Author: Scott D. Yost

The chilling effect of the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus, now has college athletics officials discussing how to best address the coming March Madness games.

There has been another suicide in the Guilford County jails, bringing the count to three inmates taking their own lives in a ten-month period – and marking the second jail suicide this month alone.

It’s not exactly “Shark Tank,” but it could be quite interesting even without Mark Cuban and other zillionaire TV stars on hand.

On Wednesday, March 4, Launch Greensboro – the entrepreneurship initiative of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce – will hold its annual pitch competition for entrepreneurs at Union Square Campus at 124 E. Gate City Blvd. in Greensboro from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

If Fahiym Hanna, the Democratic candidate running against incumbent District 8 Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston, loses to Alston in the March primary, it won’t be because his plans for the county weren’t grand enough.

On Tuesday, March 3, Guilford County commissioners will meet President Donald Trump at a national conference of county officials in Washington, DC. However, Democratic Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston said this week that he won’t attend the event because he has no interest in meeting this president or in hearing what he has to say.

The governor of North Carolina, the mayor of Greensboro, the chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and other local leaders, economic development officials and members of the business community were on hand on Thursday, Feb. 27 for the ground-breaking of the coming Publix Distribution Center in east Greensboro.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Gov. Roy Cooper’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 Task Force called for North Carolinians to take advance measures to prepare for a possible outbreak of the coronavirus – officially known as “COVID-19.”

The social services division of the Guilford County Health and Human Services Department is drowning in Medicaid applications – and Social Services Director Heather Skeens is asking for at least 20 new staff positions to catch up on a backlog and meet the department’s growing needs.

There have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in North Carolina, but that doesn’t mean it’s not affecting this state. On Tuesday, Feb. 25 parents of Elon University students studying abroad in Florence, Italy were informed that the program was being suspended and all the students would be returning home.

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department has had a firing range at the Guilford County Prison Farm for about four decades and the county has never charged other law enforcement agencies to use the facility but that may be changing.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners isn’t the Guilford County Board of Education, but the Board of Commissioners did sound exactly like a school board on the afternoon of Monday, Feb. 24.

At the Guilford County Board of Commissioners 2020 Retreat on Monday, Feb. 24, the commissioners got some very good news about the tax base from Tax Director Ben Chavis – and his message also means good news for homeowners and other property owners in the county.

The best things in life may be free, but staffing and securing a brand new mental health services facility definitely is not.

The Earth Fare on Battleground Ave. is shutting its doors for good on Sunday, Feb. 23.

There have been a whole lot of critics voicing opposition to the Guilford County Schools new practice of busing students to the polls to vote, but at least one Guilford County Commissioner – Skip Alston – said this week that he’s more than fine with the practice, and he said it’s somewhat absurd that some of his fellow county commissioners do have problems with it.

There’s been a lot of talk this year about the need for a new school bond referendum on the ballot in November to pay for school construction and repairs. However, one thing that must be worked out in order for that to happen is that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners needs to come to an agreement on an amount. Right now, there’s nothing close to a consensus.

The Guilford County commissioners are going to be earning their $20,000 a year salaries next week since they have a very busy two days to kick off the week.

On Friday, Feb. 21, the United Way of Greater Greensboro announced that three of its local partners were honored with the prestigious “Spirit of North Carolina Awards.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Sixth District Congressman Mark Walker let it be known who he favors in the District 5 Guilford County Board of Commissioners Republican primary. Walker endorsed Troy Lawson for the job.

The unemployment rate is historically low right now, however, some area residents with physical challenges can still face greater obstacles than others when entering the job market.

As everyone knows, February is Black History Month. However, here’s something everyone might not know. In honor of the month this year, the High Point Library is holding a special “Black History Expo” that will offer insights into African-American history, as well as examples of African-American art.

If you’re a talented artist in need of a place to show off your masterpieces, the people who run Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) want to talk to you.

For residents of the area who have complaints, suggestions or comments regarding mental health care and related care in the state, now is your opportunity.

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum at 134 S. Elm St. in Greensboro has made it known that it will be doing a lot this year related to the 60th Anniversary of the Sit-In protest that took place at the museum when it was still the downtown Greensboro F. W. Woolworth.

Some Guilford County commissioners were expressing major concerns on Tuesday, Feb. 18 after learning that Guilford County Schools is busing students to the polls to vote this year.

The United Way of Greater Greensboro is bringing Misty Copeland to town – but she’ll be talking rather than dancing this time around.

A new craft beer establishment, SouthEnd Brewing Company, is trying to do more than just put frothy cold craft beers into the hands of local imbibers. Starting on Monday, Feb. 17, SouthEnd is kicking off a new program called “Community Night,” which is meant to bring awareness to local charities as well as provide them with some extra funding.

Guilford County Board of Education Member Pat Tillman has responded to public frustrations aired by Guilford County commissioners this week over the fact that Guilford County Schools has yet to spend $10 million in county funds that the commissioners allocated in 2018 for improvements in school security.

Guilford County Animal Services got some good news recently thanks to the generosity of a famous Food Network television cook and celebrity. The department was awarded $35,000 in the form of a “Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant.”

It’s not quite spring yet, but the City of High Point is encouraging residents to do the spring-cleaning of all the hazardous waste in their homes early this year.

A few years ago, the Guilford County Register of Deeds office created a lot of excitement among historians and others interested in early Guilford County, by creating an online database of slave deeds that documented the sell of people rather than property.   As an extension of that project, the Register of Deeds Office is now partnering with NC A&T State University’s History/Political Science Department and UNC-Greensboro’s People Not Property project to present a weekly community video interview series on “The Slave Deeds of Guilford County.”

It used to mean one thing when the circus was coming to town, but these days, in 2020, it means something entirely different. A new show by the high-flying world-famous Cirque du Soleil acrobat and dance troupe is coming to the Greensboro Coliseum from Thursday, April 2, to Sunday, April 5.

Nearly two years ago, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved the allocation of $10 million to address immediate school security needs, and, now – privately as well as publicly – the commissioners are asking school officials why that money still hasn’t been touched.

If you live in Greensboro, never say that your federal tax dollars don’t get you something in return. The US Navy has selected Greensboro as one of 20 cities for a performance by the United States Navy Band during its 2020 tour.

The High Point Rockers announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11 that the team had completed assembling the coaching staff for the 2020 season and it would be the exact same one that led the team to its first-year success in 2019. According to Rocker’s officials, Manager Jamie Keefe will be joined for a second season by Pitching Coach Frank Viola, Bench Coach and Director of Player Procurement Billy Horn, Bullpen Coach Albert Gonzalez and Assistant Coach, Bubber Birdsong.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the town of Summerfield virtually exploded over a Facebook post that showed a town employee’s car parked in a handicapped space. After the post was made, another town employee went off on the person who posted it, and, by late Wednesday, that employee had sent a written apology for his remarks to Summerfield Town Manager Scott Whitaker – and members of the Summerfield community were bitterly taking swipes online at one another along the same divisional lines that the town residents have been fighting on for years.

At every Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting, anyone has three minutes of time to say whatever they want to the board, the audience in the room and to all those watching on television.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has named a new member to the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority to fill the empty county-selected seat left by the death of Koury Corp. President Steve Showfety.

The 11th day of the second month is national “211 Day.” Locally, the United Way of Greensboro participates by attempting to let people know how easy it is for those in need to get connected to critical community services.

With a huge election coming in November, Guilford County Schools is doing its part to get out the vote.

If you don’t have a date yet for Valentine’s Day and you live in Greensboro, you’re not likely to find your dream date anytime soon, based on the results of a national survey that ranked Greensboro near the bottom of the list when it comes to singles’ “overall satisfaction with dating opportunities.”

High Point and Greensboro sometimes experience wastewater spills and usually those are no big deal. 

Two speakers from the floor at the Thursday, Feb. 6 Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting made an allegation to the board that Guilford County security officers and other county employees mistreated a blind war veteran at the county’s health department in High Point.

The NC A&T State University marching band is renowned for its talent and being very high energy.  That energy and talent brought a giant honor to the band recently. 

Drum roll please.

And the winners are…

On Wed. Feb. 5, ArtsGreensboro announced its 2020 arts grants winners in the categories of “Mission Support,” “Project Support,” “Regional Artists” and “Teacher Art Education.” Last month, a panel convened to review all the grant applications and make funding recommendations to the ArtsGreensboro board.

Each year Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) tries to benefit the community in other ways besides just helping travelers get to other cities by air, and 2020 is no exception.

The movie Local Herocame out in 1983 but the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is about to honor a true local hero right now in 2020

Guilford County Security Director Jeff Fowler doesn’t look anywhere near old enough to retire, but that’s exactly what he’s doing on Friday, Feb. 28, when he will hang up his gun and walk off into the sunset.

For the first time in three decades, the GreenHill art gallery in downtown Greensboro is using the month of February to put a spotlight exclusively on women artists. 

One way the new High Point Rockers baseball team put themselves on the map in their inaugural 2019 season was with a constant barrage of interesting promotions, and, now, months before the start of the 2020 season, the Rockers have another one they hope will bring the fans out.