North Carolina’s unemployment rate went down in October, dropping .4 percent from the previous month, to 6.3 percent. That compares to a 7.5 percent jobless rate in October of last year. The state Commerce Department says the number of people working increased by more than 17,000 between September and October. The number of North Carolinians counted as unemployed fell by about the same amount.
In South Carolina, October unemployment edged up slightly to 6.7 percent. That’s the fourth monthly uptick in the state’s jobless rate.
6 NC Lawmakers Vie For State House Speaker Seat
Six North Carolina lawmakers are hoping to succeed Thom Tillis as Speaker of the state House. Members of the House Republican Caucus will meet Saturday in Asheboro to make their pick. The full House is expected to confirm the choice in January. Leading candidates for the Speaker’s post appear to be Reps. Tim Moore of Kings Mountain and Leo Daughtry of Smithfield.
Legal Challenge Delays Mining Company's Hiring Plans
A Canadian mining company says a legal challenge by an environmental group will delay the company's plans to hire workers for the Haile Gold Mine project in Lancaster County, South Carolina. The Charlotte Observer reports that Romarco Minerals won't begin hiring at the mine until a lawsuit filed this week by the Sierra Club is resolved. Romarco has said it would employ up to 800 people at the mine. The Sierra Club wants more assurances about plans for long-term clean-up and environmental protection around the mine near Kershaw.
Film About Cherokee Language Preservation Premieres Tonight
A film about the effort to preserve the Cherokee language is making its premiere tonight at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Very few Cherokee speak their native language. The film documents the efforts of the Cherokee nation to preserve the language through immersion schools for children and other projects.