Latest news with #Salisbury-based
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Livingstone gets another $10 million, claims premier private HBCU in NC
SALISBURY, NC - Livingstone College has made waves in the HBCU world and by big contributions from an anonymous donor. Add another one to the total. For the third time in just over a year, Livingstone College has received a $10 million donation from a sole anonymous benefactor-further fueling its push to be recognized as the premier private HBCU in North Carolina. The Salisbury-based HBCU has now secured more than $60 million from the same donor, a level of philanthropic support unmatched by any other private HBCU in the state. President Dr. Anthony J. Davis calls the series of gifts part of the "Miracle on Monroe Street," a multi-phase campus transformation that has already modernized key facilities and is poised to expand even further. "Everyone can look and see that we've invested every dollar, every dime into renovating this campus," Davis said. "Now we are the premier private HBCU in North Carolina, creating an experience that is second to none for our students." Philanthropy Driving Growth The latest gift will help advance the next stages of campus revitalization, including planned upgrades to Goler Hall and Honors Hall. Combined with more than $40 million in private fundraising over the past two fiscal years, these investments have positioned Livingstone to grow faster than any other private HBCU in the state. Enrollment has surged from 221 freshmen just two years ago to an expected 500 this fall, with overall growth creating new housing and facilities needs. "We're one of the fastest-growing HBCUs in the country," Davis said. "It's a good problem to have, but it means we have to think creatively about how to house our students." Retention Through Student Experience Among the most visible recent upgrades is Aggrey Cafeteria, now transformed into the Luxe Life Café and operated by Thompson Hospitality. Davis frames the dining overhaul as a central piece of the college's retention strategy, alongside residential improvements. "It's part of our retention model-creating a student experience that is second to none," he said. "While we're enhancing the student experience, we take care of where they sleep and where they eat. They want to be here at Livingstone College." That approach is producing results. Livingstone boasts a 92 percent return rate for upperclassmen and a 78 percent freshman retention rate. Those figures compare favorably with top-tier institutions, public or private. Defining the Premier Private HBCU Making the claim to be the premier private HBCU in North Carolina is no small feat. That landscape that includes Johnson C. Smith, Bennett College, Shaw University and Saint Augustine's University. Livingstone's mix of bold fundraising, rapid enrollment growth, and student-focused upgrades is setting a new standard. As the "Miracle on Monroe Street" continues, Davis and his team are aiming to ensure the college's place at the forefront of North Carolina's private HBCUs for years to come. The post Livingstone gets another $10 million, claims premier private HBCU in NC appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Mayor of Salisbury vows to champion community groups and charities
The Mayor of Salisbury has pledged to champion community groups and individuals during his time in office. Cllr John Wells, the city's 764th mayor, shared his ambitions during a recent address to the Salisbury Rotary Club. Cllr Wells said: "I feel honoured and privileged to be elected as the 764th Mayor of Salisbury. "I am very much looking forward to meeting as many people as possible and from a wide a range of backgrounds and variety of organisations associated with our wonderful city." Read more Volunteers honoured for decades of dedication to Scouting French group celebrates Bastille Day with buffet after an 'enjoyable year' Familiar face named new president of Salisbury Rotary Club The Mayor of Salisbury with Salisbury Rotary Club President Alan Corkill. (Image: Salisbury Rotary Club) He emphasised his commitment to recognising the contributions of those who help make Salisbury a better place. Cllr Wells continued: "Much of my time and energy will be devoted to raising public awareness of the value groups and individuals bring to the community, by attending events throughout the year. "I will do my utmost to nurture and encourage the positive impact of the collective contribution of our entire community, and relentless in identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement whenever and wherever possible." Cllr Wells is an honorary member of the Salisbury Rotary Club. He also announced that his chosen charity for 2025–2026 will be Alabaré, a Salisbury-based organisation supporting homeless and vulnerable people through housing, care, and support services.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Record Charlotte area grocery sales topped $10.4B last year. One store was clear favorite
For the sixth year in a row, Walmart captured more Charlotte-area shoppers' grocery dollars than any other store, despite intense competition from local grocers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion. It's a lucrative market that saw record sales of $10.4 billion last year, a 2% increase from $10.2 billion in 2023, according to a new annual report by Chain Store Guide. The sales tracking firm gets its data directly from grocery stores. Walmart had the most sales revenue of any grocer in the region, the report found. It grabbed 23% of the market share last year, the same as 2023 — but that still accounted for $2.4 billion in revenue. Matthews-based grocer Harris Teeter, owned by The Kroger Co., was second for the sixth year with 16% of the market share, about the same as 2023. Harris Teeter saw $1.6 billion in regional sales. We sought out the lowest-priced grocery stores in Charlotte. Here's what we found Salisbury-based Food Lion, owned by Ahold Delhaize, consistently ranked third. Food Lion took 15% of the market share last year, which was slightly up from 2023. Food Lion saw $1.5 billion in sales. The trio of chains continue to comprise more than half of all local grocery sales. Walmart has dominated the Charlotte market share since 2019, knocking Harris Teeter from its No. 1 perch that year. Harris Teeter had held the top ranking from 2016 to 2018. Walmart has 32 supercenter stores in the region, Harris Teeter has 60 stores and Food Lion has 103 regional stores. All are unchanged from 2023. Walmart Neighborhood Market's eight area stores gained over $169 million in sales for 1.6% of the market share. The report counts those smaller store sales separately from the Walmart supercenters. Retail giant closing its Charlotte corporate office with over 260 layoffs In the report, the Charlotte region includes Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Union counties, as well as Chester, Lancaster and York counties in South Carolina. Rounding out the top 10 in market share were: Publix, 10.8%; Sam's Club, 5.6%; Costco Wholesale, 4.3%; Super Target/Target, 4.2%; Lidl, 2.8%; Dollar General, 2.3%; Aldi 2.1%. After the top 10, here's how other stores ranked for capturing market share: Whole Foods Market, 1.6%; BJ's Wholesale Club, 1.6%, Ingles, 1.5%; Family Dollar, 1%; Trader Joe's, 0.9%; Dollar Tree, 0.8%; The Fresh Market, 0.6%; Earth Fare, 0.6%; Lowes Foods, 0.6%. Another 92 stores made up 3.2% of the market share, about the same as 2023 with 96 stores. Compare Foods dropped off the market share list this year, falling into 'other operations.' Store expansions continue to shake-up where Charlotte supermarket customers shop. There are 729 grocery stores in the Charlotte region, down from 745 in 2023, according to the report. Dollar General has the most stores, 149, followed by Food Lion and Dollar General, 93. This year, several grocery stores have opened and more are planned: ▪ This month, Publix supermarket debuted a 55,477-square-foot grocery store at 11525 Carmel Commons Blvd. It's Publix 24th store to open in the Charlotte region since the first one opened in Ballantyne in 2014. Publix has at least five more stores planned at: Wesley Chapel, The Arboretum, 10 Tryon building in uptown, Clear Creek Crossings and one in South Park. ▪ In January, Food Lion opened a store at 155 Crosstie Lane in Troutman, about 35 miles north of uptown Charlotte in Iredell County. The company opened three stores in the Charlotte area since 2022 at 2201 West W. T. Harris Blvd. and 5939 Weddington Road in Charlotte, and 11745 Statesville Blvd. in Cleveland. ▪ Sprouts Farmers Market will open a 21,000-square-foot store this summer at the One NoDa Park development on the corner of 36th and Tryon streets in Charlotte. It will be the third location for the Phoenix-based grocer, which opened a store in Steele Creek in fall 2023 and also has a store in Ballantyne. ▪ The West Boulevard Coalition is opening Charlotte's first cooperative grocery store, Three Sisters Market. The full-service grocery store will debut in an area that has been without a traditional supermarket for over 30 years. It's expected to open this year. ▪ Last July, Matthews Board of Commissioners approved changes to a grocery store plan with illustration signage similar to Trader Joe's in a 13,5000-square-foot building at Matthews Gateway on East John Street. ▪ Last May, Mecklenburg County commissioners OK'd $1.5 million for California-based grocer Spangler's to build an 8,000-square-foot store at Kohler and Statesville avenues, north of uptown. ▪ In 2026, Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans will make its Charlotte debut with a 110,000-square-foot grocery store on the east side of Ballantyne in south Charlotte. Construction is under way. ▪ Historic West End Partners will open a 15,000-square-foot cooperative grocery store in partnership with Weaver Street Market, which has four stores in the Raleigh region. It's part of the grassroots group's larger development plan that includes 290 apartments. ▪ Harris Teeter will open two 60,000-square-foot stores in York County, The Herald previously reported. The 5366 Hwy. 55 E. store in Lake Wylie is expected to open in fall 2026. A Fort Mill store on Fort Mill Parkway also is expected to open in 2026.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina refugee program receives cease-and-desist order as Elon Musk targets organization on X
SALISBURY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Leaders of Lutheran Services Carolinas, an organization that helps legal refugees entering the country, say their national partners received a cease-and-desist order not to help refugees that have just entered the country under new executive orders. Although some of President Donald Trumps' orders have been walked back a bit since his first day in office, the CEO of Lutheran Services Carolinas says this could have a major impact on how the Salisbury-based organization operates going forward. Treasury tells Congress that DOGE has 'Read Only' access to payment systems They're able to help through humanitarian aid right now, giving new refugees food and shelter, but there's something that happened over the weekend that's making it even harder for them to do their jobs. Mohammed Al Kassar was in Syria when civil war broke out and he fled to a refugee camp in the Kingdom of Jordan. 'I think it was bad circumstances, bad for people's livelihoods, but better than war,' said Al Kassar, speaking in Arabic about the refugee camp and using Google Translate into English. Al Kassar applied for asylum. After 10 years in the refugee camp, he got to come to the United States. 'It is different now; it is good, and I live a stable life here with my wife and children, and my family are very happy here in America,' said Al Kassar. He went through the Lutheran Services Carolinas' refugee resettlement program and now works for the organization. The group also has offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and Asheville, Salisbury, and Raleigh in North Carolina. Trump suggests permanent resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, US takeover The CEO says they helped more than 1,800 refugees in the Carolinas last year, from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine. The refugees have been vetted and are coming to the U.S. legally, either from refugee camps or who are seeking asylum from war-torn countries. 'We help people get jobs, English classes if needed, but help people get jobs and get on their feet and hopefully to be self-sufficient,' said Ted Goins, President and CEO of Lutheran Services Carolinas. Goins says there are major concerns about the future of the refugee resettlement program following Trump's executive orders. But something else happened over the weekend that made him even more frustrated. Elon Musk shared a post on social media platform X, which he owns, from one of Trump's former administration officials during his first term. Then-national security advisor Mike Flynn singled out 'Lutheran Family Services' around the country and said, 'Now it's the 'Lutheran' faith (this use of 'religion' as a money laundering operation must end).' In the post, Musk, part of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, said, 'The @DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments.' 'I never thought that I would be sitting here in front of a camera defending any of the work that the church does,' Goins responded. 'We've been the hands and feet of Christ, that's how we see ourselves, we've also been the hands of feet of the government.' Goins says his organization feels under attack by Musk and is concerned about not only refugee resettlement programs but faith-based funding for senior services and childcare as well. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
