Month: August 2024

7. Canton races 29-month clock to complete water upgrades

The Canton town board town has pulled the trigger on portions of long-discussed water and sewer improvement projects, kicking them into high gear before funding is lost. The board inked its approval for two projects during special-called meeting Monday. It doesn’t mean work is ready to start, as the projects are still going through state […]

Written by on August 8, 2024

6. Pharmacists take on a larger role in providing access to contraception

Typically, there have been many steps to getting contraception: Scheduling a doctor’s appointment and waiting what can often be months until the next available appointment. Arranging for time off work, transportation and even child care to make it to the appointment just to get a prescription for birth control. Then there’s going to a pharmacy […]

Written by on August 8, 2024

8. Commissioners furious as developer says Brooklyn Village construction won’t begin until 2026

The developer chosen eight years ago by Mecklenburg County to build Brooklyn Village in Second Ward uptown said Wednesday that it can’t start building apartments until 2026. Some Mecklenburg commissioners, who selected the Peebles Corporation in 2016 for the project, were furious. They asked about their legal options to get out of the contract. Brooklyn […]

Written by on August 8, 2024

1. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools asks General Assembly for at least 5% teacher raises

The second largest school system in North Carolina has formally asked members of the General Assembly to provide additional raises for school employees in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 — following the legislature’s failure to pass an updated budget during the short session. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education sent General Assembly leaders the request last […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

2. Harris puts North Carolina back in play

With Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, Democrats’ dreams of capturing North Carolina in November seemed to be fading. But the ascent of Kamala Harris could place the Sun Belt state back as a toss up. Why it matters: In a sign that the race here is tightening, former President Trump has — […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

3. Mooresville launches NC back-to-school season, claiming local control

It’s hard to imagine a more wholesome group of lawbreakers than the folks who are welcoming students back to Mooresville Graded Schools on Wednesday. At an open house Monday, teachers dispensed hugs and treats as K-2 students and their parents checked out Rocky River Elementary School. North Carolina’s school calendar law requires most districts to […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

4. Commission’s vote sets stage to reinstate coastal rules

A set of coastal development rules temporarily placed back in the state code will be up for public comment and possibly reinstated as permanent by year’s end. The Coastal Resources Commission, during a special meeting Tuesday, unanimously approved a rule that sets permit fees for minor and major development applications, approved the fiscal impact analyses […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

5. Honda has new alliance, but can it match Toyota on this stock metric?

Honda Motor has teamed with two other automakers in a bid to create a Japanese powerhouse that can rival Toyota, a challenge that will play out in the stock market as well as the global EV race. “Just doing the same thing is not going to give us global competitiveness,” Honda President Toshihiro Mibe told […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

6. New low-cost airline carrier announced for ILM

Another low-cost airliner will service passengers at Wilmington International Airport. Breeze Airways will begin to operate nonstop service to four destinations, including one in Connecticut, two in Florida, and one in Rhode Island, starting next winter. Flights begin just ahead of Valentine’s Day: Hartford, CT: Thursdays and Sundays, starting Feb. 13, 2025; Orlando, FL: Thursdays […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

7. Diversity ‘passport’ seeks to boost Haywood businesses

A “community passport” program with the goal of increasing tourist visits and overnight stays by spotlighting businesses that pledge to fight racism, prejudice and discrimination will roll out in September, and the organization charged with implementing the program is looking to spread the word. “I thought about this because, one, it would bring new people […]

Written by on August 7, 2024

1. North Carolina grades its schools. But is it improving them?

In about a month, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction will release mountains of data on how students in public schools performed last year. There will be multiple spreadsheets slicing and dicing test scores and graduation rates. And then it will all be crunched into one simple label: An A-to-F school performance grade. The raw […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

2. Free well-water testing offered on the heels of Debby, potential contaminants from flooding

This month private well owners can test their water for contaminants at no cost thanks to a partnership between local county health departments and a Massachusetts university. “If people are concerned about their water quality, following [Hurricane] Debby, this is a great opportunity for them to get tested,” said Kyla Drewry, PhD student from Northeastern […]

Written by on August 6, 2024