North Carolinians can save money on selected Energy Star-rated appliances during the state’s Energy Star sales tax holiday this weekend.

It begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday and runs through 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Energy Star qualified products meet the energy efficient guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Qualified products feature the Energy Star label, making them easier to identify.

Energy Star qualified clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats are exempt from sales taxes during the holiday weekend. There is no price limit or ceiling for products to qualify.

An item is eligible for the exemption if the customer pays for it during the holiday period and the retailer accepts the order and takes an action to fill the order for immediate delivery, according to the N.C. Department of Revenue. The actual delivery can occur after the holiday period.

Deliveries delayed because of a backlog order, because the item is currently unavailable to the seller or on back order by the seller, are still eligible for the exemption during the holiday.

Items purchased for use in a trade or business are not covered by the exemption, the Department of Revenue said.

For example, purchases of qualified products by contractors who will install them in structures for customers are considered to be purchases for use in a trade or business and are not exempt from sales taxes.

Rentals are also not exempt from sales taxes during the holiday.

Chick-fil-A to Host

Veterans Day Event

The Chick-fil-A restaurant on U.S. 15-501 in Southern Pines will honor servicemen and women again on Thursday, Nov. 11, for its third annual Veterans Day celebration.

The restaurant will host patriotic activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will offer a free Chick-fil-A meal to any current or retired military personnel from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chick-fil-A will host a benefit for the Soldier and Family Assistance Center (SFAC), offering financial services, family programs and donations for soldiers members and their families assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB), where wounded, ill, or injured soldiers are assigned as they heal and transition.

Mili-tary customers can arrive in uniform or present military identification, veterans association ID or other proof of service to receive their free meal.

Beginning at 11 a.m., members of the Army National Guard will display military vehicles, and the Special Forces Association will also be in attendance with videos, photos and information about the Special Operations Command. Then, at 1 p.m., the Pinecrest High School color guard will perform a flag ceremony, and Gordon Dozier will sing the National Anthem.

At 1:30 p.m., the restaurant will host the Green Berets Demonstration Team that will paraglide to the restaurant from a plane sitting at an altitude of 1,000 feet. In addition, the lucky customer who catches a parachuting plush Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin” Cow with the golden ticket will win free Chick-fil-A for a year.

“We want to honor the tremendous service of all the servicemen and women who tirelessly commit themselves to the protection of our country,” said Eric Corbett, franchise operator of the restaurant. “We hope the Southern Pines community will join us again this year for a meaningful Veterans Day aimed to celebrate and honor our local heroes.”