August 14, 2025 • 34 mins
North Carolina has received a $4 million grant to expand workforce re-entry training programs. A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit against CSX over flooding in Lumberton. Tropical Storm Erin is active in the Atlantic, and July’s sports-betting revenues in North Carolina hit a record low. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley visited the Port of Wilmington, where his department announced it had recovered over $2.5 million in unpaid wages for workers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
It's five oh five and welcome into a Thursday edition
of The Carolina Journal news Our Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three WVT. I'm Nick Craig, Good morning to you.
Earlier this week at Governor Josh Stein's office announced that
North Carolina received a four million dollar grant for workforce
re entry training for incarcerated individuals, with the governor saying
(00:31):
in a press release quote, when we prepare people leaving
incarceration for success in the workforce, we all benefit. With
support from this new grant, North Carolina can continue to
build a strong workforce, improve re entry outcomes, and provide
people with real opportunities for a second chance. This funding
(00:53):
is part of the fifty is part of a fifty
two million dollar grant in funding from the United States
Department of Labour's Pathway Home Grant program, which was announced
earlier this year back in February. The funding goes towards
organizations that provide re entry services to incarcerated individuals before
(01:14):
their release from state correctional facilities or county and local jails.
Authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pathway Home
grants enabled organizations to partner with employers to provide participants
with training and industry recognized credentials, helping them successfully transition
(01:35):
into the workforce and back into their communities. According to
Brian Hamilton, the founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, he told
Carolina Journal quote, congratulations, a nice press release for politicians.
As far as I'm concerned, this is four million dollars
more added to the federal debt. The challenge is not
(01:56):
a lack of skills. It is that the judiciary involved
people for being habitually locked out of the hiring system
because companies screen through Google or even smaller crimes that
such as failure to appear. The Division of Workforce Solutions
DWS at the North Carolina Department of Commerce is serving
(02:17):
as the lead grant recipient and they are going to
be responsible for overseeing North Carolina's Pathway to re Entry project.
DWS will partner with three local Workforce Development Boards, Charlotte Works,
Foothills WBD and Western PIEDMONTWDB. The North Carolina Department of
(02:38):
Adult Corrections will also collaborate with these partners to support
the initiative. The grant will fund a comprehensive program to
help people leaving prison rebuild their lives and to rejoin
the workforce. The initiative will offer support before and after release,
as well as long term follow ups to keep those
(02:58):
of participants getting act access and taking advantage of this
four million dollar grant on track inside correctional facilities, some
participants will participate in workshops, small group and one on
one sessions, as well as career counseling and job training
designed to prepare them for their life outside Within the
(03:20):
first seventy two hours of release. The program will connect
participants to those community resources which will help them set goals,
develop action plans, and match them with education and training
opportunities that's through the North Carolina Work System or nc works.
They'll also be linked up to apprenticeships and work based
(03:41):
learning with a second Chance program from employers. For up
to twenty four months, participants will receive wrap around services
to address ongoing needs and monthly check ins to assist
progress in training, employment, and other areas of stability. According
to North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilly, in a press release,
(04:03):
notes quote, our fast growing economy needs skilled workers, and
this grant helps us fill that need by providing re
entry services to job seekers who are already ready to
take their next step in live in their lives. This
project will also help us in our efforts to meet
several goals recently set out by the Governor's Council on
(04:25):
Workforce and Apprenticeships, which included increasing populations in work base learning.
The Workforce System partners a plan to serve individuals incarcerated
at several facilities across the state, including Alexander Correctional Institution,
Caldwell Correction Center, Kataba Correction Facility, the Foothill Correction Institute,
(04:47):
Gaston Correctional Center, Marion Correctional Institute, the Mecklenburg County Detention Center,
and the Rutherford Correction Center as well. According to Hamilton, quote,
until there's real reform and expunging someone's record after a
credible amount of time, there are a few second chances
in America as we know it. Meanwhile, if you commit
(05:10):
a crime, start a small business so your offense does
not follow you around in perpetuity. So a little bit
of a mixed bag on reaction there from both state
and private entities. You can read some additional details about
this four million dollars grant program and that list of
all of the facilities that will be operating under that
(05:31):
as it gets kicked off here in North Carolina. That
story's over on our website this morning, Carolina Journal dot com.
The headline, North Carolina receives four million dollar grant for
workforce re entry training program. Again, you can read those
details over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com, where
it's now five to eleven News Talk eleven, ten ninety
(05:52):
nine to three WBT. The Atlantic hurricane season is on
many folks minds in the eastern half of North Carolina.
This morning, however, we're focusing on a long running legal
battle in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, due to
some past hurricane flooding. To bring us up to data
as to where we stand right now, Mitch Kokai of
the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal
(06:13):
News Hour. Mitch, we saw on the western half of
the state Helene last year. Over the last decade or so,
some pretty heavy storms in the eastern half of the state.
Flooding is a big issue. This is a very interesting
situation going on in Lumberton. What are you tracking.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, Basically, the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals has
essentially ended a lawsuit that residents and businesses in Lumberton
filed some years back against CSX Transportation, which runs the
railroad that goes through the city. The argument from the
plaintiffs was that CSX had failed to comply with an
(06:50):
agreement made with the City of Lumberton that would have
allowed the city to take some steps that might reduce
the potential damage of flooding in the event of some
major event, and in the case of this suit was
Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. So we're going back a few years.
Basically what happened was this suit was filed not too
(07:10):
long after the second hurricane in twenty eighteen, and initially
a trial court ruled in favor of CSX. When it
got to the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals back
in twenty twenty, the Fourth Circuit agreed that most of
the claims against CSX should be thrown out, but one
claim was allowed to go forward, and that was a
(07:32):
breach of contract claim because CSX, Lumberton, and this local
drainage district were in a three party agreement that basically
said that Lumberton had the right to build an earthen
dyke in CSX property. That could help mitigate against damage
(07:53):
of flooding, and if that dike was built, then there
could be a call to for CSX to shut down
its operations for the dyke to be closed with some
advance warning. Well, what happened was in both Hurricane Matthew
and Hurricane Florence, Lumberton contacted CSX and said, hey, can
(08:14):
we put some sand bags down to help with flooding?
And CSX said no, we're not going to do that.
So the lawsuit says that this is a breach of
the contract. But what the Fourth Circuit ultimately decided in
this new opinion that just came down on Tuesday, was
that no, the agreement was not breached because Lumberton never
(08:35):
built the dike that it was allowed to build under
the agreement. Had Lumberton built the dike and then asked
CSX to change its operations because the dike was going
to be adjusted, then CSX could have violated the agreement
by not going along with it. But Lumberton never built
the dike. It was asking to use sandbags instead of
(08:58):
what was called for the agreement, And the Fourth Circuit said,
there's no way that CSX could be ruled to have
violated this agreement because the sandbags were not part of
the agreement and the dyke that was supposed to be
built was never built. So CSX legally is in the right,
even if for the residents and businesses in Lumberton it
(09:21):
would have been nice for CSX to have allowed the
sand bags to be used. That might have prevented some
of the flooding, But the organization cannot be held legally
responsible for violating contract if the part of the contract
that was tied to CSX was never executed.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And looking at some of the background on this, in
actually Hurricane Florence, which was in twenty eighteen, Hurricane Matthews
in twenty sixteen, the town of Lumberton was granted temporary
access to put up some sort of temporary facilities, some
sort of temporary dam. They put it up Mitch and
ended up eroding away and not ended up work working
at all. So at least in the second case they
(10:02):
were granted some of that ability. It turns out it
didn't have much of an impact anyway. But it seems
like this stems around the fact that government didn't do
what they could have done with building this more permanent structure,
which has led to CSX being the victor at least
as if it stands right now in this legal battle.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
That's certainly right that the outcome of this case might
have been different had Lumberton move forward with putting up
the earth and dike and then called for CSX to
make some alternate arrangements once there was a threat of
imminent flooding. But since the dyke was never built, according
to the legal opinion, there was no leg for these
(10:41):
residents or the city to stand on because CSX was
only obligated to deal with changes in the dyke, it
was not obligated legally to allow for sandbags to be
put on its property, and so when it said no
to the idea, that ended any sort of legal liability
(11:01):
that might have been in the air.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's definitely an interesting legal story. We appreciate the time.
Mitch Koki from the John Locke Foundation joins us on
the Carolina Journal News out It's five twenty one. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News. Our news tack eleven
ten ninety nine three WBT keeping our eye on some
(11:23):
statewide news. This morning of July twenty twenty five saw
North Carolina's lowest sports betting revenue since the start of
legal sports betting that happened in March of last year.
The report released earlier this week by the North Carolina
State Lottery Commission shows that wagering totaled thirty three hundred
and seventy point four million dollars statewide in the month
(11:46):
of July, with more than three hundred and forty four
million dollars paid out in winnings. The state collected slightly
over four million dollars in taxes, according it to Joseph Harris,
a fiscal policy analyst over at the John Locke Foundation
TILD the Carolina Journal, July twenty twenty five produced the
lowest sports wagering tax revenues since betting launched in the state.
(12:10):
Driven by the sports calendar and favorable outcomes for betters,
June through August are typically among the slowest months for
wagerings since football and basketball, America's top two favorite sports
to bet on, are out of season. The NBA Finals
usually ends in mid June and NFL regular season doesn't
start until September. Wagering operators are taxed at eighteen percent
(12:35):
on their gross betting revenue, that is after subtracting total
payouts to winners. Harris noted sports wagering companies are taxed
on that gross wagering revenue, essentially their profit after paying
out winning bets. While total wagering in July was almost
was over three hundred and seventy million dollars and exceeded
(12:57):
those in July of twenty twenty four, which was just
three one hundred and forty million dollars, operators paid out
more than three hundred and forty four million dollars in
winnings in this calendar year of July compared to last
jel July of twenty twenty four. Consequently, since basketball and
football were out of the season and betters enjoyed a
(13:18):
strong month, taxable gross wagering revenue fell to an all
time low. The state has collected over sixty five million
dollars in sports betting tax revenue so far this calendar year,
compared to one hundred and five million dollars last year. However,
it is important to note that sports betting did not
start until March and ran through the end of the year,
(13:39):
so we'll continue to track that total through the rest
of the year and see if it is over that
one hundred and five million dollars met throughout the calendar
year of twenty twenty four. The use of those taxes
are one million dollars annually to the North Carolina Amateur
Sports Group to expand opportunities in use sports. Up to
(14:01):
three hundred thousand dollars annually to college athletic departments at
thirteen state universities. Of those, the list of those are
on our website. One million dollars annually to the North
Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission for grants of up to
five thousand dollars per team or group per county to
(14:21):
help cover the costs of travel to in state or
out of state sporting events, as well as twenty five
thousand dollars to attract amateur, state, regional, area, and national
sporting events, tournaments, and programs. Certain reimbursements to the North
Carolina State Lottery Commission and the North Carolina Department of
Revenue for expenses occurred to implement and administer the sports
(14:45):
gambling laws, and of any remaining proceeds, twenty percent are
distributed evenly to those thirteen state universities to support their
college athletic departments. Thirty percent goes to the North Carolina
Major Events, Game and Attractions Fund that's to foster job
creation and investment in the state and anything else that
(15:06):
is remaining. The final fifty percent goes to the State
General Fund. That think of that as kind of the
state's savings account. Fifty percent of any additional revenue goes
directly into that account, as well as approximately two million
dollars that goes into the North Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services Fund to help gambling addiction, education and
(15:27):
treatment programs. And as we look at one of those
funds in which money is being sent and is being
allocated to from legalized sports betting, that is the North
Carolina Major Events and Games Fund that was in the
news over the last couple of weeks or last couple
of months, I should say, as the state of North
(15:49):
Carolina continues to try to entice a various sporting events
and various again sporting events and other sorts of events
to make their way to North Carolina from some of
those additional revenues from sports betting, which again started in
the March of last year, and as we have continued
(16:10):
to track that, Charlotte has been able to take advantage
of some of those with the announcement of a couple
of soccer events coming to the area over the next
couple of years. That is due in part to some
of that money being doled out from the North Carolina
Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund. Will continue to track
sports betting. We'll look at its revenues every couple of
(16:33):
months as it's relevant. Here the story this morning over
on our website Carolina Journal dot com. NC sports betting
revenues hit record low in the month of July. You
can read that over on our website to Carolina Journal
dot com. In some other statewide news this morning, a
scary situation unfolding on the North Carolina Virginia border as
(16:55):
multiple deputies were shot Wednesday while serving warrants and a
detective order at a rural home in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania County, Virginia.
The shooting was confirmed by a Virginia representative on social media,
where he wrote, quote, My thoughts and prayers are with
the deputies who were shot in the county, as well
(17:17):
as their families. We are closely following the situation and
keeping everyone affected in our hearts at this difficult time.
This happened late last night, and as of just about
an hour or so ago, reports out of Virginia indicate
that those three sheriff's deputies injured in that back and
forth exchange with the suspect in that case are expected
(17:40):
to be okay. They were transported to the hospital, a
couple of them a little bit shaken up, but they
are able to We are going to be okay and
are going to survive their injuries. It is located on
the state's southern border with North Carolina. It's about ninety
eight miles or so northwest of Raleigh, so very much
(18:01):
close to home here in North Carolina. If we get
any other news or a relevant details on this, we'll
of course pass it along to you right here on
the Carolina Journal News Hour, where it's now five twenty
eight News Talk eleven, ten ninety nine to three WBT.
(18:21):
It's five thirty six. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal
News Hour News Talk eleven, ten ninety nine three WBT.
Don't forget if you miss any portion of our show,
you can check out the Carolina Journal News Hour podcast.
It's available in Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you
get your podcasts. Just search for the Carolina Journal News Hour,
tap the subscribe or follow button, and you'll get a
(18:43):
new show delivered each and every weekday morning. You can
also watch live and watch after the fact by visiting
our Carolina Journal YouTube channel. That link is over on
our website Carolina Journal dot com. We continue to make
our way towards the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
You've likely seen some social media activity over the last
(19:03):
couple of days about tropical Storm Errant, which continues to
move west across the Atlantic Ocean. As of this morning
five am out of the National Hurricane Center, that storm
does continue its trek west and is expected to become
a hurricane sometime between tomorrow and Saturday. Looking at the
latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, models still show
(19:25):
the storm being offshore, recurving before it hits the eastern seaboard,
looking to split that gap between the continental United States
and Bermuda. However, in the overnight hours, some model run
showing that storm getting much closer to the North Carolina
coast the Outer Banks in southeastern North Carolina. The storm
would not be affecting this area until about a week
(19:47):
from now, still so still very far out However, the
Atlantic hurricane season on a lot of folks mines across
the state, even those in the western half still reeling
from Hurricane Florence, and then of course in the eastern
half dealing with Florence, Matthew, Adrian and a couple of
other tropical systems over the last couple of years. As
it is relevant and as we get some more information,
(20:08):
we'll continue to pass the latest on tropical Storm Aeron
again projected to become a hurricane sometime between Friday and Saturday.
We'll keep you up to date right here on the
Carolina Journal News Hour, where it's now five thirty eight,
News Talk eleven ten ninety nine to three WBT. The
Port of Wilmington is a major economic driver not only
(20:29):
in southeastern North Carolina, but across the entire state. It's
a pleasure to be joined this morning on the Carolina
Journal News Hour by North Carolina's Labor Commissioner Luke Farley,
fresh off of a tour of the port down in Wilmington.
Commissioner Farley, thanks for the time this morning. Tell us
a little bit about your events down in Wilmington on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Nick. A pleasure to be with you as always. Yeah,
we just wrapped up a tour of the Port of Wilmington.
I've never been there before, but as Labor Commissioner, part
of my job is to see the work being done
the hard working men and women of this state. And
they're not working harder than anywhere than at the ports,
because man, those folks are getting it done. We have
(21:09):
one of the best ports on the East Coast and
I got to see it up close.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You know, you talk about the Port of Wilmington, it
was back just a couple of years ago you had
that horrific situation unfolding Baltimore and that forced a lot
of additional traffic to the Port of Wilmington. They seem
to handle that very well. And as I mentioned in
the open, it's a major economic driver across the state
of North Carolina with all of our imports and exports.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Absolutely the ports of North Carolina are growing. It's clear
to me that the Port Authority has a clear strategic
vision to grow our ports and to use our ports
to export a lot of the great agricultural products and
other things that are made in North Carolina. Right, So
if we grow it or make it here, it's got
(21:52):
to go somewhere, and our ports are on the front
line of getting those items not just other places in
the country, but to other places is around the world.
And one of the things when I was there that
I was really just proud to see is the efficiency
of our port. Our port unloads more cargo containers per
(22:15):
hour on average than any other port on the East Coast.
So you think about those big container ships that are
stacked tied with containers, those come to the port, those
containers have to be unloaded, and our men and women
at the port in Wilmington unload an average of forty
one an hour, where most ports are doing about twenty
(22:37):
an hour. And so this was incredible to see just
the skill and talent had the chance to go up
in one of those cranes. It's one hundred and sixty
feet up with a glass bottom. So if you're not
someone into heights, that's probably not the job for you
to go into. But it was incredible to see the
skill of those operators to pick up a container, take
(23:00):
off the ship, and then get it onto a truck,
and to do that basically forty one times an hour,
which gives you basically just about a minute to pick
up something that's you know, twenty tons and place it
precisely on the back of the truck. Really a neat
thing to see.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Yeah, you talk about those incredible levels of efficiency at
the Port of Wilmington. Let's talk about your position as
the labor commissioner. What are some of the things that
are your responsibilities when you're visiting somewhere like the Port
of Wilmington.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
So the Labor Commissioner is responsible first and foremost for
the health, safety, and general well being of the workforce
in North Carolina. And it's an important job because you know,
we've got a great economy in this state, but it's
the working men and women who drive that economy. And
our economy is nothing without the workers of this state.
And so I've got the responsibility of making sure that
(23:52):
the workers of this state are so safe and healthy
on the job and prosperous at home. And what that
means is enforcing our workplace safety laws, our anti discrimination laws,
our wage and hour laws, our anti child labor laws,
all of the things that give us a strong, healthy,
prosperous workforce.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You know, you talk about protecting workers not only from
a safety standpoint, but dealing with issues with their employer.
Your office had a press release out earlier this week
looking at more than two and a half million dollars
worth of unpaid wages for workers across the state. We
have an article on that over on our website, Carolina
Journal dot com. Can you explain where that money came
(24:36):
from and why that's such an important part of your job?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Absolutely so. The sad truth is is that there are
some bad apples out there, some bad employers who do
not pay their employees what they promised. Sometimes that's a
bonus or a commission, or they improperly deduct things from
a paycheck, or they don't pay a final paycheck. A
(25:00):
lot of ways that an employer can cheat their employees
out of the money that they've been earned. And we
have a wage an hour bureau that if you complain
to that bureau will investigate your claim and if it
turns out that you worrowed that money, the Department of
aboral fight to get it back from you for you
from your employer. And that was what that two and
(25:21):
a half million dollars was. We determined in the last year,
the last fiscal year, that employers cheated their employees out
of two and a half million dollars and we recovered
that for them, and that's real money that goes back
directly into the pockets of the working men and women
of this state. Helps them pay their rent, make the
car payments, by groceries. You know, we're in the middle
(25:43):
of back to school season, so buying school supplies for
their kids, and it ranged anywhere from a couple of
hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars that we
were covered for individuals.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
A point that you've mentioned with us, and I've heard
you make this point in the past is for indo
viduals that may have bissed out on tens or hundreds
of thousands of dollars from their employer, they have in
many cases the financial ability to go after them throughout
the legal system. But you look at those on the
lower side of the income scale, Commissioner, finally, they may
not have those financial resources to hire private council. Is
(26:18):
that where you come in and can help them.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
That's exactly right. So you know a lot of people,
if their employer doesn't pay them what they're owed, they
just don't have the resources to go out and hire
a lawyer to go sue their employer and recover that money.
And unfortunately, the bad apples out there are probably banking
on that. They're thinking that, you know, what's this person
(26:43):
going to do, Go hire a lawyer and sue me,
and they don't expect that to happen. But that's where
the Department of Labor comes in. You don't have to
go hire a lawyer. You can call one eight hundred
NC Labor, which is our hotline, and make a complaint
to the department and we'll stand up for you if
you haven't been paid what your own.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Look, there's a lot that the Department of Labor is
responsible for. Where can folks go online to get some
access to some of those resources as we're talking about
a couple of different things this morning, reaching out to
your office if they've got some problems, where do they
go and do that?
Speaker 3 (27:16):
So our website is full of information about workers' rights
in North Carolina and the services that the Department offers
to both protect workers and help businesses follow the law.
Because for us, it's not just about going after the
bad apples, it's about working with the people who are
trying to do right by their employees and so both
(27:40):
the workers we protect and the businesses we regulate. Can
find resources on our website that's Labor dot NC dot gov.
Labor dot NC dot gov. And we also have a
hotline that will direct you all of the different bureaus
that we have that enforce the different laws or provide
different resources. That's one eight hundred n C Labor one
eight hundred and see Labor.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
We appreciate the update. This morning, North Carolina Labor Commissioner
Luke Farley joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Good morning again. It's five point fifty two. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three WBT. I'm Nick Craig. A good morning to you.
(28:22):
An interesting program set to be taking place here in
North Carolina, as Governor Josh Stein announced on Tuesday that
North Carolina received a four million dollar grant for workforce
re entry training for incarcerated individuals. The governor said in
a press release with this announcement, when we prepare people
(28:43):
leaving incarceration for success in the workforce, we all benefit.
With support from this new grant, North Carolina can continue
to build a strong workforce, improve re entry outcomes, and
provide people with real opportunities for a second chance. This
funding is in part of a fifty two million dollar
(29:04):
grant from the United States Department of Labour's Pathway Home
Grant program, which was announced in February earlier this year.
The funding goes towards organizations that provide re entry service
to incarcerated individuals before their release from state correctional facilities
or county and local jails. Authorized under the Workforce Innovation
(29:28):
and Opportunity Act, Pathway Home grants enabled organizations to partner
with employees to provide participants with training and industry recognized credentials,
helping them successfully transition into the workforce and back into
their communities. The Division of Workforce Solutions DWS at the
(29:50):
North Carolina Department of Commerce will serve as the lead
grant recipient and will oversee North Carolina's Pathway to re Entry.
They are set to partner with three local Workforce Development
Boards Charlotte works A, Foothills WDB, and Western Piedmont WDB.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections is also set
(30:13):
to collaborate with these partners to support the ongoing initiative.
The grant will help fund a comprehensive program to help
people leaving prison rebuild their lives and rejoin the workforce.
The initiative will offer support before and after release and
long term follow ups to keep participants on track. Inside
(30:35):
correctional facilities, participants will participate in workshops, small group and
one on one sessions, as well as career counseling and
job training designed to prepare them for outside life. So
here's how it's going to work. Within the first seventy
two hours of release, the program will connect participants to
(30:55):
those community resources. They will be helping them set goals,
develop action plans, and match them with education and training
opportunities that is set to happen through the NC work system,
and through that they'll also be linked up with apprenticeships
and work based trainings with Second Chance employers. For up
(31:16):
to twenty four months after release, participants will receive wrap
around services to address ongoing needs, as well as monthly
check ins to assess progresses in training, employment, and other
areas of stability. According to North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilly,
our fast growing economy needs skilled workers, and this grant
(31:38):
helps us fill that need by providing re entry services
to job seekers who are already ready to take the
next steps in their lives. The workforce system plans to
partner to serve individuals incarcerated at several facilities across the state.
More more than half a dozen of facilities, correction facilities
(31:59):
and to tension centers, including the Mecklenburg County Detention Center,
will be part of this program. However, not everybody says
that they think this is a great idea. Brian Hamilton,
who is the founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, told the
Carolina Journal very bluntly, congratulations, a nice press release for
(32:19):
the politicians. As far as I'm concerned, this is four
million dollars more added to the federal debt. The challenge
is not a lack of skills. It is that it
is that judicially involved people are being habitually locked out
of the hiring system because companies screen through Google and
even smaller crimes such as a failure to appear. He
(32:43):
also continued by saying, until there is real reform and
expunging someone's record after a credible amount of time, there
are a few second chances in the American judicial system
as we know it. Meanwhile, if you commit a crime,
start a small business. You're a defences do not follow
you around in perpetuity. So while this program is set
(33:05):
to dole out about again, as we noted about four
million dollars from the United States Department of Labor and
their Pathway Home grant program, not every person that is
dealing in this sector, dealing in this space agrees with
this plan. Moving forward. You can read some additional details
on this program, where this money is coming from, and
(33:27):
some of the other groups and workforce initiative opportunities and
some other things that are going on here in North
Carolina over on our website Carolina Journal dot com. The
headline this morning, North Carolina receives four million dollar grant
for workforce re entry training. Again, that's over on our website. Well,
that's going to do it for a Thursday edition of
(33:48):
the Carolina Journal News Hour WBT News is next followed
by Good morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning
five to six right here on Newstalk eleven, ten and
ninety nine three WBT
It's five oh five and welcome into a Thursday edition
of The Carolina Journal news Our Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three WVT. I'm Nick Craig, Good morning to you.
Earlier this week at Governor Josh Stein's office announced that
North Carolina received a four million dollar grant for workforce
re entry training for incarcerated individuals, with the governor saying
(00:31):
in a press release quote, when we prepare people leaving
incarceration for success in the workforce, we all benefit. With
support from this new grant, North Carolina can continue to
build a strong workforce, improve re entry outcomes, and provide
people with real opportunities for a second chance. This funding
(00:53):
is part of the fifty is part of a fifty
two million dollar grant in funding from the United States
Department of Labour's Pathway Home Grant program, which was announced
earlier this year back in February. The funding goes towards
organizations that provide re entry services to incarcerated individuals before
(01:14):
their release from state correctional facilities or county and local jails.
Authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pathway Home
grants enabled organizations to partner with employers to provide participants
with training and industry recognized credentials, helping them successfully transition
(01:35):
into the workforce and back into their communities. According to
Brian Hamilton, the founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, he told
Carolina Journal quote, congratulations, a nice press release for politicians.
As far as I'm concerned, this is four million dollars
more added to the federal debt. The challenge is not
(01:56):
a lack of skills. It is that the judiciary involved
people for being habitually locked out of the hiring system
because companies screen through Google or even smaller crimes that
such as failure to appear. The Division of Workforce Solutions
DWS at the North Carolina Department of Commerce is serving
(02:17):
as the lead grant recipient and they are going to
be responsible for overseeing North Carolina's Pathway to re Entry project.
DWS will partner with three local Workforce Development Boards, Charlotte Works,
Foothills WBD and Western PIEDMONTWDB. The North Carolina Department of
(02:38):
Adult Corrections will also collaborate with these partners to support
the initiative. The grant will fund a comprehensive program to
help people leaving prison rebuild their lives and to rejoin
the workforce. The initiative will offer support before and after release,
as well as long term follow ups to keep those
(02:58):
of participants getting act access and taking advantage of this
four million dollar grant on track inside correctional facilities, some
participants will participate in workshops, small group and one on
one sessions, as well as career counseling and job training
designed to prepare them for their life outside Within the
(03:20):
first seventy two hours of release. The program will connect
participants to those community resources which will help them set goals,
develop action plans, and match them with education and training
opportunities that's through the North Carolina Work System or nc works.
They'll also be linked up to apprenticeships and work based
(03:41):
learning with a second Chance program from employers. For up
to twenty four months, participants will receive wrap around services
to address ongoing needs and monthly check ins to assist
progress in training, employment, and other areas of stability. According
to North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilly, in a press release,
(04:03):
notes quote, our fast growing economy needs skilled workers, and
this grant helps us fill that need by providing re
entry services to job seekers who are already ready to
take their next step in live in their lives. This
project will also help us in our efforts to meet
several goals recently set out by the Governor's Council on
(04:25):
Workforce and Apprenticeships, which included increasing populations in work base learning.
The Workforce System partners a plan to serve individuals incarcerated
at several facilities across the state, including Alexander Correctional Institution,
Caldwell Correction Center, Kataba Correction Facility, the Foothill Correction Institute,
(04:47):
Gaston Correctional Center, Marion Correctional Institute, the Mecklenburg County Detention Center,
and the Rutherford Correction Center as well. According to Hamilton, quote,
until there's real reform and expunging someone's record after a
credible amount of time, there are a few second chances
in America as we know it. Meanwhile, if you commit
(05:10):
a crime, start a small business so your offense does
not follow you around in perpetuity. So a little bit
of a mixed bag on reaction there from both state
and private entities. You can read some additional details about
this four million dollars grant program and that list of
all of the facilities that will be operating under that
(05:31):
as it gets kicked off here in North Carolina. That
story's over on our website this morning, Carolina Journal dot com.
The headline, North Carolina receives four million dollar grant for
workforce re entry training program. Again, you can read those
details over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com, where
it's now five to eleven News Talk eleven, ten ninety
(05:52):
nine to three WBT. The Atlantic hurricane season is on
many folks minds in the eastern half of North Carolina.
This morning, however, we're focusing on a long running legal
battle in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, due to
some past hurricane flooding. To bring us up to data
as to where we stand right now, Mitch Kokai of
the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal
(06:13):
News Hour. Mitch, we saw on the western half of
the state Helene last year. Over the last decade or so,
some pretty heavy storms in the eastern half of the state.
Flooding is a big issue. This is a very interesting
situation going on in Lumberton. What are you tracking.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, Basically, the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals has
essentially ended a lawsuit that residents and businesses in Lumberton
filed some years back against CSX Transportation, which runs the
railroad that goes through the city. The argument from the
plaintiffs was that CSX had failed to comply with an
(06:50):
agreement made with the City of Lumberton that would have
allowed the city to take some steps that might reduce
the potential damage of flooding in the event of some
major event, and in the case of this suit was
Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. So we're going back a few years.
Basically what happened was this suit was filed not too
(07:10):
long after the second hurricane in twenty eighteen, and initially
a trial court ruled in favor of CSX. When it
got to the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals back
in twenty twenty, the Fourth Circuit agreed that most of
the claims against CSX should be thrown out, but one
claim was allowed to go forward, and that was a
(07:32):
breach of contract claim because CSX, Lumberton, and this local
drainage district were in a three party agreement that basically
said that Lumberton had the right to build an earthen
dyke in CSX property. That could help mitigate against damage
(07:53):
of flooding, and if that dike was built, then there
could be a call to for CSX to shut down
its operations for the dyke to be closed with some
advance warning. Well, what happened was in both Hurricane Matthew
and Hurricane Florence, Lumberton contacted CSX and said, hey, can
(08:14):
we put some sand bags down to help with flooding?
And CSX said no, we're not going to do that.
So the lawsuit says that this is a breach of
the contract. But what the Fourth Circuit ultimately decided in
this new opinion that just came down on Tuesday, was
that no, the agreement was not breached because Lumberton never
(08:35):
built the dike that it was allowed to build under
the agreement. Had Lumberton built the dike and then asked
CSX to change its operations because the dike was going
to be adjusted, then CSX could have violated the agreement
by not going along with it. But Lumberton never built
the dike. It was asking to use sandbags instead of
(08:58):
what was called for the agreement, And the Fourth Circuit said,
there's no way that CSX could be ruled to have
violated this agreement because the sandbags were not part of
the agreement and the dyke that was supposed to be
built was never built. So CSX legally is in the right,
even if for the residents and businesses in Lumberton it
(09:21):
would have been nice for CSX to have allowed the
sand bags to be used. That might have prevented some
of the flooding, But the organization cannot be held legally
responsible for violating contract if the part of the contract
that was tied to CSX was never executed.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And looking at some of the background on this, in
actually Hurricane Florence, which was in twenty eighteen, Hurricane Matthews
in twenty sixteen, the town of Lumberton was granted temporary
access to put up some sort of temporary facilities, some
sort of temporary dam. They put it up Mitch and
ended up eroding away and not ended up work working
at all. So at least in the second case they
(10:02):
were granted some of that ability. It turns out it
didn't have much of an impact anyway. But it seems
like this stems around the fact that government didn't do
what they could have done with building this more permanent structure,
which has led to CSX being the victor at least
as if it stands right now in this legal battle.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
That's certainly right that the outcome of this case might
have been different had Lumberton move forward with putting up
the earth and dike and then called for CSX to
make some alternate arrangements once there was a threat of
imminent flooding. But since the dyke was never built, according
to the legal opinion, there was no leg for these
(10:41):
residents or the city to stand on because CSX was
only obligated to deal with changes in the dyke, it
was not obligated legally to allow for sandbags to be
put on its property, and so when it said no
to the idea, that ended any sort of legal liability
(11:01):
that might have been in the air.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's definitely an interesting legal story. We appreciate the time.
Mitch Koki from the John Locke Foundation joins us on
the Carolina Journal News out It's five twenty one. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News. Our news tack eleven
ten ninety nine three WBT keeping our eye on some
(11:23):
statewide news. This morning of July twenty twenty five saw
North Carolina's lowest sports betting revenue since the start of
legal sports betting that happened in March of last year.
The report released earlier this week by the North Carolina
State Lottery Commission shows that wagering totaled thirty three hundred
and seventy point four million dollars statewide in the month
(11:46):
of July, with more than three hundred and forty four
million dollars paid out in winnings. The state collected slightly
over four million dollars in taxes, according it to Joseph Harris,
a fiscal policy analyst over at the John Locke Foundation
TILD the Carolina Journal, July twenty twenty five produced the
lowest sports wagering tax revenues since betting launched in the state.
(12:10):
Driven by the sports calendar and favorable outcomes for betters,
June through August are typically among the slowest months for
wagerings since football and basketball, America's top two favorite sports
to bet on, are out of season. The NBA Finals
usually ends in mid June and NFL regular season doesn't
start until September. Wagering operators are taxed at eighteen percent
(12:35):
on their gross betting revenue, that is after subtracting total
payouts to winners. Harris noted sports wagering companies are taxed
on that gross wagering revenue, essentially their profit after paying
out winning bets. While total wagering in July was almost
was over three hundred and seventy million dollars and exceeded
(12:57):
those in July of twenty twenty four, which was just
three one hundred and forty million dollars, operators paid out
more than three hundred and forty four million dollars in
winnings in this calendar year of July compared to last
jel July of twenty twenty four. Consequently, since basketball and
football were out of the season and betters enjoyed a
(13:18):
strong month, taxable gross wagering revenue fell to an all
time low. The state has collected over sixty five million
dollars in sports betting tax revenue so far this calendar year,
compared to one hundred and five million dollars last year. However,
it is important to note that sports betting did not
start until March and ran through the end of the year,
(13:39):
so we'll continue to track that total through the rest
of the year and see if it is over that
one hundred and five million dollars met throughout the calendar
year of twenty twenty four. The use of those taxes
are one million dollars annually to the North Carolina Amateur
Sports Group to expand opportunities in use sports. Up to
(14:01):
three hundred thousand dollars annually to college athletic departments at
thirteen state universities. Of those, the list of those are
on our website. One million dollars annually to the North
Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission for grants of up to
five thousand dollars per team or group per county to
(14:21):
help cover the costs of travel to in state or
out of state sporting events, as well as twenty five
thousand dollars to attract amateur, state, regional, area, and national
sporting events, tournaments, and programs. Certain reimbursements to the North
Carolina State Lottery Commission and the North Carolina Department of
Revenue for expenses occurred to implement and administer the sports
(14:45):
gambling laws, and of any remaining proceeds, twenty percent are
distributed evenly to those thirteen state universities to support their
college athletic departments. Thirty percent goes to the North Carolina
Major Events, Game and Attractions Fund that's to foster job
creation and investment in the state and anything else that
(15:06):
is remaining. The final fifty percent goes to the State
General Fund. That think of that as kind of the
state's savings account. Fifty percent of any additional revenue goes
directly into that account, as well as approximately two million
dollars that goes into the North Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services Fund to help gambling addiction, education and
(15:27):
treatment programs. And as we look at one of those
funds in which money is being sent and is being
allocated to from legalized sports betting, that is the North
Carolina Major Events and Games Fund that was in the
news over the last couple of weeks or last couple
of months, I should say, as the state of North
(15:49):
Carolina continues to try to entice a various sporting events
and various again sporting events and other sorts of events
to make their way to North Carolina from some of
those additional revenues from sports betting, which again started in
the March of last year, and as we have continued
(16:10):
to track that, Charlotte has been able to take advantage
of some of those with the announcement of a couple
of soccer events coming to the area over the next
couple of years. That is due in part to some
of that money being doled out from the North Carolina
Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund. Will continue to track
sports betting. We'll look at its revenues every couple of
(16:33):
months as it's relevant. Here the story this morning over
on our website Carolina Journal dot com. NC sports betting
revenues hit record low in the month of July. You
can read that over on our website to Carolina Journal
dot com. In some other statewide news this morning, a
scary situation unfolding on the North Carolina Virginia border as
(16:55):
multiple deputies were shot Wednesday while serving warrants and a
detective order at a rural home in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania County, Virginia.
The shooting was confirmed by a Virginia representative on social media,
where he wrote, quote, My thoughts and prayers are with
the deputies who were shot in the county, as well
(17:17):
as their families. We are closely following the situation and
keeping everyone affected in our hearts at this difficult time.
This happened late last night, and as of just about
an hour or so ago, reports out of Virginia indicate
that those three sheriff's deputies injured in that back and
forth exchange with the suspect in that case are expected
(17:40):
to be okay. They were transported to the hospital, a
couple of them a little bit shaken up, but they
are able to We are going to be okay and
are going to survive their injuries. It is located on
the state's southern border with North Carolina. It's about ninety
eight miles or so northwest of Raleigh, so very much
(18:01):
close to home here in North Carolina. If we get
any other news or a relevant details on this, we'll
of course pass it along to you right here on
the Carolina Journal News Hour, where it's now five twenty
eight News Talk eleven, ten ninety nine to three WBT.
(18:21):
It's five thirty six. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal
News Hour News Talk eleven, ten ninety nine three WBT.
Don't forget if you miss any portion of our show,
you can check out the Carolina Journal News Hour podcast.
It's available in Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you
get your podcasts. Just search for the Carolina Journal News Hour,
tap the subscribe or follow button, and you'll get a
(18:43):
new show delivered each and every weekday morning. You can
also watch live and watch after the fact by visiting
our Carolina Journal YouTube channel. That link is over on
our website Carolina Journal dot com. We continue to make
our way towards the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
You've likely seen some social media activity over the last
(19:03):
couple of days about tropical Storm Errant, which continues to
move west across the Atlantic Ocean. As of this morning
five am out of the National Hurricane Center, that storm
does continue its trek west and is expected to become
a hurricane sometime between tomorrow and Saturday. Looking at the
latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, models still show
(19:25):
the storm being offshore, recurving before it hits the eastern seaboard,
looking to split that gap between the continental United States
and Bermuda. However, in the overnight hours, some model run
showing that storm getting much closer to the North Carolina
coast the Outer Banks in southeastern North Carolina. The storm
would not be affecting this area until about a week
(19:47):
from now, still so still very far out However, the
Atlantic hurricane season on a lot of folks mines across
the state, even those in the western half still reeling
from Hurricane Florence, and then of course in the eastern
half dealing with Florence, Matthew, Adrian and a couple of
other tropical systems over the last couple of years. As
it is relevant and as we get some more information,
(20:08):
we'll continue to pass the latest on tropical Storm Aeron
again projected to become a hurricane sometime between Friday and Saturday.
We'll keep you up to date right here on the
Carolina Journal News Hour, where it's now five thirty eight,
News Talk eleven ten ninety nine to three WBT. The
Port of Wilmington is a major economic driver not only
(20:29):
in southeastern North Carolina, but across the entire state. It's
a pleasure to be joined this morning on the Carolina
Journal News Hour by North Carolina's Labor Commissioner Luke Farley,
fresh off of a tour of the port down in Wilmington.
Commissioner Farley, thanks for the time this morning. Tell us
a little bit about your events down in Wilmington on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Nick. A pleasure to be with you as always. Yeah,
we just wrapped up a tour of the Port of Wilmington.
I've never been there before, but as Labor Commissioner, part
of my job is to see the work being done
the hard working men and women of this state. And
they're not working harder than anywhere than at the ports,
because man, those folks are getting it done. We have
(21:09):
one of the best ports on the East Coast and
I got to see it up close.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You know, you talk about the Port of Wilmington, it
was back just a couple of years ago you had
that horrific situation unfolding Baltimore and that forced a lot
of additional traffic to the Port of Wilmington. They seem
to handle that very well. And as I mentioned in
the open, it's a major economic driver across the state
of North Carolina with all of our imports and exports.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Absolutely the ports of North Carolina are growing. It's clear
to me that the Port Authority has a clear strategic
vision to grow our ports and to use our ports
to export a lot of the great agricultural products and
other things that are made in North Carolina. Right, So
if we grow it or make it here, it's got
(21:52):
to go somewhere, and our ports are on the front
line of getting those items not just other places in
the country, but to other places is around the world.
And one of the things when I was there that
I was really just proud to see is the efficiency
of our port. Our port unloads more cargo containers per
(22:15):
hour on average than any other port on the East Coast.
So you think about those big container ships that are
stacked tied with containers, those come to the port, those
containers have to be unloaded, and our men and women
at the port in Wilmington unload an average of forty
one an hour, where most ports are doing about twenty
(22:37):
an hour. And so this was incredible to see just
the skill and talent had the chance to go up
in one of those cranes. It's one hundred and sixty
feet up with a glass bottom. So if you're not
someone into heights, that's probably not the job for you
to go into. But it was incredible to see the
skill of those operators to pick up a container, take
(23:00):
off the ship, and then get it onto a truck,
and to do that basically forty one times an hour,
which gives you basically just about a minute to pick
up something that's you know, twenty tons and place it
precisely on the back of the truck. Really a neat
thing to see.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Yeah, you talk about those incredible levels of efficiency at
the Port of Wilmington. Let's talk about your position as
the labor commissioner. What are some of the things that
are your responsibilities when you're visiting somewhere like the Port
of Wilmington.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
So the Labor Commissioner is responsible first and foremost for
the health, safety, and general well being of the workforce
in North Carolina. And it's an important job because you know,
we've got a great economy in this state, but it's
the working men and women who drive that economy. And
our economy is nothing without the workers of this state.
And so I've got the responsibility of making sure that
(23:52):
the workers of this state are so safe and healthy
on the job and prosperous at home. And what that
means is enforcing our workplace safety laws, our anti discrimination laws,
our wage and hour laws, our anti child labor laws,
all of the things that give us a strong, healthy,
prosperous workforce.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You know, you talk about protecting workers not only from
a safety standpoint, but dealing with issues with their employer.
Your office had a press release out earlier this week
looking at more than two and a half million dollars
worth of unpaid wages for workers across the state. We
have an article on that over on our website, Carolina
Journal dot com. Can you explain where that money came
(24:36):
from and why that's such an important part of your job?
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Absolutely so. The sad truth is is that there are
some bad apples out there, some bad employers who do
not pay their employees what they promised. Sometimes that's a
bonus or a commission, or they improperly deduct things from
a paycheck, or they don't pay a final paycheck. A
(25:00):
lot of ways that an employer can cheat their employees
out of the money that they've been earned. And we
have a wage an hour bureau that if you complain
to that bureau will investigate your claim and if it
turns out that you worrowed that money, the Department of
aboral fight to get it back from you for you
from your employer. And that was what that two and
(25:21):
a half million dollars was. We determined in the last year,
the last fiscal year, that employers cheated their employees out
of two and a half million dollars and we recovered
that for them, and that's real money that goes back
directly into the pockets of the working men and women
of this state. Helps them pay their rent, make the
car payments, by groceries. You know, we're in the middle
(25:43):
of back to school season, so buying school supplies for
their kids, and it ranged anywhere from a couple of
hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars that we
were covered for individuals.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
A point that you've mentioned with us, and I've heard
you make this point in the past is for indo
viduals that may have bissed out on tens or hundreds
of thousands of dollars from their employer, they have in
many cases the financial ability to go after them throughout
the legal system. But you look at those on the
lower side of the income scale, Commissioner, finally, they may
not have those financial resources to hire private council. Is
(26:18):
that where you come in and can help them.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
That's exactly right. So you know a lot of people,
if their employer doesn't pay them what they're owed, they
just don't have the resources to go out and hire
a lawyer to go sue their employer and recover that money.
And unfortunately, the bad apples out there are probably banking
on that. They're thinking that, you know, what's this person
(26:43):
going to do, Go hire a lawyer and sue me,
and they don't expect that to happen. But that's where
the Department of Labor comes in. You don't have to
go hire a lawyer. You can call one eight hundred
NC Labor, which is our hotline, and make a complaint
to the department and we'll stand up for you if
you haven't been paid what your own.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Look, there's a lot that the Department of Labor is
responsible for. Where can folks go online to get some
access to some of those resources as we're talking about
a couple of different things this morning, reaching out to
your office if they've got some problems, where do they
go and do that?
Speaker 3 (27:16):
So our website is full of information about workers' rights
in North Carolina and the services that the Department offers
to both protect workers and help businesses follow the law.
Because for us, it's not just about going after the
bad apples, it's about working with the people who are
trying to do right by their employees and so both
(27:40):
the workers we protect and the businesses we regulate. Can
find resources on our website that's Labor dot NC dot gov.
Labor dot NC dot gov. And we also have a
hotline that will direct you all of the different bureaus
that we have that enforce the different laws or provide
different resources. That's one eight hundred n C Labor one
eight hundred and see Labor.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
We appreciate the update. This morning, North Carolina Labor Commissioner
Luke Farley joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Good morning again. It's five point fifty two. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three WBT. I'm Nick Craig. A good morning to you.
(28:22):
An interesting program set to be taking place here in
North Carolina, as Governor Josh Stein announced on Tuesday that
North Carolina received a four million dollar grant for workforce
re entry training for incarcerated individuals. The governor said in
a press release with this announcement, when we prepare people
(28:43):
leaving incarceration for success in the workforce, we all benefit.
With support from this new grant, North Carolina can continue
to build a strong workforce, improve re entry outcomes, and
provide people with real opportunities for a second chance. This
funding is in part of a fifty two million dollar
(29:04):
grant from the United States Department of Labour's Pathway Home
Grant program, which was announced in February earlier this year.
The funding goes towards organizations that provide re entry service
to incarcerated individuals before their release from state correctional facilities
or county and local jails. Authorized under the Workforce Innovation
(29:28):
and Opportunity Act, Pathway Home grants enabled organizations to partner
with employees to provide participants with training and industry recognized credentials,
helping them successfully transition into the workforce and back into
their communities. The Division of Workforce Solutions DWS at the
(29:50):
North Carolina Department of Commerce will serve as the lead
grant recipient and will oversee North Carolina's Pathway to re Entry.
They are set to partner with three local Workforce Development
Boards Charlotte works A, Foothills WDB, and Western Piedmont WDB.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections is also set
(30:13):
to collaborate with these partners to support the ongoing initiative.
The grant will help fund a comprehensive program to help
people leaving prison rebuild their lives and rejoin the workforce.
The initiative will offer support before and after release and
long term follow ups to keep participants on track. Inside
(30:35):
correctional facilities, participants will participate in workshops, small group and
one on one sessions, as well as career counseling and
job training designed to prepare them for outside life. So
here's how it's going to work. Within the first seventy
two hours of release, the program will connect participants to
(30:55):
those community resources. They will be helping them set goals,
develop action plans, and match them with education and training
opportunities that is set to happen through the NC work system,
and through that they'll also be linked up with apprenticeships
and work based trainings with Second Chance employers. For up
(31:16):
to twenty four months after release, participants will receive wrap
around services to address ongoing needs, as well as monthly
check ins to assess progresses in training, employment, and other
areas of stability. According to North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilly,
our fast growing economy needs skilled workers, and this grant
(31:38):
helps us fill that need by providing re entry services
to job seekers who are already ready to take the
next steps in their lives. The workforce system plans to
partner to serve individuals incarcerated at several facilities across the state.
More more than half a dozen of facilities, correction facilities
(31:59):
and to tension centers, including the Mecklenburg County Detention Center,
will be part of this program. However, not everybody says
that they think this is a great idea. Brian Hamilton,
who is the founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, told the
Carolina Journal very bluntly, congratulations, a nice press release for
(32:19):
the politicians. As far as I'm concerned, this is four
million dollars more added to the federal debt. The challenge
is not a lack of skills. It is that it
is that judicially involved people are being habitually locked out
of the hiring system because companies screen through Google and
even smaller crimes such as a failure to appear. He
(32:43):
also continued by saying, until there is real reform and
expunging someone's record after a credible amount of time, there
are a few second chances in the American judicial system
as we know it. Meanwhile, if you commit a crime,
start a small business. You're a defences do not follow
you around in perpetuity. So while this program is set
(33:05):
to dole out about again, as we noted about four
million dollars from the United States Department of Labor and
their Pathway Home grant program, not every person that is
dealing in this sector, dealing in this space agrees with
this plan. Moving forward. You can read some additional details
on this program, where this money is coming from, and
(33:27):
some of the other groups and workforce initiative opportunities and
some other things that are going on here in North
Carolina over on our website Carolina Journal dot com. The
headline this morning, North Carolina receives four million dollar grant
for workforce re entry training. Again, that's over on our website. Well,
that's going to do it for a Thursday edition of
(33:48):
the Carolina Journal News Hour WBT News is next followed
by Good morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning
five to six right here on Newstalk eleven, ten and
ninety nine three WBT
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com