Month: August 2024

3. DOJ, states win Google search antitrust case

The Justice Department and several dozen state attorneys general won a sweeping victory against Google Monday as a federal judge ruled that the search giant illegally monopolized the online search and advertising markets over the past decade. In a 277-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., ruled that Google locked up some […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

4. Planned natural gas storage facility in Person County faces community backlash

Dominion Energy plans to build the Moriah Energy Center, a liquified natural gas storage facility, in Person County to support increasing customer demand. However, some community members oppose the project, arguing the facility will cause toxic air and water pollution. “My biggest concern is that our homes will be ruined. I’m concerned for the air […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

5. South Carolina cops target out-of-state drivers for highway robbery

To the untrained eye, there was nothing unusual on October 5, 2022, near mile marker 77 on Interstate 85. But when two deputies from Greenville County, South Carolina, saw a blue Tesla come into view, they sprang into action. The vehicle was not speeding or driving recklessly. It had no broken lights or expired tags, […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

6. County commissioners delay public hearing on $40 million in bonds for proposed Methodist University medical school

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to delay a planned public hearing on $40 million in proposed tax-free bonds to Cape Fear Valley Health to build a multimillion-dollar medical school with Methodist University. The hearing had been set to take place during the board’s regular Monday meeting, but Chairperson Glenn Adams said commissioners […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

7. Without a home in their price range, downpayment help is no help to would-be buyers

A $1 million grant to help first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance sounded good on paper when unveiled earlier this year, but actually tapping the money has proved difficult for would-be homebuyers. One of the biggest challenges is finding a house they can actually afford, even with the downpayment assistance. “It’s astronomical, how things have […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

8. UNCW team IDs mystery species infecting bay scallops

If you love the sweet taste of a fresh North Carolina bay scallop you may want to stop reading this now … but please continue — it’s not all bad news. Although the likely invasive species of parasite that a team of University of North Carolina Wilmington researchers have identified in bay scallops here in […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

9. ‘We really need help’: Nationwide vet shortage evident in Onslow County

A pet owner’s worst nightmare is taking their animal to the emergency veterinarian. Unfortunately, Onslow County pet owners have limited options when it comes to emergencies. While Onslow County has its share of veterinarian offices and animal hospitals, most are only open during the day. Coastal Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Jacksonville is open nights and […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

10. High school sports grow in numbers

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released the participation numbers for the 2023-24 school year on July 22. There was a 4.73 percent increase in participation overall from the 2022-23 school year. There were a total of 208,722 student-athletes across the state in NCHSAA-sanctioned sports, up from 198,025 the previous year. The sports with the […]

Written by on August 6, 2024

2. For the Tuscarora, recognition has been a 40-year fight

Brandy Locklear Alvarez took her 8-year-old twins to a newly unearthed burial site in Carteret County to pray. They were awed by their ancestors’ bones poking out of the dirt, a reminder that Indigenous people inhabited the coastal community for thousands of years before colonizers–and later, bulldozers–arrived. Dressed in a traditional ribbon skirt to honor […]

Written by on August 5, 2024

4. FDA approval for RTP biotech could benefit patients and the region

Humacyte makes “spare parts for people” and will hear from the Food and Drug Administration this week about whether those parts will be approved to treat patients. Humacyte is a biotech company in Durham, NC, that makes artificial blood vessels. The Artificial Tissue Engineered Vessels or ATEVs have been in development for almost two decades, […]

Written by on August 5, 2024

6. In the world of nicotine products, Zyn is in

For two years, Austin Collins consumed roughly 14 mg of nicotine a day — the equivalent of nine to 14 cigarettes — while vaping. Now, he consumes more than double the amount of nicotine, the equivalent of at least two packs of cigarettes, using nicotine pouches. They’re one of the latest ways that people are […]

Written by on August 5, 2024

7. Lobbyist-written building code law could increase homeowner insurance, limit grant opportunities

A diverse group of public officials is calling to overturn the state’s ban on building code updates ahead of hurricane season. They argue the policy will threaten public safety, cut down federal grant funding, and increase homeowner insurance costs. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed H.B. 488 — a bill banning proposed energy efficiency updates for residential […]

Written by on August 5, 2024