Author: Scott D. Yost

North Carolina is taking its opioid fight on the road.

This month, the state unveiled its first Mobile Opioid Treatment Program unit – the first of its kind in North Carolina – with plans for as many as ten more on the way before the end of the year.

The idea is straightforward but significant: If people struggling with opioid addiction can’t easily get to treatment, the state will bring treatment to them.,,,

There’s something in the water flowing into and around High Point University – an educational institution that has earned a terrific reputation not just nationally but internationally over the course of this century.

It has won a vast number of accolades in the past and, recently, the school won more: HPU is the only North Carolina school to be ranked in the Top 10 nationally in the categories of Best-Run College, Best College Dorms, Career Services and Most Active Student Government Association…

The Guilford County Division of Public Health and the City of Greensboro’s Community Safety Department will mark International Overdose Awareness Day with a HOPE event – which stands for “Harm Reduction, Overdose Awareness, Prevention and Education.”

 It will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, from 4:30 p.m….

A very nice and respected former state rep is no longer with us.

Former North Carolina State Representative Margaret “Maggie” Jeffus-Goltare, age 90, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Brookdale Assisted Living in Burlington.

She was a longtime Greensboro resident, a highly respected educator and a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for 10 terms between 1991 and 2013…

For a town of about 11,000 people, Summerfield gets more than its share of media attention since it’s the home of constant drama, and, on Tuesday, Aug. 12, the mayor of the town announced that he had seen enough…

Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms resigned Tuesday, effective immediately, after more than a decade of public service to the town.

Sessoms announced the move in a press release stating, “It’s important in life to know when it’s time to call it a day.”…

A power outage shut down a number of Guilford County government offices in High Point on Tuesday,...

The City of Greensboro’s People & Culture Department has released its 2024-2025 Impact Report – a look at a year of new city programs, wellness efforts and process changes meant to make city employment more responsive and, in the department’s words, more “people-centered.”

The report and a Monday, Aug. 11 press release framed the past 2024-2025 fiscal…

One of the good ones is stepping down from Guilford County government.

As with any large organization or government body, not everyone working there is capable, dedicated, talented and respected among fellow workers; however, Guilford County Deputy Attorney Matthew Mason – known by everyone as Matt – was all of those things, and, now that he’s retiring, there are a whole lot of county leaders and employees who hate to see him go – not to mention those of us at the Rhino Times…

Anyone who’s now getting along in age and grew up in the city of Greensboro is highly aware of the tremendous impact that former Mayor Jim Melvin had on shaping of modern Greensboro.  Sadly, the man who devoted so much of his life to trying to improve and advance the city died in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 10, leaving behind a very long list of lives he had helped improve and ways his existence had benefited the city he loved…

When Guilford County property owners get their new tax values on Jan. 1, 2026, most will see figures well above what’s now on their annual bills.

The Tax Department predicts property values will rise about 48 percent on average for Guilford County property owners, and homes, in particular, could climb closer to 50 percent…

Residents, business owners and frequent visitors to south Greensboro are being invited to attend the City of Greensboro’s fifth and final workshop for the South Greensboro Plan. The event, which will focus on housing and the economy, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16.

It will be happening at Allen Middle School at 1108 Glendale Dr. in Greensboro….

In a sign of things to come – and a sign of how things have been in the last decade – the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, on Thursday, Aug. 7, overturned a previous denial by the county’s Planning Board and gave the green light to a rezoning that will allow more homes to be built just south of NC Highway 150.

The nine-member Board of Commissioners voted to approve a request to rezone roughly 21 acres of land near the Triple Lakes subdivision from Agricultural (AG) to Conditional Zoning RS-40. ..

Guilford County government has tapped a new leader to oversee the local branch of one of the state’s most wide-reaching public service programs.

On Friday, Aug. 1, Natalie Owens officially stepped into her new role as director of the NC Cooperative Extension-Guilford County Center. County officials say Owens brings nearly three decades of experience in community engagement, nutrition education and public outreach, and they add that they expect her leadership…

On the evening of Monday, Sept. 15, the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library in Greensboro will host an event meant to educate, engage and hopefully inspire local residents to get involved in protecting something people in the area depend on – the drinking water.

The one-hour program, which is called “Deep River Stories: Science, Stewardship, and Sustainability,” will take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is open to all ages. Speakers will include Riverkeeper leaders Stephanie Stephens and Dr. Patricia Gray, as well as Steve Drew, the former director of Greensboro Water Resources….

According to Guilford County Social Services Director Sharon Barlow, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which is now the One Big Beautiful Law, is projected to “significantly” impact Medicaid in Guilford County and North Carolina in ways that are very worrisome to local and state leaders.

That impact, Barlow told the Rhino Times, will come primarily through cuts to federal funding and the implementation of work requirements for able-bodied adults…

or High Point residents who’ve ever wondered what city government actually does – or how to get more involved in civic life – now there’s a free eight-week class that promises a front-row seat for that.

The City of High Point has launched “High Point 101,” a new civic engagement program that gives selected residents a behind-the-scenes look at how the city operates. The program is designed to increase transparency, improve communication with residents and encourage long-term involvement…

In Guilford County government these days, the top job comes with the top paycheck: Brand new County Manager Victor Isler now makes $315,000 a year – the highest salary on the list of managers, assistant managers and department and division directors in our local county government.

That $315,000 annually puts Isler well above other department heads and assistant managers – even though many county employees have held those positions for years and years, and Isler…

This area has seen too many law enforcement high-speed chases end in the loss of innocent lives, and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is hoping a new program will address that problem.

The Office is planning to start tagging fleeing suspects with GPS projectiles fired from patrol cars – and, in some cases, from a deputy’s hand – thanks to…

Guilford County’s plan to renovate the Lee’s Chapel Residential Treatment Center to help recovering addicts just got moldy and therefore more expensive.

At the upcoming Thursday, Aug. 7 meeting, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve a $632,284 increase to the construction contract for the project. That unexpected price hike is largely due to mold discovered in May during demolition and interior work on the facility, which is being upfitted to meet state health regulations for residential treatment services…

County Cuts Pet Adoption Fees To ‘Clear The Shelter’

It just got a lot cheaper to bring home a new best friend from the Guilford County animal shelter: Throughout August, Guilford County Animal Services is slashing pet adoption fees from $75 to $25 as part of the national Clear the Shelter campaign, an annual push to find homes for dogs and cats currently living at the shelter…

City of Greensboro officials are asking area residents to help shape the region’s disaster preparedness plan by filling out a short online survey and attending one of two public meetings scheduled in August. This input will help Guilford County and the cities and towns within it update their official Hazard Mitigation Plan – the masterplan that outlines local strategies meant to reduce the risk and impact of natural disasters…

Here at the Rhino Times, we are not just worker bees who work and work until our wings fall off.  While we work the vast majority of the year, we do not do so every day of it: We need a little time off like the rest of the world, especially halfway through this year when so much has been going on – a new county manager, a new city attorney, increasing budget spending, many interesting things going on at the Sheriff’s Office, investigations of local officials, a new Greensboro City Council and mayor’s race just starting up, and too many other things to name…

One of the most surprising stories out of the stock market in recent weeks comes courtesy of a biotech company that not all that long ago committed to major operations in Greensboro but then dropped those plans.

ProKidney Corp., a medical biotech company that specializes in kidney disease treatments, stunned Wall Street recently when its stock price jumped more than 500 percent in a single day. In fact, from the end of June through July 10, shares of ProKidney Corp. shot up 775 percent..

The Joint Capital / Facilities Committee – a body consisting of members of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and the Guilford County Board of Education – has called a special meeting for Wednesday, July 30 at 4 p.m. in the Guilford County Schools Administrative Offices’ Board Room at 712 N. Eugene St. in Greensboro.

The county and the schools have a real challenge on their hands because…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has charged a High Point man with second- degree murder in connection with the July 2 shooting death of a juvenile in McLeansville.

Sheriff Danny Rogers announced that 21-year-old Karell Tyshawn Harrington was arrested on Monday, July 21, at just after 10 a.m. He’s currently being held without bond in the Guilford County jail in downtown Greensboro…

If you’re a property owner in Guilford County, you either just got or will soon get a rather unpleasant piece of mail. In early to mid-July, the Guilford County Tax Department sends out Property Tax Notices – bills, in most cases – and if you’re smart you will pay it because not paying it will lead to fines and possibly, ultimately, foreclosure on your house, building or land…

The Guilford County Family Justice Center isn’t letting a fire halt its very important operations.
After a blaze earlier this month severely damaged the Katie S. Cashion Center in downtown Greensboro and displaced several county departments, Family Justice Center staff moved quickly to establish a pop-up site inside the Guilford County Courthouse at 201 S. Eugene St. in Greensboro.
Starting on Tuesday, July 22, the temporary location will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to carry on the work of the department.
It’ll remain in operation until the Cashion Center is safe to reoccupy.
“The safety and well-being of our residents is always our top priority,” said Center Director Catherine Johnson. “We’re incredibly grateful to our partners and to Chief District Court Judge Fletcher for working swiftly to ensure our life-saving services continue uninterrupted.”
Johnson said getting the courthouse site up and running so quickly says a lot about the partnerships that make the Justice Center model work.
“Survivors deserve consistent, compassionate support,” the director said, “and, thanks to Guilford County administration and our partners, we’re ready to assist residents from our Greensboro and High Point offices.”
The Center provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and stalking.
In addition to the temporary Greensboro site, the Center’s High Point location at 505 E. Green Dr. remains open for walk-ins during the same weekday hours.
Repairing the damage from the fire is estimated to cost county taxpayers about $1 million. The Guilford County Board of Commissioners voted to move that repair project forward on Thursday, July 17 at the board’s only July meeting.
Visitors to the courthouse pop-up site should use the main public entrance facing the Governmental Plaza. Those needing ADA access can enter from South. Eugene Street.
Cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices aren’t permitted inside the courthouse.
For help or more information, you can call 336-641-SAFE or visit guilfordcountync.gov/fjc. For emergencies, call 911 or the Family Service of the Piedmont’s 24-hour Crisis Line at 336-273-7273.
Johnson held a press conference in the Carolyn Coleman Conference Room at 301 W. Market St. to publicize the new temporary location on Tuesday afternoon, July 22…

Some Greensboro residents will walk away with new shoes, clothes or even cleaning supplies on Saturday, July 26 – all while enjoying free food and music.

The City of Greensboro’s Community Safety Department is teaming up with the Black Men United organization to host a Community Giveaway and Resource Event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church at 408 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Greensboro….

A fire earlier this month at the Katie S. Cashion Center in downtown Greensboro has left several Guilford County departments displaced and has triggered a recovery effort that’s now pegged at $1 million.

At the Board of Commissioners’ Thursday, July 17 meeting, Commissioner Alan Perdue – the county’s former longtime Emergency Services director – used the fire to discuss the need to add and upgrade fire suppression systems and to take other safety measures in the county’s buildings…

A lot of people in the county don’t believe the Guilford County Board of Commissioners should be picking winners and losers in the non-profit community and handing out tax dollars to churches, fraternities, school booster clubs and lots of others; however, the Democratic majority on the Board of Commissioners wholeheartedly disagrees.

 And, this year, the list of beneficiaries of taxpayer dollars is the longest in history, with 83 organizations getting a total of $1,740,000…

Low-income homeowners in Greensboro may now apply for a program that could put some extra cash in their pocket this year – especially if their city property tax bill has gone up.

For the third year, the City of Greensboro is offering financial help to residents whose 2024 property tax bills are higher than they were in 2021. Qualifying homeowners may be eligible to receive a check covering the difference, provided they meet a few requirements…

Guilford County officials are putting settlement money from Big Pharma to work – and they’ve been asking the community to help guide them.

Recently, the county held its third annual stakeholder input session and asked the participants how to best spend the money – just over $40 million – that it’s receiving in opioid settlement funds over the next 17 years.

The event brought together 48 people from 20 different agencies and groups, including law enforcement, schools, nonprofits, health providers and Guilford County government…

On Thursday, July 17, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to name Assistant County Manager Victor Isler as the new county manager – a decision that Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said would bring widespread excitement immediately to county employees.

Isler steps into the top job following the abrupt resignation of former County Manager Mike Halford last month.

Alston said the board considered whether to do a national search but quickly realized it already had the right person in-house.
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After the hundreds of tragic flood deaths in Texas, the importance of mass notification and warning systems has never been clearer.

This week, Guilford County is set to renew its commitment to a regional emergency alert network that keeps residents informed in times of crisis. At the Thursday, July 17 meeting…

Greensboro residents just got a big thumbs-up from the City of Greensboro recycling people due to residents upping their recycling efforts and knowledge.

According to the city’s latest Recycling Composition Study, Greensboro has recorded its lowest recycling contamination rate ever. The 2025 study shows contamination in the city’s curbside recycling stream has dropped from 36.2 percent in 2021 to only 20.1 percent this year…

If you’ve ever wished making new friends as an adult were a little bit easier – or simply less awkward – the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department has something just right for you.

The department is hosting a ‘Speed Friending’ event Friday, July 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at LoFi Park at 500 N. Eugene St. in Greensboro…

Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston is kind of a bizarro Donald Trump: He’s at the other end of the political spectrum but, like Trump, he always gets his way and his fellow Democrats on the Board of Commissioners (almost) never vote against him on anything.

So, Alston – the most powerful political leader in Guilford County – doesn’t need any more power, but he just got a bump in that category anyway. He has been selected to serve as the vice chairman of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, and that means it’s almost certain he’ll become that commission’s chairman again next year – a role he held nearly two decades ago…

Greensboro is putting more money on the table to help the city’s renters become homeowners.

The city announced this week that it’s increasing funding for its Homebuyer Assistance Program by $500,000 – bringing new life to an initiative that’s already helped dozens of local families…

Greensboro is one step closer to turning the old Regency Inn site into affordable housing.

A city-appointed review committee has recommended that Raleigh-based nonprofit DHIC Inc. get the opportunity to redevelop the long-vacant motel property at 2701 North O. Henry Blvd. If everything goes according to plan, the site will be transformed into 114 affordable housing units for seniors and families in two phases – with an estimated total development cost of over $29.5 million..

When this year’s Wyndham Championship tees off in Greensboro later this month, the golf won’t be the only big draw.

Country artist Lanie Gardner – a Burnsville native who’s been making waves on the national stage – is set to headline a benefit concert at Piedmont Hall at the Greensboro Coliseum complex on Thursday, July 31, following the opening round of the tournament…

Eight days after former Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts abruptly stepped down from his post, city officials have confirmed that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent review into business transactions that occurred during Watts’ time in office.

At a Wednesday, July 9 press conference, Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson shed some light – at least on the process – surrounding the unfolding situation, though he provided no details regarding the allegations themselves…

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating an unnamed member of the Greensboro City Council; however, according to several sources, that investigation is not related to the SBI investigation of former Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts, who retired suddenly at the start of July.

Though SBI officials have not said which City Council member is under investigation, many people have surmised that it may be Councilmember Zack Matheny due to a lot of recent discussion of potential conflicts of interest and other concerns regarding his role as the president of Downtown Greensboro Inc. in conjunction with his position on the Greensboro City Council…

Greensboro’s new top attorney is no stranger to the courtroom – or to public service.

On Tuesday, July 8, the Greensboro City Council voted unanimously to appoint Deputy City Attorney Lora Cubbage as the next city attorney.

Cubbage, who joined the City Attorney’s Office only four months ago, will now take the reins as the head of the legal department, bringing with her a lengthy resume that includes a wide range of legal experience: She’s had stints as a prosecutor, judge, and assistant attorney general….

Cone Health has tapped longtime health system leader Dave Jenkins to take control of its behavioral health services, naming him vice president and administrator for the entire service line.

Jenkins, who joined Cone Health as a hospital administration intern in 2012, will now oversee operations at the Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital and lead initiatives across the broader system. His promotion is an indication of Cone Health’s growing emphasis on meeting behavioral health needs throughout the Piedmont…

Barrier1 Systems – a national manufacturer of anti-ram crash-rated vehicle barriers – has announced that it’s not going anywhere.

The company had been weighing offers from other Southeastern cities but has officially decided to expand its operations in Guilford County, where it already has deep roots….

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office recently overshot its personnel budget by an eye-popping $3.9 million, but it’s not because of extravagant new programs or expensive equipment. Instead, the overage is being blamed on a very familiar culprit – a lack of staff, combined with soaring overtime costs that’s been needed to fill in those gaps….

Piedmont Triad International Airport hasn’t quite been the same since 2019; however, according to PTI Executive Director Kevin Baker this might finally be the year he’s been longing for: the year the airport gets passenger traffic back up and over where it was before Covid turned the travel world upside down.

That year – 2019 – saw PTI hit a high-water mark when it comes to people flying in and out of the airport, with more than 2.14 million passengers. It was a strong showing and a hopeful sign that the Triad’s airport was gaining a lot of ground as a mid-size regional hub…

Early on the morning of Sunday, July 6, Guilford County received reports of fraudulent emails impersonating the Guilford County Communications Department’s GovDelivery account.

GovDelivery is a mass email notification system used by many government agencies to send out news releases, alerts, meeting notices and other official updates to residents who subscribe…

First things first: City of Greensboro offices will of course be closed on Friday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

Also, there will be no city garbage or recycling collections on July 4.

Friday’s collections took place on Thursday, July 3, and Thursday’s collections took place on Wednesday, July 2. (All other collections remain the same.)…