For 16 years New Hanover County Schools has been involved in the reading competition Battle of the Books. However, some members of the county’s board of education are now speaking out against title selections. At the board’s May 28 agenda review meeting, a presentation about the Battle of the Books was given. The discussion was […]
North Carolina has one of the newest — and least regulated — private-school voucher programs in the country. Given those traits of the N.C. ‘school choice’ program, which offers financial aid for students to attend private school regardless of income, a debate has emerged over the program’s accountability. “In North Carolina, I mean, we’re slack. […]
The longest-serving member of the Fayetteville City Council, D.J. Haire, has been accused of violating the city’s code of ethics by a constituent who claims the councilman covertly attempted to stop a house demolition on behalf of an alleged family member who had sold the resident the condemned property. Haire’s alleged actions may violate a […]
In 1999, the N.C. 211 corridor between Oak Island and St. James looked much different than it does today. Back then, residents on Oak Island’s west end had to travel several miles to the G.V. Barbee Bridge if they wanted to leave the island, the Midway Commons Shopping Center had yet to be built, and […]
The North Carolina Industrial Commission has ruled Training Officer Jeff Lyon’s November 2022 death from cancer a line of duty death, as announced by Asheville Fire Department. After serving with the fire department for 26 years, Lyons was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2022, the May 28 fire department news release said. The former AFD […]
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced this week that he has rejected proposed increases in mobile home fire and casualty policies and has set a hearing for next April. The N.C. Rate Bureau had requested an overall state average increase of 82.9% for mobile home fire policies (MH-F) over a three-year period. It had […]
The Catawba Nation is set to begin construction of a more than $700 million permanent casino resort in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, about 35 minutes from downtown Charlotte, after finalizing a settlement with its former casino developer over the ground lease for its trust lands. The Catawba Nation finalized the private settlement with South Carolina […]
A silver tsunami has washed over Buncombe County for nearly 25 years and shows no signs of receding. During the pandemic years of 2020-2022, adults over 65 accounted for an astonishing 96.1 percent of the increase in Buncombe’s population, according to the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. And by 2036, thanks to […]
Discussion continues at the county level after proposed state legislation this past month could have ended Moore County’s 11 municipalities’ control of zoning and planning for land immediately adjacent to their borders. The issue will now be subject to a legislative study over the next year, allowing local officials and state legislators to talk about […]
The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization reviewed some alternative funding sources for future transportation projects at its Wednesday meeting. Kristina Whitfield, a transportation engineer with Kimley-Horn, presented alternative ideas to generate local funding in the Wilmington metro area to supplement dwindling state funding and competitive federal dollars. Whitfield said the WMPO does a good […]
State and county elections officials in North Carolina are accustomed to sudden and frequent change to voting rules and schedules. In 2021, a court decision over redistricting suspended candidate filing for the 2022 midterms and moved the primaries from March to May. And in 2022, the conservative-majority North Carolina Supreme Court reversed a ruling against […]
Democratic leaders from both the House and Senate led a news conference Thursday calling for child care investment in this year’s North Carolina budget. “Increasingly, adequate access to these critical facilities is getting harder and harder for North Carolina families to find,” said Sen. Dan Blue, D-Wake. “Child care is not just a convenience, it’s […]
Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a long list of needs that they would like state lawmakers to address. This year, though, they’re focusing on two main initiatives. They would like to see the hourly pay rate for direct support professionals increased to $18. These workers help their clients with a range […]
The developer that owns Northgate Mall in Durham tweaked its rezoning proposal for the defunct mall and now proposes adding some affordable housing. Why it matters: The new proposal from Northwood Investors is an attempt to compromise with the neighboring Walltown community, which has resisted the developer’s initial plans to turn the mall into lab […]
A new economic engine for Waynesville is one closer to reality with the proposed mapping of special districts along the railway. The Waynesville planning board unanimously agreed to two maps for its Railroad Overlay District (RRO). Town leaders hope the district will stimulate economic development along a portion of the 5.7 miles of track that […]
