Advice For Start-Up Brokerages

Sondra Ellen
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Advice For Start-Up Brokerages

People are continually buying and selling currencies. International businesses need to exchange money to purchase materials or pay suppliers in foreign countries. There is no getting around it. According to Nasdaq, daily trading volume exceeds $5 trillion. It is a lucrative industry, and if you can find a way to facilitate these deals faster at better prices than your competitors, then you will do very well.

How to become a forex broker

A forex broker provides traders with access to a trading platform where they can buy and sell currencies on the open market. The brokerage will charge a commission on every transaction.

In this digital era, almost anyone can start trading online via digital trading platforms, but some are better than others. The most well-known platform is called MT4, and it is famed for its reliably and market-leading tools. 

If you can utilise trusted tools, you stand a chance of staking your claim on the industry and building a successful business, but there are other vital areas that you will need to be careful of in the early days. Pay close attention because your brokerage depends on them.

Provide Value

Starting a brokerage is like starting any other company. You will need to carry out research, raise some capital and form a legal entity.

It is essential to know that the forex industry is hugely competitive, and the majority of your success will come from careful planning in the early days. As soon as possible, you will need to figure out how to represent better value than your competitors.

Initially, this will come from the services you offer your clients. Identify who your core customer is. Ask questions like how old are they? And where are they located? Then target them in ways that appeal to them. You are more likely to onboard new clients who want what you have rather than trying to hard-sell them something they do not. 

It is important to remember that products and services define a company.

Preserve Capital 

Money is vital to the ambition of your start-up. Most businesses fail because they are under capitalised from the outset. When it comes to starting your brokerage, you need to protect your money. Think about using a white label service provider rather than building your own trading platform. Bespoke software requires vast amounts of money to get off the ground, and the upkeep of those systems is also staggering. Think carefully about who you are going to employ, and if you think you can save money by doing it yourself, then do so. Do you need an office, or can you run your business from home at first?

Create a financial forecast for at least twelve months in advance. It will help you to uncover hidden expenses or problems you have not thought about, and as part of a business plan, it can help you to secure funding from the bank.

Build a brokerage system

A forex business is much more than a trading platform. You will need to build an ecosystem that can attract leads, maintain communication, facilitate payments, and provide data and security measures. Once clients do start to join your business, these things can quickly spiral out of control. A white label partnership is invaluable. The right team can advise and guide your business through these difficult early days. It can really help to have oversight from an organisation that has been there and done it previously.

What to Look For in the CBD Market

Rose Blue
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What to Look For in the CBD Market

By now, unless you have been living under a rock, you are probably at least familiar with CBD. Since its explosion in popularity a couple years ago, it now seems that you can find something claiming to be CBD at every health food store, farmer’s market, and gas station across the country.  People all over are gushing about the virtues to their friends and family, begging them to try out this new miracle oil, straight from the hemp plant. CBD has many benefits, and with that come many fans.

 With that popularity comes something else though, a swarm of dicey products making questionable claims, peddled by suspect sellers and websites. If you are looking to get all the benefits from CBD you keep hearing about from CBD users and sellers, how do you avoid the low-quality purveyors that may not be selling the highest quality product? A few helpful tips to help you quickly see through the hype, and make an educated decision about the next CBD product you purchase.

Know Where the Hemp Came From

Good CBD starts with good hemp, and starting with the right hemp is critical. Hemp is a powerful bio-accumulator; it absorbs anything found in the soil it grows in. If hemp is grown in fields that are laced with pesticides or contaminants, it is going to end up in the plant, and then in the CBD extracted from that plant. Look for hemp sourced within the United States, where clean water and soil standards are highest. Organic standards are still in their infancy for hemp, but many reputable hemp growers are already following the strictest organic farming standards from other agricultural crops.

Look at Actual CBD Content

Many CBD sellers play “hide and seek” with the actual amount of CBD in their product. They may tell you the total ounces in a bottle or capsule, but not how much of that is actually CBD and how much is something else. CBD is always measured in milligrams, so any product claiming “ounces” of CBD is deliberately misleading you. Check the Supplements Fact label, and make sure it says how much of the stuff in the package is actually CBD. Also, avoid sugary candies or sweet-flavored gummies, these almost always sacrifice high CBD content in favor of simply adding sugar.

Demand Full-Spectrum, Not Isolate

We know that many users are rightfully concerned about THC. They don’t want to feel a “high” from their CBD product, and they may be concerned about the legality of any CBD product that is full-spectrum. These concerns are valid, but the law states that all hemp CBD products with a THC level of less 0.3% are perfectly legal. This is less than a third of one-percent, so most concerns about feeling intoxicated are misplaced. For CBD to work its best, you need all the cannabinoids found naturally in the hemp plant, so products that only use “isolate” are less effective. Isolate just means that the CBD molecule has undergone chemical processing and stripping in a lab, rendering it less natural and less effective. For the best CBD effects, stick to full-spectrum CBD oil and avoid products that say they are isolate, “0-THC” or broad-spectrum, which are all indications that the product is not true full-spectrum CBD.

Look For 3rd Party Lab Tests

Any seller can claim purity and potency of their product, but it takes independent lab tests to back that up. Look for CBD sellers that make public actual lab results from third-party lab. A full lab work-up should include the amount of THC in each dose, what pesticides and heavy metals were tested for, and results of bacteria and contamination tests. The gold standard is a 5-panel test from an independent ISO-certified hemp testing laboratory. Request a Certificate of Analysis from sellers of any ingestible CBD product you are considering if they do not provide one upfront.

While following these tips won’t necessarily guarantee you will find the perfect CBD product for you, it will help you weed out the weakest options in the CBD market, and help you know which questions to ask to determine which CBD product is right for you. One final tip, if you decide to order CBD online, don’t try to order CBD from Amazon. Amazon specifically prohibits listings for CBD products, so any product on Amazon masquerading as having significant CBD is likely misleading their customers, as well as falsifying their product listing details.

New Data: While Rents in Charlotte Fall, Suburbs Are Up 5%

Charlotte Stories
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New Data: While Rents in Charlotte Fall, Suburbs Are Up 5%
New data: While rents in Charlotte fall, suburbs are up 5%2020 has been a wild year for the rental market. A new report from Apartment List shows that while many large cities are getting cheaper, rents are actually rising in surrounding suburban communities.
Here’s how things are playing out locally in Charlotte metro:
  • Since January, rents in the city of Charlotte are down 1.6% while rents in nearby suburban areas are, on average, up 4.8%.
  • Of the 5 local suburbs for which we have data, every single one of them is experiencing higher rent growth than Charlotte.
  • The Charlotte suburbs with the fastest-growing rents are Gastonia (+8%) and Concord (+6%).

On a national level, Charlotte falls in the middle of most major markets, with New York and San Francisco seeing the biggest declines.

The full report compares urban and suburban rent growth in many major markets across the country.

Charlotte Stories is continually partnering with the best real estate agents in every part of the Charlotte region.

If you’re thinking about moving in or around Charlotte, let us connect you with a top agent in your area by filling out the form below:

    Christmas Town USA Details Its 2020 Celebration Changes

    Charlotte Stories
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    Christmas Town USA Details Its 2020 Celebration Changes

    For the 65th year, Christmas Town U.S.A. will twinkle brightly in North  Carolina, despite a few trimmed traditions during its annual celebration. 

    In September, Pharr and the Town of McAdenville announced several pandemic precautions to maintain adherence with CDC COVID-19 guidelines. The lights in McAdenville, N.C., will continue to dazzle and delight from Dec. 1-26 under a revised lighting schedule of 5:30-10 p.m. each night. Thousands of illuminated red, white and green light displays will dance along the town’s streets, welcoming visitors from near and far. Traditionally, the annual count of visitors to McAdenville in December exceeds a half-million people.  

    This year, however, the sparkling celebration enacts increased safety measures and social distancing for its  2020 event. The tree lighting ceremony and yule log parade are canceled and the lights surrounding  Christmas Town Lake will not be lit. The Christmas Town 5K will be hosted virtually. Visitors will be able to drive or walk along a shortened designated route and peruse the town’s local shops, restaurants, glow and charm. 

    Said Pharr Executive Vice President for Human Resources Christy Gliddon, “Christmas Town U.S.A. is one of the most spirited holiday traditions in the southeastern United States. We want families to feel safe as they  continue making memories here this December.” 

    Additional changes to the 2020 Christmas Town U.S.A. event include: 

    • Altered and extended hours among local businesses. 
    • Limited parking, which is available off Poplar and Elm streets with the best availability at 5 p.m. • No congregating along the event route or walking on residential property. 
    • The closure of Church and Academy streets to all vehicles. 
    • No Christmas Town traffic entering the area from Hickory Grove Road. Drivers are asked to follow  N.C. Department of Transportation signage toward McAdenville and the designated route. • As in years past, parking is not permitted on Hickory Grove Road or Riverside Drive. 

    Event officials recommend that guests to Christmas Town plan their visits early in the month and during a weeknight when traffic is lighter. They also ask individuals to wear a mask, social distance and keep their party moving throughout the lights so others can safely enjoy as well. 

    Added Gliddon, “One thing that remains constant is the reason for the lights. We look forward to welcoming  festive families to McAdenville for a joyful and healthy Christmas Town U.S.A.” 

    Christmas Town U.S.A. and its annual presentation are a collaborative effort between Pharr and the Town of  McAdenville. Overnight accommodations are locally available in nearby Belmont, N.C., at the Hampton Inn  Charlotte-Belmont at Montcross. Visit ChristmasTownUSA.org and its official Facebook page for additional information, including timely updates and merchant details. 

    Top Restaurants in Charlotte: Ways to Wonder and Attract Clients

    Sharon Anderson
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    Top Restaurants in Charlotte: Ways to Wonder and Attract Clients

    Charlotte, the biggest city of North Carolina, has been known as a great foodie spot on the US map for quite a while. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its lockdowns and restrictions, was an especially harmful strike on restaurant businesses, and some of the greatest places were lost due to the suddenly changed reality. However, a lot of promising newcomers appeared instead. So, one of the main city businesses seems to be able to make it through the coronavirus disaster.

    As you might already understand, the competition among restaurant businesses is even higher than that of the academic writing service market. Students will get that at once. Others might want to check assignment geek, writersperhour review, and essayhave review to understand what is meant here.

    Regarding the fact above, restaurants all over the world in general and Charlotte businesses, in particular, are bound to be creative if they want to keep the existing clients and attract new visitors. Let’s see the main ways for restaurants in Charlotte to astonish their customers and stand out from the crowd of competitors.

    Great Meals

    Why do you come to a restaurant, first of all? Of course, you want to eat something tasty. In Charlotte, there are restaurants of different levels and price points offering authentic dishes belonging to worldwide cuisines: from Italy to Thailand. It would be impossible to pick the “king-of-the-hill” restaurant of Charlotte in terms of meals offered: the choice is too wide, and the preferences about food are deeply personal.

    Special Atmosphere

    This is the second critical factor when speaking of astonishing visitors in a restaurant regardless of its location. A place suiting the group dinner with friends like “Zeppelin” will doubtfully suit a romantic date with a partner better than “Stagioni”, and a heavy metal bar will never be the place to attract clients willing to find a calm and cozy place like “The Stanley”.

    Places like “Merchant & Trade” bet on another feature: those are rooftop bars with stunning Charlotte landscapes visible through their panoramic windows.

    Excellent Service

    There is probably nothing to explain about this point when speaking of top-rated restaurants regardless of their location. Every foodie place in Charlotte having its TripAdvisor rating between 4 and 5 stars wouldn’t be that good without optimized processes, quick serving, and well-schooled and polite staff members.

    Events

    There are also restaurants like “Kindred”, which are most suitable for organizing an event. A business promo, a wedding anniversary, a birthday party, and anything else would be remarkable here. The restaurant has two stores uniting a bar downstairs with dining zones on two upper floors.

    Offers for Local Businesses (and Everyone Else)

    It is another way to attract multiple clients on weekdays that seems to be obvious but frequently underestimated by restaurant owners. However, multiple places in Charlotte developed special options for offices all over the city, including direct deliveries and corporate discounts. This advertising channel became especially effective after coronavirus restrictions were put, and restaurants that were first to optimize their food delivery channels actually went way ahead of slower competitors.

    Comfortable Software

    The world has gone online long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the web presence became even more critical for any business after it all began. Having comfortable Android and iOS applications for clients to watch menus online before even coming to a particular place to eat is a must for every restaurant business willing to be successful in 2020, especially when its target audience consists mainly of young adults and people below 40. 

    Free Wi-Fi

    Nothing irritates a contemporary visitor as much as password protection applied to any restaurant’s Wi-Fi network. Of course, the corporate system requires solid security measures to use, but the overwhelming majority of great restaurants in Charlotte have a second network that is open for every visitor. It seems to be a banal thing, but in fact, an easy Internet access channel available for a client is a strong competitive advantage even in late 2020.

    To Conclude

    The contemporary restaurants in Charlotte wouldn’t attract that many locals and even tourists without knowing how to attract and wonder their clients. Let’s hope that the number of opportunities for people to eat tastily and to have a good time in our city will only grow. It’s always great to enter a new place to taste an original meal and get a remarkable experience.

    Do you have a restaurant in Charlotte that you can call your favorite one? Share that place in the comments below, and describe your reasons. We are interested to hear about your unique experience.

    North Carolina Tops The Business Climate Rankings of 2020

    Sondra Ellen
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    North Carolina Tops The Business Climate Rankings of 2020

    North Carolina has always been at the top of the States which plays an important role to help the economy of the US grow. The state is widely known for its success in agriculture, financial services, and manufacturing in which NC is usually considered as a national leader. A decade ago the country of the US saw a huge benefit with the industrial output of North Carolina. Specifically, businesses that involve manufacturing of textiles, chemicals, electric equipment, and paper products have been thriving and as a result, the fact that now the state is a leader in the whole American business market is not a surprise.

    Even though North Carolina was always at the forefront of successful business industries, the latest news is even more favorable for the state as it has never been the first one between the states. But now as the Business Climate Rankings of 2020 by the Site Selection finally arrived, everybody can clearly see that North Carolina is a proven leader as a new survey ranked the state at the top of the US states with the best climate for business after years of competing for the first place. 

    It is a huge success for the state because this ranking is based on the survey of the corporate executives and site selectors who create this list of states according to what leading companies think of states and how attractive they are for investors. Of course, their attitude is not the only factor and the ranking is based on many different factors, including whether it’s easy or not to establish a business in a given state.

    Why is NC such an attractive destination for starting a business?

    In this Business Climate Ranking, North Carolina is at the top alongside Georgia and their success has several important reasons. First of all, both states are considered among the fastest-growing states that make a big part of the American population. Therefore, the tendency of population growth can be one of the reasons why NC and Georgia are attractive places for starting a business. Also, workforce development is another great reason because citizens of NC easily advance in their careers and find job opportunities which are why unemployment is not really a problem for the state. It especially applies to the remote workforce which is currently flourishing, playing a vital role in the economic development of North Carolina. 

    Importance of remote workforce

    People in this state have a lot of opportunities to work remotely. For example, they can become Technical writers or Business system analysts which is quite easy for everybody who has experience in programming, as well as strong writing skills and some other digital skills. But one of the key areas where North Carolinians are starting to converge is the financial industry. Thousands of remote traders have been seen opening ECN accounts with their local brokerages to take advantage of the post-election market volatility. As a result of the advantages of the Electronic Communication Network the strategy has become popular in North Carolina and traders have been using ECN for a faster FX trading execution through locally regulated brokerages. This may be one of the main reasons why the state has seen major economic growth in the current year as this and other remote job opportunities have been widely used throughout the country.

    Another great reason for North Carolina to take the first spot at the ranking is a good tax climate, as well as the ability for the citizens to take part in a large pool of job talent which plays an important role in economic development and corporate expansion of the state. Specifically, according to the 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index North Carolina is the best business tax climates in the US, and a flat income tax rate in the state is 5.25% which means that this rate is paid by all taxpayers despite their taxable income or filing status.

    The same applies to Georgia which is also at the top of Site Selection’s Business Climate Rankings. This is no surprise as thousands of businesses have already been thriving in Georgia, as well as North Carolina. Considering the amazing remote workforce in both of the states, getting a booming economy was predictable. Here as well, remote trading is a pretty popular method for people to work from home. They usually handle virtual trading tasks and earn money by making accounts of clients and business companies. However, in the middle of the pandemic, the importance of positive trading psychology is especially obvious, when managing the emotions while making trading decisions has become a difficult task. But the existing success of the market only signals healthy trading psychology in these states, but still, it’s a fire that needs to be dealt with carefully. 

    Economic Growth in North Carolina

    It’s important to note that it’s the first time ever when two states claimed the top spot in this ranking together. The success of Georgia is not really a surprise as the state has been in the first place during the last eight years. But the news is more exciting for North Carolina which was only two points far from first place in the previous year. But now the situation has changed as the state has seen a big economic growth in 2020 despite the worldwide economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

    As the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) stated, there have been several major economic changes this year in North Carolina. One of the most important ones was announcing a plan for the construction of a new headquarters of Raleigh-based Bandwidth Inc. It’s a leading cell phone carrier that operates as a software application programming platform. The company makes a great part of North Carolina’s economy and currently, they plan big job expansion in Raleigh which is the main reason for establishing a new building for the headquarters. 

    Another big firm that announced job expansion is the drug clinical research company BioAgilytix that is located in Durham. After landing a big incentive package from the state, the firm decided to add 878 jobs in Durham County. Besides, there are other major job expansions as well in North Carolina and most of them were achieved as a result of the economic development program to lure companies to the North Carolina market. 

    To sum up, the total number of jobs created is 3000 thanks to the 18-year-old job Development Investment Grant program. For this more than billions of dollars have been spent and therefore, the economy in the state of North Carolina will highly probably thrive in the following years, not to say anything about the current success of the state. 

    U.S. Department of Labor Finds Charlotte’s Barrday Corp Guilty of Violating FFCRA

    Charlotte Stories
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    U.S. Department of Labor Finds Charlotte’s Barrday Corp Guilty of Violating FFCRA

    After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Barrday Corp. – an industrial textile manufacturer operating in Charlotte, North Carolina – paid $2,606 in back wages for wrongly denying paid leave to an employee under the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA). The employee missed work to care for a child whose place of care was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    WHD found that Barrday Corp. violated the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) by denying the employee paid family leave, and later terminating the employee. FFCRA provides workers up to two weeks of paid leave, and the EFMLEA provides up to an additional 10 weeks of paid leave at two-thirds their regular rate of pay to care for their children whose school or childcare provider is unavailable due to the coronavirus. After WHD contacted Barrday, the employer agreed to reinstate the employee, pay the back wages and comply with the FFCRA’s requirements in the future.

    “The U.S. Department of Labor is protecting the American workforce during the coronavirus pandemic by ensuring employers comply with all of the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” said Wage and Hour Regional Administrator Juan Coria, in Atlanta, Georgia. “These protections benefit workers and employers alike. We encourage employers with questions about their responsibilities to reach out to us for information.”

    The FFCRA helps the U.S. combat and defeat the workplace effects of the coronavirus by giving tax credits to American businesses with fewer than 500 employees either to provide employees with paid leave for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. Please visit WHD’s “Quick Benefits Tips” for information about how much leave workers may qualify to use, and the wages employers must pay. The law enables employers to provide paid leave reimbursed by tax credits, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.

    WHD continues to provide updated information on its website and through extensive outreach efforts to ensure that workers and employers have the information they need about the benefits and protections of this new law.

    Learn more about the laws enforced by WHD, or call 866-4US-WAGE.

    Election Day Voting Bias in Charlotte – Election Official Op-Ed

    Charlotte Stories
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    Election Day Voting Bias in Charlotte – Election Official Op-Ed

    This is a first hand account of working the 2020 election in Mecklenburg County of Charlotte, North Carolina.  

    I applied online to participate as a volunteer at local precinct, precinct 080. I was contacted by a Senior Quality & Training Specialist, who asked me to submit my resume, I never submitted my resume, nor responded to that particular email. A few weeks later I receive a call from a Chief Judge in Mecklenburg County. She explained to me that there were two spots available for her precinct and that she had exhausted her contacts to fill the two remaining positions. The two positions remaining were Equipment Manager and Republican Judge. I asked which one would give me the most experience and engagement in the election process, she replied the Republican Judge.  I explained that I was not a registered Republican and instead registered as UNA. The Chief Judge expressed that this did not matter. I again asked if I was understanding correctly and she said that I did not have to be a Rep to the the Rep Judge. She even apologized that the “Rep” Judge was the only Judge position available…. I accepted the role.

    Over the next month, I attended a two hour training session on October 7th, met the Democrat Judge, Chief Judge, and Equipment Manager for a walk through of the precinct on October 24th, and met the remaining poll workers on November 2nd to set-up the precinct.

    On election day I arrived at precinct 080 at 5:40am.  In no particular order, here is a list of events worth noting.

    1. A poll observer entered the precinct approximately 6:20am. The Chief Judge told him to leave the building and wait outside until the polls open at 6:30am. She then turned and said how she hated the observers and they were nothing but a**holes.

    2. The church employee in charge of the building was told that due to Covid-19 that he could not be anywhere inside the church building and would have to stay in the parking lot.  ** This was an intentional LIE **. The Chief Judge mentioned during our walk through that she was planning to lie to the church employee to make sure that he would not be in the building.

    3. Certain individuals were told by the Chief Judge that they were required to wear a mask to vote. In one particular incident an elderly woman had placed her mask over her mouth and was then instructed that the mask was required to cover the nose.  ** This is FALSE **. During our training, it was made clear that poll workers could ONLY ask individuals to wear a mask, however could NOT require any individual to wear a mask, as this constitutes voter suppression.

    4. The Chief Judge allowed boxes of pizza to enter the precinct and be shared with poll workers, observers and third party organization workers outside the precinct (who WERE allowed to enter the polling location, however church staff was NOT allowed to).  This is in direct defiance of the Board of Elections Covid-19 protocol for polling locations. NO FOOD was to be shared by ANY STAFF or VOLUNTEERS, even with pizza being the example of what NOT to do.

    ***NOTE: I believe this important to note, because it shows how the Chief Judge was allowing Covid-19 to be the reason “certain” voters were required to wear a mask and “certain” individuals could not be inside the building because of Covid-19. However, boxes of pizza can be brought in and shared without concern and “certain”, non-approved third party workers, were allowed to enter the building.

    5.  ALL workers belong to DEM or UNA parties.

    ALL Judges – UNA or DEM
    ALL Poll Workers – UNA or DEM
    ALL Observers – UNA or DEM

    The following is an email exchange between myself and Carolyn Mints, Senior Quality & Training Specialist with Board of Elections – Mecklenburg County. The email exchange is from Monday, November 9th.

    EMAIL 1 

    EMAIL 1 RESPONSE 

    EMAIL 2 

    EMAIL 2 RESPONSE

    NOV. 3, 2020 – POLL WORKERS – PRECINCT 080 – MECKLENBURG COUNTY

    6.  Most of the morning, I was outside attending to the curbside voters. The last step of the curbside process was to take the written ballot and insert it into the tabulator to be counted. Late in the morning, around 11am, the Regional Precinct Coordinator arrived. She noticed that I was about to enter a ballot into the tabulator and pointed out to the Chief Judge that ONLY JUDGES were allowed to insert the curbside ballots into the tabulator. The Chief Judge explained that I was a Judge. The Regional Precinct Coordinator then mentioned that another Judge was required to be present when any Judge was inserting ballots into the tabulator. The Chief Judge lied to the Regional Precinct Coordinator and said that the 3 of us (the Judges) had been watching each other each time. I was unaware of this regulation and had been inserting ballots without any other Judge present. The remainder of the day neither Judge made themselves aware of the ballots I was inserting and I had to track one of them down each time I had to insert a ballot into the tabulator. The Chief Judge deliberately LIED.

    7.  Provisional ballots were cast the entire day and I, as Republican Judge, was never made aware of where they went after they were completed. I was not asked to confirm even ONE provisional ballot.

    8.  One man was told that, because he was not registered, that he could NOT vote.  This is NOT True. He could have filled out a provisional ballot. I was only made aware of this situation after the fact. I was outside working curbside, when the outside observer asked “what did you say to get that man upset”? I explained that I was unaware of what he was talking about, I had been on curbside and not spoken to any voter inside the precinct. The observer went on to say the man wasn’t allowed to vote, but the observer didn’t know why. It wasn’t until after the man had left that the Chief Judge and I spoke to the observer. The Chief Judge said that the Provisional Transfer Assistant had turned the man away and should not have turned him away.

    *** NOTE:  On November 4th, I reached out to the observer to ask if he knew any contact that I could report a few of my concerns to. I mentioned a few of the concerns I had and he defended each one. He then noted how he was a DEM and to be clear, the only incident he reported was when I turned the voter away because the voter was not registered. The observer said I was the only man working and when the upset voter came out and described to him what had happen. The voter said that the man inside “with the Bible name” was an a**hole and wouldn’t let him vote. I then reminded the observer that I was NOT the only man working, that the Provisional Transfer Assistant was a MAN named Abdulah, and he was who the voter had spoke with. The DEM observer however, reported me, the REP Judge, as turning away a voter that I never spoke a single word to.

    9.  Just prior to the polls closing, the Chief Judge told me that if someone pulling into the parking lot, to go ahead and let them come in. POLLS CLOSE at 7:30pm in NC, not a few minutes later.

    10. At the end of the night, the Chief Judge and the Equipment Manager printed out the results from the tabulator. The Chief Judge asked the poll workers if anyone would like to hear the results. She gathered everyone around and read out how Biden had beat Trump. The workers started cheering and then asked about Roy Cooper. The poll workers then cheered again. The Chief Judge went on to say how the bonds were passed which is “a really good thing, that’s a good thing.”

    These are great concerns and I have shared these concerns with local and national media outlets.

    Matthew Clum
    Republican Judge
    Precinct 080 of Mecklenburg County
    Charlotte, NC

    Colonial Pipeline Gas Spill In Huntersville Far Bigger Than Initial Estimates

    Charlotte Stories
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    Colonial Pipeline Gas Spill In Huntersville Far Bigger Than Initial Estimates

    According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Colonial Pipeline spill in Huntersville is now turning out to be far bigger than the initial estimates predicted.

    The spill was first detected on August 14th coming from a ruptured Colonial Pipeline gas line near Huntersville’s Oehler Nature Preserve. The liquid petroleum gas line that ruptured runs 5,550-miles from Texas, through the southern states, to New Jersey.

    Colonial Pipeline said they believed 270,000 gallons of gasoline would eventually spill into the surrounding Mecklenburg County nature preserve.

    Now, 3 months later, over 275,000 gallons of gas has been recovered, with an additional 3,000-5,000 gallons being removed every day. Officials now estimate this recovery rate will continue for at least another few months.

    Colonial Pipeline’s most recent update states:

    “As of Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Colonial had installed 100 monitoring and recovery wells at the site.  Sixty of those wells are monitoring wells, and 40 are recovery wells.  Neither monitoring nor recovery wells are used for potable water.  Residential water well sampling for homes within a 1,500-foot radius of the incident location, which is the monitoring radius established by NCDEQ, are completed weekly.  The samples are analyzed by an external laboratory, and there have been no detections of petroleum constituents in any of the samples taken from any of the residential water wells.”

    While it’s unknown how far the gas spill has spread, DEQ officials have stated that no gasoline has been detected in any well water yet.

    Governor Cooper Proclaims Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week in North Carolina

    Charlotte Stories
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    Governor Cooper Proclaims Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week in North Carolina

    Cybersecurity professionals ensure that North Carolina’s most private and important information, and critical infrastructure is maintained and secured. Governor Cooper has proclaimed this week, November 9-14, as Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week in North Carolina to bring awareness to this profession.

    “This week, we want to take the opportunity to celebrate the vital role that the cybersecurity workforce plays in our society. With technology improving every day, it is important to recognize the diverse, highly skilled individuals that enhance the state’s security and promote economic prosperity within the cybersecurity industry,” said Governor Roy Cooper.  “Throughout the week, we want to focus on educating the public on the demand, opportunities, and various careers available within the area of cybersecurity.”

    During a pandemic, the cybersecurity workforce has been more critical to society than ever before, as residents are going online to work, learn and seek health care. This workforce is also instrumental in the protections of our state’s public safety networks, health systems, water, financial systems etc. A monthly report from NC Tech showed that the increased use of cloud technologies, as a result of remote working conditions related to COVID-19, has led to a significant increase in demand for cloud capabilities and the ability to demonstrate cybersecurity and data privacy capabilities to compete in today’s environment and gain consumers’ digital trust.

    “We want to take this week to inspire and educate North Carolinians of all ages, educators, parents and employers on career opportunities in the field of cybersecurity,” said Thomas Parrish, IV, acting secretary and state chief information officer of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT).  “The flourishing industry will only continue to grow and offer more jobs and paths for the future professionals of North Carolina.”

    The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks information security analysts as one of its Five-Star Jobs, projecting it to experience significant net job growth of 36% over the 2018-2028 period. North Carolina currently has more than 20,000 listed cybersecurity jobs open.  A  cybersecurity workforce shortage is expected to continue to grow for the near future.  This deficit could be filled by local talent if exposed early to available educational resources for career entry. North Carolina is home to numerous colleges and universities that have met the rigorous criteria required to earn the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designation for their various degree programs.  For a list of certified programs, visit https://www.caecommunity.org/content/cae-institution-map.

    In addition to a variety of degree and certification programs at community colleges and universities throughout the state, NC Works, the state’s workforce system, has created various apprenticeships and training programs to prepare jobseekers for careers in cybersecurity.

    As an example, the Cumberland County Workforce Development recently recognized graduates of a Cybersecurity Pre-Apprenticeship program for young adults ages 14 through 25. The Raleigh-based ISG Cybersecurity Talent Development teamed up with the Cumberland County Workforce Development to prepare and train cybersecurity professionals and help young adults establish a career path early in the IT industry. Currently, the Capital Area Workforce Development Board is recruiting candidates for its own ITAP (Information Technology Apprenticeship Program), with ISG Cybersecurity Talent Development. The program combines classroom learning with real-world experience, so students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful IT professionals. NCDIT has also partnered with ISG on a Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program specifically for disabled veterans.

    Citizens interested in cybersecurity jobs can view current listings at www.ncworks.gov.

    As part of the cybersecurity work that NCDIT conducts, the agency recently launched CyberSecureNC for Schools & Students, a website and educational effort dedicated to helping school administrators, teachers, students and parents with the transition to working and learning remotely and doing it in a safe and cybersecure way. This is a part of it.nc.gov/CyberSecureNC, the agency’s statewide effort to promote being cybersafe as well as what to do if you become a victim of a cyberattack. Residents can also dial 211 if they suspect they are the victim of cybercrime and be put in contact with a trained specialist to assist them with best practices and support.

    It is important to show cybersecurity is a job you can have as early as possible, especially when it comes to girls and women, who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields, specifically cybersecurity. To help reduce this gender gap, NCDIT supports Girls Go CyberStart, part of CyberStart America, a virtual, national competition for high school girls. Registration is now open for the 2021 competition.

    For more information on Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week and the work at NCDIT, visit it.nc.gov/CyberSecureNC. For more information about cybersecurity education and programs, please visit www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice.

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