Latest news with #Raleigh-based
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gonzalez-Ortega, Miller named ‘Sloan Scholars'
One scholar whose early education took place in Mexico wants her future students to be inspired and feel cared about. The other scholar, a lifelong Lee County resident, wants to be a 'bright light' for her students — just as her late grandmother was. Susann Gonzalez-Ortega and Isabella Miller, soon-to-graduates of Lee County High School, were honored Wednesday by the Lee County Education Foundation as 2024-25 Sloan Scholar winners. They received scholarships of up to $36,000 to pursue teaching degrees, with a promise to come back to Lee County as teachers. Gonzalez-Ortega and Miller were recognized by the Education Foundation at a reception ceremony at GiGi's Creations in downtown Sanford. The Temple Sloan Lee County Teacher Fellows program was launched by the Education Foundation in 2023, with the first Sloan Scholar — Anna Marks — named in 2024. It was created to encourage Lee County's best and brightest students to commit to becoming an educator, and then return home and begin a career in a classroom. It's funded by the Raleigh-based Sloan Foundation, in partnership with Lee County Schools, the Central Carolina Community College Foundation and the Education Foundation. The Sloan Foundation was created by Temple Sloan Jr., a former Sanford resident, who founded Carquest Auto Parts in 1961. Carquest, which grew to 3,000 auto parts stores, was acquired by Advance Auto Parts in 2014. 'These scholarships will be given to deserving young students to inspire them to earn a teaching degree and encourage them to work in the Lee County school system,' said Sloan, who's a member of the Lee County Education Foundation board of directors. 'We firmly believe that a successful educational experience for our young people begins with outstanding teachers.' The Sloan scholarships will take the form of forgivable loans — similar to the process used in the statewide N.C. Teaching Fellows program. Scholarship recipients are expected to return to Lee County to teach; and all monies are forgiven after four years of teaching in a Lee County public school classroom. In pursuing a teaching degree, Sloan Scholars may attend any state-supported college or university in pursuit of their teaching certificate. In addition to $4,500 per semester in scholarship funds, the program will also include partnerships with teaching mentors, summer programming and a variety of activities designed to engage Sloan Scholars with LCS and support their commitment to Lee County's students and community. The $4,500 per semester will be awarded to help pay for tuition, fees, and books. Students are expected to provide progress reporting and other information to the CCCC Foundation, which will be managing the scholarship monies. Should a student drop out of the program or decide not to return and teach in Lee County, monies will have to be repaid. GONZALEZ-ORTEGAGonzalez-Ortega, the daughter of Esther Ortega, attends Lee County High School. She's been inducted into the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society, serves as president of the National Juntos Club, and is a member of numerous other clubs. She'll seek a degree in marine biology with a license in education at UNC-Wilmington, which will position her to teach biology at the high school level. She cited two of her teachers — Mrs. Price and Mrs. Biles — for their support, and said she wanted to become the kind of teacher 'who makes students feel both challenged and supported, someone who pushes them to think deeply, ask questions, and take pride in their growth. MILLERMiller, the daughter of Kelly and Billy Miller, also attends Lee County High School, where she's an officer in BETA and the Red Cross, and active in several other clubs. She's also been a part of the Temple Teen Ensemble at Temple Theatre. She plans to major in education and stage and screen at Western Carolina University. Miller's desire to teach comes in part from the inspiration provided by a late grandmother, who'd served as a special education teacher. She still hears stories about her, Miller said. 'My grandma's impact on her students brought me the passion to become a teacher, as I want to be just as bright a light as she was in so many children's lives,' she said. 'Over time, this foundation has never changed, but I have found myself going out of my way to give voice and dance lessons to kids, help them understand issues when things seem off, and try to guide them into a better direction overall. I have a special passion for working with youth, and I believe that my dedication to and appreciation of education is what will make me an excellent teacher.' MARKSMarks, last year's inaugural winner, was also recognized at Wednesday's ceremony. A graduate of Southern Lee High School, she's studying now at UNC-Greensboro and seeking a bachelor's degree in art education. Marks is the daughter of Melinda Marks.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Iconic Carolina Furniture Store Is Closing After 41 Years
After more than four decades in business, Carolina Furniture Direct is calling it quits. The Raleigh-based furniture retailer, located at 8401 Glenwood Ave., is going out of business after 41 years. The closure marks the end of an era for the 30,000-square-foot showroom that's been a fixture in the community since the early 1980s. WRAL reported that the massive liquidation sale begins May 22, with all merchandise marked down by up to 50%. Brands on offer include high-quality names like Bassett, Vaughan-Bassett, England, Leather Italia, Riverside, Coast to Coast, Hickorycraft, and even Tommy Bahama. Both custom and ready-made furnishings are part of the clearance. Ken Ciotti, a manager at the store, said the decision to close stems from the owner's upcoming retirement. He did not provide a specific final day for the store but emphasized that everything must go. Over the years, Carolina Furniture Direct built a reputation for offering a wide selection of home furnishings with a blend of upscale and affordable options. While national chains and online retailers chipped away at the brick-and-mortar furniture business, the Glenwood Avenue location remained a go-to for locals looking for personalized service and long-lasting pieces. Now, with the announcement of its closure, Carolina Furniture Direct joins a growing list of independent retailers shutting down amid shifting industry trends, supply chain changes, and leadership transitions. For Raleigh-area shoppers, this is a rare opportunity to score deep discounts on premium furniture before the doors close for good. But with no official end date announced, customers might not want to wait too long—once it's gone, it's gone.
Japan Today
19-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Pence speaks in North Carolina against broad Trump tariffs and praises House on tax bill
Former Vice President Mike Pence, right of center, gesticulates while making a point during a panel discussion on tariffs in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed) By GARY D. ROBERTSON Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke Monday in North Carolina against the Trump administration's zealous efforts to impose tariffs on trading partners worldwide — another effort that shows his willingness to split at times with his former boss. The education arm of Pence's political advocacy group kicked off in Raleigh a series of events nationwide that was also billed as building support to extend individual income tax reductions enacted by Trump and fellow Republicans in 2017 but set to expire at year's end. In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pence praised congressional Republicans for pushing ahead President Donald Trump's bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, saying 'there should be no higher domestic priority' than making permanent the tax cuts passed in Trump's first term. But much of the meeting focused on Pence and key conservative business leaders in North Carolina opposing Trump's recent tariff efforts. Monday's event marked another step by Pence to try to distinguish himself among the small group of Republicans in Washington willing to publicly criticize policies sought by the second Trump administration. Pence and others said protectionism would ultimately harm the U.S. economy in the form of higher prices and employment losses. 'It is ultimately for the most part American consumers that will pay the price of higher tariffs,' Pence said at the event assembled by Pence's Advancing American Freedom Foundation and the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation. The massive 1,116-page budget bill, which also contains additional tax breaks that Trump campaigned for in the 2024 election — as well as spending reductions and beefed-up border security — initially failed to pass the House Budget Committee late last week. A handful of conservatives who voted against the bill want further cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax breaks. House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day. The bill cleared the committee in a rare Sunday night meeting, but Johnson told reporters afterward that negotiations were ongoing. 'I'm encouraged,' Pence told the AP after Monday's event. 'I'm grateful that conservatives in the House have been pressing for more common sense reforms in Medicaid." Three days ago, Moody's Ratings mentioned the 2017 tax cuts as it stripped the U.S. government of its top credit rating, citing the inability of policymakers to rein in debt. Conservatives see the tax cuts as providing fuel for the economy while putting more money in taxpayers' pockets. Democrats say the wealthiest Americans benefit the most from them. Pence told the AP the larger issue is the unwillingness of politicians to consider 'commonsense, compassionate" entitlement reforms for Medicare and Social Security that would address the nation's nearly $37 trillion of debt and 'set us back on a path of fiscal integrity.' Pence said at the roundtable that he's proud of Trump's first-term efforts to use the tariff threat to reach new free-trade agreements with trading partners. And Pence agreed that China is an exception for retaliatory tariffs, citing intellectual property theft and dumping products like steel onto world markets. But Trump's second-term effort, seeming to make tariffs large and permanent, are very different and misguided, he said. Trump has said broad tariffs on foreign goods are needed to narrow the gap with taxes other countries place on U.S. goods. Trump said that countries "have to pay for the right to sell here,' Pence said in recalling first-term conversations. 'Any time I'd remind him that actually it's American importers that pay the tariff, he would look a little annoyed at me from time to time and say, 'I know how it works.' And then he'd say, 'but they have to pay.'' While the former Indiana governor and U.S. House member refused to break with Trump during their time serving together, the two had a falling out over his refusal to go along with Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. Trump had tried to pressure Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. A 2024 presidential campaign by Pence — and potentially against Trump — ended early. He committed to invigorating Advancing American Freedom by promoting conservative principles as Trump's brand of populism has taken hold in the GOP. Pence's group spent nearly $1 million on ads opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. And Pence also has spoken in favor of Trump standing with long-standing foreign allies. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pence speaks in North Carolina against broad Trump tariffs and praises House on tax bill
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke Monday in North Carolina against the Trump administration's zealous efforts to impose tariffs on trading partners worldwide — another effort that shows his willingness to split at times with his former boss. The education arm of Pence's political advocacy group kicked off in Raleigh a series of events nationwide that was also billed as building support to extend tax reductions enacted by Trump and Republicans in 2017 but set to expire at year's end. In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pence praised congressional Republicans for pushing ahead President Donald Trump's bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, saying 'there should be no higher domestic priority' than making permanent income tax cuts passed in Trump's first term. But much of the meeting focused on Pence and key conservative business leaders in North Carolina opposing Trump's tariff program. Monday's event marked another step by Pence to try to distinguish himself among the small group of Republicans in Washington willing to publicly criticize policies sought by the second Trump administration. Pence and others said protectionism would ultimately harm the U.S. economy in the form of higher prices and employment losses. 'It is ultimately for the most part American consumers that will pay the price of higher tariffs,' Pence said at the event assembled by Pence's Advancing American Freedom Foundation and the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation. The massive budget bill, which also contains additional tax breaks that Trump campaigned for in the 2024 election — as well as spending reductions and beefed-up border security — initially failed to pass the House Budget Committee late last week. A handful of conservatives who voted against the bill want further cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax breaks. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day. The bill cleared the committee in a rare Sunday night meeting, but Johnson told reporters afterward that negotiations were ongoing. 'I'm encouraged,' Pence told the AP after the event. 'I'm grateful that conservatives in the House have been pressing for more common sense reforms in Medicaid." Three days ago, Moody's Ratings mentioned the 2017 tax cuts as it stripped the U.S. government of its top credit rating, citing the inability of policymakers to rein in debt. Conservatives see the tax cuts as providing fuel for the economy while putting more money in taxpayers' pockets. Democrats say the wealthiest Americans benefit the most from them. Pence told the AP the larger issue is the unwillingness of politicians to consider 'commonsense, compassionate" entitlement reforms for Medicare and Social Security that would address the nation's nearly $37 trillion of debt and 'set us back on the path of fiscal integrity.' Pence said he's proud of Trump's first-term efforts to use the tariff threat to reach new free-trade agreements with trading partners. And Pence agreed that China is an exception for retaliatory tariffs, citing intellectual property theft and dumping products like steel onto world markets. But Trump's second-term effort, seeming to make tariffs large and permanent, are very different and misguided, he said. Trump said that countries "have to pay for the right to sell here,' Pence said in recalling first-term conversations. 'Any time I'd remind him that actually it's American importers that pay the tariff, he would look a little annoyed at me from time to time and say, 'I know how it works.' And then he'd say, 'but they have to pay.'' While the former Indiana governor and U.S. House member refused to break with Trump during their time together in office, the two had a falling out over his refusal to go along with Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. Trump had tried to pressure Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. A 2024 presidential campaign by Pence — and potentially against Trump — ended early. He committed to invigorating Advancing American Freedom by promoting conservative principles on domestic and foreign matters as Trump's brand of populism has taken hold in the GOP. Pence's group spent nearly $1 million on ads opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. And he's also spoken in favor of Trump standing with long-standing foreign allies.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pence speaks in North Carolina against broad Trump tariffs and praises House on tax bill
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke Monday in North Carolina against the Trump administration's zealous efforts to impose tariffs on trading partners worldwide — another effort that shows his willingness to split at times with his former boss. The education arm of Pence's political advocacy group kicked off in Raleigh a series of events nationwide that was also billed as building support to extend tax reductions enacted by Trump and Republicans in 2017 but set to expire at year's end. In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pence praised congressional Republicans for pushing ahead President Donald Trump's bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, saying 'there should be no higher domestic priority' than making permanent income tax cuts passed in Trump's first term. But much of the meeting focused on Pence and key conservative business leaders in North Carolina opposing Trump's tariff program. Monday's event marked another step by Pence to try to distinguish himself among the small group of Republicans in Washington willing to publicly criticize policies sought by the second Trump administration. Pence and others said protectionism would ultimately harm the U.S. economy in the form of higher prices and employment losses. 'It is ultimately for the most part American consumers that will pay the price of higher tariffs,' Pence said at the event assembled by Pence's Advancing American Freedom Foundation and the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation. The massive budget bill, which also contains additional tax breaks that Trump campaigned for in the 2024 election — as well as spending reductions and beefed-up border security — initially failed to pass the House Budget Committee late last week. A handful of conservatives who voted against the bill want further cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax breaks. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day. The bill cleared the committee in a rare Sunday night meeting, but Johnson told reporters afterward that negotiations were ongoing. 'I'm encouraged,' Pence told the AP after the event. 'I'm grateful that conservatives in the House have been pressing for more common sense reforms in Medicaid." Three days ago, Moody's Ratings mentioned the 2017 tax cuts as it stripped the U.S. government of its top credit rating, citing the inability of policymakers to rein in debt. Conservatives see the tax cuts as providing fuel for the economy while putting more money in taxpayers' pockets. Democrats say the wealthiest Americans benefit the most from them. Pence told the AP the larger issue is the unwillingness of politicians to consider 'commonsense, compassionate" entitlement reforms for Medicare and Social Security that would address the nation's nearly $37 trillion of debt and 'set us back on the path of fiscal integrity.' Pence said he's proud of Trump's first-term efforts to use the tariff threat to reach new free-trade agreements with trading partners. And Pence agreed that China is an exception for retaliatory tariffs, citing intellectual property theft and dumping products like steel onto world markets. But Trump's second-term effort, seeming to make tariffs large and permanent, are very different and misguided, he said. Trump said that countries "have to pay for the right to sell here,' Pence said in recalling first-term conversations. 'Any time I'd remind him that actually it's American importers that pay the tariff, he would look a little annoyed at me from time to time and say, 'I know how it works.' And then he'd say, 'but they have to pay.'' While the former Indiana governor and U.S. House member refused to break with Trump during their time together in office, the two had a falling out over his refusal to go along with Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. Trump had tried to pressure Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. A 2024 presidential campaign by Pence — and potentially against Trump — ended early. He committed to invigorating Advancing American Freedom by promoting conservative principles on domestic and foreign matters as Trump's brand of populism has taken hold in the GOP. Pence's group spent nearly $1 million on ads opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. And he's also spoken in favor of Trump standing with long-standing foreign allies. Gary D. Robertson, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
