News

Appeals Court wrestles with city-county funding fight over 911 service

A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals will have to decide whether Roanoke Rapids must pay any money to Halifax County for the operations of a countywide 911 center. The city-county dispute generated nearly an hour of oral arguments Wednesday at the state’s second-highest court.

CJ Staff
News

Fight between Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County over 911 center funding hits Appeals Court

The N.C. Court of Appeals is considering a legal dispute between Roanoke Rapids and Halifax County over the city’s role in funding a county 911 call center. Roanoke Rapids filed its brief in the case this week.

CJ Staff
News

Randy Parton, whose theater saddled the state with millions in debt, dies

Randy Parton, namesake of one of the worst boondoggles in recent N.C. political history, has died at age 67. The bass-playing younger brother of cultural icon Dolly Parton died of cancer, according to a statement from the Parton family. Randy Parton saddled state and local taxpayers with millions of dollars in debt from a performing...

Rick Henderson
News

No celebration for Randy Parton Theatre’s 10th anniversary

Ten years ago — July 26, 2007 — one of North Carolina’s most spectacular economic development boondoggles hosted its first performance. Dolly Parton’s brother Randy performed his first public show at the Roanoke Rapids theater that would bear his name. Parton had a contract to perform at the 35,000-square foot, 1,500-seat facility as well as manage...

Don Carrington
News

Parton Project Off to Shaky Start

RALEIGH — A legal opinion permitting state-funded economic developer Rick Watson to simultaneously work for Randy Parton's entertainment company, which he recruited for a Roanoke Rapids project, appears to be based on the faulty assumption that Parton's company would receive no funds from Watson's state-funded organizations.

Don Carrington

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