City of Wilson :: News

NCDOT to Host Public Meetings for Proposed Improvements to I-95

1/30/2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 27, 2012

Contact: NCDOT Communications Office, (919) 707-2660

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a series of public meetings from Feb. 7 through Feb. 27 in communities along the I-95 corridor to provide information on the proposed plans to improve the interstate through North Carolina.

The informal meetings will take place in Wilson, Lumberton, Weldon, Rocky Mount, Smithfield, Dunn and Fayetteville. Interested citizens may drop by anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. to view project information, maps and the I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study Environmental Assessment. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions about the project. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will also be provided.

The Wilson public hearing will be held:

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Bill Ellis Convention Center
2904 Forest Hills Road (map, directions)

NCDOT has received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration on the Environmental Assessment of the I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study. The study began in 2009 and focuses on improving the safety, connectivity and efficiency of all 182 miles of I-95 through North Carolina.

For a complete list of meeting dates and locations, as well as locations where the Environmental Assessment can be viewed, go to www.driving95.com. Locations to view the assessment are also available by calling 1-877-I95-VIEW.

For more information on the meetings, contact NCDOT Project Development Engineer Kristine O’Connor at (919) 707-6034 or via email at kaoconnor@ncdot.gov. Citizens unable to attend a meeting may also submit comments to O’Connor via email or online at www.driving95.com. Comments may also be mailed (reference I-95 Corridor Planning and Finance Study) to:

Kristine O’Connor
NCDOT Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1548

Comments will be accepted through March 27.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in these meetings. Anyone requiring special services should contact O’Connor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Wilson Energy lowers natural gas, residential electric rates

1/20/2012

Wilson Energy customers will pay less this winter to heat their homes, thanks to rate reductions announced Thursday night.

City Manager Grant Goings told City Council that he was recommending a 3-percent reduction in residential electric rates and a 5-percent reduction for all natural gas customers.

With Council’s permission, the rates will now go into effect for the February 2012 billing cycle.

Mayor Bruce Rose called the reductions “very good news … I don’t see how anyone could oppose that."

Goings credited Wilson Energy’s staff with cutting costs and improving efficiency, which made the electric rate reduction possible. The gas reduction was driven by lower market prices, he added.

This will be the first change in residential electric rates since July 2010 when rates were cut 5 percent. Rates for small businesses were also reduced 5 percent in November 2011.

Reductions in natural gas rates have been more frequent. The new 5-percent cut is the fifth time Wilson Energy has cut natural gas rates since January 2009.

This week on 'Around Town'

1/19/2012

On the new edition of "Around Town," volunteers look to honor people who are making a difference here in Wilson; a federal review clears the way for city elections in May; and now is the time to help your neighbors stay warmer this winter.

"Around Town" is shown periodically throughout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be seen here.

NCDOT Awards $9.4 Million for Projects in Wilson and Nash counties

1/12/2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 12, 2012

Contact: NCDOT Communications Office, (919) 707-2660

RALEIGH — N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti has awarded three contracts totaling $9.4 million for several projects in Nash and Wilson counties.

The following projects were awarded contracts:

• Replacing the bridge on Halifax Road over the Tar River in southwest Rocky Mount near the community of Westmount in Nash County. A $3 million contract was awarded to United Contractors Inc. of Johnston, Iowa. Work can begin as early as Jan. 30, with final completion scheduled for no later than Dec. 31, 2013.

A detour bridge will be constructed parallel to the bridge construction site. Traffic will be shifted onto the detour bridge so that the existing bridge can be demolished and replaced.

• Resurfacing 21.4 miles of U.S. 264 from the Wake County line through Nash County and ending at U.S. 301 in Wilson County. A $4.6 million contract was awarded to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson. Work can begin as early as March 16, with final completion scheduled for no later than Dec. 1.

One lane of traffic at a time will be closed during work, and the road will remain open to traffic.

• Resurfacing several roads in Nash County including:
o N.C. 581 from N.C. 97 to West Mount Drive;
o N.C. 581 from U.S. 64 Alt. to the Franklin County line;
o N.C. 97 from N.C. 58 to just past Pridgen Road; and
o N.C. 33 from U.S. 301 to N.C. 48.

A $1.8 million contract was awarded to Barnhill Contracting Co. of Tarboro. Work can begin as early as March 16, with final completion no later than Dec. 1.

These are three of 30 contracts totaling $82.6 million awarded by Conti this month for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The contracts awarded came in about 8 percent, or about $7.2 million, below NCDOT estimates.

Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 471 highway contracts totaling $3.6 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.

For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

*** NCDOT ***

NCDOT Awards $1 Million for U.S. 301 Resurfacing in Wilson County

1/12/2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 12, 2012

Contact: NCDOT Communications Office, (919) 707-2660

RALEIGH — N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti has awarded a contract to resurface 5.7 miles of U.S. 301 in Wilson County.

A $1 million contract was awarded to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson. Work can begin as early as March 16, with final completion scheduled for no later than Dec. 1.

The contract includes plans to mill and resurface both directions of U.S. 301 southwest of Wilson, from Lely Road through Lucama to Aycocks Crossing Road. One lane of traffic at a time will be closed during work, and the road will remain open to traffic.

This is one of 30 contracts totaling $82.6 million awarded by Conti this month for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The contracts awarded came in about 8 percent, or about $7.2 million, below NCDOT estimates.

For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

*** NCDOT ***

Local Events for MLK Holiday

1/11/2012

In observance of the holiday for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., local volunteers are planning several events in Wilson.

All of the following events take place on Monday, January 17th.

Annual Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast
7:30am
Darden Alumni Center, 1600 Lipscomb Road (map)
Hosted by the Wilson MLK, Jr. Commission

American Red Cross Blood Drive
1:30pm - 7:00pm
Darden Alumni Center, 1600 Lipscomb Road (map)
Hosted by C. H. Darden High School Alumni Association

MLK, Jr. Day Celebration
3:00pm
Edna Boykin Cultural Center, 108 Nash Street (map)
Tickets are $5.00/ adults $3.00/ students Under 2yrs/ free
Hosted by the Arts Council of Wilson

Opening Reception for Artists and General Public
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Arts Council of Wilson
124 Nash Street (map)

Proposed Council Districts Approved by US Department of Justice

1/5/2012

Proposed Council Districts Approved by US Department of Justice
Municipal Election Scheduled for May

For Immediate Release
January 4, 2012
Contact: Jim Cauley, Wilson City Attorney

Wilson’s proposed voting districts have been approved by the US Department of Justice after several months of review. The new districts became necessary after the 2010 Census showed population shifts within the city limits.

Wilson City Council approved the new map in September after two public hearings. The map was one of several created by Redistricting Consultant Bobby Bowers of Columbia, SC.

“Our elected officials listened to their constituents and to the experts in choosing this district map,” said City Attorney Jim Cauley. “With this important work done, the new districts should be in place until the next Census in 2020.”

Because of the review process, municipal elections are delayed until May 8, 2012. The State of North Carolina may announce early-voting dates closer to Election Day.

New Council Districts for 2012 Elections (Click to Enlarge)

Current District Map (Click to Enlarge)

This week on 'Around Town,' Jan. 4, 2011

1/3/2012

On this week's edition of "Around Town," Wilson police officers provided a happier holiday to hundreds of local families; Sheriff Calvin Woodard will help pay tribute to a Civil Rights hero; and the MLK holiday will affect the City’s operations schedule.

"Around Town" is shown throughout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be viewed online here.

City Offices Close for New Year's Holiday

12/30/2011

City of Wilson offices will be closed Monday, January 2, to observe New Year's Day.

The holiday will delay garbage and recycling collection for some routes

Monday's collection (1/02) moves to Tuesday
Tuesday's collection moves to Wednesday.
All other routes run on normal schedule.

All of us at the City of Wilson wish you a happy and prosperous 2012!

This week on Around Town

12/22/2011

On the new edition of "Around Town," Wilson employees are now busy picking up leaves and trees; city employees were honored recently for their willingness to roll up their sleeves; and a state grant will help keep the music playing downtown.

The video can bee seen throughtout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be watched anytime online here.

Channel 8 will rebroadcast Jaycees' parade

12/9/2011

Beginning tonight, Wilson's Channel 8 will broadcast a replay of the Wilson Jaycees' Christmas Parade, held Saturday, Dec. 3, in downtown Wilson.

The broadcast schedule will be:

Friday: 11 a.m., 6 p.m., 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m., 4 p.m., 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, 6 a.m., 6 p.m.
Monday, 8 a.m., 8 p.m.
Tuesday, 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 11 p.m.
Wednesday, 10 a.m., 6 p.m.
Thursday, 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 10:30 p.m.

The parade will be shown on that schedule on Channel 8 throughout the month of December.

NCDOT awards $691,496 for bridge replacement in Wilson County

12/8/2011

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to replace the bridge on Morningside Road over Great Swamp, south of Wilson in Wilson County.

The $691,496 contract was awarded to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson. Work can begin as early as January 2012, with final completion no later than June 2012.

In addition to rebuilding the bridge, construction includes work on the approaches on Morningside Road.

The bridge will be closed to traffic during construction and a detour will be in place. Traffic will use U.S. 117, N.C. 222 and Black Creek Road/Frank Price Church Road to travel around the construction site. .

This is one of 12 contracts totaling $32.1 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about six percent, or about $2.1 million, below NCDOT estimates.

Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 439 highway contracts totaling $3.4 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.

For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

City employees honored for bloodmobile support

11/29/2011

The City of Wilson's employees were selected as this year's winner of the 2011 "Big Red" Corporate Award, given by the Eastern North Carolina Blood Services Center.

The city employees were selected from more than 20 corporations, companies and organizations that were nominated for the "Big Red" award, given for strong participation in American Red Cross bloodmobiles.

Wilson County Account Manager Ernie Smith praised the city's commitment to bloodmobiles as "strong and consistent ... With drives scheduled in November, January, March and June, helping during a critical time of the year comes as no surprise for this corporate sponsor."

City employees drives have averaged between 95-105 units of blood this year, about a 20-percent increase from the previous year.

"It is an honor to receive this award from the American Red Cross," said Tonya West, the coordinator for the City's bloodmobiles. "The credit truly goes to our wonderful employees. They are the ones who turn out and support our drives consistently."

She added, "I'd like to thank our managers and supervisors for their support by allowing our employees time to donate blood at our drives."

The award was given during the center's annual sponsor recognition, held Friday, Nov. 18, at the Rock Springs Center on N.C. 43.

This Week on 'Around Town'

11/29/2011

On the new edition of "Around Town," Wilson firefighters are teaching your children how to avoid fires and burns; temporary signs create a lasting problem for city workers; and you can get a look at beautiful holiday art downtown this month.

"Around Town" can be seen periodically throughout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be watched online here.

Arts grant will boost First Fridays concerts

11/17/2011

The City of Wilson Human Relations Office was awarded a $1,000 grassroots grant for its First Fridays on the Lawn International Night Concert.

The grant was issued by the Arts Council of Wilson through the North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Arts Program with funding from the state of North Carolina, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Grants are awarded across the state to ensure opportunities for citizens to experience the arts in their own community.

This event afforded the Human Relations Office the ability to bring a culturally enriching experience, bringing the Indian folk dance group, NATYA, and salsa band, Sasajo.

First Fridays on the Lawn is a four concert series which dedicates one night specifically to international music and entertainment. This is done in recognition of Wilson’s growing international community. The goal of international night, as well as the other concerts in the series, is celebrate diversity through music. .

The concert series will celebrate its 9^th season in 2012. Concerts are held the first Friday of the month from July through October and start at 6 p.m. at the Wilson County Library Lawn.

For more information about 1^st Fridays on the Lawn contact the Human Relations Office at (252) 399-2308.

This Week on Around Town

11/17/2011

On the new edition of "Around Town," a federal grant is helping to bring some deserted properties back to life; Fridays are going to be festive again the December in downtown Wilson; and the Thanksgiving holiday will soon affect city schedules.

"Around Town" can be seen periodically throughout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be seen online here.

City honored again for budget work

11/10/2011

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) is pleased to announce that the City of Wilson, NC, has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

This marks the 21st consecutive year the City of Wilson has earned this distinction.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

A policy document
A financial plan
An operations guide
A communications device.

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. This has been presented to Wilson’s department of Financial Information Services.

For budgets including fiscal period 2010, over 1,250 entities received the award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving nearly 17,400 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

Legislators set job fair in Tarboro Friday

11/3/2011

N.C. Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield will sponsor a job fair in her district on Friday, Nov. 4, in an effort to connect employers with people who need jobs.

N.C. Rep. Angela Bryant and N.C. Sen. Ed Jones are also hosting the event.

“By far, the biggest issue in my district right now is jobs and the economy,” Rep. Farmer-Butterfield said. “People need help and that is what I am hoping to provide. That is what they expect from me and other elected representatives.”

More than 20 employers from Edgecombe, Halifax, Pitt, Nash and Wilson counties who are hiring new workers are expected to attend the job fair.

The event will be held in the Fleming Building Atrium – Building H at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro (2009 West Wilson Street) from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Job skill training sessions and an update on legislation that may affect our community will also be offered.

Partners in the job fair include: the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, The Turning Point Workforce Development Board and The Region Q Workforce Development Board.

Rep. Farmer-Butterfield is a health and human services professional in her fifth term representing Edgecombe and Wilson counties in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She is a member of the Appropriations, Commerce and Development, Ethics, Health and Human Services, Program Evaluation, Redistricting and Rules committees.

Workshop helps people with disabilities plan for emergencies

11/3/2011

A free emergency preparedness workshop, PREParation for Emergencies and Recovery: Supporting Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their Families, will be offered on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the City of Wilson Operations Center, 1800 Herring Ave.

The workshop is geared towards individuals with disabilities and the elderly. They will be able to learn how to be ready in the event of an emergency.

“Everyone needs to be prepared for an emergency,” said Reneé Smith, City of Wilson Human Relations Director. “With the recent hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and future potential winter storms, it is crucial for this segment of the population to take extra precautions.”

Featured topics include Unique Needs of Individuals with Disabilities in Emergencies, How Individuals with Disabilities Can Prepare and Emergency Response & Recovery.

Space is limited to 50 seats. Participants are highly encouraged to register for this workshop as soon as possible. A light lunch will also be served.

The registration deadline is Wednesday, November 9. Deadline to request special accommodation is Tuesday, November 8.

For more information and to register, please contact the City of Wilson Human Relations Office at (252) 399-2308.

This workshop is being hosted by the City of Wilson Human Relations Office in partnerships with CTAG (Citizens Together Advocacy Group), Wilson County EMS and the Family Support Program, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

This week on Around Town

11/2/2011

On the new edition of "Around Town," Wilson firefighters want you to have a warm but safe winter and holiday season; a City of Wilson video about the Sanderson Farms controversy has won a national award; and City offices will be closing for holidays later this month.

"Around Town" is shown periodically throughout the day on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and TWC. It can also be viewed here.