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...
The 2019 session of the N.C. General Assembly began Jan. 9, both in the House and the Senate. The session ended on Halloween, which was Wednesday, Oct. 31. Lawmakers left without a budget, failing to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto, which came in June. To date, Cooper has vetoed 37 bills — 23 of which...
Residents of Roanoke Rapids could vote soon to raise their local sales tax by a full percentage point. Money raised from the 1-cent tax increase would help pay off debt linked to the infamous Randy Parton Theatre. The N.C. House voted 98-17 on Wednesday, July 10, to approve House Bill 112. It was the first...
Carolina Journal Executive Editor Don Carrington knows a thing or two about uncovering stories of corruption in government. As an investigative reporter for CJ Carrington has broken several stories detailing cases of government corruption and incompetence. Carolina Journal Associate Editor Lindsay Marchello sat down with Carrington on Feb. 15 to talk about his career and the...
MOUNT AIRY — The Barter Theatre, which has operated since the Great Depression, reportedly draws 160,000 people a year to the charming mountain town of Abingdon, Virginia. Officials in Mount Airy — who already traffic on the celebrity of native Andy Griffith and the mythical town of Mayberry — think they should risk tax money...
The shows at the old Randy Parton Theatre will go on, in some form or another. The city of Roanoke Rapids on Monday, July 23, officially transferred the Roanoke Rapids Theatre to new owners Thomas McLean and his wife Evon of Chocowinity. The McLeans are buying the 35,000-square foot, 1,500-seat facility for $3 million. City...
Journalists are criticized today for any number of things. They’re biased and even evil. They invent stories and propagate fake news, an allegation, by the way, that’s as dangerous as it is wrongheaded and ridiculous. That’s not what good journalists do. Period. Good journalists are vital purveyors of information and are indispensable in protecting the...
A Dare County real estate developer with a history of financial troubles has made little progress in selling 900 vacant lots in the Pine Mountain development in Burke County. Critics say Ray Hollowell Jr. is a speculator who doesn’t pay his debts and neglects necessary infrastructure. The problems for Hollowell include unpaid property taxes, property...
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...
Recently I watched a documentary about the popular music phenomenon known as the Muscle Shoals sound. The film not only discussed all the top hits that were produced in that distinct Alabama area along the Tennessee River, but also explored why national hits came out of such a small place. The first megahit from the...
RALEIGH — The saga of Pine Mountain — featuring hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, delinquent homeowners assessments, and overdue loans — has attracted little public attention and no news stories to date. And developer Ray Hollowell, along with homeowners in the development and officials in Burke County, hope that Pine Mountain doesn’t suffer a fate similar to that of the Randy Parton Theatre.
