to get it right, state commerce officials are slowing down the planned move of the job recruiting and marketing functions of the Commerce Department to a nonprofit partnership.

During an update to lawmakers Tuesday, commerce officials said the move of five Commerce Department divisions to the new Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina won’t begin until July at the earliest.

“My experience is speed is not good if you want to do things well,” said Richard Lindenmuth, the recently named interim chief executive officer of the partnership. “The other part of speed is that it’s very hard to communicate and be transparent to those people who are interested and concerned that we are doing the right things.”

An earlier proposal anticipated that two divisions that recruit new businesses and market the state would move to the partnership in the first half of the year, followed later by three others: Small Business and Entrepreneurship; International Trade and Investment; and Travel Tourism, Film and Sports Development. Combined, the five divisions have a budget of about $20 million.

The Commerce Department plans to lay off nearly 60 workers from the affected divisions. Those workers could then

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NCCF to celebrate oyster with ‘Shellabration’

Published in Asheville Attractions on January 29, 2014


“The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.”




David Hume


By BRAD RICH

Tideland News Writer

David Hume of Scotland might well be the most important philosopher ever to write in English, but when he penned that line in back in the 1700s in “Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion,” he unfairly dissed the oyster.

To make up for Hume’s insult – or maybe just to have fun, celebrate the tasty bivalve and raise some money – the N.C. Coastal Federation has scheduled a statewide oyster “Shellebration” for March 1.

The event will take place in Swansboro, Hatteras, Wilmington and Raleigh, and

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Wilcox Travel’s Office Building Get’s New Partnership

Published in Asheville History on August 13, 2013

BB&T Building Owners Partner with McKibbon Hotel Group Redeveloped, Mixed-use Property to Include Upscale Boutique Hotel

McKibbon-Tower partners John McKibbon (l) and Glenn W. Wilcox, Sr

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (August 12, 2013) – Tower Associates Inc., owner of the BB&T Building, has formed a partnership with the McKibbon Hotel Group to redevelop the city’s tallest building from commercial office space to a mixed-use development that will include an upscale boutique hotel, according to Tower Associates Chairman of the Board Glenn W. Wilcox Sr. and McKibbon Hotel Group Chairman John McKibbon.

Properties included in the new partnership, MHG-Tower LLC include the 17-story BB&T Building and the associated parking garage at the corner of College and Broadway Streets. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Glenn W. Wilcox Sr.’s company Wilcox Travel was one of the first tenants when the building opened in 1965 as the Northwestern Bank Building, and Wilcox has been in the building continually for 48 years.

“I moved to Asheville from Boone in September 1965, the same month that what is now the BB&T Building opened. I’m pleased to be partnering with John McKibbon on this exciting project. I have great respect for John and am looking forward to working with a man of such proven integrity,” Wilcox said.

“I‘m honored and pleased to have the opportunity to redevelop downtown Asheville’s iconic high-rise, and partnering with the Wilcox family makes it all the more special. We have enjoyed building and managing hotels in Asheville for nearly 20 years, and we look forward to starting our next project in this landmark location,” McKibbon said.

MHG-Tower LLC will be working with the City of Asheville on the planning and approval process. More details on the project will be released as they become available.

Tower Associates Inc. located in Asheville, is the leasing agent and operator of the BB&T Building and BB&T Parking Garage in downtown Asheville and has owned these commercial properties since 1988.

McKibbon Hotel Group, Inc., based in Gainesville, Georgia, is an award-winning, privately held company that has focused on hospitality for more than 50 years. MHG has relationships with three major hotel brands: Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and Starwood Resorts and Hotels. Its portfolio includes more than 75 properties throughout the United States, including three in Asheville.

For additional information on Tower Associates, Inc., visit towerassoc.com.  For more information on the McKibbon Hotel Group, visit mckibbon.com

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