Author: Scott D. Yost

The federal government has once again ground to a halt, but air travelers in the Triad can rest easy at least for now: Piedmont Triad International Airport will remain open, the planes will keep flying – and passengers shouldn’t expect to see their vacation flights or business trips canceled because Congress can’t get its act together.

PTI officials announced on Wednesday, Oct. 1 that the shutdown won’t bring immediate operational changes. Unlike some federal agencies, PTI itself isn’t funded through the annual appropriations process that Congress failed to renew…

In recent years, vaccinations have become a huge subject of debate; however, that isn’t stopping the state of North Carolina, along with federal officials, from vaccinating some recipients without their consent or knowledge.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working alongside the US Department of Agriculture to help prevent the spread of rabies; and, beginning in about two weeks, Wildlife Services will be distributing oral rabies vaccine to wild raccoons in western North Carolina…

This year’s municipal election isn’t expected to bring a great deal of controversy – but next year’s midterms certainly will: Accusations and court filings will be flying leading up to, during, and after the 2026 election.

Still, every year – and before every election – county election boards across North Carolina are required by law to show that their voting machines are in good working order.

Forsyth County, for instance, is publicizing that process in advance of its November municipal election. The Forsyth County Board of Elections announced it will begin testing its machines on Thursday, Oct. 2 in Winston-Salem….

When the Guilford County Board of Commissioners meets on Thursday, Oct. 2, the commissioners will be asked to sign off on some reshuffling of a whole lot of school bond money – a move the Board of Education has already approved.

The request comes in regard to the massive $2 billion in voter-approved school bonds that are currently funding new schools, additions and needed repairs across the county’s school system…

Bur-Mil Park will once again be the place to be this October when Guilford County Parks hosts the 21st annual Fall Fest – a free community event that always draws families from across the county each year.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 5834 Bur-Mill Club Road in Greensboro. Admission is free, and organizers say that this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever.

High Point University under the leadership of President Nido Qubein has been growing like kudzu, spreading across the city and drawing attention far outside of North Carolina’s borders. The latest sign of the university’s momentum is the announcement that the university has secured nearly $200 million in philanthropic gifts from families, estates and foundations.

In the last quarter alone, HPU received $37 million in new donations.

That brought the total to more than $195 million in recent philanthropic investments – money…

Awhile back when Guilford County government needed an interim manager for about two weeks, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners picked Clerk to the Board Robin Keller for that position. The headline we ran in the Rhino Times was “From Lowly Clerk To Top Of The Guilford County Government Heap,” which we thought was fairly humorous.

However, we heard an earful from clerks around the state and from others that it was a very bad headline because clerks are extremely high up on the local government chain and do vital work.

The City of Greensboro is putting extra resources in place this election season to make it easier for residents to get to the polls.

Downtown parking decks will be offering the first hour free – a perk aimed at those casting ballots at the Guilford County Courthouse during early voting.

For those who rely on public transportation, the Greensboro Transit Agency – aka GTA – will provide fare-free bus service on both primary and general election days, making it possible to get to polling places with no cost…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that two men have been arrested in a string of thefts targeting Duke Energy equipment – crimes that investigators say racked up about $1 million in damage and, in one case, knocked out power for about 5,600 residents for six hours.

Detectives with the District 2 Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants Monday, Sept. 22, at two Whitsett locations – 3386 Old Julian Road and 3400 Old Julian Road – as part of the probe. The searches led to the arrests of Brian Keith Gerner, 47, and Kenneth Lee Gregory, 45, who were both charged in connection with multiple incidents that damaged Duke Energy infrastructure….

Early voting in the Greensboro and Jamestown municipal primaries is underway, and so far things have gone mostly according to plan. There will no doubt be a whole lot more political drama in the mid-term elections next year, but for now things are all quiet on the Guilford County front.

 Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt told the Rhino Times on Wednesday, Sept. 24 that turnout has been on the quiet side and election operations are running as they should – though one notable complaint of election interference was sent to Collicutt as well as to the Rhino Times….

The City of Greensboro is once again asking residents and businesses to help migrating birds by switching off their lights at night.

The voluntary “Lights Out” program, first launched locally in 2022, is in effect this fall from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30 – the peak season when millions of birds make their way south.

The idea is simple: Between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., building managers, businesses and homeowners are encouraged to turn off or block non-essential exterior and interior lighting. City officials say taking the step not only conserves energy and reduces light pollution but also helps protect vulnerable bird populations….

On Thursday afternoon, Sept. 18, Shawna Tillery of the City of Greensboro laid out a detailed vision for a new affordable housing development that’s intended to reshape the long-vacant site of the old Guilford County Animal Shelter.

 Speaking to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners during a work session in the third-floor conference room of the county-owned Truist Bank building, Tillery described plans for a community on the site that combines housing with health care, financial counseling, job training and other services meant to help residents succeed in life…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office just announced two big drug arrests — continuing a theme that...

Over the last six months more than 2,500 people have shared their ideas about what the future of downtown Greensboro should hold.

The result is a plan called “GSO35: Downtown in a Decade” – a set of proposals that lay out a ten-year vision for a downtown that’s meant to be welcoming, livable, connected and prosperous.

Plan backers say the timing couldn’t be better: Greensboro and the surrounding…

A Guilford County Detention Services officer has been charged with misdemeanor assault in a case the Sheriff’s Office says occurred while he was working a private security job off duty.

Sheriff Danny Rogers reported that Detention Services Officer Chase Douglas Dixon, 42, turned himself in at the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro on Friday, Sept. 12…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office stated on Wednesday, Sept. 17, that a call about “suspicious activity” on the 1200 block of Blackberry Ridge Drive in High Point ended up triggering a homicide case and it led to an arrest in a matter of days.

The Office reported that deputies were dispatched at about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9. After multiple interviews and an extensive search of the area, investigators located a crime scene and collected evidence…

When Guilford County taxpayers line up at an upcoming Thursday, Oct. 2,  public hearing for people to comment on or challenge the way the Guilford County Tax Department is determining property values for 2026, many will be surprised to learn that part of the information about how the county’s revaluation process operates can’t be copied, taken home or made public…

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is preparing to give the site of the former Guilford County Animal Shelter on West Wendover Avenue to the City of Greensboro so that it can be used as a location for affordable housing.

Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston told the Rhino Times that Greensboro leaders had made the request of the county to use the property in that way.

The old shelter was demolished several years ago and the site has been in limbo since then. The commissioners have considered selling the land, which likely could have brought in a nice price since it’s near the highly commercialized high trafficked area near Bridford Road and I-40…

This fall in Greensboro is shaping up to be one of the busiest in recent memory, with the city rolling out family events, runs, festivals, and Halloween celebrations nearly every weekend.

Greensboro Parks and Recreation and city partners are putting on activities designed to get people downtown, connect neighborhoods – and give residents a lot of reasons to get outside.
This fall in Greensboro is shaping up to be one of the busiest in recent memory, with the city rolling out family events, runs, festivals, and Halloween celebrations nearly every weekend.

Greensboro Parks and Recreation and city partners are putting on activities designed to get people downtown, connect neighborhoods – and give residents a lot of reasons to get outside.

Here are just some of the highlights….

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the Old Guilford County Court House in downtown Greensboro to hear comments on the proposed schedules, standards and rules for the county’s 2026 property tax reappraisal.

Guilford County – like other counties in the state –  is required by North Carolina law to adopt a “schedule of values” before the next revaluation goes into effect. That schedule serves as the “playbook” for the Guilford County Tax Department’s appraisers when they go out and about in the county putting new values on every piece of property…

There have been a lot of celebratory send-offs for former Guilford County staff, commissioners, and other county leaders over the years, but at the Thursday, Sept. 4 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, Guilford County Family Justice Center Director Catherine Johnson got the royal treatment like never before.

Johnson, the only director the Family Justice Center has ever had in its 11-year history, is leaving the county to take the position of president and CEO of Alliance for HOPE International – a global nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence…

Lately, governments in Greensboro and the surrounding area has been all about finding enough places for future masses of people to live – especially affordably – and this week some progress was made in that direction: Greensboro is set to gain more affordable housing thanks to new funding from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency’s 2025 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit awards…

At the Thursday, Sept. 4 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the board voted unanimously to approve County Manager Victor Isler’s appointment of Natalie Craver as the county’s new assistant county manager.

The county uses lively names for its job titles and Craver will oversee the “Successful People” section of Guilford County’s government and she will also, perhaps even more importantly, serve as the director of the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services.

That’s one of the county’s largest and hardest to run departments, so she’ll have her hands full from day one…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office reported this weekend that on Monday, Sept. 1, Sheriff’s Office detectives with the Major Crimes Investigative Unit initiated an investigation that involved a juvenile victim.

A few days later, on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, 71-year-old Luster Coronelious Parker was arrested for one count of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Child…

Ordinarily there wouldn’t be a lot of focus on this City of Greensboro job, but with a current housing crisis that’s spiraling out of control, this job – and who occupies it – takes on a whole new importance.

The City of Greensboro has just appointed Samuel Hunter as director of the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department, effective Wednesday, Sept. 17….

One could argue that right now Guilford County needs more homes and infrastructure than it does jobs, but that isn’t stopping the county from spending money to bring in more new jobs.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners went into closed session following the board’s open meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4 and, behind closed doors, the commissioners discussed, among other things, giving county taxpayer money to a new unnamed economic development project. …

At its Thursday, Sept. 4 meeting, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners wrapped up more than two years of staff work by unanimously adopting a new comprehensive land use plan for the county. The document, which now covers every corner of Guilford County, is intended to provide the framework for how growth and development will unfold over the next decade and beyond.

Forest Oaks residents, however, have their worries about the current situation…

At its Thursday, Sept. 4 meeting, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners took time to recognize a man whose name is woven into the fabric of Greensboro’s civic, political and economic life –  Jim Melvin.

The commissioners adopted a resolution honoring the longtime mayor, banker and philanthropist, describing him as a historic figure whose leadership and vision helped shape modern Greensboro into the city it is today….

It’s not quite as big a draw as a presidential election, but this year’s local election will mean a lot when it comes to the future directions of Greensboro and Jamestown.

The Guilford County Board of Elections has publicized the early voting schedule for the Tuesday, Oct. 7 Municipal Primary Election following the North Carolina State Board of Elections approval of the proposed schedule….

The High Point Enterprise has announced that it will cut back on its print editions beginning the week of September 29. The longtime daily which covers the county’s second largest city will move to a three-day print schedule – publishing Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday Weekend edition.

The change means the Wednesday and Friday printed papers will be eliminated. Readers will still be able to access those editions online through the paper’s e-edition at hpenews.com, which becomes available at 5 a.m. each day…

A lot of people took off early for the holiday weekend, but incidents at area schools kept the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office’s hands full just before the weekend kicked in.  On Friday, Aug. 29, deputies handled two unrelated school incidents and noted that, despite the events, there’s no ongoing threat to students, staff or the community.

The first incident occurred at the Southeast Guilford High School football game. A security scanner indicated an incoming spectator could have a weapon. A former student, 22-year-old Octavius Mustophidae Benton II, told staff that he did in fact have a weapon. At that point, the School Resource Officer was notified, and Benton informed the SRO that the firearm was on his waistband…

Parents of rising seventh-graders and twelfth-graders in Guilford County will have multiple chances in September to get the state-required immunizations at walk-in clinics hosted at high schools in Greensboro and High Point.

North Carolina requires students entering seventh grade to have a Tdap shot (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Students entering twelfth grade must have a booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine before the start of the senior year….

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve a new contract on Thursday, Sept. 4, with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – that will spiff up the county’s forest land and keep it from catching fire.

The agreement covers everything from wildfire suppression to prescribed burns, hazard tree assessments, and landowner management plans….

The ongoing saga of Guilford County’s new Law Enforcement Administration Building – the Sheriff’s Office’s coming headquarters – isn’t over yet.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve yet another change order for the long-delayed project – this time adding about $300,000 in new costs.

In February 2024, commissioners awarded Blum-WC Joint Venture a guaranteed maximum…

The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce drew a packed house to the Koury Convention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 27, for its 2025 State of Our Community Luncheon – one of the Chamber’s biggest annual gatherings.

 More than a thousand business leaders, elected officials, and community partners filled the ballroom for the program that both celebrated Greensboro’s current very impressive momentum and urged the community to keep pressing forward at a strong clip…

Guilford County property tax bills were already plenty high five years ago; however, over the last five years, the 7-to-2 democratic-majority Guilford County Board of Commissioners led by Chairman of the Board Skip Alston has been spending taxpayer money at record rates – and property tax bills are now a whole lot higher than they were before, and all signs point to much higher property tax bills on the way in 2026…

It’s been more than two decades since the City of Greensboro updated its historic district design standards; however, the city is preparing to adopt new guidelines this fall. To that end, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Nussbaum Room at the Central Library downtown, the Planning Department will hold a drop-in session on the revised Historic District Program Manual and Design Standards.

Those standards will apply to Greensb…

Guilford County government is currently dealing with hundreds of vacant positions across its departments, and the staff shortage is affecting services from law enforcement to emergency medical response to social services.

While county leaders have taken steps in recent years to raise pay, improve benefits and address work conditions, the new fiscal year of 2025-2026 begins with a workforce that remains far below full strength in many critical areas.

Next month Guilford County will try something new to help: In early September, the county will hold two sweeping job fairs – one in-person and one online – to hopefully draw the needed employees to county jobs…

Offices for the City of Greensboro will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1 in observance of Labor Day.

Also, no garbage or recycling collections will take place on September 1. Monday’s collections take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2, while Tuesday’s collections will be done on Wednesday, Sept. 3. The White Street Landfill and Solid Waste Transfer Station will be closed on September 1.

The Greensboro Public Libraries, Greensboro History Museum, and Greensboro Cultural Center are all closed on September 1….

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is now providing information regarding an incident that occurred at the county’s Greensboro Detention Center on Thursday, August 14, involving 27-year-old Kurtis Darko Asante.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Asante had been arrested by the Greensboro Police Department around 3:50 p.m. that day on a second-degree trespassing charge and he was transported to the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro….

There are some big egos in the City of Greensboro government and there are also some big machines that keep the city running. The first is always on display for people to see and now it will be possible to get a good view of the second as well.

The City of Greensboro’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department is rolling out its first Mighty Machines event next month – and it’s expected to be a big hit with families and residents who want to get an up-close look at the trucks and heavy equipment that keep the city running….

Local leaders are getting more and more concerned about Guilford County’s lack of adequate housing to handle the massive influx of people expected to flock to the area over the next decade and beyond, and Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said this week that he had called and held a recent large meeting of multiple stakeholders and players – including local home builders, county planners and other county staff – that really drove home the point….

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has released more information about a young child who was found walking alone in Greensboro earlier this month and the Office has now charged two relatives in connection with the incident.

On Friday, August 8, at roughly 7 p.m., sheriff’s deputies…

There’s an old movie titled “Mars Needs Women,” and that may or may not be true, but one thing that is definitely true is that Greensboro and Guilford County need housing. That need has grown so great that home prices have skyrocketed, the housing shortage has become critical, the City of Greensboro has implemented a massive new housing plan, state officials are attempting to make it easier to get new housing, and the Town of Summerfield lost about 1,000 acres of land due to a desire of many political leaders to allow more housing…

For decades, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce has held a giant State of the Community event where area leaders report on – well, on the state of the community, of course.

And, also of course, the state of the community is always reported as being just fine – since economic development types don’t ever like to point out negatives. However, in recent years – and this year in particular – the state of the community, at least in terms of economic development, is actually fantastic….

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced recently that the state will begin preparing an application for federal funds meant to help struggling rural health providers like some of those across North Carolina.

The money would come from the new Rural Health Transformation Program that was created under HR1 – a sweeping federal initiative signed into law by President Donald Trump last month….

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.,,,

It’s almost impossible to imagine the Guilford County Family Justice Center without thinking of Center Director Catherine Johnson – however, starting early next month, that’s exactly what county leaders and others will have to do…

Johnson, the only director the Guilford County Family Justice Center has ever known, is leaving her post for the international stage. She has accepted the position of president and CEO of Alliance for HOPE International – a global nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence….

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…