VOLUME 145 ISSUE 81 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Machining young minds The Gene Haas Machining Innovation Center features state-of-the-art CNC machines and equipment inside Stanly Community College’s new Trades Facility. The college held a dedication ceremony last Thursday for the $12 million, 31,600-square-foot building on its Albemarle campus. For more photos, turn to page A4.
WHAT’S HAPPENING Pa. man pleads guilty in arson attack while Shapiro’s family slept in governor’s mansion Harrisburg, Pa. A man who scaled a security fence in the middle of the night and set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges. Cody Balmer entered the plea Tuesday for the April attack that caused millions of dollars in damage to the state-owned building in Harrisburg. Gov. Josh Shapiro and members of his family were inside and had to be evacuated. No one was injured, but authorities say the 38-year-old Balmer told them he planned to beat the governor with a small sledgehammer if he encountered him. Balmer’s family has said he has a history of mental health problems.
SpaceX launches 11th test flight of mega Starship rocket with another win SpaceX has launched another of its mammoth Starship rockets on a test flight. The 403-foot Starship thundered into the evening sky Monday from Texas. The booster peeled away and made a controlled entry into the Gulf of Mexico as planned, with the spacecraft skimming space before descending into the Indian Ocean. It’s similar to the previous test flight in August, which scored a success following a string of explosive failures. SpaceX’s Elon Musk intends to use Starship to send people to Mars. NASA cannot land astronauts on the moon by decade’s end without Starship.
Albemarle City Council hears latest on county tourism efforts Visitor spending for Stanly County was up 6.9% last year By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council received an annual county tourism report from the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau at last week’s meeting. CVB Director Kasey Brooks presented an overview of the bureau’s 2024 Tourism Economic Impact Report, documenting visitor spending, local economic impact, employment and tax revenue contributions. Last year, visitor spending for the county reached $115.79 million, a 6.9% increase from the previous year. In 2024, the county’s tourism industry supported 683 local jobs and generated $4.58 million in state tax revenue and $3.69 million in local
Kasey Brooks, director of the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau COURTESY CITY OF ALBEMARLE
Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Kasey Brooks speaks to the Albemarle City Council on Oct. 6. taxes, resulting in an estimated $126.70 in tax savings per county resident. “We are working diligently to try to get the message out to allow Stanly County to know that we do have a tourism department,” Brooks said. “Our mission is to get these folks here and support local busi-
nesses. I am very proud of our numbers from last year, as we have actually moved up from 52nd in tourism spending in North Carolina to the 50th rank.” Brooks credited the success of the Farm Bureau Livestock Arena and continued interest in Morrow Mountain State
State effort wipes out $6.5B in medical debt for 2.5M people Today’s announcement will free people from the financial stress so that they can focus on getting healthy.” Gov. Josh Stein
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“We are working diligently to try to get the message out to allow Stanly County to know that we do have a tourism department.”
The project offers hospitals increased Medicaid reimbursement to forgive debt By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press RALEIGH — More than 2.5 million North Carolina residents are getting over $6.5 billion in medical debt eliminated through a state government effort that offered hospitals extra Medicaid funds from Washington if they gave low- and middle-income patients the financial relief and implemented policies to discourage future liabilities.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, the state health department secretary and other officials announced Monday results so far from what then-Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled 15 months ago as a first-of-its-kind initiative. While helping almost one-quarter of North Carolina residents, Stein said the effort has exceeded expectations in giving individuals and families a second chance See DEBT, page A5
Park as two positive growth factors for the county’s increase in visitors. She also noted the CVB’s efforts in improving visitstanly.com as an online resource for bringing in visitors for events. “We really have put a lot of effort into trying to become a central hub for our county. I’ve really put boots on the ground See TOURISM, page A5