It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Bennett Place in Center, NC gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Center, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Cody was incredibly helpful with finding just the right assisted living home for our Dad.”
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Senior Care Provider! I highly recommend this senior care provider to anyone looking for compassionate”
“I reached out to Cody and he was amazing and a life saver I had both”
“Cody Edwards has spent the last two months helping our family as we walked a”
“Cody was extremely helpful finding an assisted living facility for our loved one. His guidance”
“Always Best Care (ABC) is a top-notch reliable sitter service covering the Piedmont Triad in”
“I worked with Karla Dixon on a referral. Karla was very involved and helped facilitate”
“I’ve seen firsthand the excellent care Always Best Care Senior Services provides. Their team is”
“The staff here are compassionate, professional, and truly go above and beyond. You can tell”
“5 stars all the way—professional, compassionate, and reliable. You can tell they genuinely care!”
“Great work provided by this company, and great staff to execute their goals!”
“To see the work this company puts in to make sure their clients needs are”
“Not only is the care they provide outstanding, but the support from the front office”
“It’s rare to find a company where both the caregivers and the office staff are”
“Kaitlyn Jones is absolutely the best. Hands down!”
“Quick responses, clear communication, and a very friendly admin team. Everything was handled efficiently and”
“Cody was very helpful getting tours setup for my daughter and me to tour independent”
“We thoroughly enjoyed working with Cody while exploring independent living facilities for my mom. He”
“Great care for your loved ones!”
“They have a good work team very satisfied with their care”
“Always Best Care will not disappoint! They truly provide the best service for all of”
“Always Best Care Services has been a wonderful experience, and Leslie Christian was especially helpful”
“Absolutely fantastic caregivers, support staff and management. If you ever need any assistance CALL ABC.”
“If you ever get Alexis on the phone, you’re in for a great experience. She’s”
“We have had a great start with Always Best Care. They send daily caregivers to”
“Cody was incredibly helpful with finding just the right assisted living home for our Dad. He listened to our concerns, and matched him perfectly with the right place. Aside from being friendly, he even went above and beyond to help me find the right recliner for Dad. I would highly recommend Cody with Always Best Care Senior Services.”
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Senior Care Provider! I highly recommend this senior care provider to anyone looking for compassionate and dependable care for their loved ones. The team is caring, professional, and dedicated to making sure each resident receives the attention and support they deserve. They go above and beyond to create a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment. Their commitment to the well-being of seniors and their families truly makes a difference. It’s reassuring to know that there are care providers who treat every individual with dignity, kindness, and respect. Thank you for all that you do! Highly recommend this wonderful senior care provider! Thank you Cody Edwards!”
“I reached out to Cody and he was amazing and a life saver I had both of my parents in need of a asst living who are in their 90’s and he was able to place them and help me navigate the nightmare of paperwork, of moving out of state, and all the medical issues I recommend him for anyone who is going through this”
“Cody Edwards has spent the last two months helping our family as we walked a difficult journey with a sick loved one. He worked very hard to help us in spite of challenges and setbacks. He has a great attitude, always positive and solution-oriented! Laurie Hopkins, Hickory NC”
“Cody was extremely helpful finding an assisted living facility for our loved one. His guidance and knowledge made an extremely difficult situation easy. He was able to work with our schedule and set everything up. We thank you so much for all your help and for the follow up.”
“Always Best Care (ABC) is a top-notch reliable sitter service covering the Piedmont Triad in NC. Their internal staff is professional and efficient. They are always happy to answer any questions or concerns and they always respond in a very timely manner. ABC has quality sitters who will provide excellent care for your loved one with compassion, whether in a home or in a care facility. Always Best Care is appropriately named because they have “always” provided the “best care” to my mother-in-law, who has dementia. They have been helping her daily for the past three years. We are grateful for ABC’s help!”
“I worked with Karla Dixon on a referral. Karla was very involved and helped facilitate the meeting and tour. Loved working with her and look forward to our partnership in the future!!!!”
“I’ve seen firsthand the excellent care Always Best Care Senior Services provides. Their team is professional, compassionate, and truly dedicated to the well-being of those they serve. I highly recommend their services to anyone who may need them!”
“The staff here are compassionate, professional, and truly go above and beyond. You can tell they genuinely care about their clients and their families.”
“5 stars all the way—professional, compassionate, and reliable. You can tell they genuinely care!”
“Great work provided by this company, and great staff to execute their goals!”
“To see the work this company puts in to make sure their clients needs are met, means a lot to the community. Having care you can trust means the world to the families in need. From the first interaction over the phone to a smiling face that greets you at the door, this company is great for in home care!”
“Not only is the care they provide outstanding, but the support from the front office is just as impressive. It’s comforting knowing you can call and talk to someone who genuinely cares and helps guide you through everything.”
“It’s rare to find a company where both the caregivers and the office staff are this compassionate. From day one, the entire team made us feel comfortable and answered so many of our questions with guidance.”
“Kaitlyn Jones is absolutely the best. Hands down!”
“Quick responses, clear communication, and a very friendly admin team. Everything was handled efficiently and professionally.”
“Cody was very helpful getting tours setup for my daughter and me to tour independent living facilities. He contacted the facility and got all the needed information. He kept us well informed of what to expect. I appreciated his services. Cody is very caring.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed working with Cody while exploring independent living facilities for my mom. He spent time talking with us to learn what my mom was looking for in a place to live during the next chapters of her life and shared a variety of options. He scheduled and accompanied us on the tours. Cody was thorough, patient, kind and answered all of our questions. Even though my mom chose not to pursue independent living at this time, we appreciated the time Cody spent working with us and he will be the first call we make when/if she decides to pursue this route in the future. Thank you Cody!!!!”
“Great care for your loved ones!”
“They have a good work team very satisfied with their care”
“Always Best Care will not disappoint! They truly provide the best service for all of your in home care needs!”
“Always Best Care Services has been a wonderful experience, and Leslie Christian was especially helpful throughout the process. She was kind, professional, and took the time to answer questions and make everything feel easy and comfortable. It’s clear that she truly cares and wants to provide the best support possible. I would definitely recommend Always Best Care Services to anyone looking for dependable and compassionate care.”
“Absolutely fantastic caregivers, support staff and management. If you ever need any assistance CALL ABC. They were absolutley fabulous for our family.”
“If you ever get Alexis on the phone, you’re in for a great experience. She’s funny, lively, and full of great energy. I actually caught myself laughing during the call, which almost never happens when calling places. Just a genuinely positive person who makes the conversation easy and enjoyable. Loved the energy! -cora”
“We have had a great start with Always Best Care. They send daily caregivers to help my mother and always follow their well-thought out care plan. Their program is very organized and they are great with communication. Our caregiver, Allison, is especially fabulous ... she is ABOVE and BEYOND. She is so thorough, creative, and thoughtful. We feel very lucky to be on her list!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting White Deer Park Nature Center in Center, NC with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local McNinch House Restaurant or visit Mordecai House, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Center, NC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Center, NC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Center, NC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
From free care in Durham to a Watauga County pilot, providers are experimenting with ways to support workers who care for other families’ children.Sign up for The 74 newsletter. Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Join our zero2eight Substack community for more discussion about the latest news in early care and education. DURHAM — At Kate’s Korner, the day begins early — children arriving, classroom door...
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DURHAM — At Kate’s Korner, the day begins early — children arriving, classroom doors opening, small voices calling for teachers, parents saying quick goodbyes before heading to work.
For the childcare center’s staff, the morning comes with one less worry: they don’t have to figure out how to pay for care for their own children.
The center provides employees with free childcare, a benefit owner Kate Goodwin says is an intentional investment in the workers who care for other people’s children. Some employees use vouchers, but for those who can’t, the center covers all but one week of care a month.
“As a business owner, I made a decision that my margins will be slimmer than most because I felt like this was the commitment I needed to make,” she said. “What we hear often is that our childcare providers can’t pay for the type of care and education they’re providing to others for their own child,” she said.
The approach comes as childcare providers across North Carolina continue to grapple with recruiting and retaining workers.
If childcare workers can’t afford care for their own children, it becomes harder for centers to maintain the workforce they need. Staffing shortages take the shape of smaller classrooms, shorter hours and reduced enrollment.
Kate’s Korner isn’t alone in offering childcare for its employees. In a survey of about 1,200 childcare providers across the state, 61% of directors said their programs already offered a childcare benefit to their employees.
But the way those benefits are funded varies. At Kate’s Korner, Goodwin said the center absorbs most of the cost. Meanwhile, other communities are testing whether businesses, nonprofits and governments can help shoulder that expense.
Watauga County offers an example of how communities can help offset those costs, while also supporting the broader workforce.
North Carolina’s labor force participation rate, or the percentage of those working or actively looking for work, is hovering around 58%, which is lower than the national average of around 61%. Business leaders say a lack of affordable childcare is a big part of the problem.
Childcare is one of the state’s lowest-paid professions. A study from Appalachian State University found that childcare workers earned an average of $30,600 a year, while the median monthly cost of childcare was $900. For a worker earning that average salary, one child in care would consume about a third of their gross income.
And for workers earning even less, including in rural counties, the cost of caring for their own children can push them out of the industry in search of higher-paying work.
To help ease a shortage of childcare in Watauga, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a childcare assistance initiative last year to help childcare workers pay for the care of their own children with $40,000 in funding from local donors and businesses.
The program provided assistance to 18 childcare employees with 22 children, averaging $684 per child.
David Jackson, president of the chamber, said programs like the one in Watauga can also help strengthen local workforces by giving employees another reason to stay with a center.
“Center directors do not want to see their staff members just essentially handing their paycheck back,” he said.
The initiative is part of a larger effort to support the childcare workforce and help providers who are still recovering from the loss of federal funding that helped stabilize the industry.
Kentucky has taken a different approach to supporting providers statewide by investing state dollars.
The state launched its Free Child Care for Child Care Workers Program in 2022, which subsidizes care for workers who work at least 20 hours a week at a center, regardless of household income.
Kate Shanks, senior vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said more than 5,300 families working in childcare benefited from the program over the past year.
She said lawmakers made the program permanent earlier this year.
“Quality childcare is a critical part of Kentucky’s economic infrastructure,” she said. “Childcare professionals provide an essential service that allows thousands of parents to go to work every day.”
At least nine other states have since enacted similar policies, according to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Goodwin said she supports creating a similar program in North Carolina to subsidize childcare for workers at centers across the state, and maybe expanding it to teachers, too.
“I don’t care if you say all childcare workers and educators get free childcare,” she said. “That’s an investment in our education system, all the way around.”
NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Laura Leslie for questions: [email protected].
Local entrepreneur Dan Spangler has won first place in the inaugural North Carolina Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown, according to Coastal Carolina Community College.Spangler, founder of Rinse-A-Poo, received a $30,000 unrestricted startup award to help move the product from prototype to production.The Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center supported Spangler throughout the statewide competition, which was powered by Wells Fargo.More than 300 entrepreneurs from across North Carolina applie...
Local entrepreneur Dan Spangler has won first place in the inaugural North Carolina Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown, according to Coastal Carolina Community College.
Spangler, founder of Rinse-A-Poo, received a $30,000 unrestricted startup award to help move the product from prototype to production.
The Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center supported Spangler throughout the statewide competition, which was powered by Wells Fargo.
More than 300 entrepreneurs from across North Carolina applied for the competition, with 17 advancing to the finalist cohort.
Participants completed several months of entrepreneurship training, individualized business counseling, pitch development and assistance from subject-matter experts. The competition also included a “Shark Tank”-style pitch before a panel of business and entrepreneurship leaders. Winners were announced during the Startup Showdown Awards Celebration on Sept. 17 in Raleigh.
Mr. Spangler’s achievement is something our entire College and community can be proud of,” Coastal Carolina Community College President David Heatherly said.
Heatherly said Spangler’s success also demonstrates the work of the college’s Small Business Center in helping community members turn ideas into viable businesses.
Rinse-A-Poo was developed from Spangler’s experience operating a pet resort for 14 years. The product is designed to address a sanitation challenge faced by kennels, pet day care facilities and other animal-care operations. Spangler plans to use the award to move Rinse-A-Poo into production and begin placing the product with commercial pet-care operators.
“The Startup Showdown was worth every hour I put into it,” Spangler said. “The coaching sharpened my pitch, but the real value was the ‘room.’ Between the instructors and the other cohort members, I was asked questions that made my product better.”
April Priester, director of the Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center, said the win highlights the entrepreneurial talent found in Onslow County.
“Dan earned this,” Priester said. “He competed alongside some of the most promising entrepreneurs from across North Carolina and showed that innovative ideas and exceptional entrepreneurs are being built right here in Onslow County.”
The competition generated more than 1,050 hours of pre-application counseling and technical assistance through Small Business Centers across the state. Finalists also completed the REAL Entrepreneurship Pitch It! course, received individual coaching and prepared professional presentations before the statewide competition.
Public voting took place from Sept. 1-15 before Spangler was announced as the inaugural first-place winner.
The Startup Showdown was funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System and its Small Business Center Network.
The Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center provides confidential one-on-one counseling, entrepreneurship education, technical assistance and connections to resources for aspiring and existing business owners.
A groundswell of sub-Saharan diasporic, retro-futurist collage has emerged in recent years, perhaps - at least partially - to address the ongoing, societal fracturing and chimeric identity-formation in the wake of global neocolonialism.The international applause has been resounding and well deserved for Yinka Shonibare’s Ankara fabric amalgams, Jeffrey Gibson’s psychedelic light baths, Mickalene Thomas’ West Coast celebration of the Black feminine gaze at the Grand Palais, Tschabalala Self’s “Lady In Blue...
A groundswell of sub-Saharan diasporic, retro-futurist collage has emerged in recent years, perhaps - at least partially - to address the ongoing, societal fracturing and chimeric identity-formation in the wake of global neocolonialism.
The international applause has been resounding and well deserved for Yinka Shonibare’s Ankara fabric amalgams, Jeffrey Gibson’s psychedelic light baths, Mickalene Thomas’ West Coast celebration of the Black feminine gaze at the Grand Palais, Tschabalala Self’s “Lady In Blue” at Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth, María Magdalena Campos-Pons writ large, and Hew Locke’s layered, multimedia assemblages - just to name a few.
Into this illustrious mix, Yashua Klos (b. 1977, Chicago, IL) must be added whose work is on display currently at the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery in Luxembourg. Out of the gate, I just have to say that I am a huge fan. I mean: The palette alone? Swoon! The richness of muscadine purples! The faint whisper of cherry blossom beiges! Bowling ball blacks! Cobalt denim blues! International Space Station greys! Pinot Noir magentas! The overall effect is a sinister softness - with one foot in the mud of the Mississippi Delta, another foot on the sidewalk of the American Rust Belt and still a third leg of the stool on the moon. But, it is also so much more than just the color! The imagery! The textures! The craftsmanship! The scale! The musicality of the contrasting highlights! The improvisational forms that obliterate the rectangle! Woof! It’s all there.
Klos admits to being the grade school student who most excelled at drawing superheroes from comic book strips. And, to a certain degree, the exaggerated theatricality of heroic collision between opposing cosmic forces seems to still be at play in these graphics. Even if the work has more to do with Kanye West’s “College Dropout” album, one can hear the melodramatic intensity of the four-note Schicksals-Motiv which opens Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: da-da-da-DUMMMM. Heads are 70” tall - 8 to 9 times larger than life - bursting beyond the paper to which they are mounted - and seemingly severed with a cast shadow underneath à la Constantine. Planks of plywood flooring, marbled walls and cinderblocks erupt volcanically from the substrate of skin. Wheels of time cantilever atop quilted bunk beds! Giant, metallic flowers unfurl!
It’s got a “Mad Max”-meets-“Beloved” vibe to it all. This universe clinks and clanks! It is loud and fast and unrelenting and confrontational. It is hard for me not to ask myself in front of an entire room of this work: Why has this nation whose wealth has been generated by the un- and under-paid labor of Black bodies and whose edifices have largely been erected by Black bodies so often discriminated against Black bodies in public space? Why were the tax dollars of Black families used to pave the streets on the other side of the train tracks? Why has this nation walled off so many Black bodies behind jail cells? Why redlining? Why suburban flight? Why in Tyrrell County, North Carolina was there a Confederate Statue in the town square bearing the inscription “In appreciation of our faithful slaves” in plain sight until a Federal judge ruled against it just last month?
But, that does not seem to be the aim of the work: to elicit white guilt. Rather, the collection stands as a monumental testimony to and celebration of the architectonics of memory and resilience - black genius refracting black genius - the subtlety and delicacy of “non-Western achievement,” a phrase which rising superstar curator, Dexter Wimberly, so deftly uses to describe “Who’s Streets?” (2026) and its references to the pyramids of Giza. After all, in Klos’ oeuvre, for all of the infernal heat of shifting continental shelves around the human figures, the faces of the featured protagonists remain unblemished and their expressions hold a dignified, far-away repose. Unharmed! Amidst the flotsam and jetsam of systemic oppression, some stuff just will not sink!
And, here, it is important to remember two things. One: This show is housed in a beautiful building in downtown Charlotte designed by the late Phil Freelon (who also designed the Blacksonian on the National Mall in Washington, DC) to honor Harvey B. Gantt, the renowned architect, first student to integrate Clemson University and politician who after serving as the first black mayor of the Queen City challenged and narrowly lost to supremacist and Mapplethorpe-censor Senator Jesse Helms. In the land of Bank of America and the home of NASCAR, Gantt and the Gantt are cornerstones!
Two: These are woodblock prints or more precisely, quilted scraps of a variety of printmaking techniques. In this particular medium, a dense grain of cherry, poplar or birch is bored by a u-gouge to remove the unnecessary organic matter. What remains is the original surface which when inked with a rolling pin brayer and rubbed transfers a positive image in reverse to a paper or muslin substrate. This technique was most famously deployed by the Japanese - called ukiyo-e - or “the floating world” in the Edo period due to the gentle weightlessness of the hues while showcasing the fleeting pleasures of geishalife in an otherwise transient world of suffering. The Buddhist aesthetics of detachment are yet another cornerstone!
And, the seminal work in Klos’ exhibit is a direct response to the greatest ukiyo-e image, Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa: 36 Views of Mount Fuji” (1831) as well as to his own career-defining, thesis exhibition tour-de-force, “The Face on Mars” (2009) which is nearby on an adjacent wall. In Klos’ take, a baseball cap rests on the head of a sleeping male figure who clutches a black book or wall. This figure’s blue hoodie chromatically echoes the two blue waves crashing right to left in the opposite bottom corner - creating a cascade in the reverse direction of Hokusai’s wave. A billowing cloud of seafoam greys occupies center stage and barely unveils the faces of two full-lipped and not-fully-awake griot deities staring off into the upper left. Smaller sections of burnt sienna in inverted triangular pediments send the viewer both up and down - like buttons on an elevator - simultaneously. Is this the fatigue at the start of another school day - head down on your desk with your backpack still on? Or, a swim for survival in the floodwaters of Katrina? Across the Ohio River? Amidst the Middle Passage? Or, simply, a pleasant, lunch-break nap on the shores of Lake Michigan?
In Klos’ “Cornerstones,” fragmentation - societal, esthetic or interpersonal - never exists without the possibility, hope and reality of reintegration – but not in an accommodationist, “fit-in” manner to dominator culture. After all, remember in Klos’ “The Great Wave,” there is no devastating tsunami; the dreamer dwarfs the mere ripples of water. And, across his portraiture writ large, the features of lips, nostrils, brow and hairline – long lampooned disparagingly in American visual culture – are here abstracted into stylized planes in an analogous manner to his treatment of the building materials themselves. The faces and the constructed armatures are not at odds with one another; they are one. Blackness, in Klos’ vernacular, is the architecture of all that is – the glue of American history; and, Black self-love is his ultimate cornerstone.
WHM
“Yashua Klos: Cornerstones” Through January 22, 2027, Harvey B Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture, Charlotte, NC.
“Yashua Klos: Towards a New Mythology” Through October 17, 2026, Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Luxembourg.
Yashua Klos received his BFA from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb (2000) and his MFA from Hunter College, City University of New York (2009), both in Fine Art. A major solo institutional show, Yashua Klos: OUR LABOUR, curated by Tracy L. Adler, was presented at the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, in 2022. Other notable exhibitions include Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage at the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee (2023), the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas (2024), and the Phillips Collection, Washington, DC (2024); Yashua Klos: OUR LIVING at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, Maine (2022); Elegies: Still Lifes in Contemporary Art at the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, California (2022); and Africa, Imagined: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Art at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (2022).
Nate Hester is a transdisciplinary artist (Boston University, New York Studio School) whose work explores technology's impact on the psychopolitical dynamics of the American home and our collective memories through a practice rooted in anti-racist discourse and family systems theory. He lives and works on an ancestral farm in rural North Carolina. When not building surreal ecosystems, Hester enjoys fresh fruit pies around sing-along campfires with his young daughter and the occasional spa day a luxury hotel.
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Thanks to NIL money and the transfer portal, today's college basketball landscape feels increasingly professional. Just take a look at recent eligibility sagas, like the one involving UNC center Cameron Fens.Former North Carolina captain Seth Trimble transferred to Louisville for his fifth year, but is currently cleared to play. Ven-Allen Lubin, the Tar Heels' starting center in their 2024-25 season, tried to gain himself a fifth year of eligibility for NC State.Good news for the Wolfpack, as Lubin recently earne...
Thanks to NIL money and the transfer portal, today's college basketball landscape feels increasingly professional. Just take a look at recent eligibility sagas, like the one involving UNC center Cameron Fens.
Former North Carolina captain Seth Trimble transferred to Louisville for his fifth year, but is currently cleared to play. Ven-Allen Lubin, the Tar Heels' starting center in their 2024-25 season, tried to gain himself a fifth year of eligibility for NC State.
Good news for the Wolfpack, as Lubin recently earned his fifth year of eligibility, thanks to a temporary injunction by a Texas judge.
Lubin enjoyed his best collegiate season for the Wolfpack last year, averaging career-highs of 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, while shooting a career-best 74.3 percent on free throws. Thanks to Lubin's play, NC State made the 2026 NCAA Tournament field after a hiatus the previous season, losing a 68-66 heartbreaker to Texas.
In Chapel Hill, Lubin took over UNC's full-time starting center role midway through ACC play. He originally split time with Jalen Washington at the five, but effectiveness won Lubin that battle.
Explore the Crossword page and play the new MidGrid Crossword.North Carolina will go into its 2026-27 campaign with a center duo of Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov, both international additions courtesy of new head coach Michael Malone. Northwestern transfer Cade Bennerman has yet to see the court in college, but that likely changes this fall.
If Fens re-gains eligibility for a fifth season, he likely automatically slots into the Tar Heels' starting center role. State has its answer at the five, but will the Tar Heels get theirs?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Latest Update:The North Carolina Forest Service is currently responding to the Quarry Road #2 Fire near Bricklanding Road and Old Georgetown Road in the Shallotte area. No evacuation orders are in effect at this time.N.C. Forest Service crews remain on site to plow and check fire lines and conduct suppression efforts. If you do not live in the affected area, please stay away and allow firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency crews room to work safely.Brunswick County will share additional updates s...
The North Carolina Forest Service is currently responding to the Quarry Road #2 Fire near Bricklanding Road and Old Georgetown Road in the Shallotte area. No evacuation orders are in effect at this time.
N.C. Forest Service crews remain on site to plow and check fire lines and conduct suppression efforts. If you do not live in the affected area, please stay away and allow firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency crews room to work safely.
Brunswick County will share additional updates should any protective actions become necessary in the future. Community members can track the wildfire’s acreage and containment status any time using the N.C. Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer.
This is an evolving event, and conditions are subject to change. Remain alert for updates from local officials. If you ever feel unsafe, call 9-1-1.
October 1, 2026 9:35 PM
Fire and public safety officials are currently responding to a fire near Bricklanding Road and Old Georgetown Road in the Shallotte area. Here is the latest information available about the fire as of Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 9 p.m.
This is an evolving event, and conditions are subject to change. Remain alert for updates from local officials.
More updates will be provided as information becomes available.
October 1, 2026 7:10 PM
*This update is from the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office. For the most up-to-date information, visit the .
As of Oct. 1, 2026, an evacuation alert has been issued in the Shallotte area.
Due to a forest fire in the Shallotte area, residents in the Lakewood Estates area off Ocean Isle Beach Road are being evacuated at this time.
Residents in the affected area should follow all instructions from emergency personnel and evacuate immediately when directed.
Please avoid the area to allow first responders to safely work.
The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office will provide another advisory when it is safe for residents to return.
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Evacuation Alert from Brunswick County Sheriff's Office
336-654-5001
