The Military Police companies of North Carolina's 210th unit of the Army National Guard, which is housed in Macon County, was recently placed “on alert” for possible deployment. According to Capt. Rick Scoggins, spokesperson for North Carolina's National Guard (NCNG), the guard uses the “on alert” status as a way to forewarn companies and their families that they may be needed for a mission or deployment. The 211th unit based in Haywood County was also put “on alert” the same time as Macon County's unit.

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North Carolina’s Supreme Court orders sweepstakes to shut down on Wednesday

The state’s high court almost immediately dismissed the request filed by software and gaming companies to put a hold on the law which justices unanimously agreed to uphold that deemed sweepstakes establishments illegal. Members of the sweepstakes industry requested that the state's Supreme Court delay the Jan. 3 closing date to allow time to appeal to the United States Supreme Court.

On a single night last January, 633,782 people were homeless in the United States, largely unchanged from the year before. In releasing HUD’s latest national estimate of homelessness, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan noted that even during a historic housing and economic downturn, local communities are reporting significant declines in the number of homeless veterans and those experiencing long-term chronic homelessness.

Meanwhile, local homeless housing and service providers in North Carolina reported that the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people increased by 4.9 percent between 2011 and 2012. Five states accounted for nearly half of the nation’s homeless population in 2012: California (20.7 percent), New York (11.0 percent), Florida (8.7 percent), Texas (5.4 percent), and Georgia (3.2 percent).

The Southwestern Rural Planning Organization, a division of Southwestern Commission, is facilitating an update to the regional public transportation and human services transportation plan. Upon completion of the planning process, county transit agencies will be eligible to apply for additional federal funding. The public is encouraged to attend the workshops to provide input on how to improve the area’s public transit systems.

If you need special accommodations related to accessibility or interpretation or if you have any questions, contact Philip Moore at (828)586-1962, extension 213, or your county public transit provider. Should you need a ride to the meeting, contact your county public transit provider.