North Carolina
Tiny town in North Carolina honors towering Andre The Giant with roadside marker
ELLERBE, N.C.. (AP) — Andre The Giant, a towering menace in the wrestling ring but a gentle giant on the movie screen, is being honored with a roadside marker in his beloved adopted small town in North Carolina.
Officials plan to unveil the marker Thursday in Ellerbe, North Carolina, a community of about 1,000 people where the wrestler born Andre Rene Roussimoff lived on a ranch just outside town.
Andre was billed at 7-foot-4 (2.24 meters) and 520 pounds (236 kilograms) during his time wrestling for the WWE in the 1970s and 1980s.
A larger than life villain, Roussimoff was touted as unbeatable until he faced Hulk Hogan in a match in 1987 at WrestleMania III that launched the once regional wrestling company into a nationwide entertainment force.
Later that year, Roussimoff appeared on film as the giant Fezzik in “The Princess Bride.” Fezzik was the gentle-hearted muscle for the antagonist and needed rhymes to remember his instructions.
Roussimoff was born in France. But as he wrestled around the U.S. South he fell in love with the region, buying his North Carolina ranch and raising cattle on his land about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Charlotte.
He became a critical part of the Ellerbe community. In 1990, he taped TV and radio spots against a possible low-level radioactive landfill nearby. A pair of his size-26 cowboy boots are kept at a museum.
Roussimoff died in 1993 at age 46 in France where he was visiting for his father’s funeral. They had a service for him there, but his body was cremated and his ashes spread at his beloved ranch.
The Richmond County marker at NC Highway 72 and Old NC Highway 220 simply says “Andre The Giant. 1946-1993. Actor and professional wrestler. Was born Andre Roussimoff. Known for role in The Princess Bride in 1987. Lived nearby.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has declared June 14 as Flag Day.
Flag Day commemorates “Old Glory”, and is observed nationally. The day honors when the Continental Congress adopted the United States flag on June 14, 1777. North Carolinians are encouraged to fly the United States flag at full staff.
“Today, on the 249th birthday of our nation’s flag, we honor all those who have sacrificed for the freedoms it represents,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As North Carolinians, we can take special pride in being represented by both a star and a stripe. In this year of America 250, let us reaffirm our own commitment to a government of, by, and for the people.”
This year is the 249th anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777. The United States Congress declared June 14 as National Flag Day in 1949.
Longtime New Bern community leader Linda J. Staunch has received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Staunch was surprised with the award during the North Carolina Symphony’s Concert in Your Community Patriotic Pops event celebrating America 250 in New Bern. Former Gov. Beverly Perdue presented the award.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary service and dedication to the state of North Carolina, according to a release.
According to the North Carolina Symphony, Staunch has been a trustee of the North Carolina Symphony Society since 2006 and served as the founding president of the Symphony’s Craven County Chapter.
In many respects, she is the face of the North Carolina Symphony in New Bern and across the region,” said Sandi Macdonald, president and CEO of the North Carolina Symphony. “The Symphony’s thriving presence in New Bern and throughout Craven and Jones counties would not exist without Mrs. Staunch’s vision and leadership.
Beyond her work in the arts, Staunch has been recognized for decades of service in education, community development, church leadership and civic organizations throughout eastern North Carolina.
An ambassador for the city, Linda is known for her tireless energy and integrity, making New Bern and Craven County a better place to live and work,” said Jeff Minges, president and CEO of Minges Bottling Group.
Staunch also played a key role in organizing New Bern’s 100th anniversary celebration of Pepsi-Cola in 1998 and has spent more than five decades serving First Presbyterian Church.
Linda Staunch is the very definition of an exemplary ambassador for the State of North Carolina,” said Rev. Anna Pinckney Straight, pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
She is widely regarded as the go-to person in New Bern — someone who brings people together, connects organizations, and gets things done,” Macdonald added.
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The award was presented during opening remarks before the concert, honoring Staunch’s lasting impact on New Bern, eastern North Carolina and the state of North Carolina.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing age restrictions on the sale of hemp consumables and kratom.
Senate Bill 59 would prohibit the sale of hemp-derived consumable products to anyone under the age of 21 in the state. It would also require the seller to verify a buyer’s age.
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The bill also makes it unlawful for anyone under the age of 21 to possess hemp-derived consumable products.
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