LIBERTY — In addition to providing some free fun, last weekend’s Tri-Corners Fishing Rodeo and Fun Fest raised money and food donations for E.M. Holt Elementary School’s backpack program.
The backpack program received 80 cubic feet of donated food supplies for children who may otherwise go without a structured meal while not in school, according to Meridian Waste North Carolina LLC, which put on the event. By placing food items in backpacks, children were ensured confidentiality about their lack of food. Recipients included low-income children with some homeless youngsters as beneficiaries.
Meridian Waste held its inaugural Fishing Rodeo and Fun Fest on Saturday, April 13, at Tri-Corners Construction & Demolition Landfill off Foster Store Road. Meridian Waste purchased the landfill, formerly known as Coble’s Sandrock, in September 2023. It organized the event as part of a pledge to be a strong community partner.
The event was the idea of sisters Deanna Martin, general manager of Meridian Waste’s Triad Hauling operation, and Jenny Gum, top sales representative for Triad Hauling and Tri-Corners Landfill. The are the daughters of Kent and Brenda Coble, former owners of the landfill and hauling companies. They sisters remained on staff after Meridian Waste bought the business.
Martin and Gum, along with Tri-Corners Landfill Manager Josh Gustaf, hosted the free community event to bring neighbors and community members to the disposal facility for a better understanding of how the landfill operates. They also provided informative tours.
The fun day demonstrated the many natural attributes of the landfill property, including a well-stocked fishing lake and rolling pasture lands. The family-friendly event included a competitive fishing rodeo, an interactive simulator for driving and operating earth moving equipment, inflatable children’s games, a mechanical bull, face painting, a bubble station and field amusements, and there was a free Zack’s hot-dog lunch for all attendees.
Patrick Messinger, Meridian Waste’s area president, said he was pleased by the positive response to the event.
i“We served 755 picnic lunches to guests, gave away hundreds of children’s Earth Day gift bags and awarded multiple fishing rodeo prizes by age groups.” he said. “Games included fun competitions for the longest, heaviest and smallest fish, and raffle prizes. ... We can’t wait for our Tri-Corners fall 2024 community event to focus on a pick-your-pumpkin patch and other surprise activities.”
To view additional community involvement and learn about upcoming company-wide events and sponsorships with Meridian Waste, visit www.MeridianWaste.com/Our-Company/Community-Happenings.
BURLINGTON — A local store was fined nearly $3,000 because its price scanners failed inspection three times over the course of five months in 2023, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division said.
The division conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanner systems in businesses to check for accuracy between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2% error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection later. Penalties are assessed if a store fails a follow-up inspection. Undercharges are also reported but do not count against a store.
An initial inspection at Michaels in the University Commons shopping center at 1455 University Drive in March 2023 found an error rate of 12% based on six overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in April and July found error rates of 7% and 5.33% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in September 2023.
Michaels paid $2,900 in penalties.
It was among 14 stores that recently paid fines for failing more than one inspection, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. The others were in Forsyth, Hertford, Mecklenburg, Stanly, Wake, Wilkes and Union counties.
“Many of the stores facing fines in the first quarter of 2024 had multiple failed inspections and a high rate of overcharging errors,” Troxler said. “Overcharges cost consumers, so we remain vigilant in inspecting stores to save people money. Remember it is always a good practice to check your receipt as well as the price on the shelf to make sure you are paying the correct amount and alert managers if the prices don’t match.”
Of the 14, 10 were Family Dollar stores. A Family Dollar in Norwood in Stanly County paid $43,530 in penalties for 11 failed inspections from January 2022 to October 2023.
Consumers who would like to file a complaint about scanner errors they encounter can call the Standards Division at 984-236-4750.
GRAHAM — Roger Lane and Patricia Dolan were recipients of Alamance Community College’s 2024 Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Lane, a music educator, was the 2024 Faculty Member of the Year.
Lane began teaching at Alamance Community College as an adjunct while working on his doctorate at UNC Greensboro. At first ACC had only one music appreciation class, but over time Lane persuaded the administration to add additional music classes. In 2018, Lane was instrumental in establishing a longtime dream at ACC: a fine arts-music curriculum program that offers an associate’s degree. During Lane’s tenure, the college’s music classes have grown to include music theory, aural skills, applied music, classical music, show choir and introduction to jazz.
“I’m fortunate that I see a reason for music here at ACC and in society,” Lane said. “People in music appreciation class are shocked to learn how important music is in everything we do. It’s a pleasure to be able to teach what you love.”
Dolan, a mathematics instructor, was the 2024 Adjunct Instructor of the Year.
Dolan, a resident of Rutherfordton, has taught online math classes for ACC, including quantitative literary and statistical methods, since the fall semester of 2021. In addition to ACC, she has taught online courses as an adjunct at Isothermal Community College and Liberty University. She has taught for more than 20 years as a high school math instructor at Word of Faith Christian School in Spindale.
As a child, Dolan loved math and always wanted to be a math teacher. But she knows that, for many people, math has a stigma.
Dolan said that that math concepts appear difficult to students simply because they do not understand the concepts or they lack the foundation necessary to make the connection.
“I believe every student has the ability to learn if they are taught with patience and compassion, and if they are willing to put forth the effort,” Dolan said. “Teaching online, I realize how important it is to maintain good communication with my students, and I strive to answer student emails as quickly as possible. I strive to adapt the way I teach to reach my students.”
Both Lane and Dolan will for formally honored at the college’s Celebrating Excellence Awards dinner on Thursday, May 16.