The Thread: ‘It’s Our Time in Greensboro’

🧵 In Today’s Edition

1. Michael McKinney Believes “It’s Our Time” in Greensboro
2. Beard Aims to Score a Greensboro Council Seat
3. What We’re Reading

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McKinney Believes ‘It’s Our Time’ in Greensboro

Michael McKinney first moved to Greensboro in the eighties and has worked in finance in Greensboro and High Point for decades. His lending work led to a deep interest in housing policy and service on the Guilford County Planning Board and Greensboro’s Minimum Housing Standards commission.

In 2008, he mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Guilford County School Board, and in January of this year, applied to fill the seat left vacant when Yvonne Johnson died in office. In the end, the council chose Jamilla Pinder to complete Johnson’s unexpired term. Now McKinney, a Democrat, is one of ten candidates running for three available at-large seats on the nine-member council. This time, he’s emphasizing his financial background and his quest for a Greensboro everyone can be proud of.

Read the full story here.

— Sayaka Matsuoka

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Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

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Beard Aims to Score a Greensboro Council Seat

Richard Beard has his eye on the ball, in more ways than one.

Long an influential name in real estate and economic development circles, Beard is now president and CEO of the Greensboro Sports Foundation. This fall, he wants a new role—one of the three at-large representatives on the nine-member Greensboro City Council. If elected, he told The Thread, he intends to keep his position with the Sports Foundation, which receives city funding.

Having changed his registration from Republican to unaffiliated, Beard still votes in Republican primaries. He said he’d like to see less political division, particularly on a council that is technically non-partisan.

Read the full story here.

— Gale Melcher

Read this newsletter online or contact The Thread team with tips and feedback at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

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What We’re Reading

Paying Tribute: North Carolina A&T State University will remember the life of Joseph McNeil, one of the groundbreaking A&T Four, on Thursday. A public viewing will be held at the Harrison Auditorium on campus from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. and a memorial service from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The eulogy will be conducted by Bishop William J. Barber II. The memorial also will be livestreamed via the university’s YouTube channel. Chancellor James R. Martin II will offer a tribute from the university. WXII has more.

Off The Record: It’s always worth picking up a print copy of O. Henry Magazine. This month, a single feature makes it worth your time all by itself—a photo spread of classic LP record covers artfully displayed in some iconic Greensboro places and with iconic Greensboro people, done by some of the area’s best photographers. Check it out online here, then go get your hands on one.

Dirty Work: The City of Greensboro is facing more than $24,000 in state fines for carbon monoxide emissions as much as 11 times higher than federal limits at its sewer treatment plant. The News & Record has the story.

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