My career path has taken me through sales, leadership in politics, and entrepreneurship, but the principles that guide me remain consistent: trust, relationships, and the courage to embrace failure. These are the cornerstones of success, whether managing a team, launching a business, or leading a community through a crisis.
Read MoreAs we gear up for the 2024 Presidential Election, North Carolina is once again a key battleground. And there’s good reason for that. Our state has a long history of being unpredictable—electing Republican presidents and Democratic governors. With 16 electoral votes on the line, we’re a state that both parties are fighting hard to win. In 2020, Trump took North Carolina by just 1.3%, proving that this isn’t a state anyone can take for granted. If you think your vote doesn’t count here, think again.
Read MoreRelive a horrifying experience with our team and see the behind-the-scenes of how we put together our greatest livestream broadcast each year. Halloween and Election Night back to back - scary...
Read MoreMeet our newest intern, Leah Sugg - Miss Neuse 2021. See how our team handles social media for the largest whole hog cookoff in the world - the BBQ Fest on the Neuse. Get behind the scenes of a Media Day at a golf club and rub elbows at a political event. #itswhatwedo
Read MorePolitics in La Grange to music videos at Rochelle to selling houses with dry erase marker mustaches. You never know what our team is up to. Ha! But the real question is "how does your office decide on lunch?" All this and more on The Journey, Episode 108 - The Lunch Matrix.
Read MoreAleatha hates reading TikTok comments, so we thought she should blindly react to comments on some of the most viral TikToks featuring her. And if you think this is funny, you're right!
You're welcome. ;)
Read MoreAt the close of our Election Results Show Tuesday night, I admonished the residents of the City of Kinston for not voting. Like it or not you may complain about the road conditions, wasteful spending, crime rates, property transfers, etc., but I don't have to listen to you if you don't care enough to vote. Of the last 5 mayoral elections, this race had the 4th worst number of votes EVEN WITH 4 CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR. One would think that more candidates would equate to more voters. It's simply pathetic.
Read MoreOn Wednesday morning, BJ and community leader Danny Rice went on the Bryan Hanks Show to give some post-election analysis. We spoke with incumbent winner Robbie Swinson and newcomer Chris Suggs. We discussed the accountability of office holders, big decisions coming soon, the role of the mayor, and much more.
Read MoreIn this episode of OTR, Aleatha decrees she doesn't like fake people. #bigsurprise We discuss App State family weekend, my latest talks at ECU and North Lenoir, and more. Then my OTR Commentary chastises elected officials for not representing the people first.
Read MoreAleatha and I consider "Neuse News: The Musical", we plan a team outing and I give four things you can do when complaining about politics. And what's our show without a few laughs?
Read MoreEp. 16: On Making and Reporting News with B.J. Murphy.
Entrepreneur & Former Kinston Mayor, BJ Murphy talks about local politics, being involved in your community and navigating friendships in divisive times.
Read MoreLast week was another busy work week between client projects and the news. But we always take time to laugh and enjoy our lives, family, friends and the small things...like the Farmhouse in Deep Run, NC. We took a quick lunch trip there and discussed the fact that "women run the world".
Read MoreHad the honor of being interviewed by the infamous Reece Gardner this week on TMGI - CTV10. We discussed the acquisition of N.C. Political News and how the devastation of Hurricane Matthew led me to launch Magic Mile Media. I also got on a small kick about the politics of COVID-19 and its impact on our business community. Sometimes I question the politics when looking at the same data and science.
Read MoreYes, this is a typical week in our office. Covering politics, singing happy birthday, and receiving a visit from Cheech & Chong. #groovy
Read MoreAt the October 5th Kinston City Council meeting, the elected members unanimously approved two motions allowing city employees new vacation days for June 19 and Election Day. With roughly less than five minutes of discussion, both motions passed.
The City of Kinston has 378 positions on payroll and have about 350 positions filled at this time. Let’s assume all 350 are eligible to vote. If 70% take the time to vote, that will equate to approximately 245 employees exercising that right. If 61.2% have already cast their ballots in our area, it would mean about 214 employees have already done so.
Based on historical numbers, the cost per vote on Election Day (31) is roughly $1,729, plus time and a half for our police, fire and other essential employees.
Read MoreOne of the unique ideals of our country is that we’re able to express views and beliefs without fear of reprisal or censorship. And the internet has brought forth a plethora of opportunities to distribute information through a multitude of platforms and websites. But with the acceptance of differing voices came also the silencing of dissenting opinions by those with a monopoly on power and information...namely Facebook, Google and Twitter. These tech giants have created amazing platforms for people to connect, yet now have the undaunting task of policing those platforms in the scope of free speech without sacrificing what their ad dollars crave - your attention and engagement.
Read MoreCOVID-19, economic issues, social unrest, wildfires, natural disasters, and explosive “gotcha” books will help shape the political landscape. Technological advances like geo-targeting and social media will provide new means of communicating candidates’ messages in local and national elections. The old cliche that “all politics is local” continues to ring true, but how do local candidates stand out in the noise of presidential election year rhetoric?
Read MoreWhile reporters and TV talking heads continue to refer to North Carolina as a swing state, they are largely mistaken. We do not “swing” between Republicans and Democrats for president and governor much to the media’s chagrin. Our selection of US Senators, however, would qualify for that designation. The reality is that NC tends to vote for Republican presidents, Democratic governors, and flip flops on US Senators.
Read MoreOn Friday night I went to bed much earlier than usual. Guess this approaching 40 thing is becoming a reality. 🤣 However, I woke up in the middle of the night with multiple things weighing on my mind. Things like the Lenoir County School Board, my upcoming 40th birthday and the 2020 elections.
Read MoreHave you ever had something gnaw at you long enough that you finally had to address it?
Last month the City of Kinston requested that Neuse News run a Public Notice informing the community of the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget. Having served for eight years as mayor, I know the budget process and numbers well. Glaring to me was the proposed $26,100 increase in the mayor and council’s salary line item. Surely that was a mistake. Surely in a time like this that would not be on the table.
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