Latest news with #Tine
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC DMV, now under new leadership, wants to ‘triage' long lines and ID backlogs
Customers wait outside the DMV office in east Raleigh on Friday, May 30, 2025.(Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) Every day at the east Raleigh DMV office, customers begin lining up at 7 a.m. Most of them wait around three and a half hours for service. For a few minutes on Friday, Gov. Josh Stein joined them. North Carolina's Department for Motor Vehicles is facing a months-long backlog of appointments — with a typically busy summer season ramped up further by demand for REAL I.D. Stein has tapped a new commissioner for the department, who's outlining both a series of quicker fixes and a longer-term 'overhaul.' He and top transportation officials visited one of the offices as they delivered remarks on the plans. 'Know that we're working,' said Paul Tine, who was named DMV commissioner at the end of April. 'Know that these folks have not been empowered in the way that they need to, and that's my job to do that.' Tine's first order of business, he says, is improving working conditions and morale in the understaffed offices. The department is moving to increase pay for examiners. They're beginning to upgrade some long-outdated equipment, and issue new uniforms 'for the first time in five years.' And they're shuffling employees around to reinforce frontline desks — assigning both volunteering central staff and summer interns into high-demand offices. Motorists visiting DMV offices in the coming months can also expect to see some changes, Tine said. Staff are beginning to 'triage' walk-in customers — meeting them as they walk up and making sure they have correct documents so they don't waste time in line. Four additional offices, and 20 total, are now open for some hours on Saturdays. And the DMV has been aiming to streamline its website, making it easier to navigate options and clearly identify if you need a REAL I.D. — and if so, what documents you need to bring. Tine says a longer-term strategic plan to transform the department is in the works. But part of that plan depends on the General Assembly — and whether lawmakers choose to invest more money into hiring additional examiners and bolstering DMV resources. House Republicans' proposed budget largely follows the governor's lead, allocating money to fund dozens of new examiner positions. That budget also green-lights efforts to modernize the DMV's technology and proposes a study to determine whether the DMV could be privatized. The Senate budget does not include such additions, with Senate leader Phil Berger expressing skepticism that the department deserves more tax dollars. State Auditor Dave Boliek's office is currently conducting an audit of the department, with results expected in the coming months. Tine, who currently owns Midgett Insurance Agency, is a former state representative. He was elected as a Democrat but left the party later, calling himself an independent and choosing to caucus with Republicans. He co-chaired the transportation appropriations committee while in the General Assembly.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Urgent need for improvements' discussed at NCDMV press conference with Gov. Josh Stein
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Website upgrades, better pay, new positions and more efficient processes were some of the promises made by Gov. Stein and NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine Friday morning as they addressed the widespread issues being felt by customers. They joined Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins at the agency's East Raleigh office to highlight the 'urgent need for improvements' amid statewide challenges and what the future looks like. The press conference began with Sec. Hopkins inviting a DMV customer named Jocelyn to share her personal experience getting her daughter her driver's license. After driving over an hour to make it to the DMV office, she said she pleaded with staff after standing in line outside so long that her feet swelled. She was not only advocating to get them a seat, but to also come in and out of the rain to be helped before they closed. They were the last people served that day, Jocelyn said. As the NCDMV's new leader, Commissioner Tine said there is 'no shortage of opportunities to improve in the department.' As part of a 'Team DMV' plan, Tine said he visited many offices from the mountains to the coast to see where improvements are most needed to make the offices function better for North Carolinians. In that time, he said he observed issued from systems and processes to the physical facilities. At the core, however, he said a great need is making sure staff have what they need from compensation to resources. 'I want us to become a premiere customer service organization and to do that we need to empower our frontline staff,' he added. With a long way to go and many changes yet to be made, Tine said this is just the tip of the iceberg. The future, he said will focus on these four pillars: service, efficiency, agility and accountability. Gov. Stein said stories like Jocelyn's should be unique, but are not. Her story resembles thousands of others, he said. In addition to prioritizing raising pay for the state's DMV examiners, Gov. Stein said efforts are underway to simplify the agency's website and to ramp up efficiency as soon as this summer by creating 85 new positions. See which NCDMV offices are starting Saturday summer hours this weekend 'The DMV is not political. It's about service — service to the people of North Carolina,' the governor said. CBS 17 asked what tangible changes customers can see in these next few days and weeks. Commissioner Tine said the first round of changes can already be seen on the DMV website and encourages people to take a look. Off the top, he pointed to their homepage which directs people to a few questions which can help people determine if that need a Real ID right now. It also displays the message that REAL ID is 'completely optional.' As they work to address a lot of issues head-on, all at once, the commissioner said if people do not have an urgent need for something today, to not come to an office right now. Also coming soon to DMV offices will be changes that target the way appointments are processed and the efficiency of training individuals conducting road tests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Agriland
13-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Cork-based co-op completes major solar energy project
The renewable solar energy provider, MarVal Power, has completed a major project for TINE Ireland Ltd, the Irish division of the Norwegian dairy co-op, TINE, in Mogeely, Co. Cork. According to MarVal Power, the project will reduce the company's carbon footprint by over 4,344 tons across the next two decades, which is the equivalent of planting 2,150 trees or avoiding 370 roundtrips from Cork to Oslo every year. Norwegian ambassador to Ireland, Aslak Brun visited the site to meet with MarVal Power director, Fionnuala Carr and key members of Tine's Norwegian and Irish staff. The ambassador said: 'This project is a shining example of Norwegian-Irish co-operation on the path to a greener future. 'It reflects the values of sustainability and innovation that define both nations. I congratulate TINE and MarVal Power on this remarkable achievement'. The project includes a customised solar PV system, designed to integrate with the existing electrical infrastructure at Tine's high-volume processing site. The installation is expected to self-generate approximately 650MWh of clean energy annually, about 10% of Tine's energy needs, saving over 215 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. TINE's director of international operations, Ketil Haddeland, said the project is aligned with TINE's overall sustainability objectives. 'Sustainability is central to TINE's operations worldwide. 'Our partnership with MarVal Power at our Irish site in Mogeely showcases how strategic investments in renewable energy can deliver strong environmental impact and operational efficiency,' he said. Solar energy Elsewhere in Co. Cork, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) Joint Symposium will take place this week, from May 13 to 15 at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork. The event, co-organised by Teagasc, IDF, and University College Cork (UCC), will bring together over 250 delegates from 25 countries to explore the latest scientific and industrial advances in dairy powders and recombined milk technologies. This three-day international symposium features a programme of keynote lectures, technical presentations, and panel discussions. Among those in attendance will be academics, industry leaders, technologists, policymakers, and students.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says he wasn't 'trolling' about acquiring Greenland, Canada as 51st state
President Donald Trump isn't "trolling" when it comes to efforts to acquire Greenland and make Canada the 51st state. Trump has discussed acquiring Greenland, Canada and Panama for months — and has regularly referred to Canada as the 51st U.S. state. Despite skepticism from some, Trump said in an interview with Tine magazine published Friday that he is serious about these proposals. When asked by Time's Eric Cortellessa whether Trump was "trolling a bit" in suggesting Canada join the U.S., Trump replied, "Actually, no, I'm not." Vance Solidifies Dominance Driving European Foreign Policy Ahead Of Greenland Trip Cortellessa then asked whether Trump intended to "grow the American empire," prompting Trump to double down on the significance of acquiring these key pieces of territory. "Well, it depends as an empire, it wasn't, these are not things that we had before, so I'd view it a little bit differently if we had the right opportunity," Trump said. "Yeah, I think Greenland would be very well off if they I think it's important for us for national security and even international security." Read On The Fox News App Trump also claimed that the U.S. is "losing" money supporting Canada, and that the only solution on the table is for it to become a state. "We're taking care of their military," Trump said. "We're taking care of every aspect of their lives, and we don't need them to make cars for us. In fact, we don't want them to make cars for us. We want to make our own cars. We don't need their lumber. We don't need their energy. We don't need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state." Trump Remains Optimistic About Odds Of Acquiring Greenland: 'I Think It'll Happen' The Time piece was published a day after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that Trump routinely discusses Canada becoming a state, claiming that Trump brings it up "all the time." Carney has previously shut down any notions that Canada will become a U.S. state. Meanwhile, Trump has emphasized that Greenland is key for national security purposes. While the Danish territory has said it is seeking independence from Copenhagen but isn't inclined to join the U.S., Trump has voiced a strong desire to secure Greenland amid increase Russian and Chinese presence in the Arctic. "If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we're not going to be able to do that," Trump told reporters in March. "We're not relying on Denmark or anybody to take care of that situation. And we're not talking about peace for the United States, we're talking about world peace, we're talking about international security."Original article source: Trump says he wasn't 'trolling' about acquiring Greenland, Canada as 51st state
