It’s open season for candidates to file for public office for the 2024 elections … local, state and national offices … Check with the local elections office for the deadline … If interested … need to file soon … some sources list December 15 as deadline…
I was in a meeting recently when the topic of population was being discussed … Many counties around us, including Bladen, have and continue to see numbers drop … The Hester research team (me) took a look…
2000 – 32,408, according to one source … for Bladen…
2010 – 35,178
2022 – 29,525
2023 – 27,932 projected … Not sure all are correct, but pretty sure the population is dropping in Bladen, Sampson, Columbus and other rural counties, not just in Southeastern NC, but across the state … One source indicated as many as 35 counties lost population over the past few years … Larger metro areas seeing increases in numbers. Good jobs attract…
One source praised Bladen’s effort to develop live-work-play areas, now progressing at the local industrial park.
Apparently, play for pay at the college level has progressed and more changes are being discussed. Talked about for years … not sure what determines amateur status anymore…
Love to see the big, bright colored rolls of cotton in fields throughout the area … Hopefully, another good year for the industry.
Checked the price of a new pick-up truck lately? Neither have I, but apparently not uncommon for prices to run from the $70,000 range up, some $100,000 and more … not a clunker…
Yesterday’s high temp was in the low to mid 60s … 63 to be exact.
Sunny today with a high near 55 and windy, gusts as high as 24 mph. Clear skies tonight with a low around 30. Thursday, sunny, with a high near 54.
Looking ahead, Saturday, sunny with a high near 70.
“I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.”
“I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.”
“The scarecrow won an award because he was outstanding in his field.”
Sorry, just could not resist…
robert g hester
rgh4612@gmail.com
910-876-2322
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