North Carolina’s governor and two U.S. senators told the Navy Tuesday that local support is essential to placing a proposed practice airfield in the state.

They suggested that a site closer to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point might be more acceptable, reports Wade Rawlins.

"We take the position that if an outlying landing field were to be located in North Carolina, the Navy must work more effectively to secure the general support of the local population,“ Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and Gov. Mike Easley wrote in a Dec. 4 letter to Donald Winter, secretary of the Navy.

“And we see little purpose in your pending announcement of a narrowed list unless the issue of economic benefits for the affected communities is squarely addressed.”

The Navy wants to build a $230 million training airfield in a remote area for fighter pilots to simulate night landings on aircraft carriers.

Read more after the jump.

   Comments (0)

A nuclear submarine is coming to North Carolina.

Next spring, the USS North Carolina nuclear-powered sub will plow up the Cape Fear River, park itself on the banks of Wilmington and be officially commissioned into the Navy.

The date for the ceremony is set for April 26 or May 3, 2008, said U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Democrat from Lumberton who has been pushing for the event for months.

McIntyre said he received a call early this afternoon from Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter to confirm that Wilmington won the honor, Barb Barrett reports. Now, the Azalea City just has to dish out the money and help with security to put on the event.

City officials have been working for months to line up sponsors for a possible event, which would be open to the public.

More after the jump.

   Comments (0)