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Macon County Commissioners

Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County Board of County Commissioners.

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Coverage of the meetings of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen.

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Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County School Board.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

NC General Assembly 06-23-2009 Legislative Calender





Here is the schedule for the North Carolina General Assembly, where in the NC House last night, they voted to pass the
infamous bullying bill by 59-57. It will be heard again today...



9:30 AM
Sen. P. Berger
Press Room LB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY I (Senate)
Child Witness Testimony/Procedures (H192)
Clarify Expunctions (
H726)
Innocence Commission/Limited Witness Immunity (
H937)
Habitual DWI-Reinstatement Petition/10 Yrs. (
H1185)
Amend Liability of Social Networking Sites (
H1267)
AOC Omnibus Courts Act (
H1269)
Consolidate Expunction Statutes (
H1329)
Utilities/Collectors/Debt Collection (
H1330)
Clarify DV Laws/Arrest/Valid Protective Order (
H1464)

1027LB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY II (Senate)
Partition Sales/Commrs., Sellers, Buyers (H578)
Partition Sales/Extend Report & Answer Times (
H581)
Increase Statutory Homestead Exemption (
H1058)

1124LB
11:00 AM
COMMERCE (Senate)
License Renewal/Active Military Duty (H98)
Internet Ticket Protection Resale Sunset (
H309)
Motor Vehicle Inspection Program Changes (
H882)
Allow Recorded Phone Messages/Public Safety (
H1034)
UNC Performance & Payment Bond Modification (
H1035)
Housing Authorities/Moderate-Income Persons (
H1093)
Building Code Exclusion/Certain Wiring (
H1409)
Building Code Exclusion/Hot Water Heaters (
H1410)
Design Professional Seals/Public Records (
H1478)
"Impact of Golf on the NC Economy" presented by the Carolina's Golf Course Superintendents Association

1027LB
11:00 AM
AGRICULTURE/ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES (Senate)
State Nat. & Historic Preservation Addns. & Del. (H1196)
Bat Protection Act (
H1419)
Presentation by Biofuels Center of North Carolina

544LOB
12:00 PM
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Senate)
Establish State Athletics Commission (S994)
Regulation of Golf Carts by Local Governments (
H121)
Community Development Target Areas (
H866)
Stanly County Boards (
H870)
Transportation Corridor Mapping Changes (
H881)
Wilson Housing Authority-Aging In Place (
H994)
End DOA Supervision of Local Veterans Service (
H1009)
State Maintenance Vehicles-Parking Capitol (
H1453)
Lenoir/Johnston Taking of Foxes (
H921)
Bear Paw Service District/Motor Vehicle Laws (
H946)
Capitalize National Guard in Statutes (
H632)

1124LB
3:00 PM
Session Convenes (House)

House Chamber
3:00 PM
Session Convenes (Senate)

Senate Chamber

Monday, June 22, 2009

Illegal Immigrants and Ingles North Carolina Warehouse

I received the following communication from the intrepid Dr. Carl Mumpower reference concerns about the use of illegal aliens in the Ingle's Warehouse:

PRESS RELEASE

-From the Desk of-
Carl Mumpower, Asheville City Council
One Oak Plaza - Suite 309 · Asheville, NC 28801
(828)252-8390 ~ drmumpower@aol.com
June 22, 2009

Agent Delbert Richburg
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ~ Charlotte District Office
6310 Tyvola Centre Drive
Charlotte, North Carolina 28217

Subject ~
Illegal Immigrants and Ingles North Carolina Warehouse

Dear Agent Richburg:

In March I sent you information that employees of the Ingles warehouse (a very large food/ product distribution center and corporate office in Swannanoa, NC) had shared regarding their concerns about "routine use of illegal workers" in the warehouse. Below, please find an email I received earlier today from another source at the warehouse.

You will note this individual's fear for his job and concern with the political clout of this employer. In that I do not have access to this employer's records or credential review process, I have no knowledge as to the validity of the complaint raised. I do know this is the 3rd+
Ingles employee to raise similar concerns this year.

Thank you, in advance, for your efforts in helping Asheville with an August ICE presentation on credential filtration tools for those employers who have a sincere wish to hire legal workers.

Carl Mumpower
Asheville City Council

copy: Bob Ingle /
R.Ingle@Ingles-Markets.com
att: March 24 memo

A real jobs program for U.S. citizens - start enforcing immigration law and holding employers accountable.

-------------------------
Subject: Illegals at Ingles warehouse
Date: 6/22/2009 12:15:42 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
From: tiredofillegalsatingles@----------------
Reply To:
To: drmumpower@aol.com

Dr. Mumpower,
I am one of your local supporters. I am also an employee of Ingles Markets Inc. I would like you to know that Ingles has a huge concentration of illegal aliens at it's warehouse in Black Mountain. I am a long term employee that has been in a position to witness many years of wrong doing and company sanctioned abuse of our immigration laws. I have seen executives approve of many illegals changing their identity and remain on the payroll when they could not provide proper documentation. I have watched as they are given preferential treatment over legal citizens. I can only tell you that it is bad and Ingles holds a tremendous amount of political clout. I have tried to contact the government in the past and was ignored. My hope is that you will be able to find a way around their politics and have this looked at by someone that can do something about it. Please help.
Thanks in advance,
A concerned citizen
-------------------------------------

March 24, 2009


Agent Delbert Richburg
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ~ Charlotte District Office
6310 Tyvola Centre Drive
Charlotte, North Carolina 28217

Subject ~ Questions about illegal immigration activity at Ingles Warehouse and Pack Square

Dear Agent Richburg:

Two employees at the Ingles Warehouse in Swannanoa have reported that there are a "large number of people who admit working there without citizenship or honest documentation" working at the warehouse. Specific reference was made to one employee (Christinia) who was deported and subsequently returned to the Ingles warehouse after three months with a new name (Ninfa Soerto) and the same job.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to tour the site of the Pack Square renovations in downtown Asheville. 80-90% of the personnel working on site were of Latino descent. The one person I spoke to yesterday did not speak English, but indicated he was from Brazil. Earlier direct contacts with workers on the site demonstrated that most do not speak English.

The Project Manager for the site is Rodney Porter with LaQuatra Bonci Associates - he can be reached at 828 251-8850. The primary site contract is ValleyQuest - a national landscaping company that has offered assurances that all of their employees are here legally.

I have no idea as to the legal status of these employees, nor do I have concerns about their country of origin or race. The authentic point of concern centers on the statistical estimate that 40-70% of those in the country who do not speak English are here illegally - many suggest that the figure is much higher. Both of these companies/work sites are either having extraordinary success in hiring a heavy concentration of legal immigrants in WNC or are flagrantly gaming the system to the detriment of US citizens and legal workers.

Please let me know if you need additional information.

Carl Mumpower
Asheville City Council

A real jobs program for U.S. citizens - start enforcing immigration law and holding employers accountable.
Please share this communication with your email list.

Forward this email along to folks you think might be interested/concerned by clicking the "Forward email" link at the bottom of this page. If we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or by phone. Illumination helps stop bad things.

If you would like to have Carl Mumpower as a guest speaker on restoring the Republican Party, illegal immigration abuses, the destructive impact of America's socialist drift, the harms of our drug culture, or other matters of importance to NC, please feel free to contact our office. We appreciate the opportunity to expand our voice on these and other issues.

Let us know if you would like to be added to our email list. drmumpower@aol.com

(Music Video) Fight for Freedom





As we near this year's Independence Day celebrations, I am thankful for those who have preserved our freedoms for two centuries.

NC General Assembly 06-22-2009 Legislative Calender



Here is the schedule for the North Carolina General Assembly for today...

2:00 PM
APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE SUBCOMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY (Joint)
Budget

415LOB
7:00 PM
Session Convenes (House)

House Chamber
7:00 PM
Session Convenes (Senate)

Senate Chamber

Friday, June 19, 2009

Introduction to A Taste of Scotland in Franklin, NC



I shot the above video in 2007, and it still holds true for the annual festival in Franklin, NC that will be taking place this weekend.

Check out the other videos I have posted to You Tube from past festivals, including my personal favorite, posted below:




A Taste of Scotland has it's own website and a comprehensive listing of all the events and groups that are performing at this year's festival.

I've been going for years, and there is always something new to see, and it is a family-friendly festival.

I look forward to seeing you there!!!

**4.22am 6/20/2009**

If you can't be here, see a portion of what you are missing by watching the WPFJ webcam that is more or less pointed at the Main Street Gazebo, which will be serving as one of the many locations for events and performances during the festival. You can also watch the Parade of Tartans from there that will be occuring between 10.30am and 10.45 am this morning. Maybe you'll even see me with my tripod catching some of the events to share with you!!!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Severe Thunderstorm Watch 461

**11.16am** I am posting this as a Public Service Announcement.

For further updates on this potentially dangerous weather event, please refer to NOAA Weather Radio [I have a player on the right of this page], the
National Weather Service or your local TV or radio station.

There are also constant updates being issued by professional and amateur weather observers on Twitter under the #ncwx or #GSP hashtags. [Twitter Search]


You can also moniter the progress of the storms via this Nexrad Radar loop out of South Carolina.

I also have a personal weather page with more links.




URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 461
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1040 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

MUCH OF NORTHERN GEORGIA
PARTS OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY
FAR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA
PARTS OF MIDDLE AND EASTERN TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1040 AM UNTIL
600 PM EDT.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

EXTREMELY DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...LARGE HAIL
TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES NORTHEAST OF
BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY TO 35 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF ATHENS
GEORGIA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...
WW 459...WW 460...

DISCUSSION...BOW ECHO/DERECHO IS MOVING RAPIDLY SEWD CENTRAL KY
DRIVEN BY A 60-70 KT REAR INFLOW JET. MORNING SOUNDINGS SWD INTO GA
INDICATE THAT POTENTIALLY A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS IN PLACE IN
ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM AND WITH DAYTIME HEATING...EXPECT THE CURRENT
ASSOCIATED WIND DAMAGE TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 33045.


...HALES

NC General Assembly 06-18-2009 Legislative Calender



Today is Thursday, and for our legislators that means it's Friday and time to knock off early. Not that I don't mind...I'd prefer that they only work one day a week in order to limit the amount of thieving of our hard-earned money...like the
stupid online sales tax on income earned online that we already pay taxes on.

Here's the schedule for today in the North Carolina General Assembly:

10:00 AM AND 15 MIN. AFTER SESSION
JUDICIARY II (House)
Annexation - Omnibus Changes. (H524)
Annexation Changes. (
H727)
Trustee's Power to Appoint to Other Trust. (
S481)
Clarifications to Trust Code. (
S482)

421LOB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY I (Senate)
Child Witness Testimony/Procedures (H192)
Clarify Expunctions (
H726)
Innocence Commission/Limited Witness Immunity (
H937)
Consolidate Expunction Statutes (
H1329)
Utilities/Collectors/Debt Collection (
H1330)
Clarify DV Laws/Arrest/Valid Protective Order (
H1464)

1027LB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY II (Senate)
Campaign Disclosure (H388)
Small Claims Court/Trials (
H629)
Summary Ejectment/Trials (
H630)
No Picketing/Disrupt Residential Tranquility (
H885)
Clarify Action for Divorce/Incompetent Spouse (
H1091)
Crime Stoppers Tips Are Confidential (
H1447)

1124LB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY I (House)
Incorporate Fontana Dam. (H958)
No Elected Off. Recomm./Certain Co./Notaries. (
S268)

1228LB
10:00 AM
JUDICIARY III (House)
Authorize Voluntary Medical Registry Program. (S258)
Energy Savings Contracts' Cap/Program Admin. (
S304)
Durham MWBE. (
S503)
Migratory Game Bird Season Authority. (
S1010)

1425LB
11:00 AM
INSURANCE (House)
Authorize Insurance for Former Employees. (S468)
Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Revisions. (
S981)
PEO Amendments. (
S1029)

1228LB
11:00 AM
Session Convenes (Senate)

Senate Chamber
12:00 PM
HEALTH (House)
NC Colon Hydrotherapy Licensure. (H1122)
Medical Marijuana Act. (
H1380)
Increase Alcohol Taxes. (
H1579)

544LOB
12:00 PM
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (House)
Mecklenburg County/Reimbursement Agreements. (H924)
Condemnation of Conservation Easements. (
S600)
Promote Mitigation Banks. (
S755)

643LOB
1:00 PM
Session Convenes (House)

House Chamber

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

You Can Help Fight Iran

Visit Infidel Bloggers for more information if you want to join our Cyberwarfare Corps!!!

Turning Twitter Green for Iranians


Show your solidarity with the brave people of Iran and turn your twitter avatar green.

I think that this can qualify as an opportunity to help the oppressed people of Iran by mounting 5GW-type campaigns to help them out by showing them that we are aware of their struggle.

Other things you can do to help these tweeters out is to change your time zone in your twitter settings to +3.30 GMT (the time zone of Iran) and to change your location to Tehran to give the Iranian Security Forces more Twitter Accounts to go through while they try to track down legitimate Tweeters from Iran. (Hat Tip to Paul Van Heden on Facebook)

RT (ReTweet) as many of the items you see posted with #iranelections #Tehran and other trending hashtags...also with an eye toward giving them too many targets to choose from.

Boing Boing has a Cyber War Guide that is an excellent resource. (Hat Tip @PeoriaPundit)

Captain America: Reborn



YES! YES! YES! Bring Cap back!!!

Over two years ago, Steve Rogers died; this summer, he will be REBORN.

Beginning on July 1, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Bryan Hitch present CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN, a history-making limited series spinning out of CAPTAIN AMERICA #600, on sale now, and centered on the return of Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, to the Marvel Universe. For Brubaker, it represents a pivotal turning point in a saga he has been building for over five years.

"REBORN is the next chapter in the larger story that I've been building in [CAPTAIN AMERICA] since issue #1," explains the writer, who launched this current volume in 2004. "This is a chance to really explore how things have changed in the years since Steve's death and really delve deep into who Steve Rogers is and why he became Captain America. It's a really a [story] with two or three different plotlines that all intertwine, which is a lot of fun and allows us to have [both] in-your-face action and quiet character moments."

"We've been planning the story of Cap's return virtually from the moment that he died," reiterates editor Tom Brevoort. "[As] the story developed and we embraced theconcept of Bucky as the new Cap, events elongated naturally, [but] you'll be able to look back into [CAPTAIN AMERICA #25] and the issues that followed and see the assorted seeds we planted once we reveal what's been going on in REBORN."


Source: Marvel

If I had to chose my favorite comic book superhero, it would be between Captain America and Batman.

Cap appeals to my idealistic side and Batman appeals to my angry side.