Events remember

Martin Luther King

LUMBERTON – The legacy of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was honored Monday through multiple events in Robeson County.

More than 30 people gathered Monday afternoon in the Fairmont-South Robeson Heritage Center to attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event, which was organized by Stop the Violence Program.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action to create the beloved community of Dr. King’s dream,” said Fairmont Commissioner Heather Seibles.

“While Dr. King believed the beloved community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for the systematic changes. His example is our call to action,” she said.

***

Grants available

for ag projects

The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is accepting applications for the 2022 grant cycle.

Successful projects will meet the key objectives for 2022: create positive impacts for rural communities, stimulate economic development and support the agricultural industry. Funds will be awarded in the fall of 2022 for selected innovative projects.

The grant guidelines and the application are now available online at www.tobaccotrustfund.org. Selected projects should expect to start in November.

***

Pay raise OK’d

for sub teachers

HAMLET — The Richmond County Board of Education unanimously approved a raise in the minimum salary for substitute teachers.

Previously, the minimum was $80 for non-licensed and uncertified teachers and $103 for licensed and certified teachers. Now, it’s $98 for the former and $121 for the latter.

Finance Officer Tina Edmonds said there hasn’t been an increase in pay for a number of years.

***

A day of

local service

ROCKINGHAM — Volunteers participated in the first-ever service projects on Saturday as part of the Unity Day of Service put on by the Richmond County Martin Luther King Celebration Foundation.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. The volunteers assisted with a Habitat for Humanity build in Hamlet and worked on the ongoing renovation of the James C. & Ruth P. Watkins Cultural Center.

Many of the volunteers cleaning the Cultural Center were either alumni or attended the Center’s youth programs when they were children.

“We want this to be a place where kids can go to do something positive,” said Bruce Stanback, volunteer director of the Center.

From Champion Media reports