The N.C. Department of Transportation recently received an award for using drones to manage and document flooding after Hurricane Florence. Fifteen NCDOT drone teams flew more than 200 missions in Eastern North Carolina to take photos and video of floodwaters, storm damage, and traffic incidents. More than 8,000 images were captured, helping agencies make decisions on how to safely address storm recovery and keep the public informed. 

RALEIGH – A plant expansion in Pasquotank County will bring 90 new jobs to the facility. The state Commerce Department reports Hockmeyer Equipment Corporation will expand its operations in Elizabeth City. The process equipment maker will invest $6 million in a 35,000 square feet expansion of their current Elizabeth City facility where they have been operating since 1984. The company will be eligible for a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund dependent on meeting job creation and capital investment targets.

A celebration to honor the first African-American in the Marine Corps takes place Thursday in Jacksonville.  Marine Corps Installations East – Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune will hold the ceremony at 8 am at the Montford Point Marine Memorial at Lejeune Memorial Gardens.  The event celebrates the history and accomplishments of nearly 20,000 African-Americans that served in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1949.  The keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Baxter Jr., senior pastor at Mt.

Early in-person voting is underway in two U-S Congressional Districts. The elections will fill seats in the 3rd and 9th U-S Congressional Districts. The 3rd district seat became vacant with the death of Congressman Walter Jones Jr. in February. The 9th district seat has been vacant following the state Board of Elections calling for a re-do of the November 2018 election over possible absentee ballot fraud involving a contractor for Republican Mark Harris’ campaign.