Latest news with #HighPoint
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa basketball transfer portal target commits to fellow Big Ten foe
Iowa basketball transfer portal target commits to fellow Big Ten foe One of the transfer portal targets that Ben McCollum and Iowa basketball had been tied to announced his commitment to a fellow Big Ten program this past Thursday. High Point transfer Kezza Giffa visited Iowa at the end of April. But, a commitment to the Hawkeyes never materialized following that visit. After a lengthy transfer portal recruitment, the former High Point guard announced his commitment to USC and to head coach Eric Musselman on Thursday afternoon. Giffa averaged 14.6 points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game on 44.0% field goal shooting, 31.3% from 3-point range and 85.1% from the free throw line. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.2 points per game during the 2023-24 season with High Point and was a first-team All-Big South selection in each of the past two seasons. Giffa joins a group of nine USC transfers that also features former Auburn small forward Chad Baker-Mazara. Musselman and USC are also bringing in UNC Asheville point guard Jordan Marsh, Maryland guard Rodney Rice, Robert Morris guard Amarion Dickerson, Utah forward Ezra Ausar, Samford forward Jaden Brownell, Virginia forward Jacob Cofie and Youngstown State center Gabe Dynes. The Trojans finished 17-18 (7-13 Big Ten) in Musselman's first season at the helm. Iowa did add guard Peyton McCollum to its 2025 class on Friday. But, the Hawkeyes also lost a commitment from former Florida International guard Ashton Williamson on Thursday. McCollum joins center Trevin Jirak and guard Tate Sage as part of Iowa's 2025 recruiting class. Iowa has also landed eight transfer portal additions. The Hawkeyes are bringing in Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks and Joey Matteoni, Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City job market remains steady
HIGH POINT — The local unemployment rate released Wednesday reflects the remarkable recovery of the economy from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. The city unemployment rate was 4% last month. By contrast, the High Point jobless level five years ago as the pandemic emerged was 17.4%, one of the highest rates since the state began keeping North Carolina municipal jobless numbers in 1976. The city jobless rate reached over 10% — the sign of a struggling job market — for four consecutive months from April to July of 2020. Last month, the city jobless rate was down from 4.3% in March and 4.1% in April of last year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. 'Unemployment remains well below 5%, often considered a standard for a healthy job market,' said Mike McCully, associate professor of economics at High Point University. 'The job market has been extremely resilient after recovering from the COVID crisis in 2020.' McCully told The High Point Enterprise that economic sectors continue to be mixed compared to a year ago. 'The metro area is doing well in the education sector and professional services,' he said. 'The sectors facing greater challenges are local manufacturing, leisure and hospitality.' Statewide, unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties from March to April, the N.C. Department of Commerce reported Wednesday. All 15 of the state's metropolitan areas posted rate decreases over the month. When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates increased in 87 counties, decreased in five and remained unchanged in eight. Fourteen metropolitan areas recorded rate increases over the year, and one remained unchanged. However, all 100 North Carolina counties posted April jobless rates at or below 5%, historically the indicator of a healthy local job market. In March, 92 counties recorded rates at or below 5%. No counties posted unemployment rates in March and April at or above 10%, the sign of a struggling local job market. The number of workers employed statewide increased in April by 347 to 5.106 million while the number unemployed decreased by 14,207 to 180,760. Since April 2024, the number of workers employed statewide has decreased by 10,602, while the number unemployed has increased by 14,194.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
High Point Arts Council Renews Autism and Sensory Training, Maintains Designation as a Certified Autism Center™
'High Point Arts Council (HPAC) constantly seeks new ways to expand our arts programs and educational offerings. HPAC celebrates entering its third year as a Certified Autism Center™!'— Beverly Lewis, HPAC director of operations and programs HIGH POINT, NC, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2025 / / -- High Point Arts Council (HPAC) renews its Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) credential, awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Renewing the designation included staff undergoing updated autism and sensory training to help them understand how to best welcome and support visitors. 'High Point Arts Council (HPAC) constantly seeks new ways to expand our arts programs and educational offerings. HPAC celebrates entering its third year as a Certified Autism Center™! This is exciting news!' says High Point Arts Council director of operations and programs, Beverly Lewis. 'Sensory-friendly programs are designed for individuals with autism and other sensory sensitivities, like ADHD and Alzheimer's. Our team is trained through IBCCES and is eager to continue providing sensory-friendly programs. HPAC strives to keep art alive and accessible while enriching the lives of our community members. We are taking intentional steps to ensure the arts can be experienced with joy.' 'Renewing the CAC designation proves High Point Arts Council's dedication and ongoing efforts to create a space that is welcoming and inclusive to every individual,' says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. 'We are proud to continue our partnership with the arts council, and look forward to seeing the continued impact this certification will have on both staff and visitors.' HPAC makes efforts to consider various guests' needs in the development and design of events, programs, and activities. They recently included their Page to Stage Children's theatre, which is a sensory program for literacy. In June, the Vinmark International Dance company will showcase a multicultural dance performance with sensory elements. HPAC's summer concert series makes consideration to provide guests with a designated calm area. HPAC's certification renewal continues to play a part in High Point's designation as a Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD). The CAD designation is given to communities with a multitude of trained and certified lodging, recreation and entertainment options that are accessible and accommodating to autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals and their families. To learn about all the certified options High Point has to offer, visit For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact. To further support inclusivity efforts, High Points Art Council is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone. IBCCES also provides access to resources such as and free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) requirements. ### About High Point Arts Council Since 1962, the Arts Council has served the arts needs of the community. Our mission is to uplift, unite, and provide an umbrella of support to the arts community. Our goal is threefold: 1. To uplift the creative community by advocating for the arts at a local, state, and national level. 2. To unite the residents of the greater High Point area by providing accessible and inclusive arts programming. 3. To provide an umbrella of support to the creative community through financial assistance, professional development opportunities, and encouraging artistic collaboration. About IBCCES Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification. In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors. IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, and – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other. Meredith Tekin IBCCES +1 904-508-0135 [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
The smoking gun - Former HPPD officer claims in lawsuit that pistol fired on its own
HIGH POINT Did a controversial handgun carried by a High Point Police officer discharge accidentally two years ago, without the officer ever putting his hand on the trigger? The gun's manufacturer says that's impossible, but the recently retired officer — who was shot in the leg with his own service weapon during the incident — claims otherwise. Former officer Vincent Panico, an 18-year veteran of the High Point Police Department who retired April 1, is one of dozens of plaintiffs listed in a mass legal action filed against firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer two months ago. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. The lawsuit alleges that Sig Sauer's popular P320 handgun — which the suit describes as 'the most dangerous pistol sold in the United States market' — has no external safety mechanism and 'is susceptible to unintended discharges, meaning instances when a gun fires without user intent, at an alarmingly high rate.' The suit lists dozens of alleged 'unintended discharge' incidents across the country — going as far back as 2015 — in which users claim they did not pull the trigger. In many cases, the gun's user was injured. In other cases, someone else nearby was injured, including a Michigan schoolteacher who was shot in the neck. In Pennsylvania, a state trooper was killed — ironically, during a safety training session — when a fellow trooper's gun allegedly fired without a trigger pull. Some of the incidents were recorded on officers' body cameras or on security cameras. Among those dozens of incidents is that of Panico, a 48-year-old Kernersville resident with extensive firearms experience. Prior to his 18 years with HPPD, he served five years with the Durham Police Department. He's also a former combat Marine who deployed to Iraq. The shooting incident occurred on the afternoon of April 24, 2023 — during the heart of the spring High Point Market — in the Commerce Avenue parking lot at City Hall. Security-camera footage provided by Panico's attorney shows the officer exiting his police vehicle just before the holstered gun discharges. 'His hands were not on the gun,' said the attorney, Robert W. Zimmerman of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, a personal injury firm in Philadelphia. 'The holstered weapon shot a round into his leg. It entered his right thigh area, traveled down his leg and blew out around his knee.' Panico, who was not made available for an interview, was taken to High Point Medical Center. He did not require surgery but lost a significant amount of blood, had nerve damage and was traumatized by the incident, according to Zimmerman. 'This was a painful experience for him, both physically and emotionally,' he said. 'He relied on his weapon to protect himself, to protect the community, and when you have a product that you rely upon to protect you that does the exact opposite and causes injury, it really impacted him physically and emotionally. It made his ability to perform his work tasks that much more difficult. You need to be able to have confidence and rely upon your duty weapon, and this really shook him.' Like Panico, the majority of the plaintiffs are law enforcement officers well-trained in the use of firearms, but that makes no difference with a defective weapon, Zimmerman said. 'A gun shouldn't fire in its holster without a hand touching the trigger,' said Zimmerman, who said he's aware of some 350 unintended discharges of the pistol. According to Zimmerman, the P320 is a striker-fired pistol rather than hammer-fired and has an extremely short trigger pull. Sig Sauer also failed to put an external safety on the gun, he added. 'Sig's competitors put one or sometimes even two external safeties on this type of gun to make sure a slight or short trigger movement that would cause the gun to fire doesn't occur,' he explained. 'Our claims are that the Sig Sauer is defectively designed and that it lacked a manual thumb safety and/or a trigger safety.' Furthermore, the suit claims that even when incidents of unintended discharges began to be reported, Sig Sauer stubbornly refused to recall the controversial pistol, 'despite knowing of scores of grievous wounds inflicted upon users and bystanders.' The company has staunchly defended the embattled P320, even posting a defiant denial on its website in March: 'The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull — that is a fact,' the statement reads in part. 'The allegations against the P320 are nothing more than individuals seeking to profit or avoid personal responsibility. ... In all cases, these individuals have an ulterior motive behind their baseless allegations that the P320 can fire without a trigger pull; they have no evidence, no data and no empirical testing to support any of their claims. They instead choose to misrepresent clear, negligent discharges as a 'design problem.' ' Zimmerman denied his clients are simply looking to make a profit. 'I feel bad that Sig Sauer is accusing my clients of having ulterior motives when their primary motivation is simply to make sure this doesn't happen to another 350 individuals,' he said. 'Sig Sauer is looking to blame the victims rather than looking at what other gun manufacturers do.' Although some law enforcement departments across the country have stopped using the P320, others — including the N.C. State Highway Patrol and its more than 1,500 sworn officers — have not. 'As an agency,' said 1st Sgt. Christopher Knox, public information officer for the Highway Patrol, 'we are continuously in review of our training practices, internal policies and issued equipment to ensure that we are providing the very best in law enforcement services to our state.' 'With that being said, over the course of approximately eight years of using the first and second generations of this firearm, we have experienced zero spontaneous discharges and are not currently looking to move away from its deployment.' Officers with the Thomasville Police Department and the Davidson County Sheriff's Department also utilize the P320, as well as another Sig Sauer pistol, the P365, according to department spokesmen. The High Point Police Department, which began issuing the P320 to officers in 2015, stopped using the weapon in the fall of 2024, about a year and a half after Panico's incident, according to department spokesperson Victoria Ruvio. Officers now carry the Sig Sauer M17, a 9-millimeter pistol with an external thumb safety, she said. 'Every seven or eight years, the High Point Police Department reviews its equipment, including firearms,' Ruvio explained. 'The most recent review found it would be difficult to get replacement parts for the Sig P320. For that and other reasons, the department moved to the Sig M17 9mm with an external thumb safety.' When asked if HPPD dropped the P320 over safety concerns, Ruvio simply reiterated that after a thorough review process, the decision was made to switch to the Sig M17. It should be noted that no law enforcement departments, including HPPD, are named as defendants in the lawsuit against Sig Sauer. 'We see no culpability (for the departments),' Zimmerman said. 'We simply want law enforcement departments to have information so that each can make the best decision for its officers.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
HIGH POINT CONFIDENTIAL: Thank you, sir - High Point soldier sacrificed his life for his men in 1970
HIGH POINT — Tom Kelly spent his last day in High Point on Nov. 27, 1969, celebrating Thanksgiving with his family. They ate turkey and enjoyed being together, trying not to dwell on where Tom was headed. They took some family photos — Tom, his parents, a brother and a sister. The next day, Tom left High Point, a 22-year-old soldier bound for Vietnam. He would not return. The story of George Thomas Kelly III — Tommy or Tom, as he insisted on being called — is a sad tale, but an inspiring one, too. This weekend, in particular — when we salute the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation — is a poignant time to remember the sacrifice of one of High Point's own. Tom was an active, popular student at High Point Central High School, where he was named to Who's Who his senior year. He graduated in 1965 and attended the University of North Carolina for two years before enlisting in the Army in 1967. He was commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating from Officer Candidate School. Frankly, Tom was not exactly gung-ho about the Vietnam War. He could've joined the ranks of others around him — perhaps even some of you — who protested the war, but he didn't. He still believed he should go. 'Tom was not a supporter of the war, nor was he someone who was in Vietnam because he had no choice,' Frank DeLong, one of Tom's Army buddies, wrote in an online tribute. 'He was there because he felt it was his duty to be there.' Tom's tour of duty in Vietnam didn't last long — less than half a year — but only because of the heroic sacrifice he made during the bloody Battle of Dak Seang, when his battalion came under attack from an aggressive North Vietnamese regiment. On the afternoon of April 22, 1970, after several days of continuous combat, the battalion found itself on a hilltop, nearly encircled by the North Vietnamese. Tom, by now a first lieutenant, bravely led his men to a bomb crater that could be utilized as a chopper landing zone. He radioed for help, and a medical evacuation helicopter was immediately dispatched to the battalion's precarious location. As quickly as men began piling onto the chopper, the enemy emerged from a tree line and began bombarding the craft with small arms fire. 'Because of the intense hostile fire, the heavily laden helicopter experienced great difficulty in taking off,' a military account of the incident reads. 'Lieutenant Kelly unhesitantly left the ship to engage the enemy in an attempt to divert their fire and to allow the helicopter to depart.' Armed with a couple of M-16 rifles, Tom and another officer — the aforementioned Frank DeLong — tried to fend off the North Vietnamese while radioing for another chopper. Lying prone on the ground, they began taking machine-gun fire from behind. 'The rounds were kicking up dirt all around us,' DeLong wrote. 'We rolled in opposite directions, trying to get out of his target zone. I rolled across the LZ (landing zone) and into a depression caused by an uprooted tree. Then all hell broke loose with small arms fire raking the LZ, coming from uphill of our position.' And Tom? 'I never saw Tom again,' DeLong wrote. 'I believe he was killed by the initial burst of machine gun fire.' DeLong wrote a letter to Tom's family, telling not only of his bravery during the final minutes of his life, but of the respect and admiration his men had for him long before that fateful afternoon. One of Tom's higher-ups wrote him up to receive the Medal of Honor — the nation's highest military decoration for valor — but he received the Distinguished Service Cross instead, the second-highest honor, awarded for extraordinary heroism in combat. The High Point Enterprise published a photo of Tom's parents, Tom Jr. and Jill, receiving the award on their son's behalf. 'His extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army,' the citation read. As they accepted the award, Tom's parents must've thought about the previous Thanksgiving Day, thankful for those final moments they enjoyed together as a family. And today, more than 55 years later, as we honor the military men and women who sacrificed their lives, we can all give thanks for a man like Tom Kelly.
