Ask a Reporter: Is the U.S. Mint going to stop producing pennies? | Local
Q: I read that the U.S. Mint will stop producing pennies late this year due to the high cost of making them. Some say this was an April Fools’ post. Which is correct?
Answer: Pennies aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“As of this date, the Mint has no plans to cease production of the penny,” a spokesperson for the U.S Mint said. This has been floating around for many years. In 2013, USA Today reported that, despite other countries dropping their penny coin, the United States had no plans to drop our penny.
Q: Is attaching signs for yard sales, houses for sale/rent, missing pets and other things to utility poles allowed?
A: No, you shouldn’t put signs on those poles.
“Utility poles are property of utilities which in our area include Duke Energy, electric co-ops, telephone companies and DOT,” said Jimmy Flythe, a spokesman for Duke Energy Carolinas.
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“Cities and towns follow a thorough application, review and pole attachment agreement process before attaching something like a banner to a pole. However, flyers are not authorized to be attached to our poles.
“Anything that’s attached to our poles or other equipment can create an unsafe situation for our employees. An attachment can prevent our employees from accessing equipment safely or, in the case of nails and staples, could damage our employees’ personal protective equipment (e.g., a rip in a rubber glove or sleeve), potentially affecting their safety,” he said.
Attachments can also affect the reliability of service, Flythe said. “Our poles are designed and installed to withstand equipment that we install on them. Before other items are attached, we require that the poles first pass a field inspection to ensure they are structurally able to handle the additional attachments.”
Q: I’m planning things to do this summer now that things are opening up more. Will the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain be held this year? How much are tickets?
Answer: Yes, the annual Highland Games and Gathering of the Scottish Clans will be held July 7-10 on McRae Meadow at Grandfather Mountain.
The games have something for almost everyone. There are such field games as the hammer throw, sheaf toss, and, of course, the iconic caber toss.
Winston-Salem Journal Bill Caudill, director of piping at St. Andrews University, leads members of the North American Academy of Piping and Drumming in a march around MacRae Meadows during a performance before the Torchlight Ceremony for the 62nd annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
There will also be competitions in highland dancing, a marathon, fiddle, piping and drumming, and Celtic harp. Border collies will be there to show off their sheep-herding abilities.
Ticket prices range from $15 for an evening-hours ticket, to $75 for a four-day advanced-sell ticket. There are also ticket packages.
For a complete list of events, times, and ticket prices go to gmhg.org.
Email your questions to mike.kernels@greensboro.com. Include Ask a Reporter in the subject field.
