RALEIGH -- Gov. Bev Perdue announced Thursday that 25 projects in Western North Carolina are being recommended to receive more than $5.7 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Project proposals were reviewed by the N.C. ARC office, and the Commission will make the decision on whether each project receives funding.
The recommendations include $200,000 in ARC money to buy mobile computer carts for middle and high schools in Surry County and $200,000 for laptop computers in Watauga County. Both projects would be matched with a $200,000 grant from Golden Leaf, and the Watauga project also has more than $1.1 million in local money committed to it.
Also included in the recommendation are:
• $1 million toward a $4.6 million access road to Mount Airy-Surry County Airport to replace a 1.2-mile access road that had to be closed to extend the runway.
• $66,500 toward a $256,500 cost of a U.S. 21 water pump station for Sparta and Alleghany County.
• $300,000 toward a $5 million cost of water and sewer lines and supporting equipment to serve existing and future businesses in and near the Interstates Water District in Surry County.
For more information about ARC, visit www.nccommerce.com and click on "community services" and then "community development grants."
Lightning strikes airport runway at PTI, creating a pothole
GREENSBORO -- Lightning from a storm earlier this week left a pothole in the newest runway at Piedmont Triad International airport.
Ted Johnson, the executive director of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, said that lightning thought to have struck Wednesday night caused a 2-foot-wide, 18-inch-deep hole on the airport's newest 9,000-foot runway that opened in January.
Johnson said he expects to have the runway repaired and reopened by early this week.
The strike hit on the right-hand side of the runway near an edge, he also said.
"It knocked out a pretty good chunk of pavement," Johnson said.
The hole was discovered after the pilots of a plane preparing to take off told control-tower officials that there was debris on the runway, Johnson said. Firefighters checked the area later and found the damaged spot.
Since then the airport has used its two other strips.
"That's the reason you have parallel runways," Johnson said. "We haven't had any major diversions."
Shooting during robbery attempt leaves 2 dead, 1 critically injured
LUMBERTON -- Police are investigating a shooting during a robbery attempt in a restaurant parking lot that left two people dead and one critically injured in North Carolina.
Jason Kendall Chavis, 19, of Lumberton and Derrick Scott Shea, 21, of Red Springs were killed in the incident, Robeson County sheriff's officials said.
They also said that Kiara Jones, 18, of St. Pauls was in critical condition at Duke University Medical Center in Durham. Hospital staff would not release patient information yesterday.
The three and a fourth person who was not injured in the shooting met some other people in a restaurant parking lot. Those people tried to rob the foursome and fired at them when they tried to get away.
Large annual military exercise called Robin Sage will start
FORT BRAGG -- Soldiers training to be members of the Special Forces have infiltrated central North Carolina as they start a massive unconventional warfare exercise.
The exercise called "Robin Sage" began yesterday. It will be conducted in 15 counties that stretch from the outskirts of Charlotte to Fayetteville. More than 100 soldiers will participate and over 1,000 people from the area will play roles ranging from police to guerrillas. The exercise is scheduled to end June 30.
Robin Sage has been conducted for nearly 50 years.
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