VOLUME 145 ISSUE 43 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2025 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: 704-982-2121
Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Hot dog summer
Dexter and Blanca exchange greetings at the Summer Sip Festival in Albemarle on Saturday. Turn to page A4 for more photos and coverage.
WHAT’S HAPPENING Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market Washington, D.C. U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of confidence in their prospects — fell, and layoffs ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.
Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual profit and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and off price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.
$2.00
Stanly County commissioners tasked with board appointments Membership decisions were made for three boards By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Commissioners recently made membership adjustments to three boards delegated to county approval. At the commissioners’ meeting on Monday night, the board was presented with pending appointments for the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC), an extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) representative for the Norwood Planning and
PHOTO VIA STANLYTV
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners approved county board appointments for three boards on June 2. Zoning Board, and the Stanly Community College (SCC) Board of Trustees. Dolly Clayton, the county’s health and human services director, told the commission-
ers that Stanly County had membership applications for the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council for Kathy Johansen, Michael Hatley and Victoria Ramos.
Albemarle City Council passes proposed 2025-26 city budget “It’s hard to fathom the dollar sign that you see in regard to what our people do for that number to keep it as low as it is.” Councilmember Benton Dry
Councilmembers narrowly decided to keep the same property tax rate By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — At the Albemarle City Council meeting on Monday night, councilmembers voted 4-3 to pass their proposed 2025-26 city budget. The budget will keep the property tax rate at 61 cents, which is 11 cents above the revenue-neutral rate of 50 cents following a property revaluation. Although the rate itself remains unchanged, the revaluation means most property owners will see a tax increase resulting in higher property values and tax bills for residents. Councilmember Chris Bramlett wasn’t on board with keeping the tax rate where it was, suggesting it needed to be lowered. “I’d like to move an amend-
ment to the motion that instead of the rate being 61 cents, that it be 55 cents, and that the city manager be commissioned to adjust elements of the budget to bring it in line with a 55-cent assessment instead of the 61,” Bramlett said. City Manager Todd Clark originally brought the proposed 2025-26 city budget to the council on May 5; employee health insurance increases, the addition of 10 new firefighters funded through a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, and three new patrol vehicles for the police department were among the new projects and expenditures included. The proposed fiscal year budget is $94.6 million, which represents a 13% increase of $11.4 million over the current fiscal year’s original budget. Bramlett’s motion received See ALBEMARLE, page A4
“The Juvenile Crime Prevention Council is a voluntary council that is made up of about 20 members of different professions that are required by general statute, and there are a couple of public members as well,” Clayton said prior to the commissioners’ vote on the agenda item. The board unanimously voted to appoint Hatley and Ramos to the JCPC. Next up, County Manager Andy Lucas presented the commissioners with the Town of Norwood’s request for Douglas Smith to be the county’s ETJ representative for the Norwood Planning and Zoning Board as See STANLY, page A4