Home Care In Farmington, NC

Charlotte and Harrisburg, N.C. — MPV Properties has announced the addition of new tenants and buildings at Farmington, the developer’s master-planned community in Charlotte and Harrisburg. Chick-fil-A opened at the property in May, and Famous Toastery is planning to open in the second half of 2024, within an outparcel behind the development’s Shop Building I. H.T. Fuel will also open on an outparcel, with construction scheduled to begin directly behind Chick-fil-A in the coming months. Construction is also scheduled to begin on Small Shops II, an 11,865-square-foot retail building. MPV is in negotiations with two tenants to fully occupy the building. MPV has also announced plans for three additional commercial buildings totaling 27,000 square feet, with development expected to begin in early 2024. Upon completion, Farmington will comprise 600 homes and 275,000 square feet of retail.

Sicklerville, N.J. — Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) has arranged the sale of Gloucester Town Center, a 102,660-square-foot shopping center located in Sicklerville, roughly 23 miles outside Philadelphia. A 57,560-square-foot ACME Markets store anchors the property. Other tenants include Dollar Tree, Supercuts, AT&T, Pizza Hut and Mavis Discount Tires. Brad Nathanson of IPA represented the seller, KPR Centers, in the transaction.

Philadelphia — Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has received financial commitments totaling roughly $3.4 billion from lenders to support business operations as the company works to restructure its debt.

The Philadelphia-based pharmacy and convenience store chain did not say whether it would immediately close any stores as a direct result of this filing, just that it would continue “assessing its footprint and closing underperforming stores.” However, in September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Rite Aid had proposed to its creditors a restructuring and rightsizing plan that would involve closing 400 to 500 of its 2,100 or so stores nationwide.

The bankruptcy filing has long been expected within the industry, as Rite Aid’s position has grown more precarious in the wake of numerous lawsuits alleging the pharmacy’s role in supplying opioid drugs that contributed to overdose deaths. That legal activity reached its crescendo earlier this year when the U.S. Justice Department formally lodged a complaint against Rite Aid. According to CNN, the government alleged at that time that Rite Aid had “knowingly filled unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances.”

According to CNBC, Rite Aid ended its most recent fiscal quarter on June 3 with revenue of roughly $5.65 billion, down 7.3 percent from $6.01 billion on a year-over-year basis. The New York Post reports that Rite Aid’s total debt load currently exceeds $8.6 billion. Other news organizations have cited overall slumping sales due to factors such as slowing demand for COVID-19 vaccines as another contributing force behind the filing.

Rite Aid, which filed for protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, has appointed Jeffrey Stein as its new CEO. Stein, a member of Rite Aid’s board of directors, replaces interim CEO Elizabeth Burr and will oversee the debt restructuring process as an executive with “significant experience in supporting companies that are undergoing financial restructurings.”

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is providing legal advisory services to Rite Aid during the bankruptcy proceedings. Guggenheim Securities is serving as investment banker, and Alvarez & Marsal is serving as transformation officer and financial advisor to the company.

Rite Aid was founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1962 and currently employs about 45,000 people across 17 states. The company’s stock price closed at 65 cents per share on Friday, Oct. 13, down from about $4 per share a year ago.

— Taylor Williams

Charlotte-based MPV Properties is adding to the tenant mix at Farmington with new restaurants, retail options and a Harris Teeter Fuel Center planned.

MPV is leading development of that 180-acre project, which will feature over 600 homes and 275,000 square feet of commercial space when complete. It is just off Interstate 485 at Rocky River Road, on the Mecklenburg-Cabarrus county line.

Construction on a new retail building, called Small Shops II, is set to begin soon. Negotiations are ongoing with two uses that would occupy the 11,865-square-foot building. The focus is on medical, restaurant, fitness or service uses. That building should deliver in the fourth quarter of 2024.

It will sit adjacent to the 11,621-square-foot Small Shops I building. To date, Dunkin’, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Farmington Village Dental Care have opened there. Other announced uses include Ivy Rehab and a nail salon, which are completing their upfits.

“These new additions will provide our residents and visitors with even more options for shopping, dining and services,” says George Macon, managing partner at MPV.

Macon, Robbie Adams and Josh Suggs are marketing available space at the development.

Chick-fil-A has been open at Farmington since May.

Famous Toastery expects to open a 3,000-square-foot, corporate-owned restaurant during the second half of 2024. It will sit on a 1.01-acre parcel. Josh Beaver, with The Nichols Co., represented Famous Toastery.

Harris Teeter Fuel Center is set to begin construction in the upcoming months as well. It currently has four fuel locations in the Charlotte market. The grocer operates a 48,871-square-foot store across the street at Brookdale Shopping Center.

MPV has started the planning and permitting process for three new commercial buildings that will be called Farmington Ridge Shops. Two buildings will be 8,500 square feet, with the third at 10,500 square feet. All will front Farmington Ridge Parkway. Construction is slated for early 2024, with available space being marketed to medical, restaurant, fitness and other retail and service providers.

The residential component also has momentum. Tri Pointe Homes is selling properties starting in the upper $300,000 range. Taylor Morrison has 24 townhomes left for sale. And Woodfield’s The Stead at Farmington will have 275 luxury apartments when complete.

Winston Pierce is the Wake County school system’s 2023-24 Principal of the Year, and Lessie Anderson is the Assistant Principal of the Year.

The winners were announced Thursday night at a ceremony in Raleigh at the Angus Barn, one of the event’s sponsors.

Pierce has been principal of Farmington Woods Elementary School in Cary since 2010. She has been a finalist multiple times for Principal of the Year, including in 2022 when Annice Williams of Bugg Elementary School won.

District leaders pointed to how Pierce empowers her staff. Each member of her staff participates in one of five leadership teams that make school improvement decisions.

“I am so proud to be part of the Wake County Public School System and the magnet program,” Pierce said during her acceptance speech. “I’m so proud of Farmington Woods and the work that our staff does together as a team.”

Pierce, 57, has worked in Wake County for more than 30 years, including the last 13 years at Farmington Woods. In 2018, Farmington Woods received Magnet School of America’s Elementary Magnet School of Merit Award, given annually to the nation’s top elementary magnet school.

During her acceptance speech on Thursday, Pierce talked about how much she loved working at Farmington Woods. That love was reflected back on her Friday morning when the school held a celebration for Pierce.

All 650 students and their teachers lined the hallways chanting Pierce’s first name while waving pompoms. Students then assembled outdoors for more celebration of their long-time school leader.

“I just feel complete love,” Pierce said in an interview Friday after the celebration. “Not only because I love this school so much, but the love that poured out in that walkthrough this morning was fantastic.”

Pierce said there’s a culture of celebrating accomplishments for students and teachers at Farmington Woods. But it was fun to be on the receiving end on Friday.

Prior to Farmington Woods, Pierce served as principal of Wendell Elementary and assistant principal of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh.

Pierce holds master’s degrees in both Principal Fellowship and Early Childhood Education from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Pierce will receive a prize package that includes $1,000. She will compete in North Carolina’s Principal of the Year program.

This year’s other Wake Principal of the Year finalists were:

? Melody Brunson of Sycamore Creek Elementary in Raleigh

? Nolan Bryant of Cary High

? Jesenia Hafner of Forestville Road Elementary in Knightdale

? Mariah Walker of the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh

Lessie Anderson, an assistant principal at Willow Spring High School, was also a finalist last year for Assistant Principal of the Year.

Anderson has worked in the district for 10 years and has been an assistant principal at Willow Spring since 2021. Prior to that, Anderson was an assistant principal at Middle Creek High School, an instructional coach, and a math teacher at Knightdale High School.

The district cited Anderson’s efforts to create a school culture of trust and mutual respect among students, teachers and administrators.

During her speech, Anderson said she was an example of what could go wrong and an example of what can go right when you have the right systems and processes in place. Anderson was a product of Wake County schools, attending Poe Elementary as well as the school once known as Daniels Middle and Broughton High.

“We have not always been at a point where regardless of where we live, what we look like or how much money our parents make doesn’t matter when it comes to opportunity,” Anderson said. “We’ve made significant progress but we still have a ways to go.

“Today I want to say thank you for all those of that showed up for me every day.”

Anderson holds a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in business administration from East Carolina University. She also earned a post-master’s certificate in school administration from the UNC-Greensboro.

Anderson will receive a prize package that includes a $500 check.

The other finalists for Assistant Principal of the Year were:

? Kristen McCollum of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh

? Molly Miller of Salem Elementary in Apex

? Melissa Oliver of Alston Ridge Elementary in Cary

? Sheree Smalls of River Bend Middle in Raleigh

This story was originally published October 5, 2023, 8:21 PM.

By Mike Barnhardt

Enterprise Record

Local foods are becoming more important.

With COVID, rising gas prices and world uncertainty – people are getting back to the basics.

Just ask Nikki Long.

“I think everybody went out and bought a cow and a pig,” she said. “Everybody is busy. Everybody is slammed.”

As owner of Farmington Meat Processing along with husband Michael Long, they get requests almost daily from people looking for a certified place to have their animals butchered. Sorry folks, they’re booked through next year.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get your fix of ribeye steaks cut fresh weekly, Brightleaf red hots and hotdogs, chicken pies and other delicacies. There’s even B&G pies and Bass Farm sausage. Occasionally, there’s fresh shrimp.

All are made in or are from North Carolina.

The couple has received a grant from the N.C. Department of Agriculture to expand the retail store. “But we don’t want to get too big. You lose that one-on-one contact. It’s like I’ve got an extended family.

“We’re real excited that we got the grant. We’ll be able to offer more product. Our goal is to offer North Carolina fresh seafood. We try to support vendors from across the state. North Carolina offers a lot of products here that everybody doesn’t know about.

“I don’t think people realized where their food comes from, but they are becoming more conscious now.”

Her husband is a N.C. Highway Patrolman, and was looking for a business for retirement. He was also looking for a local meat processing place that butchered a deer the way he wanted.

So he started his own, and the business was born after it became certified to butcher deer, cows, pigs, goats and now sheep. It wasn’t long before she left her job as a probation officer to handle day-to-day operations at the business. It also gave her more time with their two children.

They started selling meat at the Farmington Farmers Market, and sold to a few neighbors and friends. “We were always dappling in something (They grow vegetables, have chickens, bee hives and cows.). Then it progressed to this.”

In 2020, they had processed 22 deer in the first 15 days. He believes in hanging the meat to cure for 7-14 days. “It really affects how your deer meat tastes. A lot of people have been pleasantly surprised.” Meat is never mixed with meat from another deer, she said. What you bring in is what you’ll take home. All products are vacuum sealed.

“We have a lot of people who want to purchase a whole beef. We can send them to a local cattle farm. It works out well for us. W’ve met a lot of the local farmers,” she said.

“There’s no down time. We’re here seven days a week doing something. It’s been good. Davie County doesn’t have a butcher shop … a place to buy fresh meats … to buy products from North Carolina. We’ve been welcomed by the community.”

The business sponsors local youth ball teams, and has donated organs for animal science students at Davie High School to study and dissect.

Does a thick cut, juicy ribeye steak sound good for dinner this weekend? Farmington Meat Processing is open Wednesday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Check Facebook for weekly specials.

It is located off a long, gravel private drive. Turn off of Farmington Road at the Farmington Community Cemetery. “You have to want to come out here,” she said. “You have to make an effort.”

For Nikki, that drive is familiar. The business – adjacent to their home – is on Nikki’s Way. She grew up on the property, and remembers her father, Mickey Shore, grinding his own grains into meal.

They still have those machines, and they still work. She hopes they’ll be grinding grains for the public in the not-to-distant future.

“We’re going to stay local with everything.”

More News

Minnesota women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Whalen announced Friday the signing of center Sophie Hart to the Gophers’ program. Hart is a 6-5 graduate of Farmington High School, who played two seasons at NC State, and will join Minnesota with two years of eligibility.

“I am excited to announce our signing of Sophie Hart today,” Whalen said. “Sophie is a proud Minnesotan and we are excited to welcome her back home and help her continue to grow on and off the court. Sophie adds incredible size and strength to our front court and will be a welcome addition to our team. Off the court Sophie is a great student who will represent our program and the University of Minnesota with our Gold Standard.”

Hart will be eligible to play for the Gophers in the 2023-24 season after she played five games earlier this season with the Wolfpack. Hart will be able to practice with the Golden Gophers for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

In two seasons at NC State Hart played in 25 career games, 20 coming during her freshman campaign in 2021-22. Hart played in the Wolfpack’s 2022 NCAA Tournament run during her freshman season, making her postseason debut against Longwood.

Prior to her time at NC State, Hart was the leading scorer (16.9 points per game) on a Farmington team that was 29-2, won the South Suburban Conference and section championships, and reached the Class 4A final. The Tigers won their first two state tournament games and were to play No. 1 ranked Hopkins in the final before the tournament was halted because of the pandemic. In her final prep game, which was the semifinal of the 2020 state tournament, Hart had perhaps her best all-around performance with 22 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists at Williams Arena.

Coming out of high school Hart was the No. 64 ranked overall recruit in the class of 2021 and the No. 5 ranked player at her position by ESPN. She was also ranked No. 40 in the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report rankings. Hart was a 2021 McDonald’s All-America Game Nominee and was a four-time All-State honoree. As a sophomore in high school she was the PrepHoops Breakout Player of the Year and also participated in the 2019 Team USA Trials.

Hart joins Minnesota’s 2023-24 recruiting class that includes Kennedy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.), McKynnlie Dalan (Montesano, Wash.), Ajok Madol (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), Dominika Paurová (Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic) and Brynn Senden (Wayzata, Minn.).

(info courtesy of Gopher Sports)