Laurels to the anonymous donor and other supporters who have come to the rescue of the Visitation Station. This is a worthy program, operating through Families First, that facilitates visits and other interactions between Rowan County children and non-custodial parents. After the program lost state grant funding earlier this year, it was on the verge of shutting down. Then the legal community offered some monetary support. Now, more help has come from a $15,600 donation from an anonymous benefactor, and Rock Bottom Saloon owner James Logan has offered to help organize a fundraiser. While the program needs a sustainable funding source, the show of support will help it keep operating for a few more months — good news for these children and parents who are trying to maintain family ties amid challenging circumstances.
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Dart to a projected rise in meat and dairy prices, yet another costly consequence of the Midwest drought and scorching heat that have already caused scores of deaths and devastated farming communities. While many areas of the country are sweltering, the nation’s bread basket is burning up — and that’s literally the case in wildfire-plagued areas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that 55 percent of the nation’s pasture and range land is now in poor to very poor condition. That means lower crop yields and higher feed prices, with consumers paying more for some of their groceries down the line. But higher food prices pale in comparison to what these weather extremes are costing many communities.
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Laurels to Spencer officials for being named to North Carolina’s Small Town Main Street program. This program has been a big boost to other small towns across the state as they sought a coordinated framework to revitalize downtown areas and boost economic development. You can see the results in nearby Badin, where town officials and merchants say the program is helping inject new life into the downtown area by updating streetscapes and attracting new merchants to once-shuttered shops. Fortunately, Spencer isn’t coping with the departure of a major employer, such as Badin’s aluminum smelting plant. With the N.C. Transportation Museum and other amenities, Spencer has a solid base to build on, and the Main Street program should open up new avenues.