On November 22, someone left an urn in the cemetery at Bethel United Methodist Church in Midland.  At this time, all efforts to identify the owner of the urn have been fruitless.   There are cremains in the urn.  We do not know whether the urn was stolen from the family or if a family member placed the urn there for some unknown reason.

If the pictures can be aired, maybe the family will recognize the urn and contact us.

Please have the public call the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 704-920-3000 with any information about this.

Request is a first step in complying with Judge Manning’s order

RALEIGH—Gov. Bev Perdue sent a letter today to leaders of the North Carolina General  Assembly today requesting that the General Assembly take a first step in implementing a court order regarding NC Pre-K.

The governor requested resources to enable 6,300 additional at-risk students to enroll in NC Pre-K starting in January 2012.

“Not only are we under a court order to provide NC Pre-K services to every at-risk child who applies, but we know that investing in early childhood education pays dividends,”  Gov. Perdue said. “NC Pre-K is a nationally-recognized academic prekindergarten program that benefits not just each individual child served, but the state’s education system as a whole. This is because when all students enter elementary school ready to learn,  all children have a better chance to succeed in school and in life.”

On July 18, 2011, North Carolina Superior Court Judge Howard Manning issued an order in which he said that “[t]he State of North Carolina shall not deny any eligible  at-risk four year old admission to the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program (NCPK).” The Judge also directed the state to “provide the quality services of the NCPK to any eligible four year old that applies.” Judge Manning reaffirmed that ruling last month.

On Aug. 11, 2011, Gov. Perdue issued an Executive Order, which directed the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for how to serve all eligible at-risk  four year olds.

Gov. Perdue supports an incremental and fiscally responsible approach to complying with Judge Manning’s order.

“We can’t flip a switch,” Gov. Perdue said. “We must implement Judge Manning’s order in a prudent, fiscally responsible way.”

DHHS determined that North Carolina can serve an additional 6,300 children this year and still meet the high quality academic standards that Gov. Perdue and Judge Manning  require. The increased enrollment would bring the total number of children served this year roughly back to the number served last school year.

DHHS estimates that it will cost approximately $30 million to serve 6,300 additional children starting in January 2012. Gov. Perdue identified existing funds that the  General Assembly could use without raising taxes, without putting the budget out of balance and without damaging critical priorities.

She made clear, however, that she would be open to discussing other sources for the funding as long as the funds would not be taken from other education needs, including  Smart Start, K-12, community colleges and public universities.

Gov. Perdue identified the $30 million from the following sources: $27 million from funds that the are on the “bottom-line” after the close out of the Fiscal Year 2011  budget (i.e., funds that the state anticipates it will collect but have not been appropriated for any purpose); and $3 million from the Contingency and Emergency Fund.

RALEIGH – The N.C. Youth Advisory Council of the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office in the Department of Administration has extended the deadline by one week  to submit applications for mini-grants available to youth groups to conduct community projects.  The application deadline is now 5 p.m. Oct. 7.

Up to $6,292 is available to North Carolina organizations composed of young people, ages 13 to 18, which implement  programs to benefit their peers.  The mini-grants will range from $100 to up to $500 each.

Examples of projects that have received funding since the program started in 1977 include after-school tutorial programs, purchases of recreational equipment and orchestral music, an alcohol-free graduation  celebration and books for children in a hospital critical care unit.  Requests for cost of food, entertainment, travel and salaries will not qualify for funding.

The State Youth Council and the Youth Advisory Council will meet in November to review applications for awards and will announce recipients in December.

For regulations or to download an application, visit http://www.doa.state.nc.us/yaio/councils-minigrant.aspx or contact Cynthia Giles of the Youth Advocacy and Involvement  Office at 919-807-4400.