Published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Mountain State Fair slated for Sept. 8-17
Racing and swimming pigs, splashing sea lions and a swirling and spinning
new spectacular ride are a few of the new attractions planned for the 2023
N.C. Mountain State Fair Sept. 8-1 7 at the Western NC Ag Center.
In addition, food lovers can sample and buy some of the tastiest North
Carolina products at the debut of the Got to Be NC Pavilion in the Chevrolet
Davis Event Center.
“We look at the entertainment lineup every year and work to bring in
new and exciting shows, rides and activities for fairgoers, to pair with our
heritage crafters, livestock events, competitive exhibits, musical stages and
agricultural exhibits,” said Sean McKeon, Mountain State Fair manager. “It’s
shaping up to be a great fair.”
Each Chase’s Racing and Swimming Pigs show features four races where
petite piggies zip around the track to take home the winner’s checkered flag,
bragging rights and a cookie. Two of the races feature a water obstacle where
the piglets make a big splash.
Sea Lion Splash is a fun and educational show that demonstrates trained
and natural behaviors of these enchant ing marine mammals.
On the midway, Sub Zero makes its scream-inducing debut, where it will
join nearly 40 rides that range in intensity from kiddie level to thrill-seeker.
Keep an eye out for a baby male dragon or a juvenile female dragon
accompanied by a dragon master. MythiCreatures is an interactive strolling
act that creates unique selfies for dragon lovers.
Popular returning acts include chainsaw artist Joey Rowe, the Human
Canon Ball David “The Bullet” Smith, a clogging competition, mountain
Wc arc sliding into fair season. See other counts' ag fairs listed on page X.
music, comedy hypnotist Brad Matchett and an agricultural magic show.
During the week, the fair will host a series of Caring for our Community
Days to raise awareness of local groups serving veterans, kids, seniors
and those who are food insecure. Salute to Service will be Monday, Sept.
(See It’s Fair Time, pg. 2)
Ten stores pay fines for excessive price scanner errors
Now hiring!
The 2023 N.C. Mountain State
Fair in Fletcher and the 2023 N.C.
State Fair in Raleigh are currently
hiring seasonal staff to work the
fairs. The Mountain State Fair runs
Sept. 8-17 and the N.C. State Fair
runs Oct. 12-22.
If you enjoy people, working in
a fast-paced environment, could use
a little extra cash, and being part of
a team essential to a safe and fun
event, we need you!
The Mountain State Fair is
hiring for information personnel,
ticket seller, ticket taker and entry
personnel with hourly rates ranging
ffomS15-S16.
To view the job posting and apply
for a Mountain State Fair position, go
to https://www.govemmentjobs.com/
careers/northcarolina/jobs/4129923/
mountain-state-fair-fletcher-nc
The N.C. State Fair is hiring head
cashier, exhibit manager, exhibit
woiker, competition woiker, gateman,
information booth attendant, public
announcer, receptionist, cash room
worker, ticket seller and ticket taker.
The houriy rates range from S 15-S22.
To view ttejob posting and apply fir
a N.C. State Fair position, go to https
7/
www.govemmentjobs.com/careers/
northcarolina/jobs/4 1 298 1
5/2023-
nc-state-fair-job-opportunities?pag
ctypc=jobOpportuniticsJobs.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services’ Standards
Division has collected fines from 10
stores in nine counties because of
excessive price-scanner errors.
“Our Standards Division is
vigilant in inspecting stores across
the state for scanner errors that cost
consumers money,” said Agriculture
Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This
work focuses on ensuring that North
Carolinians are charged the prices
they see on shelves and not more. I’m
happy to see that this report is shorter
than previous quarters as compliance
has improved statewide. Our team
will continue to inspect stores, but
it is also important for consumers to
check their receipts often and notify
store managers if they see an issue.”
The department conducts periodic,
unannounced inspections of price-
scanner systems in businesses to
check for accuracy between the prices
advertised and the prices that ring
up at the register. If a store has more
than a 2% error rate on overcharges,
inspectors discuss the findings with
the store manager and conduct a more
intensive follow-up inspection later.
Undercharges are also reported, but do
not count against a store. Consumers
who would like to file a complaint
about scanner errors they encounter,
can call the Standards Division at
984-236-4750.
Penalties are assessed if a store fails
a follow-up iaspection. In addition
to the penalties paid, the store will
be subject to reinspection every
60 days from the last inspection
until it meets the 2%-or-less error
rate. Additional penalties may be
assessed if a store fails reiaspectioa
Following are civil penalties
recorded in the second quarter
of 2023:
- (Brunswick) Dollar General
at 6675 Beach Drive SW, Ocean
Isle paid S 1,9 10 in penalties. An
initial inspection in January found
(See Price scanners, pg. 4)
From the tractor
by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler
Commissioner Troxler
July’s destructive tornado that hit
Nash and Edgecombe counties with
little advance warning is a reminder
that it is important to be prepared and
have an emergency response plan for
your family, home and farm.
Trust me when I say you do not
need to figure out your plan in the
middle of a storm or disaster. Planning
ahead means you will have important
documents and phone numbers ready
and all members of your team will
know their roles and responsibilities.
That last part is especially true if you
have new team members involved.
Having a respoase plan is also critical
when you care for livestock.
In North Carolina, we have had
plenty of opportunities to learn
from storms in the past. I know at a
department level, we have staff that
train and conduct exercises annually
involving situatioas that could happen
or have happened.
We also work on developing
technological tools, maintaining
equipment, participating in specialized
training and evaluating our capability
to respond effectively.
Through our training and exercising,
our team can work through questions
that may come up in a real-world
scenario, but without the pressure of
an actual event taking place. After
every storm-related response, we go
back over our efforts to try to better
anticipate needs and challenges, so we
can better prepare for future events.
I am proud we are looked to
as a national leader in agricultural
emergency response and are often
called on to assist other states in times
of agricultural crisis.
While the July tornado didn’t
provide much advance warning, often
with impending tropical storms and
hurricanes farmers and the industry
gets a heads up of a few days.
There’s typically a lot to get done in
a small window of time, so preparing
and discussing what you need to do
in an emergency on a blue-sky day
makes very good sense.
We have links to a lot of
emergency preparedness resources
online at https://www.ncagr.gov/
oep/Prepare#farmPlanning. On that
site, you can find a farm emergency
plan template that includes a lot of
helpful information and checklists
of emergency supplies to have on
hand and a sheet to list important
phone numbers. The specific
link to this information is https://
www.ncagr.gov/oep/documents/
Farm_Emergency_Plan_Template_
Final2023.pdf.
There is also information on
planning for the care of your pets
in an emergency and what items
you need to have ready. 1 know
this is incredibly important to pet
owners.
I truly hope we don’t have any
opportunities this year, or need, to
activate our emergency response
activities, but we stand willing to
help residents and our agriculture
community if necessary.
Please check out the resources
we have online and make sure
you have a plan in place and that
everyone involved in your operation
knows the plan.
