The community came together to help provide resources and information during the ESL Family Resource Fair held at the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College North Campus Student Center. Held April 18, the event, its first, was a collaborative effort between multiple organizations and agencies including UNC-Greensboro Educational Ignite Grant, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Rowan-Salisbury Schools and additional community partners who offer services that support the ESL (English as a Second Language) population and all community members. Funds were provided by the Ignite Grant for literacy materi ..read more

SALISBURY — Intergenerational learning is a unique approach that offers a multiple benefits for preschoolers by providing a solid foundation for their cognitive, social and emotional development. Partners In Learning and Trinity Living Center began a collaboration in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to continue to have community connection outside of the classroom during a time when children were being so isolated.  The opportunity to interact with older adults, such as grandparents or elderly community members, offers preschoolers a rich and diverse language experience. From s ..read more

GRANITE QUARRY — Many of the members of the Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen do not want to raise taxes, a resolution that has been repeated throughout discussions on how to finance a new fire engine. The town’s annual budget discussions continued during a special meeting on Monday, during which Acting Town Manager Jason Hord presented the aldermen with the top-down view of what the proposed budget currently looks like. Many of the proposed increases in the departmental budgets are substantial quality-of-life raises for town employees, which Hord said would bring the town more in line with the ..read more

SALISBURY — The Bell Tower Green in downtown Salisbury came alive on Saturday for Earth Day Jam, the farm-to-festival event hosted by local nonprofit Happy Roots. A day filled with cold drinks, food and friends was enough to make anyone smile, but for the music enthusiasts, the showcase of entertainment represented just what a musical destination that Salisbury is.  Blake Christiana performs vocals and plays guitar for the band Yarn, which belted out tracks from beneath the amphitheater between the 4-5 p.m. time slot. Over the years, Christiana has made a few stops in Salisbury and ..read more

SALISBURY — The Salisbury City Council came into an incentive grant agreement valued at $3.14 million to be paid over five years with RP Salisbury Partners, LLC, the name of the partnership between development companies Track West Partners and Rooker, at their April 16 meeting.  Vice President of the Rowan Economic Council Scott Shelton led the presentation to the council while Cason Bufe, vice president of real estate at Rooker, the owner and developer of the I-85 business center project, and Christopher Kouri, an economic development lawyer with Charlotte firm Maynard Nexsen, were in at ..read more

SALISBURY — The city of Salisbury public works department will begin street resurfacing starting the week of April 29, lasting for approximately six weeks, weather permitting. The public is advised to expect delays in paving areas, travel cautiously, and observe lane closures. Residents, employees and visitors are advised not to park along the roadsides or they risk having vehicles towed. Access to and from properties will be made available as needed. To see a full list of the streets being resurfaced, please visit https://salisburync.gov/Government/Public-Works The post Traffic advisory: annu ..read more

SALISBURY — Chanel Nestor, the former grant coordinator for the West End Byrne Criminal Justice Initiative (BCJI), resigned from her position this week based on a series of incidents that reportedly occurred outside council chambers during the April 16 Salisbury City Council meeting. During a presentation going over the current state of the $800,000 BCJI grant, Nestor spoke to the city council defending the work so far and criticizing the city for questioning certain aspects of the project. Not long after she made her statements, Nestor and a few other people, including Salisbury-Rowan NAACP P ..read more

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Police Department and the juvenile court system have begun to sit down and have conversations about how best to connect their interests, a conversation both sides say has been happening for a while but has recently become more pressing. One of the main solutions that has come out of the conversation is for the police department to have one officer that is entirely dedicated to working with the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and following up whenever necessary. Salisbury Police Chief P.J. Smith said that the idea is still in ..read more

SALISBURY — Earlier this month, Salisbury and Rufty-Holmes Senior Center came into a contract agreement with CPL Architects and Engineers, P.C. and Lifespan Design Studio for them to assist in devising the parks and recreation and senior center master plan that will involve vast improvements made to the Salisbury Civic Center.  On April 19, Rufty-Holmes hosted the first of four input sessions where residents were encouraged to attend and give their opinions on how planning and implementation should proceed.  “What we’re trying to do is trigger ideas from the folks that are coming in ..read more

GOLD HILL — Working Lands Trust (WLT), a state-wide land trust dedicated to preserving working farms and forests, recently announced the appointment of four leaders to its board of directors, among them Rowan County flower farmer Jessica Long. A release from Working Lands Trust said that Jessica Long (Rowan County), the owner of Church Creek Farm, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in local sustainable agriculture.  “Having transitioned from a 13-year nursing career to revitalizing a century-old farm that specializes in cut flowers, Jessica exemplifies the spirit of communi ..read more