Wake Forest Downtown Inc. board member and local attorney James Warren was recognized as a 2015 Main Street Champion during the 2016 N.C. Main Street Awards Conference in Goldsboro on March 18. Altogether, 37 individuals from across North Carolina received honors for their contributions last year. This year’s group of Main Street Champions brings the total number to 603 since Champions were first named in 1980 as part of N.C. Main Street’s 20th anniversary celebration. Downtown Development Director Lisa Hayes says Warren was an obvious choice due to his initiative and longstanding support of downtown. “Every community has a ‘go-to’ person who makes things happen and gets things done,” Hayes said. “That person in Wake Forest is James Warren.” “James has practiced law in our downtown for over 40 years and is a true champion for our property owners, businesses and community,” she continued. “He has always been committed to the

Wake Electric and the other 25 co-ops in the network of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have collectively pledged nearly $600,000 to the state’s teachers in Bright Ideas education grant funding for the 2016-17 school year. Educators can submit an application beginning April 1 for grants of up to $3,000 for creative, hands-on classroom projects that would not otherwise be possible. Teachers can learn more about Wake’s teacher grants at www.wemc.com and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com. “For more than 20 years, Bright Ideas grants have helped teachers bring innovative ideas to life and get students excited about learning,” said Darnell Alford, grant program administrator “Wake Electric is committed to the communities we serve, and we believe there is no better investment than in the education of our youth.” Wake Electric expects to award $50,000 in Bright Ideas grants this year to teachers in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake

By Chris Fitzsimmons Governor Pat McCrory this week defended the sweeping anti-LBGT law he signed last week by blaming the media for biased reporting and calling the growing opposition to the discriminatory legislation “political theater.” McCrory spoke briefly with reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for a Novo Nordisk facility in Clayton Wednesday, first claiming that misreporting by media outlets was fueling the national and international outrage over the law and then saying that reporters were “blindsiding” him with questions about it. Here are seven questions that McCrory should answer to clear things up for people who are concerned. There are many more, but answering these would clear up a lot of the lingering confusion about where McCrory stands. 1) Should it be legal for businesses in Charlotte and across North Carolina to fire people who are gay or transgender simply because of their sexual orientation? The Charlotte ordinance that McCrory’s

A new event aimed at the area’s growing population of active seniors, the Senior Lifestyle Expo will happen Tuesday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richland Creek Community Church. Admission is free and there will be free coffee and refreshments along with more than 50 exhibitor booths and informative presentations. The event is presented by Carillon Assisted Living in Wake Forest with the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. The church is at 3229 Burlington Mills Road. “The Senior Lifestyle Expo is modeled after our very successful business expos,” Corey Hutcherson, the chamber vice president of membership, said. “It’s a way to bring together businesses that have products and services targeted to adults over the age of 50. At the same time, residents can mingle and learn about different businesses, volunteer organizations, and recreational activities that may appeal to them.” Presentations and demonstrations will be made throughout

The Budget and Tax Center, a project of the North Carolina Justice Center, has just released its bi-annual (twice a year) Economic Snapshots showing how people in each of the 100 North Carolina counties are employed, living in poverty, able to afford adequate house or graduated from high school. Wake County fared pretty well compared to the entire state, but 35,388 of our children in 2014 were living in poverty (14.3 percent compared to 24.1 percent statewide) and 26.6 percent of Wake residents were low income on average from 2010 to 2014, meaning their incomes were less than twice the federal poverty level which was $47,700 for a family of four in 2014. To see all counties, go to http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=budget-and-tax/btc-brief-county-economic-snapshots-0 Here is Wake County: Wake County has a population of 1,025,434, which is an increase of 30.3 percent over the last decade. AVAILABILITY OF JOBS There were 22,866 people looking