Send your school news to ginasmithschoolnews@gmail.com.
Compiled by Gina Smith
Mooresville Graded School District
Groundbreaking: On June 5, community members and dignitaries gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Mooresville High School project that will include a new gymnasium and auditorium and a complete renovation of Mooresville High School. Renovations are also planned for the school’s Magnolia Annex, which will allow classes at the N.F. Woods campus to be moved to the Magnolia Annex. The updates will eliminate the necessity of busing between campuses throughout the day. The total cost of the proposed project is $40 million dollars. Mooresville Graded School District Superintendent Mark Edwards introduced community members and officials at the ceremony who were key in helping pass the bond last November to fund the project.
Mooresville High
New flower garden: Lindsay Knippenberg’s Environmental Earth Science students led a community outreach project that resulted in a new flower garden at the school’s main entrance in memory of longtime Mooresville High bookkeeper Kay Bowles, who died this school year. Students from the Learning Lab also participated in the planting activities. The following students worked to get funding for the project from Lowe’s and spent a Saturday planting: Chris Caruso, Colton Pierce, Nick Pianovich, Allison Johnson, Bryan Izzo, Cody Threet and Elizabeth Underwood.
Summer office hours: The school office will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays June 16-July 31.
Shepherd Elementary
Kindergarten celebration: The kindergarten moving-up celebration will be held at 8:45 a.m. June 11 in the gym. Only two adults are allowed per child due to fire code restrictions. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.
Fifth-grade ceremony: A promotion ceremony for fifth-graders will be held 10:30 a.m. June 11 in the gym. Doors open 10:15 a.m. Two adults are allowed per child because of fire code restrictions.
Brawley Middle
Powder Puff Game rescheduled: Brawley Middle School’s Powder Puff Football Game was rescheduled to 4 p.m. June 10. The seventh-grade girls will play flag football against the eighth-grade girls. Also, Brawley’s male football players will do a halftime cheerleading performance with principal Jimmie Dancy. The event is open to all ages. Tickets are $1 for students, $3 for adults. Proceeds will support the Student Support Services Fund. To view a video about the event, visit http://viewpure.com/_MliS-r7KCc.
Lake Norman High
Graduation activities: The Senior Breakfast and Commencement Rehearsal will be held at 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the Commons Area and 8:45 a.m.-noon in the auditorium, both on June 12. Attendance is mandatory for graduates. Students must pay fees owed and return computers before being allowed to practice or graduate. Graduation will be held 8:30 a.m. June 13 in the stadium.
Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy
Graduation: Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy in Mooresville graduated its first class of seniors during its inaugural commencement ceremony May 16. The five graduating seniors were: Eric Katsamas, valedictorian; Melina Sauser, salutatorian; Jacob Robinson; Mikala Croom and Reed Peterson. Liberty Preparatory was founded in 2010 with kindergarten through eighth-grade classes and has added a class each year. This marks the first year the school had a full kindergarten through 12th-grade academy.
UNC Charlotte
Math camp: The registration deadline is June 12 for the 2015 Math CAMMP for rising first- through sixth-graders. The camp, offered by the college’s Department of Reading and Elementary Education and the Office of Educational Outreach, runs June 22-26. Activities will focus on mathematical concepts from arithmetic through algebra and geometry. Individual attention will be given to each participant by trained, master-level teachers. Space is limited. For details, email Michael Green at mggreen@uncc.edu or Jack Piel at japiel@uncc.edu. To register, visit www.cammp.com/UNCC_Registration.htm. For registration questions, email Victor Mack at vbmack@uncc.edu.
A marina group from Charleston, S.C., has bought the PGA Marina in Palm Beach Gardens and plans to re-develop and expand it.
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Atlantic Marina Holdings aims to add slips to hold larger boats and increase retail space among other upgrades on the 7.5-acre site on the IntraCoastal Waterway in a growing area of north Palm Beach County.
“We think it’s a very strategic location in a great community, both from a commercial and residential point of view,” company principal Joe H. Miller IV said in a phone interview.
The move comes as the boating industry rebounds from a sharp drop during the recession and as waterfront land for marinas becomes harder to find and more expensive because of housing and commercial development in South Florida. Marinas now are increasingly being outfitted to host luxury super-yachts that span 80 feet and longer.
Atlantic Marina Holdings paid $8.45 million for PGA Marina, records show. The facility features about 395 dry slips, about 1,200 linear feet of wet dockage and offices that sell some 14 boat lines, an announcement said.
Plans call for renaming the site “PGA Marina Boating Center,” replacing and expanding dry slips with new and larger slips, improving common areas and the fuel dock, plus expanding marine retail space and the number of boat lines carried, the company said.
“It’s safe to assume they they’re buying because they see continued growth in the marine industries,” said Chuck Collins, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. “It’s probably a smart move, given the growth in people and business in the north end of the county.”
Atlantic Marina was started in 2003 and has been involved with marinas in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that offer more than 1,000 slips. Its roles include a mix of owning, developing and managing marinas, according to its website.
The company focuses on marinas along the U.S. Atlantic seaboard, around Florida and in the Caribbean. It now operates four marinas, the news release said.
Plans for the PGA Marina come as other marinas also are expanding in South Florida.
Palm Harbor Marina on the West Palm Beach waterfront aims to invest “millions” to add about 1,000 feet of dockage that can host six yachts 160 feet or longer, according to its developers, Leisure Resorts.
Lauderdale Marine Center, South Florida’s largest boat repair center, recently bought six home lots for about $1 million to expand its parking and office facilities, according to co-owner Selvin Passen.
Florida has more boat registrations than any other state, and South Florida has the largest concentration of boats in Florida. Fort Lauderdale is dubbed the “yacht capital of the world,” largely because of facilities that can maintain and repair boats between winters cruising in the Caribbean and summers in Europe.
South Florida’s marine industry had an estimated $11.5 billion economic impact and supported more than 136,000 jobs in 2014, according to a study by marine consultants Thomas J. Murray Associates.
dhemlock@sunsentinel.com, 305-810-5009, @dhemlock on Twitter
CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Firebirds Wood Fired Grill raised over $50,000 to fight childhood cancer in 2014. The company is on a bigger mission this year. From June 12 – 14, Firebirds will participate for the second consecutive year in Alex’s Lemonade Days, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s (ALSF) annual fundraiser that encourages communities to host lemonade stands in an effort to raise funds for childhood cancer research. It hopes to raise $75,000 through this year’s sales.
Alex’s Lemonade Stands will be set up at all 37 Firebirds locations Friday, June 12 – Sunday, June 14 from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Volunteers will sell fresh lemonade for $3 a cup; all proceeds will be donated to ALSF. The entire community is encouraged to participate and help Firebirds reach its fundraising goal.
“Through the help of supporters like Firebirds, our Foundation has funded more than 475 research projects at leading hospitals and institutions across North America. With each donation made, we are moving closer to achieving my daughter Alex’s dream, a cure for all kids with cancer,” said Liz Scott, ALSF’s co-executive director and Alex’s mother.
“We are honored to be a part of such an amazing fundraising effort, because of one courageous child. It is a truly humbling experience for our company,” said Stephen Loftis, vice president of marketing for Firebirds. “We value our partnership with ALSF immensely and we encourage the community to come out, buy some lemonade and join in our fight to cure childhood cancer.”
This year marks the 11th year since founder Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996 – 2004) issued a challenge to volunteers to help raise $1 million for a childhood cancer cure – one cup of lemonade at a time. Firebirds regularly helps raise funds for ALSF by donating $1 per glass of lemonade sold year-round at its restaurants. Thanks to the help of guests, approximately $320,000 has been donated to ALSF to date.
Firebirds’ participating partners include Gordon Foodservice, Reinhart Foodservice, Shamrock Foods, Dixie Produce, Ambrogi Foods, J.H. Honeycutt, Keany Produce, Liberty Fruit, Phoenix Produce, Senn Brothers Produce, Sirna and Sons Produce, American Beverage Marketers, McCartney Produce, Produce Alliance and Willie Itule Produce.
Help generate awareness of the cause by referencing #FirebirdsLemonade via social media. To learn more about Alex Scott’s heroic story or to support ALSF visit http://www.firebirdsrestaurants.com/alex.
About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)
ALSF emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996 – 2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex’s first stand, ALSF has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country. To date, ALSF, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $100 million, funding over 475 pediatric cancer research projects. For more information on ALSF visit AlexsLemonade.org.
About Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
Charlotte, NC-based Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is a collection of 37 polished casual restaurants known for classic American, wood fired grilled entrees. Open for lunch and dinner, Firebirds features a large variety of bold selections prepared in-house, including hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, chicken and ribs — all seared over local hickory, oak or pecan wood. Since 2000, loyal guests have enjoyed signature menu items at moderate prices, such as Firebirds’ Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Chile Rubbed Delmonico, Wood Grilled Salmon and more. The award-winning FIREBAR® boasts private Firebirds label wines and specialty seasonal cocktails, including its signature Double Black Diamond Martini®. The combination of Firebirds’ warm ambiance, personable service and delicious flavor provides the full spectrum dining experience guaranteed to Spark Something™.
For more information or to find a location near you, please visit firebirdsrestaurants.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @FirebirdsGrill.
“Far from being erased from the historical record, these women — their pralines, fruits, vegetables, and recipes — all are right there in our histories and cultures,” says University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill professor Elizabeth Engelhardt, who’s chairing one of two food-themed sessions.
ASHEVILLE – Whenever big money is on the table, the magnifying glass comes out.
In the River Arts District, some $52 million in spending for infrastructure upgrades, road rerouting and greenways is on the table. Private investors are putting up another $200 million in the area, formerly the city’s repository for heavy industrial uses and still an area sometimes described as “sketchy,” despite the influx of art studios, restaurants and breweries.
But it’s the public money — a projected $28 million from the city of Asheville alone — that is getting scrutiny from property owner and former City Councilman Chris Peterson and his wife, Mari.
The Petersons have created a website called “Asheville River Gate,” detailing what they perceive to be conflicts of interest on real estate deals and a less-than-transparent Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission.
Commission members, city officials and an ethics expert with the North Carolina School of Government say the commission, as an advisory board created by the city and Buncombe County, has little real authority and therefore little potential for ethical entanglements.
The 14-member board is not paid, but members do recommend to the city and Buncombe County overall policy for River Arts District development, as well as how public resources for the district should be managed. The commission also is charged with pursuing private sector development.
Chris Peterson contends all of the commission members will see benefits from the millions spent in the River Arts District.
It’s a charge members deny.
“I buy and sell real estate all the time, just like the Petersons,” said AARRC member Joe Ferikes, adding that he also hopes to make a profit in the future when he sells parcels he’s bought in or near the RAD. “I’m certainly not thinking I’m going to take a loss on it.”
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How the commission works
Mari Peterson has researched the AARRC board members’ connections and land ownership. She acknowledges that the board’s structure calls for some property owners, but she’s critical that no one who may potentially be adversely affected by eminent domain or easement issues is on the board.
“The question is really…how do they benefit?” Mari Peterson said via email, referring to AARRC members. “They are supposed to have some property owners (on the commission) but do they complete a conflict of interest report like you do on other boards?”
City Council created the commission in 2010 through an ordinance, which calls for a very specific mix of members:
•Two members appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, with one being a county commissioner.
•Five members appointed by city council, with one being a city council member.
•Two members appointed by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
•Two members appointed by RiverLink, the nonprofit that works for French Broad River improvements.
•Two members appointed by the Council of Independent Business Owners.
•One member appointed by the Woodfin Town Board of Aldermen.
The ordinance requires that at least half of each entity’s appointees own real estate in the “Regional Riverfront,” which stretches along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers from near Woodfin to Biltmore Village and beyond. The Town of Woodfin is exempted from the land ownership requirement.
Norma Houston, a faculty member at the North Carolina School of Government who specializes in ethics and conflicts of interests, said she saw no major red flags in the structure of the AARRC or the city ordinance under which it operates.
Local officials, including those appointed to local boards such as the commission, are subject to state laws that govern conflicts of interest.
“Those laws primarily involve conflicts of interest in contracting, or conflicts of interest when the public officials’ duties enable the public officials to actually take some action that binds the unit of government,” Houston said. “These laws generally prohibit a public official and public employees from using their public position in a way that is self-benefiting.”
The premise is that the official can legally take binding action on behalf of the board or unit of government. Generally, Houston said, they do not address situations involving boards where their actions are advisory or nonbinding.
While the AARRC board can enter into contracts, according to the city ordinance, it cannot commit any funding to them on behalf of the city or Buncombe County. For the record, the board has not entered into any contracts on its own.
CITIZEN TIMES
Could a whitewater park come to River Arts District?
Recent land deals scrutinized
The Petersons are troubled by recent land deals involving board members, though, as well as some recent plans that call for rerouting Riverside Drive. The change could hurt Peterson but benefit Commission Chairman Pattiy Torno’s buildings, called Curve Studios, the Petersons said.
The improvement plans call for building sidewalks “right to her place,” Mari Peterson said.
Torno, citing a health issue, deferred questions to the city. Other board members and city officials say Torno, like other AARRC members, is not benefiting from the plans or her service on the commission.
In her research, Mari Peterson found AARRC member Ferikes was a partner in the French Broad River Group LLC, which sold land to New Belgium for $1.7 million. The company is constructing a $175 million brewery on the west side of the French Broad, a project that will likely spur more development in the area and bring in tourists.
“(Ferikes) also recently purchased properties in and around New Belgium’s property on Craven Street,” the Petersons stated on River Gate, citing recent purchases at 25 Georgia Ave. bought in April 2014; 5 Georgia Ave., bought in March 2014; 19 Woodfin Ave., which is part of a planned greenway area, and two lots on Waynesville Avenue near Craven Street.
Ferikes said Friday those transactions are correct, but he disagrees there is any conflict of interest or even the appearance of one.
“If you look at the charter for being on the Riverfront Commission, one of the criteria is they be owners of property in the area,” Ferikes said.
The properties he’s bought are either vacant lots or homes needing work, “tear-downs,” as Ferikes called them.
CITIZEN TIMES
The River Arts District ‘sketchy?’ I hope so
Serving on the all-volunteer board offers no inside information, Ferikes said, and the board holds no closed sessions, so all meetings are open to the public.
The Petersons also take aim at George Morosani, a real estate developer who is on the AARRC board because he’s a member of the Council of Independent Business Owners in Asheville. They note that Morosani was the owner of the property of River Mill Lofts, which was recently approved for a 254-unit, four-story development with 4,000 square feet of commercial space along the Swannanoa River.
The property is actually east of Biltmore Village, a couple of miles from the River Arts District where the cash infusion is happening.
They note the development was reviewed and approved by the AARRC commission “first before going through the regular Planning and Zoning” and receiving variances “that would make most of the area developers quite jealous since the variance requests usually take months to go through and with a lot of hassle…”
Morosani makes no bones that he sold the property within the last three months “to make that development happen,” although he stresses he is not involved in the apartment development now. He also previously owned a self-storage property next to the city Municipal Golf Course along the Swannanoa River and still owns another building in the river district that he leases to an antiques company.
“I guarantee I owned all three of those properties before I even got on the board,” Morosani said. “The only reason I was put on the board is I’m a CIBO charter member. They needed to find two members to sit on it, and I had an ownership interest along the river. There’s no sense of non-owners telling them what to do with their properties.”
Morosani acknowledged the commission approved the apartment proposal but said he “stepped aside and vacated myself from any discussion of it,” a point the Petersons concede.
CITIZEN TIMES
Asheville gets $14M for River Arts District improvements
The nature of service boards
Houston, the conflict of interest expert, said land deals like those of Morosani or Ferikes might raise hackles with some critics, but they are not conflicts of interest.
“If all the commission members are doing are making recommendations to City Council for some specific action, the fact that that action might impact their property or their financial interest — because they are purely advisory — that is not a conflict of interest under state law,” Houston said.
Joey Robison, a spokesman for the city’s Planning Multimodal Transportation department, said city advisory boards such as AARRC, like the city’s other advisory boards, “are not provided with non-public information,” so “insider trading” is simply not a possibility. Because the commission cannot make binding decisions, that makes actual conflicts of interest unlikely, too.
The AARRC’s procedural rules state that the commission has to follow state rules on conflicts of interest, which state law defines as meaning a “direct, substantial, readily identifiable financial impact.” If that applies, commission members have to recuse themselves and not participate in the deliberation or voting on that matter.
As far as the enormous capital investment in the area and the $2.7 million in annual incentives New Belgium will derive from employment-contingent tax breaks, city councilman and AARRC member Jan Davis believes the city and county will see a return in that investment in the form of more development and new properties that will pay taxes, bring in tourists and generate retail sales. New Belgium will employ 140 people.
The New Belgium incentives are based on employment levels, and Davis pointed out they don’t get the breaks until they produce the jobs.
AARRC member Pam Turner said the dollar figures are enormous, but so is the potential for the entire river area.
“In this day and age, it takes a lot of dollars to do anything,” Turner said. “That is a lot of money, but I do think the payoff is going to be great for a wide variety of people. There aren’t too many other places for Asheville as a city to grow.”
Turner, who has a partial interest in the building that houses the Grey Eagle nightclub in the River Arts District, said any benefits derived from infrastructure improvements will benefit the entire community. It’s important, she says, to remember how bad the river area was a few decades ago when it was home to rendering plants and landfills.
“To see what’s happening there is just absolutely unbelievable,” Turner said. “Who would’ve ever thought we’d have this renaissance down there?”
Funding the River Arts District redevelopment:
The city of Asheville’s capital improvement plan projects a budget of $52.3 million for capital projects in the RAD Innovation District, “an intentional investment of 26 percent of the five-year capital plan,” the city said. Of that, $28 million is the city’s portion.
The other confirmed funding sources are:
•$14.6M, U.S. Department of Transportation.
•$1.8M, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
•$562,500, N.C. Department of Transportation, Transportation Alternatives Program.
•$4.9M N.C. Department of Transportation.
•$300,000 State of North Carolina — Golden Leaf
•$1.2M U.S. Department of Commerce
•$650,000 State of North Carolina, Clean Water Management Trust Fund
Because a sitting council cannot bind the budget of future councils, City Council can only approve budgets one year at a time. The plan assumes $9.8 million in spending for capital projects in the RAD next year.
Source: City of Asheville
About the AARRC
The Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission recommends to the City and County an overall policy for the continued development and sustainability of the regional riverfront; provides recommendations to the City and County for effective management of the public resources for the districts; pursues and assists private sector investment in the districts; and cooperates with, evaluates and represents the recommendations of other organizations, including property owners, merchants, residents, businesses, tenants, nonprofits, institutions and other members of the riverfront and regional riverfront district communities.
The Commission meets at 4:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month in the Chamber of Commerce Board Room at 36 Montford Avenue.
Who are the AARRC members?
Chair: Pattiy Torno, artist and owner of Curve Studios Garden in the RAD.
Vice Chair: Carleton Collins, architect with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture.
Members:
Stephanie Brown, executive director of the Asheville Convention Visitors Bureau.
Esther Cartwright, chair of RiverLink board.
Jan Davis, Asheville City Council member.
Joe Ferikes, local attorney, river area property owner.
Karl Koon, president of Sea-Nic Enterprises, river area property owner.
George Morosani, president of Morosani Associates commercial real estate, river area property owner.
Brownie Newman (ex-officio), Buncombe County Board of Commissioners member. Vice president of FLS Energy in the RAD.
Ricky Silver, CEO of Silver-Line Plastics, river area property owner.
Peter Sprague Jr., RiverLink board member, family owns property along the Swannanoa River.
Pam Turner, chairman of the board of Mills Manufacturing Co., river area property owner.
Jerry VeHaun, mayor of Woodfin.
Cindy Visnich Weeks, director of community investments, Mountain Housing Opportunities, a provider of affordable housing.
Local dessert queen Danetra Richardson of Swank Desserts and Salsa maven Georgia Schrubbe of Baila ConmiGA are collaborating to present “Sweet and Sensual: A Pop-Up Dance and Dessert Lounge” on June 25 at Jericho Advisors, 815 Savannah Highway.
The event will feature an exclusive tasting of Richardson’s latest creations, a Q-and-A with the chef herself, intimate mini-dance lessons with Schrubbe and her team of professionals, Latin music spun by DJ Leo (Leo Ordonez), wine sipping, discounts on Swank and Baila ConmiGA products, and more. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 after June 20, and can be purchased at SweetAndSensual.Eventbrite.Com.
“My ‘thing’ is that Shakespeare said the whole world is a stage, but I think the whole world is a dance floor,” says Schrubbe, a self-described ballerina-gone-wild. “I’m all about creating judgment-free environments where people feel comfortable, safe, and can just move when the music comes on!”
Richardson holds a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales and Hospitality and Tourism Management degree from College of Charleston and believes that dessert is not just an option…it’s a necessity.
“There are plenty of amazing restaurants here in Charleston, but we need something different. Swank is going to be just that!” says Richardson.
Schrubbe and Richardson chose Jericho Advisors for the first “Sweet and Sensual” event since they both believe in the work that Jericho Advisors does supporting creative entrepreneurs in the Charleston area.
“You wouldn’t think you could have a dance and dessert party in a financial advisors office, but it’s going to be a perfect fit,” says Schrubbe.
Baila ConmiGA is a Latin dance service in Charleston, S.C., specializing in events, weddings, choreography, performances, creative programming, and Baila Barre. Owner and ‘experience curator’ Georgia Schrubbe is a ballerina gone wild. Classically trained, she’s studied ballet in San Francisco, New York, Havana, Cuba, and across the Southeast. She fell in love with Latin dancing in 2010 and is a fixture in the Charleston Salsa dance community. She knows that Shakespeare said the whole world is a stage…but she thinks the whole world is a dance floor. Come dance with Georgia and her professional Baila ConmiGA team! www.bailaconmiga.com
Danetra Richardson is the owner and pastry chef of Swank Desserts, an online dessert shop. She has worked in several prestigious restaurants around Charleston and received her culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC and her Hospitality and Tourism Management degree here at College of Charleston. Swank, was a concept created while completing her capstone course at College of Charleston and was originally going to debut as a late night dessert lounge. For now, Swank caters to dessert enthusiast who view dessert as a necessity and not an option. We hope to reach more dessert enthusiast by hosting these events! “There’s plenty of amazing restaurants here in Charleston, but we need something different. Swank is going to be just that!” www.swankdesserts.com
c 2014, WLOS ABC 13 | Portions are Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.
WLOS News 13 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Asheville, NC and nearby towns and communities in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina, including the counties of Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, Haywood, Polk, Transylvania, McDowell, Mitchell, Madison, Yancey, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, Union, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Greenwood, Abbeville and also Biltmore Forest, Woodfin, Leicester, Black Mountain, Montreat, Arden, Weaverville, Hendersonville, Etowah, Flat Rock, Mills River, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton, Clyde, Franklin, Cullowhee, Sylva, Cherokee, Marion, Old Fort, Forest City, Lake Lure, Bat Cave, Spindale, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Burnsville, Tryon, Columbus, Marshall, Mars Hill, Brevard, Bryson City, Cashiers, Greer, Landrum, Clemson, Gaffney, and Easley.
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ATLANTA, June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Five major broadcast television station groups collectively reaching two-thirds of U.S. TV households have formed NewsON, a new venture to provide live and same-day local TV newscasts on demand from leading stations around the country to consumers’ mobile and selected connected TV devices.
The NewsON (www.NewsON.us) service will be provided by a new venture formed by The ABC Owned Television Station Group, Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, Media General and Raycom Media.
The free, advertising-supported NewsON service will be delivered through apps available for download from leading mobile and connected TV app stores. NewsON will enable users to watch live and on-demand newscasts from their local markets or from any of the 112 participating news stations, in 84 viewing markets across the country, whose owners have already contracted to deliver their news streams through NewsON. These include stations in eight of the Top 10 U.S. TV markets and 17 of the top 25.
Multiple stations will be available through NewsON in 21 markets, giving viewers the opportunity to “change channels” as they wish. The number of participating TV stations is expected to grow in the months ahead as additional broadcast TV station groups activate their streams into NewsON.
Leading this new venture is Louis Gump, who has signed on as NewsON’s Chief Executive Officer. Accomplished in leading digital/mobile news services, Gump presided earlier in his career over benchmark-setting mobile businesses for The Weather Company and CNN, before becoming CEO of mobile media and advertising company LSN Mobile. Gump has also served in various capacities within industry organizations including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Online Publishers Association (OPA), and he served for more than a decade on the board of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), where he held various leadership positions including Global Chairman and Treasurer. He was recognized with the MMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He will be based in Atlanta where NewsON will scale up its organization.
“The sheer amount of live news coverage – from TV stations around the country – that has been assembled for delivery through NewsON’s apps is unprecedented,” Gump said. “Americans place a great deal of trust in their local news teams, who are typically the first informers from the local scene of the biggest news developments around the country. NewsON will bring instant access to live local news to a generation of viewers accustomed to using mobile and connected TV platforms to stay informed.
“And this is just the start,” Gump noted. “We’ll welcome the participation of other TV station owners, as this service only gets better with each additional station.”
A recent study underscores local TV’s leading role as a news source. According to the March 2015 report “Local News in a Digital Age” by the Pew Research Center, local TV stations remain the dominant source of news for Americans in markets both big and small. The appetite for local and neighborhood news, the staple of TV station newscast coverage, is up to twice the appetite for national and international news, the study found.
The NewsON service is expected to launch to the public in the fall of this year.
About The ABC Owned Television Station Group
Part of The Walt Disney Company, the ABC Owned Television Stations Group includes eight local television stations and their digital assets. Led by OTV President Rebecca Campbell, those stations include WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, KTRK-TV Houston, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV Fresno. One of the top station groups in the country, the eight stations serve 22.7% of all U.S. television households. ABC owned stations are widely recognized for their longstanding commitment to important issues including local news, political debates and other public affairs programs, and community outreach projects which prompt charitable support for worthy causes. Other businesses within the group include ABC National Television Sales, a sales representation unit serving the owned stations as well as outside clients; The Live Well Network, a broadcast, online and wireless programming service; and the hit syndicated series “LIVE with Kelly and Michael,” which is produced at WABC-TV.
About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of CoxReps. Additionally, CMG owns Cox Target Media, which operates Valpak, one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies, and Savings.com, a leading online source for savings. The company’s operations currently include 14 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 59 radio stations, seven daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG currently operates in more than 20 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including more than 31 million TV viewers, more than 3.5 million print and online newspaper readers, and more than 14 million radio listeners. For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.
About Hearst Television
Hearst Television, a national multi-media company, owns and operates 31 local television stations and two local radio stations, serving 32 U.S. cities and reaching approximately 19% of U.S. television households. The TV stations broadcast 60 video channels, featuring local and national news, weather, information, sports and entertainment programming, and local community service-oriented programs. The stations also host and operate digital on-line and mobile platforms that extend the company’s brands and content to local, national and international audiences. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies, and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. Hearst Television’s Web address is www.hearsttelevision.com.
About Media General
Media General is one of the nation’s largest connected-screen media companies that operates or services 71 television stations in 48 markets, along with the industry’s leading digital media business. Our robust portfolio of broadcast, digital and mobile products informs and engages 23% of U.S. TV households and 46% of the U.S. Internet audience.
Media General has one of the industry’s largest and most diverse digital media businesses that includes LIN Mobile, Federated Media, HYFN, Dedicated Media and BiteSizeTV, all under the LIN Digital banner. With unmatched local-to-national reach and integrated marketing solutions, Media General is a one-stop-shop for agencies and brands that want to effectively and efficiently reach their target audiences across all screens.
Media General trades on the NYSE under the symbol “MEG.” For more information, visit www.mediageneral.com.
About Raycom Media
Raycom Media, an employee-owned company, is one of the nation’s largest broadcasters and owns and/or provides services for 53 television stations in 37 markets and 18 states. Raycom Media stations cover 13.1% of U.S. television households and employ over 4,000 individuals in full and part-time positions. In addition to television stations, Raycom Media owns Raycom Sports (a marketing, production and events management and distribution company), Tupelo-Honey Productions (a NY-based production company), Limerick Studios (a Charlotte, NC-based motion graphics design house), RTM Productions (a Franklin, TN-based automotive programming production and marketing solutions company), and Broadview Media (a post-production/digital signage company based in Montgomery, AL). Raycom Media is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama.
[Note: Addendum, including quotes from station group executives, follows]
ADDENDUM: Partner Station Group and Industry Quotes re NewsON:
ABC Television Station Group Comment
“Our owned stations lead the way in developing and embracing new opportunities to deliver local news coverage on multiple screens,” said Rebecca Campbell, President of the ABC Owned Television Station Group. “This exciting venture gives our stations yet another way to highlight our local content and connect with viewers, wherever they happen to be.”
Cox Media Group Comment
“We are excited to be a founding partner in this new venture that will deliver live and on-demand local news to our valued Cox Media Group audience, anytime, anywhere and to any device,” saidJane Williams, Cox Media Group’s executive VP of Television. “We also look forward to having Louis and his team as neighbors, sharing Atlanta now as our mutual corporate headquarters.”
Hearst Television Comment
“Local TV broadcasters are the first destination for audiences seeking the most important information within their communities,” said Jordan Wertlieb, Hearst Television president. “Hearst Television stations continue to expand our services to our audiences on all platforms — over the air, cable, satellite, on-line and connected TVs.”
Media General Comment
“As a truly connected-screen media company, we are always seeking innovative ways to share our superior local content with a broader audience, no matter where, when or what screen or device they prefer,” said Robb Richter, Chief Digital Officer, Media General. “This partnership gives us expanded reach through an additional app, social and the ever-important growth in OTT. We are driving the evolution in local content creation and distribution and we are excited about the opportunities with NewsON.”
Raycom Comment
“We see NewsON as an important step in furthering the strong bonds our newsrooms have with our audience,” said Raycom Media President CEO Paul McTear. “Our local communities look to our stations to be ever present with local news and weather on any platform they choose to use to stay informed. NewsOn is a terrific vehicle to allow the audience to access local news how they want it when they want it.”
BOONE, NC — Representatives of the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, Inc. (ATHC) officially announced today the kickoff of the public phase to renovate and restore the Appalachian Theatre on King Street in downtown Boone. The kickoff included an open house event with speakers, live music, food, and refreshments from downtown restaurants and merchants.
Among the biggest news of the kickoff was the official announcement that the group has raised 6.1 million dollars toward a total capital goal of 7.85 million dollars.
John Cooper, chair of the campaign and the theatre’s board of trustees, was joined by officers of the Appalachian Theatre and campaign leaders to showcase the event. Cooper stated, “With the help of private individuals, corporations, local and regional foundations, as well as public sector sources, we are well on our way!”
“We are not only here to save an important piece of the history of this town and county, but we are here to create a venue where local talent can flourish, and where regional and national talent can provide additional cultural opportunities for area residents and visitors to the High Country.”
Cooper went on to thank the numerous people and groups that have been instrumental in making the campaign as well as the evening’s event successful, including; the board of trustees, the campaign cabinet, theatre committee members, the Town of Boone, the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA), local government officials at the town and county level, local businesses and restaurants as well as specific individuals.
Bettie Bond, a member of the board of trustees commented, “There was a groundswell of community support back in 2011 when we thought this old theatre was going the way of the old Daniel Boone Inn. A number of citizens came together and said, “There’s no way we can let that happen again! We’ve got to Save the Appalachian Theatre!” We are now well on our way to seeing that vision become reality.”
Bettie recapped the long history of the theatre that started in 1938, incurred a devastating fire in 1950 and experienced an eventual decline which culminated in its closing in 2007. The building has sat empty and boarded up since that time. Within a year of DBDA purchasing the property in 2011 from a bankrupt developer, the ATHC raised enough money to purchase the property back from the DBDA and began the process of quietly raising funds to bring the art deco theatre back to its original splendor.
Though the design will be 1930’s art deco, the theatre will feature modern amenities including approximately 400 seats in the Auditorium, 250 seats in the Balcony, and a Community Room upstairs over the Lobby that can accommodate small-to mid-size performing arts events and special community events. An addition, behind the current stage house and an expansion to stage left will provide space for dressing rooms, a green room, a loading dock, enlarged stage and off-stage storage and assembly space.
Jim Deal, also a member of the Board of Trustees, gave a report of what is on the horizon for the “new” Appalachian Theatre, “We know what it’s going to look like, what equipment it will have, the capacity, and – of utmost importance – how much it’s going to cost!” Jim also stated, “When running at the projected capacity, it will play host to more than 200 activities per year. Of these, approximately 60 events will be destination draws for cultural tourism, attracting patrons from a radius of several states.”
“Once opened, the new Appalachian Theatre will have a positive impact on downtown Boone, Watauga County, and the entire economy of the High Country region,” Cooper said. According to a 2014 independent study conducted by the Center for Economic Research Policy Analysis at Appalachian State University, local spending by folks attending Theatre events will inject over $3 million in the High Country region. The study goes on to project these direct expenditures will, in turn, circulate through the regional economy resulting in an increase of more than $4.5 million in economic activity each year, and an increase of more than 50 full-time equivalent jobs. “While the Appalachian Theatre’s direct economic impact will be considerable for this region, intangible benefits such as livability, extended nightlife, and enhanced quality of life and image for the residents and visitors to the High Country region will also be realized,” Cooper said.
Persons interested in getting involved should contact volunteer coordinator Bettie Bond at volunteer@SaveTheAppTheatre.com.
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