http://www.standeatherage.com Thu, 9 Sep 2010 01:38:12 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/151/10/the-governor-s-visit-was-plum-embarrassing.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/151/10/the-governor-s-visit-was-plum-embarrassing.html Governor Perdue came to town Friday. It was embarrassing.

Her handlers couldn't have done a much worse job, all the way around. She visited PAS USA, the Beaufort County Child Development Center and the WDN. She got blindsided.

Tommy Thompson, chief Economic Developer in Beaufort, took the credit/blame for selecting the industry she visited. It is a foreign owned outfit that sends its profits to Germany rather than investing them in the USA. Some would say they are here to exploit cheap labor a... Read More]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:23:55 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/150/7/pcs-is-now-officially-on-the-sell-block.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/150/7/pcs-is-now-officially-on-the-sell-block.html On August 17, 2010, BHP Billiton of Australia tendered an unsolicited offer to purchase Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan for 38.5 billion dollars (US currency), or 130.00 per share. At the point of this corporate announcement, they also flatly rejected the bid. Today they are reported to review the hostile takeover bid to advise shareholders of what action they should take.

BHP Billiton operates as a diversified natural resources company in Australia, the Americas, and southern Africa. The ... Read More]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:38:54 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/149/8/civitas-gives-beaufort-county-government-an-a-for-efficiency.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/149/8/civitas-gives-beaufort-county-government-an-a-for-efficiency.html Say what you will about Beaufort County government, but the numbers are in, and Beaufort County has secured its distinction as one of the most efficient counties in the entire state, according to the Civitas Institute Report Card on County Government Growth.

This distinction is especially notable, in that only 12 of North Carolina’s 100 counties managed to earn an ‘A’ in government growth for the first decade of the 21st Century, by lowering the number of county employees at a time when ... Read More]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:09:14 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/148/6/perry-v-schwarzenegger-california-becomes-the-latest-battleground-for-gay-marriage-rights.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/148/6/perry-v-schwarzenegger-california-becomes-the-latest-battleground-for-gay-marriage-rights.html Ripped from the headlines…

On August 4, a federal court in California struck down the gay marriage ban, popularly known as Proposition 8, and handed a victory to thousands of gays and lesbians who demanded they be entitled to “marry” their partners. Civil unions weren’t good enough, for in their eyes they are a “separate-but-equal” classification that made them feel like second class citizens. True equality was their desire. From plaintiffs’ standpoint,... Read More]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:57:18 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/147/10/imagine-this-judge-a-teacher-by-how-much-improvement-the-students-make.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/147/10/imagine-this-judge-a-teacher-by-how-much-improvement-the-students-make.html If it catches on and spreads across the USA as it should, a major revolution took place in American public education this week. The way we know it was revolutionary and major is that the teacher's union is doing backflips.

Last Saturday the LA Times published student test data. Obviously that was not what made it revolutionary. But what they did was publish the data by teacher. And that if revolutionary.

But what is even more revolutionary is how they reported the data. They used something cal... Read More]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:34:42 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/146/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-economy-part-i.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/146/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-economy-part-i.html (The twin disasters of the Stimulus Package and the response to the Gulf Oil Spill)

Or maybe he just continuously takes is eye of the ball. Then again, I rather like the Kanye West’s approach to summing up complex issues, as he did in his evaluation of George W. Bush’s response to the Hurricane Katrina natural disaster. In fact, maybe Kanye could write this piece himself about Barack Obama’s apathy towards the economy; however, considering Kanye’s education level an... Read More]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:47:40 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/145/9/gop-narrowly-votes-to-not-replace-baldwin-in-commissioner-race.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/145/9/gop-narrowly-votes-to-not-replace-baldwin-in-commissioner-race.html The Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee voted, 10 to 8, at a special meeting this afternoon, against appointing a new candidate to replace former Republican candidate for Beaufort County commissioner Cindy Baldwin, who voluntarily withdrew from the race on Aug. 3.

The special meeting was closed to media, and I was only permitted to attend as my father, Republican county commissioner candidate Stan Deatherage's, campaign manager. I will respect the wishes of Beaufort County Republica... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:56:03 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/144/9/gop-to-vote-on-replacing-baldwin-in-commissioner-race.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/144/9/gop-to-vote-on-replacing-baldwin-in-commissioner-race.html A special meeting of the Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee has been called to vote on whether or not to appoint someone to replace former Republican candidate for Beaufort County commissioner Cindy Baldwin, who voluntarily withdrew from the race on Aug. 3.

If Baldwin stayed in the race, she would have been trying to win one of the three commissioner seats available in November, along with the two Republican incumbents Stan Deatherage and Al Klemm, Democratic incumbent Ed Booth, De... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:51:21 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/143/6/charity-comes-from-the-heart-and-not-from-laws.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/143/6/charity-comes-from-the-heart-and-not-from-laws.html Publisher's Note: Our most prolific contributor, Diane Rufino, will have her uncharacteristically short editorial published in the Greenville Daily Reflector in the next few days as a response to another opinion piece published in that same publication by Etsil S. Mason of Farmville, North Carolina. Mrs. Rufino is certainly doing her part to further President Obama's, and all Democrats', desire to countinue our "national discussion on race."

Located directly below Diane's short op-ed is Ms. M... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:12:00 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/142/8/cost-containment-collects-thoughts-on-collecting-cash.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/142/8/cost-containment-collects-thoughts-on-collecting-cash.html At the onset of yesterday’s Beaufort Regional Health Systems Cost/Containment Committee meeting, the panel approved a contract between the hospital and BCE Technology of Clearwater, Fla., for their Clinical Documentation Improvement Program, which is expected to generate revenue by more-appropriately coding patient charts. The BRHS Authority Board of Commissioners will vote, by telephone, on the contract before it is presented to BCE Technology. The hospital board voted on July 27 to “empowe... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:09:10 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/141/7/ashley-woolard-calls-on-g-k-butterfield-to-resign-from-the-house-ethics-committee.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/141/7/ashley-woolard-calls-on-g-k-butterfield-to-resign-from-the-house-ethics-committee.html Publisher's Note: Submitted as a press release from the Ashley Woolard Campaign.

GOP First District Congressional candidate Ashley Woolard will call on Congressman G.K. Butterfield to resign from the House Ethics Committee or face investigation, in a series of press conferences Tuesday.

Woolard will appear at the NCGOP Headquarters in Raleigh at 10:00 a.m.; the train station in Rocky Mount at 12:30 p.m.; and the Craven County GOP Headquarters in New Bern, NC at 3:00 p.m.

Butterfield is a memb... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:04:16 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/140/6/outrage-muslims-plan-mosque-at-ground-zero.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/140/6/outrage-muslims-plan-mosque-at-ground-zero.html Please bear with me on this one because this is a very sensitive topic for me.

I don't know about you, but when I watch the footage of 9/11, I can remember it all just as clearly as the very day the carnage and destruction actually occurred. We lost our innocence and naiveté, and without a doubt, our way of life has changed. We can no longer look thru rose-colored glasses and see the best in people. We can't assume that all people want the best for their children and strive for a bet... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:52:34 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/139/10/school-board-adopts-core-sex-ed-curriculum.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/139/10/school-board-adopts-core-sex-ed-curriculum.html The Beaufort County Board of Education heard a report from its staff on the development of a revision in the Health curriculum required by recent state legislation. After the presentation and a short discussion the Board voted 8-1 to adopt the "core" curriculum from the N. C. School Health Training Center at Appalachian State University. That program was selected by a community-based committee composed of parents, teachers, ministers and others who volunteered or were selected to repre... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:33:15 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/138/7/brhs-looks-to-invest-in-improving-its-rate-of-returns.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/138/7/brhs-looks-to-invest-in-improving-its-rate-of-returns.html The Beaufort County Medical Center Board of Trustees made a leap of faith at its meeting Tuesday toward bringing in a company to help the hospital implement a Clinical Documentation Improvement Program, which would help the hospital collect $1 million to $1.7 million in extra revenue within the coming year, according to worst and best-case scenarios provided by Cost/Containment Committee Chair Hood Richardson and Beaufort Regional Health Systems Chief Financial Officer Chris Riggs, respectively.... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:04:45 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/137/6/immigration.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/137/6/immigration.html "It's a Sad Day When our President Twists our Constitution to Protect Illegal Immigrants Rather than Besieged American Citizens"

We have a President who is complicit in the flagrant lawlessness by illegal immigrants. Arizona takes the first step to stop him.

Immigration is a bitterly contested issue in the United States right now. Currently, there are about 10.8 million illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows. It is approximated that at least 1/3 of all Hispanics a... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:20 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/136/10/school-board-hears-good-news-at-its-retreat.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/136/10/school-board-hears-good-news-at-its-retreat.html The Beaufort County Board of Education met in its regular monthly meeting Monday (7-26-10). Among the items routinedly approved was the "consent agenda." The Board meets in committees to handle much of their business and then just approves everything in one vote, calling it the "consent agenda." At this meeting, after approving several items, they explained to the public what they had done.

You will note in the video that the Board is advised that they have a problem with an... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:58:30 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/135/6/charges-of-racism-are-hurtful-for-both-sides.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/135/6/charges-of-racism-are-hurtful-for-both-sides.html Publisher's Note: Diane Rufino delves into a subject that has long been one of her major concerns - racism. Many Liberals strongly believe that, "it is high time to have a national discussion on race." Well here it begins from the bowels of Beaufort County Now: Diane Rufino Style.

The Author's Note: The theme originated as a post on my blogsite. The article below actually represents a running thread of several posts and includes comments which criticize my points. The criticisms are clearly... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:54:40 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/134/8/cash-poor-hospital-accepts-county-s-favor-to-buy-its-real-estate.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/134/8/cash-poor-hospital-accepts-county-s-favor-to-buy-its-real-estate.html The hospital and the county shook hands today on a deal that will provide the hospital with the means to pay its debt service to the county and have operating capital—at least for the upcoming fiscal year.

Beaufort County, which currently owns 80 percent of hospital land and buildings, offered to purchase the remaining 20 percent for $4.8 million. The county’s offer was communicated to the hospital board by Beaufort County Manager Paul Spruill at its July 13 meeting. At today’... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:36:41 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/133/7/woolard-to-call-on-butterfield-to-return-tainted-contributions.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/133/7/woolard-to-call-on-butterfield-to-return-tainted-contributions.html Publisher's Note: Submitted as a press release from the Ashley Woolard Campaign.

GOP First District Congressional candidate Ashley Woolard will call on Congressman G.K. Butterfield to return tainted campaign contributions from embattled Democratic congressman Charlie Rangel in a series of press conferences Tuesday.

Woolard will appear at the Pitt County Courthouse in Greenville at 10:30 AM, Woolard for Congress Headquarters in Washington, NC at 1:30 PM and the Wayne County GOP Headquarters in... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:17:24 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/132/8/hospital-mails-rfp-s-cost-containment-committee-re-emerges.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/132/8/hospital-mails-rfp-s-cost-containment-committee-re-emerges.html For the moment, Beaufort Regional Health System seems to be making some real progress down the much-debated dual-track approach to saving the Washington-based hospital.

On Wednesday of last week, Healthcare Appraisers, Inc. distributed Request For Proposal packets to the 14 organizations which expressed interest in potentially leasing the hospital, according to an e-mail received from BRHS Director of Marketing and Public Relations Pam Shadle on Friday afternoon.

Those 14 organizations are: ... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:51:25 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/131/6/the-secondary-effects-doctrine-and-religious-respect.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/131/6/the-secondary-effects-doctrine-and-religious-respect.html (how this doctrine can be applied to our current dilemma over Religion - to help get it back into our Schools and into public life, without offending the current “Separation of Church and State” jurisprudence)

In light of the serious consequences that have resulted directly from the removal of religion in our schools and in our society, I wish to propose a possible legal pathway to the re-introduction of religion.
There is a doctrine, called the “Secondary Effects” d... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:32:10 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/130/7/general-stanley-mcchrystal-retires-in-a-private-ceremony.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/130/7/general-stanley-mcchrystal-retires-in-a-private-ceremony.html In a small, and emotional ceremony, General Stanley McChrystal retired from the institution that had brought him so much fame, respect and controversy - the United States Army. In this private retirement ceremony, at 6 p.m. Friday, held at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. The retirement ceremony was closed to all but three reporters: Greg Jaffe from the Washington Post, Julian Barnes from the Wall Street Journal, and Gordon Lubold from Politico. The following report is compilation of informa... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:03:19 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/129/10/we-may-just-be-on-the-verge-of-excellence-in-our-school-system.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/129/10/we-may-just-be-on-the-verge-of-excellence-in-our-school-system.html Over the last few years we know of no one who has been any more critical than have we about Beaufort County Schools. Most of those complaints were directed at the former superintendent. Fortunately in our opinion, he resigned. After a short stint by Bill Rivenbark as Interim Superintendent the Board hired Dr. Don Phipps in December, 2009.

Friday (7-23-10) Dr. Phipps gave something of a "year-end report" and reviewed his plans for the coming year and even dared to dream a bit. We were ... Read More]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:11:30 EDT