ROCKINGHAM - As part of the ongoing mission of the Richmond Observer to provide expansive coverage of significant events, we offer the following links to allow ease of access to news and/or items of recent interest. These particular reports focus upon news of the past month which may directly affect life in Richmond County and other rural areas of the state.
1- Murphy-Brown, defendant in the nuisance lawsuits in the state, is appealing the federal judge overseeing the cases’ gag-order that bans attorneys, farmers and neighbors from talking about the cases. A juror in the second case (we’re on the third now) admitted to researching the cases, and rather than declare a mistrial related to the juror misconduct, the judge is believed to have issued the gag order to prevent that from happening again. Raleigh News & Observer
Hog farm lawsuit key plaintiff misleading; defendants want to talk Bladen Online
2- It was dry; now it’s very wet. So wet, in fact, that in Pasquotank County, fish were swimming among the rows of soybeans in one farmer’s fields. Morning Ag Clips
Wilmington is 2 feet above normal for rainfall in 2018 Spectrum News
3- Weather factors in parts of Europe could drive quicker trade negotiations with the European Union, as weather is driving down some crop forecasts there. Morning Ag Clips
Lighthizer: NAFTA deal possible in August SFN Today
4- Trade aid, Policy Review Day and labor news were all covered in the most recent NC Farm Bureau report! NCFB-YouTube
5- Kellogg’s recalled its Honey Smacks cereal in light of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak, but state inspectors say they were dismayed to still find the products on some store shelves, and are urging people not to buy Honey Smacks. NCDA & CS
6- Increasing food processing in North Carolina is a goal of state agriculture leaders, and the North Carolina Food Processing Innovation Center is now the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab. Morning Ag Clips
7- Follow along with the Twitter threads that tell the story of NC DEQ Secretary Michael Regan’s visit to see the bioenergy partnership between South River Electric Membership Corporation and Butler Farms. Twitter
8- The European Court of Justice has ruled that genome editing falls under the heading of genetic engineering, and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue is critical of the decision, which he says will have strategic innovation and trade implications for U.S. agriculture. Fresh Fruit Portal
9- The pope talked about leftovers. He said he’d been thinking about hunger and food waste, and encouraged people to look for those in need with whom to share if they find they have more than they consume. WRAL
Editor's note: It is the policy of the Richmond Observer to print news release material in its original format, as it was received, with minimal, if any, editorial adjustments.
