Laurels to the volunteers who signed up to help launch the next phase of work on Cooleemeeís RiverPark today by blazing a new trail on the Davie County side of the site (weather permitting). The Bullhole and surrounding landscape along the South Yadkin have seen a remarkable transformation in recent years; the amenities planned for the Davie County portion could make it even more of a gem for nearby residents and tourists seeking a place to hike, picnic, fish, boat or just enjoy nature. The parkís devoted supporters sometimes refer to it as one of the Piedmontís undiscovered natural treasures. As the RiverParkís master plan comes to fruition, the parkís popularity is certain to grow, with dividends for Rowan and Davie counties.

Dart to a particularly grim week in Rowan County. It started with a wheelchair-bound man dying in a fire in Granite Quarry, and a woman suffering serious burns in another fire. A motorist was found dead after his vehicle crashed into a tree (although he apparently died of unrelated causes). Then a domestic dispute boiled over into a murder-suicide in east Rowan at midweek, and a fatal accident occurred Friday on Jake Alexander. Even with accidents and crime a daily occurence, thatís still a ghastly run for a single week.

Laurels to cutting through red tape so that disabled veterans due compensation payments arenít penalized by slow-moving bureaucracy. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) this week introduced legislation to help disabled veterans get faster results and receive benefits theyíve earned. Burrís measure provides for retroactive compensation for veterans who file ěfully-developed claims.î Under the measure, veterans could be compensated for up to one year prior to the date their claim was filed, meaning they won’t lose out on benefits while waiting on the VA to gather evidence amid a backlog of claims.
By offering an incentive for veterans to file fully-developed claims, the bill would help remove the need for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to collect evidence on all claims, a lengthy process that can cause further delays and add to the existing backlog in the decision-making process. As for longer term solutions, VA officials are optimistic that automation initiatives and other improvements will help them make headway against the mountain of pending compensation claims, which numbered more than 780,000 early this year, according to a recent report in the Army Times.