Church Street Park hosting USA Cricket Women’s Eastern Regional Qualifier event this weekend, July 2 – 5.  

Visit www.usacricket.org for a schedule of matches!

World Edition Interview with USA Cricket! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlARu8gPv1Y.  

Radio Nyra Cricket Interview on Sunday at 4 pm on 99.9FMHD4, 101.9 FM and 1490AM. 

My Weekly Update: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/494604361649517/?t=34

Advisory Committee Applications due today, July 2. To learn about each of the advisory committees visit https://bit.ly/msvadvisorycommittee .  

Attorney General Stein reaches $40 milion settlement with JUUL. 

https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-stein-reaches-agreement-with-juul-for-40-million-and-drastic-business-changes/  

UNC Board Votes 9-4 to Grant Tenure to Professor Nikole Hannah Jones. 

As we celebrate the USA Womens’ Cricket Team in Morrisville this weekend, my play of the week is for the Town to be more aggressive in establishing Morrisville as the premier destination for more national and international tournaments.  We have a unique opportunity to take Cricket to the next level in Morrisville.  

Here are my plays: 

I am going to meet with the Cricket Board, and also will ask anyone to provide me ideas on how we can make this happen!  Lets stop waiting and make this happen! 

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/615960895978710/?t=20

Be inspired by Anita Gorman Inaugural Poem: 

Komal, Sonia, Rayan and I wish each of you a very Happy Fourth of July.  

In her book, Regeneration, futurist Rebecca Ryan reminds us that America’s founders saw religious intolerance and lack of social mobility as unjust. They embraced the American enlightenment’s revolutionary idea that all people are created equal at birth. This may not seem like a big deal to us now but at the time, this was a mind-blowing idea and ran counter to every traditional government and religious structure. It is the central principle on which our country is based, and one for which thousands of our bravest citizens were willing to die. (Regeneration, Rebecca Ryan, p 19)  

At the same time, our Union has been far from perfect, and we must face and acknowledge its racist past, and make an effort to fight today for equality and justice for all Americans.  Our constitution begins with the words, “We the People, in order to form a more Perfect Union.  

Independence Day should always be a reminder that in the midst of division, racial tensions, racial bias, uncertainty and fear during a pandemic, all of us must be united in our quest to make our union more perfect.  Each generation can do our part to make our union more perfect and if we make the effort, our nation, will as in the words of President Lincoln, have a new birth of freedom, and a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall never parish from the earth.  

July 4th should symbolize and renew our faith in freedom, our devotion to democracy.  It should also be a reminder that the all citizens, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Finally, we pray for the bravest heroes of our nation, our soldiers, who every day, through their sacrifices, prove that the United States of America truly is the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

God Bless the United States and a Happy 4th to all!

The Town of Morrisville’s Family Fun Festival is just around the corner! Join us on Saturday, July 3, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Town Hall Drive for an extensive family-oriented event. The Family Fun Festival will include live music and entertainment, magic shows, food trucks, family-friendly games, prize giveaways, Morrisville’s small businesses, Town project information displays, and more. A laser light show on Town Hall Drive will conclude the evening! (Note: the laser light show will only be visible from Town Hall Drive.)  

There will be no onsite parking on Town Hall Drive where the event is taking place. Parking will be available at Cedar Fork District Park, located at 232 Aviation Parkway, and Cedar Fork Community Center located at 1050 Town Hall Drive. Shuttle buses will transport participants to and from the event. Please arrive early, as once the lot is full it will be closed.

Town Hall Drive will be closed from the roundabout near Jeremiah Street to Morrisville Carpenter Road from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.

For current details and updates, visit bit.ly/msvjuly3.

Doug Croft, with the National Civic League, will be at the July 3 Fun Festival to formally present the All-America City Award plaque to Town representatives at approximately 6:20 p.m. on the Stage.  Mayor and Council Members will be present and once again, let me thank each of you, the engaged citizens of Morrisville and staff for making this happen!  

We can live the world in the All-America City of Morrisville! 

Keynote speaker: Erika Poethig, Special Assistant to President Biden for Housing and Urban Policy, Domestic Policy Council, The White House. The moment we’ve all been waiting for, the announcement of the 2021 All-America City Awards!

The Town of Morrisville welcomes participation from the Morrisville small business community at our July 3 Family Fun Fest!

The event will run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. with spots available for small businesses to present themselves to the community through demonstrations, samples, or the giveaway of marketing materials. All participating businesses are encouraged to have at least one interactive activity all ages can enjoy. Space and participation will be limited. Submit your interest on the form linked below by Friday, June 25 and a Town representative will contact you.

For current event details on Morrisville’s July 3 Family Fun Fest, visit www.townofmorrisville.org/july3.

If you have questions, email Ben McQueary at bmcqueary@townofmorrisville.org

Congrats to Rose Cornelius, who was sworn in last night as the new President of the Morrisville Rotary, and kudos to Veronica Bent for winning the Rotarian Leadership Award.  Thanks to Scott Mackey and all of the leaders of this organization who are doing wonderful work to help others in Uganda and other parts of the world.  We also pray for the family of Norman Hasht, and congratulate them a Rotary scholarship being named in his honor.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the BAPS Charities In the Joy of Others Walk A Thon to raise money for the Susan B Komen organization and their quest to defeat breast Cancer.  A special thanks to our BAPS community for always stepping up to help our community.  

The heart of any community is unity. If we are united, we can provide critical needs to those affected by breast cancer and invest in breakthrough research to prevent and cure the disease. Year after year, BAPS Charities’ Walks remind us that we can walk further when we walk together.  

Each step we take this year in support of Susan G. Komen is a step in support of the joy of others, through which we can discover our own. 

Weekly Update: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/494604361649517/?t=34

The Town of Morrisville is accepting applications for citizen advisory committees through Friday, July 2. While applications for all advisory committees will be accepted during this period, the following committees have vacancies or expiring terms that may be filled during this appointment process:

To submit your application, visit https://bit.ly/msvadvisorycommittee.

Starting Monday, June 28, lane closures will be in place along McCrimmon Parkway to replace the road's sidewalk panels. The lane closures will occur between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. The project is anticipated to last through Sunday, August 15. The replacements will improve the integrity and appearance of McCrimmon Parkway's sidewalk. For questions, contact the Morrisville Public Works Department by calling (919) 463-7070. Click here for details.

Starting June 28, repairs will begin to the sidewalks at the Breckenridge neighborhood on the following streets: Bradson Road, Millicent way, Gray Marble Road, Spencor Mill Road, Bristolwood Circle, Kurtner Court, and Tortoise Lane. Residents may be asked to move their vehicles while repairs take place. Paving operations are expected to begin the week of July 5 on the Preston neighborhood. Updated details will be posted to the Town’s website on the specific streets, logistics, and schedules as they are finalized with the contractors. For questions, contact the Morrisville Public Works Department by calling (919) 463-7070.

Registration opens Monday, June 28, for the Sunday, July 11 "pop-up" dog park at Morrisville Community Park! Participating dog owners must register in ActiveNet and fill out a waiver prior to participating. For additional information, future dates, rules, requirements, and forms click here to visit the Town’s webpage.

The Green Drive & Fairview Avenue stormwater project will commence construction on Monday, June 28. Work will start on Fairview Avenue and will continue for approximately two months and move to Green Drive for another two months. The project aims to reduce flooding in the area by upsizing culverts. Questions about the project can be directed to the Stormwater Division by calling (919) 463-6191 or clicking here.

The Town of Morrisville’s Family Fun Festival will be held on July 3, from 4 to 9 p.m. The plan is to hold this year’s July 3 event on Town Hall Drive. With COVID-19 restrictions being lessened recently, Town staff is creating a more extensive family-oriented event than in previous years. Ideas being planned include live entertainment, food trucks, family-friendly games, prize giveaways, small business representation and an opportunity to display Town projects. A laser light show will be conducted to conclude the evening. 

Come out to the Western Wake Farmers' Market (WWFM) every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., for healthy and fresh food, goods, and live music from small and local businesses! Visit http://wwfm.ag/ to learn about the WWFM, to see a complete list of local vendors, for special event dates, and to learn more about how you can support your community by shopping local. Sign up for the weekly WWFM newsletter sent out on Friday mornings! Email debbie@wwfm.ag to subscribe!

145 unaccounted for and 18 dead in Florida condo tragedy.  Biden visits Surfside to mourn with families.   

New York Cities Mayors Race a Mess, Eric Adams holds narrow lead. 

Bill Cosby is a free man after Pennsylvania Supreme Court Overturns Conviction.

Pelosi Selects Liz Cheney to be on Select Committee for Insurrection

Supreme Court upholds Arizona Voting Restrictions. 

Trustees at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill voted 9-4 to approve tenure for investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.

The board of trustees met Wednesday but then went into closed session and then delivered the final vote.  

The university had announced in April that Hannah-Jones, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on the project, would be joining the faculty in July. She had accepted a five-year contract to join the journalism school's faculty as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism -- without a guarantee of tenure.

Earlier in the year, Hannah-Jones' tenure application was halted because she didn't come from a "traditional academic-type background," and a trustee who vets the lifetime appointments wanted more time to consider her qualifications, university leaders had said. Donor and trustee William Husman strongly objected to tenure for Hannah-Jones and did not want the UNC School of Journalism connected to the 1619 Project. 

Six North Carolina Republican officials voted on Tuesday to end statewide eviction protections for renters starting Thursday, rejecting Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's request to extend the state's eviction moratorium by one month.   

Attorney General Josh Stein, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and State Auditor Beth Wood supported an extension. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, Commissioner of Labor Josh Dobson, Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt opposed extending the moratorium.

Folwell praised the action, saying that by lifting the eviction moratorium more housing might become available. He said property owners will have greater certainty that their expenses will be met through timely rent payments.

Cooper's administration warns the move by Republicans is likely to inject further chaos and confusion for landlords and tenants. Critics note North Carolina's policies will cease to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently extended its national eviction moratorium through July 31.

Regardless, eligible North Carolina renters will be able to remain in their homes through the end of July.  

The Biden administration and CDC this week extended the nationwide ban on evictions for a month to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic.

North Carolina on Monday announced its first COVID-19 vaccine lottery winners of a $1 million cash prize and $125,000 college scholarship.

Winston-Salem resident and teacher Shelly Wyramon won the $1 million prize before taxes, while 14-year-old Vania Martinez won the $125,000 scholarship.

The state will pick the remaining three cash and scholarship winners on July 7, July 21 and Aug. 4.

Attorney General Josh Stein today reached agreement on a consent order with e-cigarette maker JUUL that will require JUUL to pay $40 million and make drastic changes to the way it conducts business. North Carolina is the first state in the nation to successfully hold JUUL accountable for its role in spiking teen use and dependence on e-cigarettes.

Attorney General Stein began investigating JUUL in 2018 and sued the company in 2019 for designing, marketing, and selling its e-cigarettes to attract young people and for misrepresenting the potency and danger of nicotine in its products.

JUUL is making the following commitments about its business practices enforceable in North Carolina court in order to avoid appealing to young people:

Further, JUUL will pay $40 million to the state over the next six years. That money will fund programs to help people quit e-cigarettes, prevent e-cigarette addiction, and research e-cigarettes.

A key Senate committee gave overwhelming approval Wednesday to a proposal to allow marijuana use in North Carolina for certain medical conditions and to set up a state network for supply and distribution of the drug.

The vote was historic. No North Carolina Senate committee has ever taken a vote on medical marijuana. One House committee voted down a proposal back in 2015, and no bill has been heard in committee in either chamber since then before Wednesday's Senate Judiciary committee vote.

Senate Bill 711 was amended to reduce the number of distribution centers from a maximum of 80 statewide to 40 and to lower the fine for an infraction to $100. Trafficking in medical marijuana would receive a slightly harsher penalty than trafficking non-medical marijuana.

The North Carolina Senate passed its 2021-23 budget on Thursday, agreeing to spend $25.7 billion in 2021-22 and $26.6 billion in 2022-23.

The plan follows the conservative approach Republicans have followed since taking over the General Assembly in 2011, closing up long-running budget deficits and now boosting state revenues by billions of dollars.

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) said of the budget package, “Because of the state’s strong financial position after a decade of responsible governance, Senate budget writers could pair historic tax cuts with a massive infrastructure package. Responsible spending, tax cuts whenever possible, and saving for a rainy day have defined Republican budgets for 10 years, and the formula works.”

The Senate plan incorporates a tax cut package that passed the chamber reducing the state’s personal income tax rate down to 3.99% and increases the zero-tax bracket to $25,500 for married couples. The package also reduces the corporate income tax rate until it is eliminated entirely in 2028.

According to a Senate release, a family of four earning the median household income would see their tax burden reduced by over one-third.

In addition to tax cuts, the budget replenishes the rainy-day fund with an additional $3.8 billion and gives $4.3 billion over the next two years to the State Capital Infrastructure Fund, which pays for much of the state’s infrastructure. While $1.3 billion of those funds will be used to service existing debt, the other $3 billion will go to new infrastructure projects. Over the next 10 years, $12 billion total will be allocated to infrastructure, according to the Senate plan.

Of that infrastructure funding, $1.2 billion would go to resurfacing roads, and $700 million would go to road projects over the biennium.

Public employees, including teachers, received 3% raises over the biennium, with 1.5% in each year. Bonuses of up to $1,800 are also available to teachers. The Senate proposal sets a $13 minimum wage for non-certified workers at K-12 schools and community colleges, such as janitorial staff and lunch-room workers.

The NC House will now take up its own plan, which will look different from the Senate’s proposal. Once the House reaches its agreement, expected to take six-to-eight weeks, the two sides will come together on a final budget to send to Gov. Roy Cooper.

In an emailed statement, Cooper called for the General Assembly to fully fund his budget recommendations, totaling $27.3 billion in 2021-22 and $28.5 billion in 2022-23.

“Even though the Republican Senate bill giving big tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy is bad policy, we have enough money to pass my entire budget plus all those tax breaks with more money still remaining. We must now negotiate a responsible bipartisan budget that addresses everyone’s concerns,” Gov. Cooper said on June 15.

Watch the Event: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157853936186360

The Town of Morrisville’s Family Fun Festival will be held on July 3, from 4 to 9 p.m. The plan is to hold this year’s July 3 event on Town Hall Drive. With COVID-19 restrictions being lessened recently, Town staff is creating a more extensive family-oriented event than in previous years. Ideas being planned include live entertainment, food trucks, family-friendly games, prize giveaways, small business representation and an opportunity to display Town projects. A laser light show will be conducted to conclude the evening. 

July 7th Wake County Commissioners Meeting 5 pm.  

https://wake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx  

(All Meetings are in person) 

July 13th Town Council Meeting 6 pm   

Submit Public Comments to publiccomments@townofmorrisville.org.  

Streamed at www.townofmorrisville.org. 

July 27th NC RIOT Augmented Reality Challenge at Meymandi Hall!  

Immersive augmented reality technology experiences, a pitch contest with up to $40k up for grabs, an all-star panel of judges, craft beer, augmented reality artists and more! 

Register in advance at https://bit.ly/RYRfinalpitch

Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Nyra for another update on local issues.

99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!

Join us every Friday on World Edition at 10 am for the Great America Project Panel where we discuss how we rebuild Americas' image with leaders from around the country and world.

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