North Carolina
Pet care service company provides livable wage
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — For the last 15 years, the N.C. General Assembly has not granted a pay raise for minimum wage workers at the beginning of the year.
As a result, North Carolina is one of about 20 states that will not see a boost in its minimum wage, remaining at $7.25 an hour.
A Chapel Hill man feels fortunate he’s working for a company that provides a livable wage.
“Just starting my morning cup of tea, which is very important for an Englishman,” Robert Kelly said.
Kelly starts his day around 7:30 a.m. He has a cup of tea and chats with his pups.
“Just finished my morning snack, which is an apple, which my dog, Brighton, loves apples. Named after my favorite soccer team in England, Brighton and Hove Albion,” Kelly joked.
And before you know it, the London native is out the door.
“But because it’s a bit boggy and rainy out on the trails, I need to put boots on,” Kelly said.
Kelly works for Walk and Wag — a pet care service.
He works 40 hours each week, caring for around 10 clients a week, ranging from dogs, cats, chickens and even dragon lizards.
Kelly says caring for domestic animals full time affords him a great lifestyle.
Working at a pet care company allows Robert Kelly to work mostly from home. (Spectrum News 1/Jatrissa Wooten)
“We’ve lived in this house since about 2007 when we moved back here from France. We’ve actually owned the house since about 1996,” Kelly said.
Prior to this, Kelly was a DJ then a teacher making a mediocre salary. But Walk and Wag allows Kelly to stay in his home.
“My property taxes in Chapel Hill (are) off the bloody charts,” Kelly said.
Working for the pet care company, Kelly says it’s like having a 9 to 5 job with a lot more freedom and flexibility.
Team members are available 365 days a year but can choose whether they want to work part or full time.
“In the same sort of geographic area of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, little bit of Durham, too,” Kelly said.
Kelly says he hates that North Carolina did not raise its base salary.
“Disgusting that the minimum wage is $7.25,” Kelly said.
The pet care team member explains double that amount still isn’t enough.
“But even $15 or $16, frankly, I think it’s too low,” Kelly continued. “But I’m European, so, you know, I have a different take on these things.”
Kelly says he lucked out with Walk and Wag and says not only does he receive more than a livable wage doing something he loves, he gained family.
“So much of it is not just about how you relate to the pet, but it’s how you relate to the owners, because you become part of their extended family,” Kelly said.
In 2021, the legislature raised most state employee minimum wage to $13 an hour and $15 by the following year.
Lawmakers had set the goal of raising public employee minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018 but have not publicly considered any bills that would raise the private sector minimum wage.
Finally, after a long wait, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are preparing for another marquee game, with this one coming against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, where the Wildcats will look to represent the conference with a win.
While the Wildcats are 0-2 in a ranked game this season, they have yet to play one in Rupp Arena, and this will change on Tuesday night when Pope’s team hosts North Carolina. The tip for this game is set for 9:30 on Tuesday night, which will be a bit weird, but Rupp Arena will be hectic.
With this being such an important game, let’s take a look at three reasons why the Wildcats will beat North Carolina.
One common theme in both of the Wildcats’ losses so far this season has been getting out to a slow start. In both of these games, the Wildcats faced a daunting halftime deficit, and it was too much to overcome. With this game being at home in front of the best fans in college basketball, the Wildcats need to flip the script and get out to a hot start.
North Carolina, like Michigan State, has two elite bigs, and this means Malachi Moreno will need to have a big game. If Moreno is able to get an efficient double-double for the Wildcats, it will go a long way to helping Pope’s team win this game. Kentucky was dominated down low by the Spartans with their elite frontcourt, and Pope needs to make sure that history does not repeat itself when the Tar Heels come to town.
Both Kentucky and North Carolina are good rebounding teams, with the Wildcats in the top five and UNC inside the top 20. In the loss to Michigan State, the Wildcats were dominated on the boards, losing this battle 42-28. If Kentucky gets dominated on the glass in this game, it will be hard to win. Like the Wildcats, the Tar Heels lost the rebounding battle to Michigan State but by a smaller margin. Who wins on the glass in this basketball game will have a direct correlation to who ends up with more points on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounds.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have not enjoyed a fairytale start to their season, but Tuesday evening’s matchup against North Carolina presents an opportunity to redirect their trajectory. Currently sitting at 6-2, this game could provide crucial insights into where Kentucky stands in the broader landscape of college basketball.
The Wildcats faced a setback against Michigan State, suffering an 83-66 defeat that raised questions about their ability to compete with top-tier teams. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 88-46 victory over Loyola Maryland, followed by a dominant performance against Tennessee Tech, winning 104-54 just days ago.
Despite their storied history of finding ways to win, the challenge remains: can Kentucky consistently triumph over elite opponents? Losses to Louisville on the road and Michigan State exposed vulnerabilities in their defense and tempo control. In both games, Kentucky struggled with interior defense and depth issues.
Looking ahead, there is still plenty of basketball left in the season, including Tuesday’s late-night showdown at Rupp Arena—a clash between two blue blood programs from the ACC and SEC. Historically, North Carolina leads the series against Kentucky 25-18. This year’s Tar Heels roster features some of the most lethal players in college basketball. If Kentucky allows North Carolina to dictate the pace of play, they risk facing another long night and missing out on a significant opportunity.
For Kentucky to succeed, controlling tempo will be paramount as they confront this talented Tar Heels squad. Mark Pope’s team must focus on containing North Carolina’s “Big Three”: freshman forward Caleb Wilson (averaging 19.9 points per game), junior center Henri Veesaar (15.9 PPG), and freshman guard Luka Bogavac (a key scorer adept at navigating ball screens). Collectively, these three players contribute significantly to UNC’s offensive output.
Limiting Wilson, Veesaar, and Bogavac is essential if Kentucky hopes to avoid another loss. Should they fail to do so, North Carolina will likely capitalize on second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Tar Heels currently shoot 46.8% from the field but struggle from beyond the arc at just 31.8%. This presents a potential opening for Kentucky; if they can restrict UNC’s effectiveness inside the three-point line, they may have a chance to stifle one of their primary sources of offense.
However, North Carolina boasts depth with multiple capable shooters. The Wildcats must prioritize protecting the paint and preventing any easy scoring chances—an area where they faltered against larger opponents like Louisville and Michigan State.
Another vulnerability for UNC lies in turnovers; they average 11.6 per game—a statistic that could allow Kentucky to seize control of the game’s direction if exploited effectively. Despite recent struggles, Kentucky possesses athleticism on the perimeter that could be advantageous in setting an early tempo against UNC.
Tuesday presents a significant opportunity for the Wildcats to demonstrate their ability to compete against formidable opponents like the University of North Carolina. A victory in this matchup could alter the trajectory of Mark Pope’s team. Despite some recent missteps, analytics platforms such as KenPom project a favorable outcome for Kentucky, predicting a score of 84-75 over UNC.
The Tar Heels will undoubtedly present numerous challenges, and Coach Pope will need to carefully assess his roster based on player availability leading up to the game. Nevertheless, Kentucky has the potential to redefine its season. It is important to remember that it is still early in the basketball calendar; any sense of urgency to push the PANIC button just yet on this team’s performance may be premature.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at Rupp Arena.
First-year head coach Bill Belichick appeared to find his groove with the University of North Carolina by early November.
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The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse and Stanford in back-to-back weeks after starting out 0-3 in ACC play.
However, UNC lost its third consecutive game on Saturday as rival NC State mauled Belichick’s program 42-19 in front of 56,919 fans at Carter-Finley Stadium. North Carolina dropped a close 32-25 game to rival Duke in Week 13.
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Following the loss to the Wolfpack, Belichick finished the regular season 4-8.
During the season, Belichick was linked to the New York Giants after Brian Daboll was fired. Belichick put those rumors to rest as he finished the season with the Tar Heels.
“Look, I’ve been down this road before,” Belichick said before North Carolina played Wake Forest. “I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. Next week it’ll be to our next opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best I can for this team.”
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the former New England Patriots head coach is expected to draw interest from multiple NFL teams this offseason.
“Some think one or more pro franchises will explore hiring Belichick, who can leave at any time for a buyout of only $1 million,” Florio wrote. “However, he has received only one interview during two hiring cycles since the Patriots fired him after the 2023 season.
“The 73-year-old Belichick took the UNC job last December, apparently due in part to the unwillingness of any NFL team(s) with a current or expected vacancy to indicate that he’d be hired. This time around, he’s available to be discreetly interviewed. If anyone chooses to interview him.”
Belichick should draw at least a discreet interview.
The head coach of six Super Bowl victories has 302 wins, which is third all-time in the NFL behind George Halas (318) and Don Shula (328). Belichick would have a chance to pass both in a few seasons if he had success with a new team.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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