A long-standing complaint used to be that the governor thought the state ended at Charlotte. The Governor’s Western Residence was frequented by bears and offered to local organizations for party space.

Beverly Perdue has been an exception. She has come out west to celebrate beer companies receiving state aid to locate in the Asheville area. She returned this week to celebrate the implementation of analog gambling at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. It took awhile for the governor and Chief Michell Hicks to agree on how much of a cut the state would get.

Perdue said the addition of live dealers isn’t about gambling, it’s about economic development in Western North Carolina.

The casino has hired 500 dealers and will hold a job fair Sept. 5 to hire more part-time dealers. Live dealers are paid up to $7.25 an hour plus tips.

Joining Perdue were NC Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger, Hicks, and Vice Chief Larry Blythe.