If you ever get a job as a reporter at a newspaper — or anywhere news is reported, I’m sure — you better get ready for the news releases and story pitches.
In both of my journalism jobs, first in Sanford and now here, I’ve magically been placed on the email distribution lists for people and organizations I’ve never heard of. Most of the time, the content they’re pushing isn’t something I’m interested in, or I’m entirely interested in but simply because it’s so out of left field.
Then, every once in a while, something is worth a story or exploring more. Or worth a mention in the Corner Store. One of those items is part of the column this week, but we start off with some local business news.
Wilson Brothers Trucking asking for rezoning for expansion
Citing a 45 percent increase in business capacity in the last year, Wilson Brothers Trucking in Bear Creek is asking for rezoning of a 7.56 acres from Residential to Light Industrial to accommodate this growth.
The company’s rezoning application says current growth has established a need for additional employee parking, and future growth will require “added space to stage and park equipment.” Additionally, according to the application, Wilson Brothers has purchased 30 new road tractor trucks and hired more employees.
The company concluded its application by stating: “Wilson Brothers has and will continue to operate as a good corporate citizen of Chatham County. We desire to continue meeting our strategic long-term plan that includes consistent moderate growth. This request will allow us to meet our business growth needs.”
No one signed up to speak at a public hearing on the item at last Tuesday’s Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Study: 26 percent of N.C. pet owners struggle to provide for pets
An Innovet Pet study says that more than one quarter of pet owners in North Carolina admit that they struggle financially to provide for their treasured animal. The report covered pet owners across the United States and revealed more interesting statistics. Twenty-nine percent of young couples said they were prioritizing parenting pets over children, 11 percent of people said they’d drop personal health insurance for pet health insurance and 34 percent said they’ve fed their pets human food leftovers to save money.
Innovet Pet produces and sells organic and natural food and products for pets, including hemp and CBD oil. The company encourages pet owners now and in the future to think about their budget and how much money they need to afford ownership. After all, as the survey says, 42 percent of owners say they wouldn’t be able to keep their pet if they lost their job.
Nat Geo series to feature N.C. Zoo
Twenty five miles from the News + Record’s Siler City office, you can visit the world’s largest natural habitat zoo. If you can’t make it, you will soon be able to get a glimpse on TV. Nat Geo Wild has an eight-episode series coming this fall called “World’s Biggest Zoo,” which will take viewers behind the scenes of Asheboro’s North Carolina Zoo.
Spreading across 2,600 acres and hosting more than 212 species, the zoo and things that happen every day — from emergency and routine animal procedures to animal husbandry to rescue, rehabilitation and release — will be featured.
If you’ve never made the trek to the North Carolina Zoo, it’s worth it, but you might have to take two trips. It really lives up to its billing as the world’s largest zoo, and to really enjoy all of it, you’ll need all the time you can give it. And if you can’t, just tune into Nat Geo Wild.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.