Those joint water/sewer meetings between county and municipal leaders will probably not be held until May.

At a work session last week, the Moore County commissioners debated dates and times and tentatively set a series of meetings for May 11-12. The board proposed the three meetings, three hours each with time devoted half and half to water and sewer, at the last elected officials' open forum.

Commissioner Cindy Morgan is serving as liaison between the county and the interested municipalities.

The next elected officials forum is scheduled April 15 at 5 p.m.

TAYLOR - Dr. James Tay'lor, the Southern Pines Republican challenging incumbent Howard Coble for the 6th District seat in Congress, is moving his campaign at a rapid pace these days.

Taylor, an anesthesiologist, will participate in a town hall meeting with two other physician candidates in Asheville Thursday. The meeting is sponsored by Physicians for Reform, an advocacy group for keeping health care decisions between patients and doctors.

Also taking part will be Dr. B.J. Lawson, a candidate in the 4th Congressional District, and Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, a candidate in the 11th District. They will be joined by Dr. C.L. Gray, president of Physicians for Reform.

"Now that health-care legislation has passed, these doctors are in the best position to analyze what it means for Americans and what still must be done to improve the nation's health care," Gray said.

The town hall meeting will be held from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. at Doubletree Hotel at 115 Hendersonville Road in Asheville.

OPEN HOUSE - Taylor hosted an open house Saturday at his campaign's second headquarters in Burlington.

On the same day he held a meet and greet in Salisbury in Rowan County.

"The campaign is very excited about opening our second campaign headquarters," Taylor said. "Our staff members and volunteers are working hard to get our message of smaller government, less taxes and less regulation out to everyone in the 6th District."

Taylor is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has practiced anesthesiology since 1999. He is a small business owner with corporate activities in Moore, Richmond and Scotland counties, employing physicians and mid-level health-care providers.

8th DISTRICT - In the meantime, the campaign for the Republican nomination heated up last week in the neighboring 8th District.

Lou Huddleston, a candidate who has won endorsements from leading Republicans in Moore County, repeated his call for a GOP opponent, Tim D'Annunzio, to withdraw from the race.

"By walking out of a Cumberland County candidate forum on March 6, Mr. D'Annunzio displayed a stunning lack of respect for the concerned Republican voters in attendance and a complete disregard for the best interests of our party," Huddleston said.

Huddleston also cited a confrontation involving his opponent at a GOP open house in Albemarle.

Both former Gov. Jim Holshouser and state Sen. Harris Blake have endorsed Huddleston's candidacy. Moore County is in the 6th District.

Democrat Larry Kissell of Montgomery County is serving his first term as the 6th District congressman. He defeated Republican Robin Hayes in 2008.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at (910) 693-2479 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.