Latest news with #Pless
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP challenger aims to unseat Mark Pless in the primary
May 30—A Republican business owner from Maggie Valley has announced his intention to challenge N.C. House Rep. Mark Pless for the seat representing Haywood and Madison counties. While it's rare for a sitting legislator to face opposition in the primary, the move is a reflection of Pless' strong-arm leadership style rubbing many in his own party the wrong way. A self-avowed political junkie, Ken Brown has closely followed local and state politics, especially as they impact Maggie Valley where he operates MarxBrown Consulting. After seeing politicians in Raleigh attempting to overturn the judgment of locally elected leaders, Brown began toying with the idea of running for the state legislature in House District 118, which encompasses Haywood and Madison counties. Pless' bill to upend the credentialing process for emergency medical technicians across the state was the last straw. After talking to a fire chief in the county about the bill — and learning that the bill had blindsided local EMS workers who were spitting mad over it — Brown said he knew it was time to act. Pless is also a Republican, but Brown said he and the incumbent differ greatly in their approaches to local government. "I'd been noticing a lot of the legislation Pless put forward seems to be working against the autonomy of local government," he said. "I don't even care if I agree with what a town is doing. If local folks want to do XYZ, and it is lawful across the state, it should be up to them." He referred to local bills Pless has introduced that he said undermines local authority, among them a bill that passed to end down-zoning in Maggie Valley; one proposed this session to allow certain properties within Maggie's town limits to de-annex that did not make it out of committee; and one to dissolve the Haywood Tourism Development Authority and eliminate the county's right to collect an occupancy tax. That third bill, if passed as introduced, would have meant about $3 million in taxes collected annually from tourists would disappear. Again, the bill blindsided local business and tourism leaders. Pless has since done an about-face on the TDA proposal, actually proposing to increase the room tax along with reorganizing the TDA's board of directors. "As a conservative, it boiled down to the fact the government that is closest to the people is best. That's why we elect federal, state, county and municipal leaders," Brown said. "To take away something, especially without their involvement, is unacceptable." The candidate sign-up period for state seats isn't until December, but Brown's campaign has already gone public. The primary election is in March 2026, and the winner will go on to face a to-be-determined Democratic candidate in the November general election. A natural next step Brown believes his entire career has shaped the type of leader he wants to be in Raleigh, and that's based on the philosophy of servant leadership. This concept follows a philosophy that prioritizes the needs of others and focuses on empowering them to grow and develop. Brown said servant leaders are motivated to serve and help others — something he's done throughout his entire career, he added. At Eastern Kentucky University, he double majored in business management and information systems and got a masters degree in business from Xavier University in Cincinnati. His career started in 1984 as a systems analyst with GE Aerospace — Jet Engines — and transitioned to sales and marketing three years later. In the enterprise software business, Brown stressed it is vital to "listen a lot more than you talk," which helps identify problems corporations are having and create a roadmap to solve the problems. "The problem-solving part and connecting the dots boils down to a listening and collaboration. My background fits nicely with what's needed as a legislator," he said. Brown and his wife, Beth, bought property in the White Oak community in 2000, and moved to the county full-time in 2005. The duo has an office building in Maggie Valley where she has developed a thriving photography business and he runs MarxBrown Consulting. In 2022, Brown opened a business to focus on helping smaller and start-up companies that couldn't afford and didn't have enough work for a full-time chief revenue officer. He accepts no more than five non-competing businesses at a time. At age 63, Brown said he can adjust his work schedule to fit a campaign and eventual work schedule in Raleigh. A plan While those seeking federal, state or local elected positions can't file for office until Dec. 1, Brown said he has a lot of listening to do to prepare for the job. To lead with humility and empathy, tenets of servant leadership, requires knowing the issues and the stakeholders in House District 118, so he's getting started early. Brown has launched a website that discusses his background, philosophy of servant leadership and a calendar that will show the places he will be as he listens to people across the district. That includes not only local government meetings where he will learn about pressing issues local leaders face, but plenty of regular and special events through the summer and fall where he can connect with people. For now, Brown conceded he's "probably best known as Beth Brown's husband," something he hopes will change as he kicks off his efforts to claim the N.C. House seat in 2026. He will be adding a Facebook and a Linked-In page. For those interested in learning more about Brown and his candidacy, visit call 828-944-9919 or email him at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP challenger aims to unseat Mark Pless in the primary
May 30—A Republican business owner from Maggie Valley has announced his intention to challenge N.C. House Rep. Mark Pless for the seat representing Haywood and Madison counties. While it's rare for a sitting legislator to face opposition in the primary, the move is a reflection of Pless' strong-arm leadership style rubbing many in his own party the wrong way. A self-avowed political junkie, Ken Brown has closely followed local and state politics, especially as they impact Maggie Valley where he operates MarxBrown Consulting. After seeing politicians in Raleigh attempting to overturn the judgment of locally elected leaders, Brown began toying with the idea of running for the state legislature in House District 118, which encompasses Haywood and Madison counties. Pless' bill to upend the credentialing process for emergency medical technicians across the state was the last straw. After talking to a fire chief in the county about the bill — and learning that the bill had blindsided local EMS workers who were spitting mad over it — Brown said he knew it was time to act. Pless is also a Republican, but Brown said he and the incumbent differ greatly in their approaches to local government. "I'd been noticing a lot of the legislation Pless put forward seems to be working against the autonomy of local government," he said. "I don't even care if I agree with what a town is doing. If local folks want to do XYZ, and it is lawful across the state, it should be up to them." He referred to local bills Pless has introduced that he said undermines local authority, among them a bill that passed to end down-zoning in Maggie Valley; one proposed this session to allow certain properties within Maggie's town limits to de-annex that did not make it out of committee; and one to dissolve the Haywood Tourism Development Authority and eliminate the county's right to collect an occupancy tax. That third bill, if passed as introduced, would have meant about $3 million in taxes collected annually from tourists would disappear. Again, the bill blindsided local business and tourism leaders. Pless has since done an about-face on the TDA proposal, actually proposing to increase the room tax along with reorganizing the TDA's board of directors. "As a conservative, it boiled down to the fact the government that is closest to the people is best. That's why we elect federal, state, county and municipal leaders," Brown said. "To take away something, especially without their involvement, is unacceptable." The candidate sign-up period for state seats isn't until December, but Brown's campaign has already gone public. The primary election is in March 2026, and the winner will go on to face a to-be-determined Democratic candidate in the November general election. A natural next step Brown believes his entire career has shaped the type of leader he wants to be in Raleigh, and that's based on the philosophy of servant leadership. This concept follows a philosophy that prioritizes the needs of others and focuses on empowering them to grow and develop. Brown said servant leaders are motivated to serve and help others — something he's done throughout his entire career, he added. At Eastern Kentucky University, he double majored in business management and information systems and got a masters degree in business from Xavier University in Cincinnati. His career started in 1984 as a systems analyst with GE Aerospace — Jet Engines — and transitioned to sales and marketing three years later. In the enterprise software business, Brown stressed it is vital to "listen a lot more than you talk," which helps identify problems corporations are having and create a roadmap to solve the problems. "The problem-solving part and connecting the dots boils down to a listening and collaboration. My background fits nicely with what's needed as a legislator," he said. Brown and his wife, Beth, bought property in the White Oak community in 2000, and moved to the county full-time in 2005. The duo has an office building in Maggie Valley where she has developed a thriving photography business and he runs MarxBrown Consulting. In 2022, Brown opened a business to focus on helping smaller and start-up companies that couldn't afford and didn't have enough work for a full-time chief revenue officer. He accepts no more than five non-competing businesses at a time. At age 63, Brown said he can adjust his work schedule to fit a campaign and eventual work schedule in Raleigh. A plan While those seeking federal, state or local elected positions can't file for office until Dec. 1, Brown said he has a lot of listening to do to prepare for the job. To lead with humility and empathy, tenets of servant leadership, requires knowing the issues and the stakeholders in House District 118, so he's getting started early. Brown has launched a website that discusses his background, philosophy of servant leadership and a calendar that will show the places he will be as he listens to people across the district. That includes not only local government meetings where he will learn about pressing issues local leaders face, but plenty of regular and special events through the summer and fall where he can connect with people. For now, Brown conceded he's "probably best known as Beth Brown's husband," something he hopes will change as he kicks off his efforts to claim the N.C. House seat in 2026. He will be adding a Facebook and a Linked-In page. For those interested in learning more about Brown and his candidacy, visit call 828-944-9919 or email him at
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dead on arrival? Controversial Pless bid to change EMS and ambulance standards off the table for now
May 21—N.C. Rep. Mark Pless's proposals to change requirements for emergency medical personnel and remove local government control over ambulance services are dead in the water, at least for this session of the General Assembly, much to the relief of a number of EMS personnel across the state. Pless had introduced two bills that roused significant criticisms from EMS groups, not because the proposals would strengthen standards but because, critics said, they would lessen them. Neither proposal met the General Assembly's "crossover deadline," the date by which most bills must pass from one chamber to the other to be eligible for consideration this session. A bill introduced in the House must have a companion bill also be introduced in the Senate, and vice versa, to survive crossover. "North Carolina's EMS providers and administrators can find reassurance in the news that House Bills 219 and 675 did not advance past the legislative crossover deadline and will not move forward in the current session," said Travis Donaldson, Haywood County EMS director. "These bills proposed significant changes to EMS operations and personnel credentialing, raising high levels of concern among professionals across the state." The bills House Bill 675 would have done away with state credentials for EMS personnel in favor of a national system. One of the biggest problems was that those national standards were not as demanding as those for state certification, critics said. Pless' original proposal would have required all EMS personnel in North Carolina to be certified under a third-party national registry, which many emergency medical technicians and paramedics criticized as an unnecessary waste of their time and money. Pless later modified the bill to require the national certification for new EMS workers only, and critics continue to complain that the change would mean lesser standards of training. A second proposal, House Bill 219 would have repealed county or city franchising abilities and control over medical care standards for private ambulance services, allowing such organizations or businesses to offer ambulance care without local oversight. At an April meeting with about 50 EMS workers from throughout Western North Carolina, the group had said the bill, if passed, would mean less assurance that medical teams were qualified and capable. Donaldson said while he and others appreciate Pless's attention to EMS-related matters, meaningful and effective legislation begins with collaboration. At Pless' meeting with EMS leaders, the group was asked if any had spoken to Pless before the bills were introduced, and nobody raised a hand. Pless said later in the meeting he only consulted people he could trust. He said they weren't in the room and nobody would ever know who they were. "North Carolina's EMS system is built on decades of experience, evolving best practices, and the input of countless dedicated professionals who live this work every day," Donaldson said. "We encourage our elected officials to engage in open dialogue with local EMS leaders and frontline providers before proposing reforms that may unintentionally disrupt systems that are already working well." Pless proposed 13 bills during this session. Of those, three were approved in the House and met the crossover deadline. However, more than those three proposals may be enacted: Bills dealing with revenue, appropriations and election issues are exempt from the deadline. Pless has four bills exempted from the crossover deadline, including two that would allocate hurricane relief funding for Madison County, one that would provide funding to repair Helene's damage to Blue Ridge Southern railroad and a fourth that would provide funds for athletic purposes at Tuscola and Bethel. Two local bills that drew attention — de-annexing nine properties within the town limits of Maggie Valley and abolishing the Tourism Development Authority — were rewritten and heard in the House finance committee Tuesday.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Don't undermine care, angry EMS workers tell Pless
Apr. 28—About 50 emergency medical workers delivered a strong, at times angry, message to N.C. Rep. Mark Pless during a roundtable discussion regarding bills that would eliminate county control of ambulance services and change certification standards. Don't fix what ain't broken, the paramedics, medical technicians and emergency service directors said during a gathering at the Asheville-Buncombe Community College training center in Woodfin on Thursday. The first responder community across the region has come out in opposition to two bills Pless introduced that would cause upheaval and chaos in the emergency services landscape. Nor were they happy at the what they said was a lack of communication between Pless and their tight-knit emergency rescue community, saying they were caught by surprise with these bills. "Before you introduced two pieces of legislation that would directly impact tens of thousands of EMS professionals across North Carolina, it would have been wise and respectful to sit down with EMS leadership from across the state and ask, 'What do you need?'" said Kristy Bryant, a critical care and flight paramedic from Yancey County. "Instead, you drafted legislation in a backhand (manner) and didn't consult with providers." One bill would change the certification process — doing away with state standards and instead using a less-rigorous National Registry exam. The other bill would strip counties of the ability of regulate ambulance services. Their anger was mollified only slightly by Pless' announcement that one of the bills, H.B. 675, has already been changed. In its original form, the bill would require all current emergency medical service workers to be re-certified through a national registry. Pless repeatedly declared that the bill would be amended so it only applies to new first responders starting in 2026, grandfathering current EMTs and paramedics. "Everybody in this room has nothing to be concerned about. None of your people are affected. You're gonna be just fine, I promise," he said. To his frustration, those in the room continued to express concerns about the needless burden recertification would cause — due in part to the fact that Pless' promised language change doesn't appear in the bill as listed on the General Assembly's web site. That's because it must go through approval in committee next week, Pless said, promising the change has been written into the drafts, however. "You keep going back to the same thing, and I'm not sure anybody is listening," he said. Blindsided and unhappy Speakers complained repeatedly about being caught off guard by the proposed legislation. "These bills were not done with the collaboration of anyone else in this room," said Mark Stepp with Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue in Henderson County. "We had no part in this." He asked the group of about 50 for a show of hands by anyone who had been contacted or asked for input about the bill. No one responded. "The EMS association has a lobbyist, and the lobbyist, I told her a year and a half ago and she did nothing with the information," Pless responded, adding that the lobbyist only responded to his requests for a visit with a request of her own this week. Later, he said he talked with others about the proposals before they were introduced, but only people he could trust, including EMS workers. "They are not in this room today and nobody will ever know who they are," he added. Pless said there's a reason he didn't engage a broader cross section. "In order to get people to come to the table, you have to have people willing to sit down and talk about a situation and not turn around and go talk to someone else about that situation and create a line of communication that's not even remotely clear where you're going," he said. "I don't have a problem involving (others) if someone can sit down and have a 100% private conversation and work through the process and even if they don't get their way they don't run down the street and post something or say something. That's not how I should be treated." That confidentiality should be maintained until it is time for public input, he added. "Am I hearing you say you're open to a public stakeholder meeting?" one man called from the group. "No, I am not open to a public anything. This is not public," Pless replied. "The only reason we're doing this out here is because these are professionals in this field and it is controlled at AB Tech and it is not an advertised public meeting. I cannot do a public meeting." "Sometimes you can't talk about it until it becomes time for a public forum," Pless said. "Until it became time for a public forum, this bill was not meant to be run across North Carolina so people could decide the effects of it from something they heard. "I'm not supposed to be doing any meetings like this right now," he said. "I have been told not to do anything public because of the environment we are in right now. I broke that rule in order to try to help some people understand." Disrespect? Several speakers at the session challenged Pless on his body language, stating that his posture, attention to his cell phone and his tendency at times to stare toward the ceiling conveyed disrespect and dismissal of their concerns. They continued expressing their sentiments after the meeting. "I have never, and I do mean NEVER been so disrespected by an ELECTED official as we, a group of highly educated, highly intelligent and highly experienced paramedics and firefighters were today," wrote paramedic and EMS instructor Vickie Tweed. "I have NEVER seen the total and complete lack of respect that I saw today from N.C. Representative Mark Pless. While someone is talking TO him he was kicked back in his seat, on his phone or had his chin resting on his hand. It was as if what we had to say was a nuisance to him." EMS issues At one point, Pless said his bills were an effort to get N.C. emergency management people talking about shortcomings in their system — shortcomings he described as a lack of staff, a need for a certification and educational program that better encourages students to finish the courses and patient backups in hospital emergency rooms due to lack of transports. "You bring people to the table when they think something is wrong," he said. "Let that fact sink in before you get too far out in front of your skis. You'll never have change if you can't get people to recognize the seriousness of taking care of EMS. Sometimes you have no choice but to take shake the world in order to have a conversation." Other speakers said Pless was trying to fix the wrong things. "What is desperately needed is a way to increase funding for our training — so we can be better prepared for the next Helene, the next COVID," said Taylor Jones, Buncombe County EMS director. "What I'm asking for desperately is, how do you increase funding for EMS? What I don't want to do is undermine the high quality standard that North Carolina has." Different standards While some of those present seemed somewhat relieved at his promise that existing emergency workers would not have to go through the expense and time-consuming process of additional certification, that reassurance earned Pless only slight relief. Those present strongly protested the proposal to remove the awarding of contracts for ambulance service from county control. And they complained that the national registry system had less vigorous standards than the ones they were operating under now. Pless defended his bills, arguing that the national registry and more uniform certification would provide more emergency workers. Without stating the institution, he referred to an emergency medical training program that he charged had forced almost half of its students to quit before it was complete. "I don't want people working in my organization that can't pass the state test," said Bryant. "Sir, some students don't need to be in this program. That's not failure; that's called filtering." During the aftermath of Helene, she said, squads who came in from outside states "were blown away by the strength of our protocols." Many students enroll in beginning emergency medical courses before realizing they are not suited for the profession, said Madelyn Johnson, EMS coordinator for Asheville-Buncombe Technical College. The instructors' roles are to support those students in whatever decisions they make, she added, and sometimes that means allowing them to find a career for which they are better suited. Kristin Sullivan, an EMS instructor and member of the Reems Creek Fire Department, also questioned the different level of standards. She is certified by the state, she said, not under the National Registry — if H.B. 675 became law, that would mean she would be holding her students to a different, lower standard, than the one under which she is registered. Hospital concerns Pless said his motivation for House Bill 219, which would remove county governments' right to control ambulance services through franchise agreements, came from problems he heard about from hospitals. He claimed patients are backed up in emergency rooms because of transport issues, he said. "I have had conversations with my hospital. My hospital has a problem getting patients out of the emergency room, getting them out of the halls," he said. "This is a statewide problem. There are people in my office in Raleigh who have this same issue. All these people are experiencing similar issues with no way to fix it." Lessening county control over ambulance services should provide more means of transport, he said. He has had no objections from the hospital association lobbyists over his EMS proposals, Pless added. He did not convince his audience. "EMT/EMS is not broken" Bryant told Pless. "We are rooted in the community. Allowing a private company to take over EMS would undermine decades of public investment, decrease transparency and jeopardize patient care. We don't need privatization. We need partnerships with state and local leaders who understand the needs of their community." Rescue Squad role? Pless denied charges from several speakers that H.B. 219 was a move to ensure Haywood Rescue Squad would receive funding from nonemergency patient transports. His son is chief of the Haywood Rescue Squad. While Pless has served on its board of directors in the past, he is no longer on the board. When the Rescue Squad almost folded in 2019 due to a failure to bill agencies including Medicaid for reimbursements, the county expanded its own EMS service, adding vehicles and staff to pick up convalescent, or nonemergency, transports. Now that the Rescue Squad has been rebuilding, many believe Pless is trying to help the agency make a comeback. Pless did not respond to a follow-up phone call from The Mountaineer, requesting information on whether he had talked to any active emergency personnel outside the Haywood County Rescue Squad about this legislation, how long he had been working on or discussing this proposal before it was introduced, or whether the discussion Thursday would change his approach to the proposed legislation in any way.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
'Be courteous': LCSO asks for patience after road rage reported following fatal crash
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — Three people were killed in a two-car collision on I-96 on Wednesday; but many drivers on the road that night were just as shocked by the illegal maneuvers and road rage that came after. According to Livingston County Undersheriff Jason Pless, investigation and clean-up from the crash took about four hours, during which a large portion of the freeway was closed. A post shared to the r/Michigan subreddit described impatient drivers riding the shoulder; turning around and driving in the wrong direction; blocking an ambulance; and confronting other drivers. Pless said LCSO received numerous calls about road rage and drivers going the wrong way. Deputies were occupied with the crash, however, and unable to confirm. More: Three killed, two critically injured after vehicle crosses median on I-96 in Howell Twp. 'When you shut the highway down like that, sometimes it takes a minute to get organized, to be able to get people off the highway,' Pless said. 'A lot of people don't have that patience.' In the future, Pless said, police ask that drivers remain calm. "Don't reciprocate, be courteous," he said. "That's really all we ask people to do.' A man from Sterling Heights, 54, and two women from Fowlerville, 69 and 37, were killed in the crash. Two others were left in critical condition. The crash took place when a 2010 BMW 528I traveling west on I-96, driven by the Sterling Heights man, left the roadway and entered the grass median. The vehicle continued into the eastbound lanes of I-96 and crashed into a 2006 Mercury Mountaineer. Police have not identified the victims in the crash. — Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@ This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Livingston County Sheriff's Office asks for patience from drivers
