SALISBURY — For the 20th consecutive year, Food Lion has received the 2021 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy.

Food Lion is the only company  in the U.S. that has received the award for two consecutive decades.

In addition to the Partner of the Year award, Food Lion has been recognized with a Sustained Excellence Award for the 18th consecutive year. The Sustained Excellence Award is given only to partners that have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition and that have already received Energy Star Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years.

More than 900 Food Lion stores have received the Energy Star certification at least once. Those stores make up 89% of all Food Lion locations and account for 36% of all Energy Star certified supermarkets in the entire country.

“We are proud and honored to serve as a leader in energy conservation and efficiency,” Matt Yates, vice president of brand strategy for Food Lion, said in a news release. “Our work to reduce our energy usage stretches through every part of our business, from our supply chain to our store operations. We remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint and doing our part to be a responsible, trusted neighbor in the towns and cities we serve.”

Since 2000, Food Lion’s energy reductions in carbon emissions are equivalent to supplying the energy needed to charge more than 75.6 billion smartphones or take 128,136 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. An example of an energy-saving technique used is upgrading in-store lighting to LED’s. Nearly half of Food Lion’s more than 1,000 stores have been upgraded to LED lighting within its 10-state footprint so far.

“Energy Star award-winning partners are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a news release. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.”

Kannapolis receives large land donation located near the heart of the city

The city of Kannapolis has received a donation of 18 parcels of property from Castle & Cooke North Carolina, LLC and Atlantic American Properties.

The City Council accepted the donation of the parcels at its meeting Monday night. The 18 parcels are located primarily in the heart of the city and total 68.2 acres valued at $3.1 million. All of the land parcels are undeveloped and vacant and include what is fondly called the “horseshoe” on the North Carolina Research Campus. 

The nine acres of the “horseshoe,” or inner quad on campus, is used by people every day as a walking, running and biking loop. The city plans to preserve the land as a public green space.

“We would like to thank Mr. David Murdock, the owner of Castle & Cooke and Atlantic American Properties, for this donation. We are especially pleased to be able to preserve the horseshoe as it has become a very important asset for our residents who use it for healthy living purposes,” Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg said in a news release. “In the 1990s we also received a donation of property from Mr. Murdock that resulted in what is now Village Park. We look forward to exploring the best uses of the remaining parcels of property that have been donated to the city.”

The other parcels are located on Loop Boulevard, 8th Street, North Rose Street, Callie Street, Ross Avenue, East First Street and West C Street.

Waterworks Visual Arts Center to host block party fundraiser in May

SALISBURY — Tickets are now on sale for Waterworks Visual Arts Center’s Block pARTy Saturday, a fundraising event that will be held on May 22 from 3-7 p.m.

Patrons can enjoy music, dancing, crafts, games and tasty food at the COVID-safe fundraising event. The event will take place in the parking lot between Waterworks and F&M bank. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs.

Tickets went on sale Thursday and can be purchased online at waterworks.org or at the museum.

Sunbelt Rentals opens tool and equipment rental locations inside Charlotte area Walmart stores

SALISBURY — Sunbelt Rentals has announced the opening of locations inside select Charlotte-are Walmart stores, including the Walmart on South Arlington Street in Salisbury.

The new locations will provide rental equipment, tools and service to support do-it-yourselfers and light contractors. The company has plans for expansion into other markets in the coming year.

“At Sunbelt Rentals, we understand that for most people, it doesn’t make sense to own tools and equipment that are not being used on a regular basis,” Joel Theros, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Sunbelt Rentals, said in a news release. “Rental for maintenance, renovations or home improvement projects can help customers get the job done — without a significant investment or the responsibility of ownership.”

Each Sunbelt Rentals location will stock a best-in-class product offering — from pressure washers and lawnmowers to brush cutters and paint sprayers — along with ladders, hand trucks and more. Half day, daily and weekly rental rates are available and Sunbelt Rentals has launched a mobile app for equipment reservations.

Customers can use the app to find Sunbelt Rentals locations, create and manage an account, schedule a pickup or extend a rental, view instructional videos. Tool rental specialists are available at each location to recommend the best tools for the job and advise customers on their safe use.

“Whether our customers need tools to refresh their lawn or get their deck summer-ready, Walmart is excited to partner with Sunbelt Rentals to provide a new rental solution for getting any DIY job done,” Darryl Spinks, senior director of Walmart services, said in a news release.

To browse by tool and equipment category and to find a Sunbelt Rentals location inside a Charlotte-area Walmart, visit SBR.com/walmart or download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. To speak with a Sunbelt Rentals representative, call 844-SBR-TOOL.

Better Business Bureau warns of scams targeting loved ones of COVID-19 victims

Government imposters may have hit a new low with a scheme that targets the grieving survivors of people who died of COVID-19, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The scams involve fraudsters offering to help people pay for their loved one’s funeral expenses. The scammers are mimicking a real government relief program that will pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses that people have paid since Jan. 20, 2020 for loved ones who died of COVID-19. Survivors can apply for benefits by contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 844-684-6333. The number is toll-free and multilingual services are available.

The program is open to American citizens, nationals of U.S. territories and non-citizens legally admitted to the United States, regardless of income. To apply, an applicant needs to show documents including receipts for their expenses and a death certificate that says the death happened in the United States or its territories and was likely caused by COVID-19.

The program just began on April 12, 2021 but even before it started, FEMA said it had reports of scammers contacting people and “offering” to register them for assistance. 

Here’s what FEMA want’s people to know:

• FEMA will not contact you until you have called FEMA or have applied for assistance. Anyone who contacts you out of the blue and claims to be a federal employee or from FEMA is a scammer.

• The government won’t ask you to pay anything to get this financial help. Anyone who does is a scammer.

• The government won’t call, text, email or contact you on social media and ask for your Social Security, bank account or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.

• Don’t give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Anyone who does that and asks for that information is a scammer.

FEMA’s Funeral Assistance FAQs have information about the documents you need to apply for funeral expenses. The FAQs also tell you what to do if the death certificate didn’t identify COVID-19 as the likely cause of death, as sometimes happened early in the pandemic. If you doubt a caller claiming to be from FEMA is telling the truth, hang up and report it to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or the National Center for Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or at bbb.org/scamtracker.