Month: February 2024

6. Wildlife Commission approves bear season expansion, deer season shift

During its Feb. 22 meeting, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to adopt a slate of proposed rule changes for the coming year, including a pair of controversial measures that will shift the season dates for white-tailed deer and significantly expand the season length for black bear in the mountain region. A public hearing held […]

Written by on February 28, 2024

7. Moore County aviation company stretching its wings

There are three inches of space between pilots on the Vulcanair V1 single engine aircraft. For new flyers, having the instructor only a glance away is comforting, especially at 1,300 feet in the air. Sovereign Aerospace, a Moore County-based aviation management company, has the goal of bringing the joy of flying to aspiring aviators from […]

Written by on February 28, 2024

8. CMS inches toward payroll conversion, vowing to avoid Gaston’s mistakes

Gaston County employees repeatedly protested as payroll problems dragged on for more than a year. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board Tuesday approved a $16.5 million contract to begin converting its payroll and business systems to Oracle Cloud. That’s the same system Gaston County Schools used in its disastrous conversion that began two years ago, with employees […]

Written by on February 28, 2024

9. Potters Industries buys Ardagh facility

Potters Industries, a glass bead manufacturing company, purchased the former Ardagh glass manufacturing plant on Firestone Parkway for $6.5 million. “This purchase represents another investment by Potters in North Carolina,” company spokesman Andy Andersen said. “Potters initially intends to modify existing warehouse space in Wilson in order to enhance our ability to serve current and […]

Written by on February 28, 2024

10. Candidate says he qualifies for school board bid

A former member of the Guilford County Board of Education who lost his appointed seat last year in a partisan legal dispute said he has collected enough signatures to qualify as an unaffiliated candidate for the fall general election. Bill Goebel needs at least 2,132 signatures from registered voters in school board District 3 to […]

Written by on February 28, 2024

1. With investigations at Poe Hall, UNC Lab, what does it take to find a cancer cluster?

Federal health officials are investigating whether exposure to hazardous materials at a pair of Triangle-area university buildings could have caused cancer among employees. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating N.C. State’s Poe Hall and UNC Health’s McLendon Laboratories to determine whether there is an increased risk of cancer at the two […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

2. JV making EV battery parts plans to add 133 jobs in Randolph County

A new joint venture plans to spend $60 million and add 133 jobs for a production facility in Liberty that will make parts for electronic vehicle batteries. FTBC, a joint venture between Fujihatsu Tech America and Toyota Tsusho America, will make and sell prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers with discharge valves to meet […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

3. Duke trustees elect Silver as next chair

During its quarterly meeting and retreat, the Duke University Board of Trustees elected Duke alumnus and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to serve as the board’s next chair, succeeding Laurene Sperling. Silver’s three-year term will begin July 1. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2015, Silver has served as vice chair and a member […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

4. Macy’s to close 150 namesake stores as sales slip, pivot to luxury with new Bloomingdale’s locations

Macy’s will close 150 unproductive namesake stores over the next three years including 50 by year-end, the department store operator said Tuesday after posting a fourth-quarter loss and declining sales. As part of the strategy, Macy’s aims to upgrade its remaining 350 stores, with plans to add more salespeople to fitting areas and shoe departments, […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

6. New conservative group to recruit and boost Cumberland candidates

Several Fayetteville-area Republicans have created a new political action committee to recruit and promote conservative candidates they consider to be of high quality after Republican former mayoral candidate Franco Webb was caught lying in 2022 about his military service and now has pending felony fraud charges. Their PAC, the Independent Conservative Alliance Political Action Committee, […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

7. Saint Augustine’s University has its accreditation appeal denied, school plans to file lawsuit

Saint Augustine’s University learned on Tuesday that its accreditation appeal was denied. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission’s [SACSCOC] Appeals Committee upheld the board’s decision to revoke accreditation for the Raleigh-based school, which has struggled with financial management issues. The appeals committee listed several reasons to uphold the board’s decision. Specifically, the committee […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

8. Criminal charges not pursued against former New Hanover County commissioner

Former New Hanover County Commissioner Julia Olson-Boseman will not face criminal charges regarding allegations against her from 2021. An investigation was conducted by the financial crimes unit of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys. District Attorney Ben David requested the unit look into the case, citing a conflict of interest for his office. Chief […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

9. Landing the big one: rise in trout fishing supports outdoor economy

Haywood County ranks in the top five most popular counties for trout fishing in North Carolina, which contributes $1.38 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to a comprehensive study that analyzed the economic impact of trout fishing. The newly-released study was developed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. It dives deep and analyzes […]

Written by on February 27, 2024