Wednesday, November 19th, 2025

Author: Scott D. Yost

About Scott D. Yost

Here are my most recent posts

Guilford County Economic Development Alliance Marks 10 Years Of Regional Cooperation

A decade ago, High Point and Greensboro were still sniping at each other for jobs. Companies would fly in, meet in High Point and hear one set of population and wage numbers, then cross over to Greensboro and get an entirely different set. The two cities were competing against each other so often that they were sometimes the biggest obstacles to their own success…

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Narcotics Task Force Seizes 56 Pounds Of Weed And Lots Of Cash

According to a Tuesday, Nov. 18 news release from Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, the Guilford County Narcotics Task Force wrapped up an investigation last month that led to a major drug seizure at a northeast Greensboro home.

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, officers executed a search warrant at 2706 Northampton Drive in Greensboro. That search turned up roughly 56 pounds of marijuana and $305,263 in US currency….

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County To Hold \ Hearing On Major Eastern Air Express

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold a public hearing and then vote on whether to support an economic development proposal that would bring the headquarters of Eastern Air Express, LLC from Kansas City to Greensboro.

The item comes with a potential $500,000 state building reuse grant and the promise of dozens of high-paying aviation jobs at Piedmont Triad International Airport – which has been killing it lately when it comes to job creation…

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Unlikely That ICE Storm Hits Toyota Megasite

With Immigration and Customs Enforcement – aka ICE – now conducting new enforcement actions in North Carolina, including a high-profile workplace raid in Charlotte this week, a natural question is whether the massive Toyota battery plant at the Greensboro–Alamance megasite could ever see something similar…

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Black Leaders Cry Foul Over Brockman’s White Replacement

Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said that he and other black leaders are very upset over how the replacement was chosen for resigning state Rep. Cecil Brockman – and Alston is warning that a majority-Black House district could end up with long-term white representation because of party rules and political ego…

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WIC Services In Guilford County Up And Running

If you’re a Guilford County WIC participant and you’ve been wondering whether the nutrition program is still running right now, the answer is yes – it’s open, operating and offering the full slate of services.

County officials announced on Thursday, Nov. 13, that the North Carolina Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children…

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City Wants Your Say On Next Police Chief

Greensboro is about to start the process of finding its next top cop.

Police Chief John Thompson, who’s been with the city for 23 years, plans to kick back and retire in February 2026.

With that announcement now public, the city has hired Developmental Associates – an executive search firm that’s worked with Greensboro government before – to run a national search for the most qualified candidates…

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Tourism Spending In NC Climbs – Guilford County In Top 10  

Tourism Spending In NC Climbs – Guilford County Shines  

The tourism industry in North Carolina is going swimmingly, and, as for Guilford County – well, it’s doing better than most of the state in that category.

North Carolina’s tourism economy kept humming along in 2024, with visitors spending a total of $36.7 billion across all 100 counties. That’s a 3.1 percent increase over the prior year and it’s another sign that the state’s hospitality and travel sector has settled into a steady post-pandemic rebound…

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Next School Bond Likely To Be $550 Million

Guilford County taxpayers aren’t done voting on school debt.

As Elon Musk can tell you, $2 billion doesn’t go as far as it once did.

According to Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, county voters could be looking at a $550 million school bond within the next few years –

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PTI Airport Gets Through Shutdown Unscathed

After weeks of the longest US federal government shutdown in history, air travel was quickly becoming a nightmare and those with travel plans are relieved that it looks like the government is opening back up.  Now air‐traffic controllers can all come back to work and TSA agents will start getting much-needed paychecks again…

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County Pays Down Debt But Plans To Pile It Up Again

If you max out your credit card and you are trying to pay your way out of a giant mountain of debt, it’s probably not a good idea to make your monthly payment and then, as soon as it’s received, turn around and borrow back two-thirds of the money you just paid.  You know, it slows your debt reduction down to a trickle, means you’ll be in debt longer, and means you will be paying interest on more money for a longer period of time.

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Greensboro Names New Assistant City Manager

The City of Greensboro has announced the appointment of Tiffany Oliva as its new assistant city manager, effective Wednesday, Nov. 12.

City Manager Nathaniel “Trey” Davis made the appointment official late last week, describing Oliva as a strong leader with the rare blend of local and national perspective needed to guide Greensboro through its current growth phase.

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New $30 Million Emergency Room Planned for Greensboro

High Point Regional Health is looking to expand its operations into Greensboro with plans to build a new freestanding emergency department that would operate under High Point Medical Center. The proposed facility would be called the High Point Medical Center Church Street Satellite Emergency Department, and it represents a significant new investment in area healthcare…

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City’s Big Strategic Plan Will Bring A ‘Beautiful New Future’

Greensboro will soon have a new mayor and a largely new City Council and those leaders will have some hard work ahead of them managing things like fast economic growth, the housing crunch, the homeless problem and many other issues.

It will be interesting to see how well they do; however, when it comes to addressing a lot of those challenges, there’s a long-term strategic plan in place to tackle them…

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Government Shutdown Causes County Officials To Scramble

Late this week Judge Jack McConnell issued a ruling in a US District Court in Rhode Island that ordered the Trump Administration to fully fund the government’s SNAP program that provides funds for low-income families, households and individuals to buy food.  Guilford County leaders – who are trying to keep food on the table for poor county residents – may have been pleased with that order and breathed a sigh of relief; however, soon after, the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court for an emergency block on the order.  

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City Services Adjust For Veterans Day Holiday

In observance of Veterans Day, Greensboro city offices will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with a number of municipal services and facilities operating on a different schedule.

There will be no garbage, recycling, bulk trash, yard waste or appliance collections that day. Instead, Tuesday’s collections will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 12…

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Abuzuaiter Is Your Next Mayor

Greensboro voters turned out Tuesday, Nov. 4, in a key municipal election that will bring in a new mayor and shift the composition of the City Council after years of much of the same leadership.

With Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan stepping aside after more than a decade of running Greensboro City Council meetings, the mayor’s…

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Cashion Building Fire Damage Costs Millions To Repair

At the Thursday, Nov. 6 meeting, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is set to approve several major moves to continue restoring the fire-damaged Katie S. Cashion Center at 201 S. Greene St. in downtown Greensboro.

A fire on July 6 of this year caused extensive damage to the county-owned building, which had been home to the Guilford County Family Justice Center, Human Resources Department, and Finance Department…

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Sheriff’s Office Is Spending $2 Million On New Rides

Last month, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office deputies got hundreds of new Glocks for a quarter of a million dollars to shoot you with if they have to – and now they’re getting some new cars and other vehicles to chase you down in.

At the Thursday, Nov. 6 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the board is expected to approve roughly $1.9 million for the Sheriff’s Office to buy and equip 29 new vehicles.

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Alston’s State of the County Speech Stresses Unity

Recently, the Old Guilford County Court House in Downtown Greensboro served as the setting for a very animated and optimistic State of the County speech: Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston delivered the 2025 address before a crowded commissioners meeting room on Thursday, Oct. 30, where he blended storytelling and data with a series of slickly produced video segments showing a county on the rise.

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Mind Your P’s, Q’s And Tempers On Election Day

In Guilford County, voters will show up – albeit a small percentage of them – at the polls to cast their votes on Election Day, which, this time around, falls on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Across North Carolina, registered voters in 447 cities, towns and villages will vote in 88 counties, with the 12 remaining counties not having any race to decide. Voters will cast ballots for mayors, council members and, in some cases, boards of education or water and sewer district commissioners…

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Marikay Abuzuaiter Says Her Teamwork Approach Is Key

When Greensboro mayoral candidate Marikay Aubuzuaiter is asked about her priorities should the voters choose her, she isn’t slow to answer.

“Public safety has always been number one on my platform and I’ve never wavered,” she said. “I’ve always supported our Police Department, our Fire Department and Guilford Metro 911.”

However, she said the City of Greensboro has plenty of pots on the stove that need tending to…

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Robbie Perkins Says His Business Acumen Will Help City

Former Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins is hoping to drop the “former” from his title and become the city’s mayor once again. The race will be decided on Tuesday, November 4, by Greensboro residents who are choosing between the real estate broker Perkins and current Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter…

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Federal Shutdown Starts To Hit Home In Guilford County

On Thursday, Oct. 30, there were some signs that a judge may keep food and nutrition money going to recipients along with the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), but even if that happens, the ongoing federal shutdown has a lot of implications for Guilford County government and county leaders have posted some information that they want residents to be aware of…

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Skip Alston To Chair Board of Commissioners In 2026

When the Guilford County Board of Commissioners meets in early December to elect a new chair, the majority of the board will be saying, “Out with the old and in with the – well. In with the same chairman we’ve had for years.”

Chairman Skip Alston told the Rhino Times he intends to run for the seat again – which means he will win the seat again…

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Greensboro Wraps Up Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The City of Greensboro has brought its Emergency Rental Assistance Program – known as ERAP – to a close this fall after four years of operation and more than $19 million in aid distributed.

The program was created in 2021 using federal funds from the US Department of the Treasury to help renters weather the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over its life, ERAP provided rental and utility assistance…

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TSA Workers Not Being Paid But Halloween At PTI Still On

It’s a tough time for some federal transportation security employees who aren’t getting paid due to the federal government shutdown, but that’s not stopping the airport from offering family-friendly Halloween festivities to anyone who wants to come out.

The event is set for Thursday, Oct. 30, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and PTI staff is promising a couple of hours of treats and laughter – along with plenty of Halloween-themed fun…

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State Officials: NC Is Out Of Money For Food Benefits

On Monday afternoon, Oct. 27, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) announced that the November benefits for the 1.4 million North Carolinians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) –once known as “food stamps” – will be delayed if the federal government shutdown continues….

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County Creates New 7-Position Homeless Services Dept.

Guilford County government, which has been attempting to address homelessness in a big way in recent years, is turning things up a notch: The county is establishing a brand-new department solely focused on addressing that issue.

The new department director will oversee funding and resource allocation from Housing and Urban Development and other sources,…

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City Seeks Nominations For Local Civil Rights Champions

The Greensboro Human Rights Commission is once again asking for the public’s help in finding a local hero.

The commission is now accepting nominations for the “Everyday Champion of Civil Rights Award” – which will be presented during the city’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast early next year. The theme of the 2026 breakfast is “From Words to Action: Advancing the Dream Together.”…

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Greensboro Moves Project For The Homeless To Pomona Park

The City of Greensboro will begin relocating its Doorway Project from the former Regency Inn site at 2701 N. O’Henry Boulevard to Pomona Park at 3912 Clifton Road during the last week of October. 

The park is just south of Wendover Avenue and Spring Garden Street.

Launched in December 2022, the Doorway Project holds the distinction of being the first temporary shelter community of its kind in North Carolina. The program is comprised of 30 two-person pallet homes and five RV sleeping trailers – providing the  homeless with temporary shelter as well as with…

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County Parks Master Plan Calls For $2 Million Treehouse

At a Thursday, Oct. 16 work session of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Pat Tillman proved that he really looks through the detailed presentation materials handed to the board when staff gives the board information.  This presentation regarded the county’s new $12.3 million master plan for parks and greenways.  The commissioners haven’t adopted the plan yet – at the work session they were just being briefed on it…

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Greensboro Fire Department Goes To The Dogs

The Greensboro Fire Department has a new recruit – but this one has four legs rather than two, and also a tail and a mission to support firefighters’ mental health.

Thanks to a donation from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, the Greensboro Firefighters Foundation has purchased a therapy canine that will be joining the department. The move is meant to bolster emotional resilience and promote mental well-being among the men and women who often face very tough situations…

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Dot Kearns Passes After Lifetime Of Service

On Monday, Oct. 20, former Guilford County commissioner, former Board of Education member, and unfaltering education advocate Dot Kearns passed away at the age of 94.  

She was the first woman to ever serve on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – as well as the first woman to chair that board.

Three years ago, Kearns, an alumni of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro told UNCG Magazine that she ran for the Board of Commissioners “hoping…

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Final Property Values Being Crunched: Hold Onto Your Wallets

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners adopted the schedules, standards, and rules to be used in the next scheduled reappraisal of real property in Guilford County. Those are now open to examination in the office of the Tax Department pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 105-317. 

While those rules will determine how houses and businesses are valued in Guilford County, the really important information will come next June when the Guilford County Board of Commissioners decides whether or not to lower the tax rate so that property tax bills don’t skyrocket with the increased tax values….

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Yet Another Huge Business Win For Guilford County

n Wednesday evening, Oct. 22, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the City of Burlington will host what they’re calling a “major economic development announcement.”

The event will take place at Impact Alamance in downtown Burlington and will feature a who’s who of state and local leaders.

The details of the announcement itself are being kept under wraps – at least officially – but the project in question is an $860 million distribution center expected to bring 505 new jobs to Guilford County…

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Commissioners Approve Dolley Madison Monument

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners voted to support a request from the Dolley Madison Woman’s Club of Greensboro to place a monument to Dolley Madison in front of the Old Guilford County Court House in downtown Greensboro.

The vote came as the Woman’s Club marked its 50th anniversary….

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Parks Master Plan Has $10 Million For Parks And Greenways

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners sat through a long and detailed work session in the third-floor conference room of the county-owned Truist Building in downtown Greensboro. The subject was the future of county parks – and in the end the commissioners approved in principle the Guilford County Parks, Trails and Open Space Master Plan…

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Trump Critics Get Their Day In Courtyard

President Donald Trump certainly has his share of rabid supporters, but, if you didn’t know, he also has a critic or two. 

Or millions and millions. 

Those who are angry with the administration and who oppose actions Trump has taken in his second term are gearing up to show their displeasure in a local and nationwide “No Kings” protest that will take place in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, Lexington and…

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A Week Of Special Events To Support Small Businesses

The Piedmont Triad Business Collaborative – formerly known as Piedmont Triad MED Week – is a regional initiative that’s “committed to the growth, sustainability and long-term success of small businesses in the Triad.”

The organization offers workshops, networking, recognition and year-round support to entrepreneurs and small business owners….

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Unexplained Inmate Death At Greensboro Detention Center

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that, on Tuesday, October 14, at just after 6:50 a.m., Sheriff’s Office detention staff at the county jail in downtown Greensboro discovered 71-year-old Tracey Johnson “unresponsive” inside his cell.

According to a statement regarding the death from…

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City Residents Unhappy With Code Violations And Homelessness

The City of Greensboro’s Community Relations Division has put out its latest annual impact report and, according to the report, the top concerns residents raised were these: code compliance violations, homelessness and panhandling, speeding and traffic, parking problems and zoning disputes.

It could be called the City of Greensboro Complaint Department because it’s the primary contact for complaints and requests….

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Commissioners Go All In To Tackle Infant Mortality Crisis

After years of talking about Guilford County’s stubbornly high infant mortality rate, the Board of Commissioners has decided to stop wringing its hands and start swinging hammers – with a new county task force and a public push that the chairman says won’t let up until the numbers turn around.

The kickoff meeting of the newly established Guilford County Infant Mortality Taskforce is set for Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. in the John H. McAdoo Conference Room on the third floor of the former Truist building at 201 W. Market St. in Greensboro.

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County Taxpayers Revolt

There was something of a taxpayer revolt at the Thursday, Oct. 1 Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting, which was meant to be a hearing on the county’s schedule of values – the standardized rates and guidelines used to determine market value for the 2026 countywide property revaluation.

However, rather than a hearing on the methodology being used to arrive at property values…

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