In 2019, the Space Force became the nation’s first new military branch in nearly 80 years. Now, Congress is already thinking about starting another one — a cyber force. For years, there’s been talk of creating a military branch that concentrates on the cyber domain, driven by the increasing threat posed by geopolitical rivals like […]
Behind wrought iron gates just off Highway 268 in Dobson, a winding road weaves through a lush, hilly landscape dotted with vines. It looks more like a European countryside than rural North Carolina. Ethan Brown, the winemaker here on Shelton Vineyards, says that’s not an unfair comparison. “So if you look overall at the climate […]
A state environmental board member said remarks he made during a public meeting Thursday were intended to clarify how the Environmental Management Commission responds to public records requests, not subvert the process. Charlie Carter, an environmental attorney, is serving his third four-year term on the commission, which oversees N.C. Department of Environmental Quality regulations. At […]
The State Board of Education’s virtual meeting on Thursday included multiple discussions related to educator preparation and licensure — including the approval of a portfolio assessment for principals. The 2023 budget directed the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a portfolio-based assessment for principal licensure. This change was recommended by DPI. On Thursday, the […]
For months now, Michael Dean Smith said, he has feared his infant daughter will be hurt or killed in a drunk-driving related accident with the mother of his child behind the wheel. Smith, 34, of Waynesville, shares joint custody of his now 15-month-old daughter with Valery Francis, who has primary physical custody. Going back to […]
“We’ve really struggled with this whole entire text amendment — this whole entire comprehensive plan,” planning board member Cameron Moore said Thursday evening. “What is the true vision over there?” He was referring to New Hanover County staff’s two-plus years of research that helped inform designating place types for the western bank along the Cape […]
The former Champion/Pactiv paper mill site came under new zoning Thursday, when the Canton town board voted to change its designation. The new zoning creates a general business district and a light industrial district in the downtown area that formerly employed 900 in a paper mill that had been in the town for 115 years. […]
The Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) celebrates the announcement of a $242 million grant from the Biden-Harris Administration for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project. This substantial funding represents a significant victory for our community, promising to address critical infrastructure needs. However, the proposed solution—a 135-foot high-rise, fixed-span bridge—poses a dire threat to Wilmington’s Historic […]
Oak Island Town Council approved a motion June 18 directing the planning board to take a closer look at possible options to limit the size of new home construction. Council voted 4-1 to have the planning board provide recommendations on size limitations for new homes on both the island and in the R-7 district on […]
South Carolina will grow to nearly 6.4 million residents by 2042 — if the state’s latest projections prove accurate — and just a handful of counties will account for most of the population growth. Five counties could see their populations soar by 49 percent or more from 2024 to 2042, a pace of growth likely […]
One response to the horrific shooting at former president Donald Trump’s Saturday campaign rally was both universal and predictable. Across the political spectrum, leaders rushed to say that violence should have no place in the political life of the country. But the shooting produced another reaction as well. Though there was widespread condemnation of violence, […]
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission deferred action to initiate the regulatory process for PFAS standards under consideration in a series of contentious meetings this week. It also discussed expanding its power to issue water permits for dischargers. The EMC is a 15-member body appointed by the governor, General Assembly leaders, and the agricultural commissioner. […]
On July 12, Pactiv Evergreen Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Pine Bluff, Arkansas, paper mill and Waynesville extrusion facility, to global paper and pulp producer Suzano S.A. (“Suzano”) for $110 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments for closing amounts such as working capital. Suzano has agreed to offer […]
Voters in Midwestern states are seeing ads railing against President Biden’s gas car ban. But there’s one catch: the Biden administration hasn’t prohibited gas-powered vehicles. That’s not stopping fossil fuel industry groups and former President Donald Trump from targeting swing state voters with warnings of car bans. The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade […]
About 37% of voters in North Carolina are now registered as unaffiliated, but until this year, not one of them has run for Congress in at least decades — and it’s rare to see an unaffiliated candidate for any partisan office in the state. Shelane Etchison, an Army Special Operations veteran who lives in Moore […]
