by Courtney Price



LINCOLNTON – Lincoln County residents gave U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan an earful Nov. 4 at a Conversations with Kay event in Lincolnton.

Hagan went from table to table to talk one-on-one with residents about the issues that most concerned them.

“We’ve heard about veterans issues, home mortgages, jobs, the school system and nutrition – all the issues that are important to Lincoln County residents,” Hagan said after the event.

Byron Sackett, director of child nutrition for Lincoln County Schools, told Hagan about his concerns with federal regulations on purchasing produce and childhood obesity.

“I want to hear from you directly, one-on-one,” Hagan told the crowd. She said her office in Charlotte handles constituent services. “They can really help make a difference,” she said.

And with Veterans Day coming, Hagan also discussed a bill she introduced in the Senate to help create jobs for veterans.

“I’m very concerned about the high unemployment rate,” she said. “I wake up every morning wanting to make a difference, thinking ‘jobs, jobs, jobs.’”

Part of that, she said, is her Hire a Hero act. “We’ve got a 12.5 percent unemployment rate in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We need to do everything we can to help that,” she said.

The bill encourages business owners to hire those who have served in the military by offering a tax credit on the wages of a veteran.

“These are individuals who have served our country, and we need to put them back to work,” Hagan said.