Briefly
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on September 26, 2004 2:04 AM
Kids' Fest
The Wayne County Health Department is sponsoring its seventh annual Kids' Fest on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Berkeley Mall.
Over 40 health and safety educational exhibits representing various community organizations will be on hand with health-related information for children, teens and parents.
Center stage will feature music from Carver Heights Elementary School, Eastern Wayne High School as well as other local youth. Sparkles the Purple Germ Buster from the Health Department will ensure kids are knowledgeable about proper hand-washing techniques.
Smokey Bear from the N.C. Forest Service will also be making his annual visit. Woodmen of the World will be providing free photo IDs for the children.
The Fire Safety House and Store of the Goldsboro Fire Department will also teach children and parents the importance of fire safety. The grand prize drawing this year will be a child's bike and bike helmet.
Want to march?
Time is running out for groups to sign up to march Nov. 11 in the Wayne County Veterans Day Parade.
Groups can include veteran, fraternal and business groups, school bands, Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Cub Scout troops and ROTC groups. All parade entries should carry, display or exhibit patriotic themes.
There is no fee for entering the parade, which is sponsored by the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition. Groups can sign up at the Wayne County Veteran's Service Office, which is in the county administrative building at 209 S. William St. in Goldsboro. Applications are also available on the Web site www.waynegov.com. The deadline to apply is Nov. 5.
Line-up for the parade will be at 8:30 a.m. at the 200 block of South Center Street. The parade will start at 11 a.m. For more information, call George Carberry at 778-9636.
Unemployment falls
The unemployment rate fell in Wayne County in August.
Around 2,131 county residents, or about 4.2 percent of the workforce, were unemployed, according to the Employment Security Commission.
That's a decrease of about 1,077 people from July, when the county's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent.
The statewide rate in August was 4.9 percent, which was down from 5.4 percent.
The unemployment rate in surrounding counties: Duplin, 6.2 percent in July to 5.2 percent in August; Johnston, 3.3 to 3.1 percent; Sampson, 5.4 to 5 percent; Lenoir, 5.1 to 4.6 percent; and Wilson, 10.9 to 9.7 percent.
For the sixth consecutive month, Vance County had the state's highest unemployment rate in August, 11.8 percent. For the fifth consecutive month, Currituck County had the state's lowest unemployment rate at 1.4 percent.
Family Y anniversary
The public is invited to the Goldsboro Family Y's 20th anniversary celebration at noon Tuesday at the Y. Hors d'oeuvres will be served.
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