Orthodontist in Mount Pleasant NC

Scott Simon speaks with Tommy Porter, a farmer in North Carolina, about how inflation is affecting the operation of his livestock and poultry farm.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Annual inflation stands at 8.3%, a number that can mean different things to different people. Let's find out what it means to Tommy Porter, who runs a livestock and cattle farm in Mount Pleasant, N.C. Mr. Porter, thank you so much for being with us.

TOMMY PORTER: Yes, sir. Glad to be here.

SIMON: And are you feeling the effects of inflation?

PORTER: Yes, sir, very much so. Our operation - I would call it a very diversified farm. As far as livestock, we have pigs, we have cattle, we have poultry, and we have greenhouses. We also do agritourism, which is primarily - we found out that people like to get married on a farm, so we do weddings. But as diversified as we are, none of that is inflation-proof. Inflation hits every aspect of what we do.

SIMON: Well, help us understand. What do you have to pay more for these days?

PORTER: Well, I guess the No. 1 factor would be fuel. Fuel touches everything we do, not only the tractors, the equipment that we run on the farm. And we burn more fuel this time of year than we do most any other time. But everything we get - fertilizer, chemicals, seed - everything is as much as two to four times what it was a year ago. So those prices are just hitting us really hard, and we're not able to pass our cost on. Farmers are price takers, not price makers.

SIMON: Help us understand that, because, you know, in a lot of fields, if it costs more to produce something, people pass those prices along to the consumers so they can stay in business. Why is it hard for farmers to do that?

PORTER: Well, farmers, we - when we sell a product, our commodities, whether it's livestock or grain or corn or whatever, the price is set by whatever the market is. And just take, for instance, cattle. All of our input cost to raise these cattle are costing us anywhere from two to three times more than it did a year ago, and the price of cattle is the same thing as it was a year ago.

SIMON: Do you worry about how long you can keep taking losses?

PORTER: We will get through. We'll make it through. We always have. And we'll figure out a way to make it work. But there are some farmers that maybe are not as diversified as we are that'll put a crop in and borrow money to put that crop in, and if they don't make a good crop - commodity prices aren't good, or if weather is not favorable - then, you know, I don't know that, you know, everybody can be able to pull through.

SIMON: Mr. Porter, I'm wondering what you might say to people who are listening today who are going to go to the market and say, look; I got to pay more for bread. I got to pay more for peanut butter. I got to pay more for the slice of ham I put in the sandwich that our daughter brings to school. It's costing us more and more for the everyday things of life, and we have to cut back.

PORTER: I would say, I would like for the consumer to understand the farmer is not getting that extra money that you're paying for that. My family goes to the grocery store and buys grocery just like everyone else. My wife comes home and complains, hey, the shelves are empty. I can't get it, and what I can find is costing way more than it used to. But the farmer is not receiving any more for the commodities or the products that he's producing than we did a year ago.

SIMON: Mr. Porter, may I ask, have you had to let any of your employees go during this period?

PORTER: No, sir. We have not. We have - I have three grown children. They work full time on the farm - two sons and a daughter. Their spouses also work full time on the farm. And we have about 15 to 20 other employees, but we have not let anybody go. And, frankly, I'm afraid to let anybody go because labor is so hard to find nowadays that if we let somebody go and then we turn around and would need somebody else, it's not that easy to hire people.

SIMON: Mr. Porter, with so many family members helping you out and working there, are you ever tempted to turn to them and say, you know, this is not a good life, this is not a good way to make a living?

PORTER: No, I have never thought about telling my children, you need to go find something else to do. They all went to college. They had other careers and then decided - it was their choice - to come back to the farm. It's a good life. It's a wonderful life. And it's a way of life and a wonderful place to raise your children. It's a wonderful place for my grandchildren to grow up. But it's a hard life. I didn't get in till 10:00 last night, and that's not the only night this week that's been like that. But still, I wouldn't trade it for anything else. And I think you'd find that most farmers are that way.

SIMON: Tommy Porter of Porter Farms Inc., Mount Pleasant, N.C. Thanks so much for being with us, sir.

PORTER: Well, thank you. I have certainly enjoyed it. And we love what we do.

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You can tell a lot about Debbie Antonelli’s contributions to basketball by the Hall of Fame company she keeps.

In 2021, she was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in a class including Mack Brown, Julius Peppers, Donnell Woolford, Judy Rose and Trot Nixon.

On June 11, 2022, the longtime Mount Pleasant resident will go into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn., as a contributor with a prestigious Class of 2022 that includes WNBA and former NBA coach Becky Hammon and two-time Olympic gold medalist DeLisha Milton-Jones.

Antonelli is a former N.C. State player (as Debbie Mulligan) who has been a busy basketball television color analyst since 1988. She has done men’s and women’s games for ESPN and CBS and has won Emmy and Gracie awards for broadcasting.

“I’m just so grateful to do what I love doing and that I get to share it with so many people that I want to share it with – from players and coaches to family and friends to former teammates,” said Antonelli, who is also in the Cary (N.C.) High School Hall of Fame.

Antonelli and her family, including husband Frank and sons Joey, Frankie and Patrick, have been active in many charity causes, including Special Olympics.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors serves as the selection committee for those honored as “Trailblazers of the Game.”

Voting is based on minimum candidate requirements, which include record of performance, national or international recognition, and contributions to the game.

Antonelli has been a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame board member for almost 20 years.

“I know how difficult it is to be mentioned even as a finalist, let alone to be going into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” Antonelli said. “And I know all the people I’m going in with. So I’m thrilled to see my friends get to go in with me. To be recognized for a long time of service of love and passion for the game is beyond anything I thought would ever happen during my career. I thought this kind of thing only happened when you are retired.”

Other members of the Class of 2022 are Alice “Cookie” Barron, Doug Bruno, Paul Sanderford, Bob Schneider and Penny Taylor.

Hammon, head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and a former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, was a six-time WNBA All-Star. Milton-Jones helped Team USA win Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2008.

Barron as a Wayland Baptist player led the Flying Queens to a 104-0 record from 1954-57. Bruno coached at DePaul for 36 seasons. Sanderford led Western Kentucky to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Schneider is third in NCAA Division II coaching wins with 634. Taylor helped Australia win two Olympic silver medals and is a three-time WNBA champion.

Follow Gene Sapakoff on Twitter @sapakoff

By J. Mike Blake, HighSchoolOT Contributor

Mount Pleasant, N.C. — Union Academy's big first inning was crucial to keeping the 21st-ranked Cardinals in the win column on Tuesday.

In Yadkin Valley Conference action, Union Academy fended off a late comeback effort by host Mount Pleasant to prevail 10-6.

Union Academy (14-3, 7-2) led 5-0 after the first inning alone thanks to a three-run homer by junior Riley Griffin just three batters into the contest. Griffin ended the night with four RBIs total.

Shelby Brooks (2-3, 1 RBI) and Gabriella Gama (2-4, 2 RBIs) also went yard for Union Academy, whose only two conference losses came to powerhouse South Stanly.

The Cardinals cranked out 13 hits total including five doubles.

Leading 9-2 entering the bottom half of the fourth, however, Union Academy got a strong challenge from the Tigers (9-6, 4-4).

Mount Pleasant plated four in the inning to cut the lead to 9-6 and forced a pitching change as Gracie Hollingsworth exited with eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings but also with eight walks.

The Tigers made the best of just five hits on the night, but tacked on no more runs following the fourth inning as Union Academy scraped one more across in the top of the seventh as a final insurance run.

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Highlights: Union Academy at Mount Pleasant softball

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MOUNT PLEASANT, NC (WBTV) - It's been several things over the years, a livery, general store, there was even an old well found on the property of what was most recently a textile and hosiery mill, but now the most recognizable building in Mt. Pleasant is being transformed into a restaurant and economic engine for the community.

"We launched into it and it kind of snowballed and got to be a bigger project than we thought," said Developer Doctor Allen Dobson.

The has always been the centerpiece of the town, and thanks to the work being done here now, it is once again the talk of the town.

"They're restoring the old mill and we're going to get a restaurant, sports bar, patio seating, like an upscale dining, hopefully an event center upstairs," said local business owner Darlene Brown.

That's what doctor Dobson plans to do on the property. He says the finished project will be called 73 & Main and will offer four experiences in the same building. And it was also about the restoration of a building to the way it appeared in 1911.

Town leaders say the project fits well with what citizens expressed as their desire for the property and the downtown area in a recent public survey.

"We received over 600 survey responses," said Town Planner Erin Burris. "Respondents stated that restaurants are the most crucial use for a successful downtown. Restaurants were also the primary feature that respondents said would make them want to spend more time in downtown Mount Pleasant. They also noted that parking availability was one of the biggest problems in downtown. So, with the restaurant and parking lot projects, two of the most desired attributes for downtown are being addressed.

Local shop owners and folks working nearby are pretty excited about it.

"It's also great that they're using the hosiery mill, using old history and bringing it back to life," said Kassy Haigler who works at Moose Pharmacy.

It's also bringing life to the town. A new 52 space public parking lot is being built on Main Street. That was already planned, but the timing was perfect to go with the restaurant, and developers are now looking at some of the other downtown buildings, spurred by the excitement created on the corner.

"We're hoping to bring new people to Mount Pleasant and hopefully people that normally go to Albemarle or Concord would stop here in Mount Pleasant," Brown added.

"This community is very very small but we're also thriving…new apartments coming in, I think this will be great for this community," Haigler said.

Dr. Dobson says all the excitement around the project has really taken him by surprise, but he's hopeful that the project will appeal to the locals, as well as become a destination spot.

"We can cater to Mt. Pleasant, but also people who would like to come to a cool historic building, have great food, and experience a cool little town."

The target opening date for 73 & Main is December 15.

Copyright 2017 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Several businesses came together to make their wedding a reality.

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MOUNT PLEASANT, N.C. — A couple, who are refugees from Ukraine, said “I do” Saturday night in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. The wedding was a gift to the newlyweds whose nuptials were put on hold because of the ongoing war.

“Oh, I’m so happy, it’s amazing. It’s such a beautiful day,” said Anastasia Panarin, the blushing bride.

It was a winter wonderland wedding at Carolina Country Weddings for Anastasia and her now-husband Max Panarin. From the first look to exchanging vows and rings, the couple said it was a dream.

“I think I needed to cry because she was so beautiful,” said Max.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.

The two met at an orphanage in Ukraine and were cared for by GLOW Mission. Dar Draper is the executive director and the couples' sponsor. She is also behind gifting the couple this wedding.

“They were engaged for like two years, and they would have been married if they stayed in Ukraine, but because of the war they couldn’t go back,” said Draper. “I said 'we can get you married here.'”

She served as the mom for both the bride and groom and her husband officiated the wedding.

Credit: Stephanie A. Morrison - Candid Dreamer Photos

Anastasia & Max pose with their North Carolinian family

“They are two orphans from Ukraine who don’t have parents and we get to serve as parents for them and be their family here,” she continued.

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, just download the free app.

The Panarins performed a choreographed dance to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” and included Ukrainian traditions in their reception.

Anastasia said her country is very much in her heart.

“It’s really hard for me because I love Ukraine. I love Ukrainian people,” she said.

Several businesses came together to make their wedding a reality. Everything from the venue, cake, photography, and wedding dress was all donated. Savyy Leigh Photography and Stephanie A. Morrison with Candid Dreamer Photos captured the magical moment for the couple. They are also being treated to a surprise honeymoon by the ocean.

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“We are thankful for everyone and more for Dar and Andrew. She supported us and helped us before America, before the wedding and they give us a chance and changed our life,” said Max.

A fairy tale wedding as the couple begins their new journey as husband and wife.