Month: March 2024

1. Baltimore bridge collapse – what we know so far

A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the U.S. port of Baltimore in darkness early on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below. Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in very serious condition, and were searching for more in the Patapsco River after huge […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

3. Will Trump’s pick be the NC Republican Party’s new chairman?

The North Carolina Republican Party will meet in Selma Tuesday night to elect a new chairman. The state party’s current chairman, Michael Whatley, is stepping down to become the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. Former President Donald Trump backed Whatley, along with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, to lead the organization in this year’s […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

6. Former attendees describe ‘nightmare’ at therapy camp in NC mountains. DHHS suspended admissions after 12-year-old died.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has suspended admissions to Trails Carolina, a residential therapeutic camp in Transylvania County, after a 12-year-old boy died there Feb. 3, according to a letter DHHS sent the camp. The state also removed all attendees from the camp’s care on Feb. 16 and is still investigating […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

7. Wells Fargo overcharged military members, lawsuit claims

Wells Fargo faces a lawsuit alleging the lender concealed overcharges on credit card interest rates and fees for U.S. service members and their families. The complaint, lodged March 20 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, claims that Wells Fargo failed to adhere to the provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

8. Cabarrus County board rules on GOP election meddling claim in two legislative primaries

The Cabarrus County Board of Elections on Monday dismissed challenges by two primary candidates who alleged members of the local Republican Party unfairly influenced the outcome. The board voted 5-0 to dismiss the protest because there was no probable cause or enough evidence presented to determine state election law was violated, election board director Carol […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

9. ‘Can’t afford to leave’: Leland defers UDO amendment amid resident pushback

A land use amendment that would ban residential development in Leland’s commercial district will be put under further review after council members fielded citizen complaints last week. The council unanimously voted to postpone the amendment removing the use of residential units and associated accessory uses in all commercial districts and the office and institutional district. […]

Written by on March 26, 2024

1. Decades after a scandal, North Carolina places a big bet

Dozens of fans sat in oversized brick-red chairs, as if relaxing were an option considering the money riding on the college basketball games playing on the 90-foot LED screen. On the massive central screen, Jamal Shead, a guard for No. 2-ranked Houston, rose to fire a winning three-pointer at the buzzer, enough to cover the […]

Written by on March 25, 2024

2. Buncombe short-term rental restriction proposal rouses more debate

The Buncombe County Planning Board held its second listening session Monday night as it considers new restrictions on short-term rentals. More than three dozen local residents spoke during the 90-minute session, which was held on the campus of A-B Tech in Asheville. The county planning board is considering a proposal that would affect homeowners who […]

Written by on March 25, 2024

3. AdventHealth buys 25 acres in Weaverville to build a new hospital

AdventHealth has acquired approximately 25 acres of land in Buncombe County, near Weaverville, where — pending a ruling in a court challenge by rival HCA Healthcare — it plans to build a 67-bed acute care hospital to serve Buncombe, Madison, Yancey, and Graham counties. AdventHealth already operates AdventHealth Hendersonville, the former Park Ridge Hospital in […]

Written by on March 25, 2024

4. Broadband access, a lifeline in rural N.C., could diminish unless Congress acts

The end of a federal program that provides internet subsidies to low-income families could leave hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians without access to online health services. Nearly 900,000 households across the state participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, a $14.2 billion federal program created through a sweeping infrastructure package approved by Congress in 2021. […]

Written by on March 25, 2024

5. What’s the fate of the Lake Logan dam?

The Lake Logan dam was designated as “high hazard” a year ago, compounding the need to address lingering questions about its future in the wake of the paper mill closure in Canton. Mill owner Pactiv Evergreen also owns the dam, and what will become of it is one the most important issues to be resolved […]

Written by on March 25, 2024