Author: John Hammer

Gov. Roy Cooper announced that schools in North Carolina would reopen under a modified Plan B – which requires schools to operate at 50 percent capacity – on Tuesday, July 14.

According to an unofficial survey, a vast majority of people in the area want public schools students to be back in the classroom in the upcoming school year.

The North Carolina Folk Festival announced on Monday, July 13 that the 2020 version of the festival from Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 13 will be a virtual event.

The Wyndham Championship played at Sedgefield Country Club announced Monday, July 13 that the PGA tournament would be played without spectators on the course. At least it’s not a cancellation.

The Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) has announced a Vision Zero art and essay contest for kids.

At the July 21 meeting, the Greensboro City Council is scheduled to consider a grant from the US Department of Justice that with past City Councils would be a routine matter.

The Executive Committee of the Guilford County Democratic Party recently passed a resolution calling for defunding the Greensboro Police Department.

Greensboro Police Chief Brian James held a press conference on Tuesday, July 7 to talk about having had seven murders in the first seven days of July and 29 murders so far this year.

By state law the first day of classroom instruction in public schools in North Carolina is August 17. It appears to be one of the few certainties about the upcoming school year. But even that is confusing if you depend on the Guilford County Schools (GCS) webpage for information.

An audit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation by the North Carolina state auditor resulted in a scathing report on the NCDOT giving $39 million more in employee raises than authorized by law.

According to WalletHub Greensboro is the 12th best run city in America.

Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) and the Guilford Merchants Association (GMA) have awarded the second round of Retail Revitalization Grants to downtown businesses.

A bill presented in the state House by State Rep. J Hardister (R-Guilford) to allow businesses closed by Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive orders to delay renewing their alcohol licenses passed by a unanimous vote on Wednesday, July 8.

Katie Dorsett, the first African-American woman to be elected to the Greensboro City Council, died Monday, July 6. She was 87.

After seven murders in seven days, Greensboro Police Chief Brian James held a press conference on Tuesday, July 7 to ask for help from the people of Greensboro.

Bowling alleys in the state of North Carolina were given the right to open immediately by a court ruling on Tuesday, July 7.

The first day of school for children in the North Carolina public school system has been set as August 17, about six weeks away.

The Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department is celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month in July, which is a little tough in the midst of COVID-19 shutdowns.

More men are dying from COVID-19 in North Carolina than women.

Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Mark Robinson gave an inspiring, no holds barred speech at the Protest for America rally in downtown Greensboro on July 4.

The year 2020 may go down in the history books as the year of cancelations.

The request by the City of Greensboro to stay discovery in the wrongful death lawsuit over the death of Marcus Deon Smith was denied.

The annual Fourth of July Kirkwood Parade will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 beginning on Independence Drive Road between Princess Ann Street and Delaware Avenue, just like this was not 2020 when everything is cancelled.

The COVID-19 pandemic may not be political, but the response to it is entirely political.

The Greensboro City Council passed the economic incentive for Bourbon Bowl at 535 S. Elm St. at a special virtual meeting on Thursday, July 2.

On Tuesday, June 30, the Rhino Times posted an article headlined, “Outling Questions Public Benefit of Bourbon Bowl Incentive.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, July 1 against Gov. Roy Cooper in Wake County Superior Court.

It’s commonly known that a higher percentage of those dying from COVID-19 are older, but according to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) figures, that is an understatement.

It seems like every Fourth of July event is being canceled, but here is one that isn’t – the “Protest for America” at the Phill G. McDonald Plaza in downtown Greensboro between the Old Guilford County Court House and Greensboro city hall.

The Greensboro City Council virtual work session that had been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 2 has been canceled.

The Greensboro City Council plans to grant an economic incentive of $80,000 to Bourbon Bowl, a boutique bowling alley at 531 South Elm St., at a special virtual meeting Thursday, July 2 at 3:30 p.m.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest went into more detail about the lawsuit he plans to file against Gov. Roy Cooper over his executive orders closing down the state’s economy at a press conference on Monday, June 29.

The state is constantly giving updates on the COVID-19 numbers, but not all the numbers.

The mainstream media continue to report the number of COVID-19 cases going up and sometimes note that the number is expected to go up because the number of people tested every day keeps increasing.

Guilford College President Jane Fernandes this week announced she would leave that office July 1, 2021.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Commissioner John Swofford announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2020-2021 college athletic season.

If you’re upset about having to wear a mask in public to protect other people from catching coronavirus from you, you don’t have to be upset long.

The Greensboro City Council scheduled a special meeting on Thursday, July 2 to approve an economic incentive.

State Sen. Jerry Tillman, who represents Guilford and Randolph counties, announced his resignation from the Senate on Thursday, June 17.

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said in a post on his Facebook page that he has notified Gov. Roy Cooper that he plans to sue Cooper for violating the Emergency Management Act.

In a normal year, there would be articles this week about all the July Fourth activities going on in Greensboro and Guilford County. However, 2020 is far from normal.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday, June 24, that not only will the state not move into Phase 3 on Friday, June 26 as planned, but he is imposing more restrictions on the people of North Carolina.

The Greensboro City Council plans to pass a resolution supporting “8 Can’t Wait” at the special Tuesday, July 2 City Council meeting.

In the “better late than never” category, the Greensboro City Council finally got around to a discussion of the vandalism and looting that did millions of dollars of damage to Greensboro businesses the nights of Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan issued an emergency proclamation that will require people in Greensboro to wear masks when out in public, except when they are walking or exercising.

Every organization has a hierarchy, whether it is official or not.

It didn’t take long for City Councilmember Michelle Kennedy, perhaps the most astute politician on the council, to backtrack on requiring police officers to live in Greensboro.

Last weekend, Greensboro closed down Davie Street to allow Greensboro artist Phillip Marsh to paint the first street mural as part of Creative Greensboro’s Street Mural Program.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan is jumping on the facemask emergency proclamation bandwagon with an order that people in Greensboro wear facemasks beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 23.

The two principle governing bodies in Guilford County have traditionally met in similar fashion about a hundred yards apart from each other across the Phill G. McDonald Plaza.