The Moore County Airport continues to be a good name-dropping place.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is the latest VIP to pay an impromptu visit to the local airport.

Airport Director Ron Maness mentioned the visit in a presentation to the Moore County Board of Commis-sioners last week. As is the case with most celebrity stops here, the airport was unaware of his visit prior to arrival. The reason for the visit was not mentioned.

"He came into the terminal and shook hands around," Maness said.

Maness said that the airport's most prestigious visitors are usually corporate executives. Among the recent top echelon executives have been corporate officers from Bank of America, Home Dept, IBM, Sprint, Toyota, Johnson & Johnson and AT&T, in addition to military dignitaries.

EASTWOOD GOP - The Republicans of Eastwood precinct will hold a precinct meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Eastwood fire station.

The agenda includes preparations for the county convention and election of precinct officers for the next two-year term.

Anyone needing more information can call Bill Scott, precinct chairman, at (910) 947-2007 or Joe Garrison at (910) 690-4511.

DEMOCRATS - The Moore County Democratic Party executive committee will meet at 7 pm. Monday, Jan. 24, at party headquarters at 104 McNeill St. in Carthage.

Chairman Jim Heim says preparations for upcoming precinct organizational meetings will be at the top of the agenda. Heim says all Democrats are welcome to attend the meeting.

GOP WOMEN - The Moore Republican Women will hear from Nick Picerno, chairman of the Moore County Board of Commissioners, at its Monday, Feb. 7, meeting.

He will discuss "Where We Were, Where We Are and Where We Are Going," with specifics about such subjects as the detention center-public safety complex and the possibility of a utilities sale to the village of Pinehurst.

The luncheon meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Pinehurst Member's Club. Anyone interested in attending can call Pauli Curl at (910) 215-9796 to make a reservation.

JOBS ACT - U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has announced that North Carolina is one of two states receiving funds from a new initiative in the Small Business Jobs Act.

Her announcement last week follows news that the Small Business Administration has increased lending in North Carolina by 37 percent.

"Over the past two years, I have continually heard from our small businesses that they need access to credit, and this funding to free up lending in North Carolina is a very positive step in the right direction," Hagan said in a statement.

The Capital Access Program at the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center received $46.1 million in State Small Business Credit Initiative funds, expected to stimulate more than $460 million in lending to small businesses. Moore County has received a number of grants from the Rural Center in recent years.

Hagan is a member of the Senate Small Business Committee.