John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog As former Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan was winding down his third term in office in 2017, he accepted a $124,871 retention bonus designed to keep key employees in their jobs. The bonus, offered by former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene, who later served time in federal prison on unrelated corruption charges, […]
Ben Rappaport/Border Belt Independent Danny Parsley and his family were excited to move from northern Virginia to Lumberton, where they appreciate the small-town charm and more affordable housing prices. Shortly after they arrived in April and settled in a quaint neighborhood on the north end of town, however, they quickly realized there was a factor […]
NW Observer Summerfield is getting a permanent manager: Charles “Twig’” Rollins from the eastern North Carolina town of Magnolia. The Town Council voted unanimously last night to approve an employment agreement with Rollins, at an annual salary of $140,000. He starts work Oct. 13. Rollins emerged from a list of qualified candidates, according to council […]
Tyler Davis/The (Henderson) Daily Dispatch On Sept. 11, Vance County Sheriff’s deputies found 21-year-old Javion Magee at 285 Vanco Mill Road deceased, sitting up against a tree outside a fenced-in area — one end of a rope tied around his neck and the other on a tree branch. Officials moved his body to the Office […]
Aaleah McConnell/WHQR The long-contested civil case filed by the former director of the Wilmington Crime Lab was officially dismissed by Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener, following last month’s hearing. In a sparse ruling, Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener noted only that there was “no genuine issue of material fact” to be decided in the case, […]
The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded contracts worth a combined $5.9 million to six business that will install WV charging stations in nine places along interstates and major highways. The awards are part of an funded by $109 million the state’s getting via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law from the federal government’s National Electric Vehicle […]
Candidate stock holdings have emerged as an issue in the state treasurer’s race, with questions going toward the candidate whose financial disclosure doesn’t show any. The winner of the race between Republican nominee Brad Briner and Democratic nominee Wesley Harris will gain the authority to oversee investments of more than $120 billion in state pension […]
Emily Walkenhorst/WRAL News School bus drivers in some of North Carolina’s biggest counties are being driven away by disjointed workdays, low wages and unruly kids — a brew of factors leading them to higher-paying commercial driving jobs. The scenario is leaving school districts struggling to service routes and scrambling to get kids to school on […]
Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press Don’t fear the smoke machine. Wave of NC elections lawsuits may be more about misdirection than credible threats. In the past month, five lawsuits have been filed against the North Carolina State Board of Elections highlighting alleged issues with the state’s voter rolls and absentee ballot counting. Many directly or indirectly […]
Peter Castagno/Port City Daily Prominent state firefighter organizations are raising concerns over a new building code law that could increase fire risks for homeowners. Firefighters and other critics argue the law demonstrates a broader issue caused by the disproportionate influence of the North Carolina Home Builders Association in the General Assembly. The House of […]
John Barr/ESPN.com Two of the more vocal critics of the sports betting industry on Capitol Hill outlined legislation Thursday, which if passed into law would put into place sweeping new federal regulations on gambling companies, including requiring them to set limits on what amount sports bettors wager and how often they can place bets. The […]
Chase Pellegrini de Paur/IndyWeek Anyone strolling through Raleigh this weekend may hear the voice of Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson blasting from an electronic billboard on the side of a truck. “MLK was a communist,” Robinson’s voice says, speaking over an image of himself pointing into the face of the revered leader. “And the Civil Rights […]
Brianna Atkinson/WUNC Radio In the aftermath of the UNC Board of Governors DEI repeal, chancellors have closed at least seven central DEI offices, eliminated 59 DEI-related positions, and redirected nearly $17 million to “student success initiatives.” Out of all the institutions that gutted DEI programs, UNC-Chapel Hill’s administration cut the most. Six DEI offices are […]
Saleha Mohsin/Yahoo!Fiance Donald Trump pioneered new ways to use tariffs as a weapon of statecraft in his first presidency. He’s promising to go full-bore next time – and even deploy a jumbo version to protect the US dollar. The GOP candidate is signaling he’ll ramp up America’s economic arsenal if he beats Kamala Harris in […]
Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News The old paper mill in the heart of Canton will have a new owner by the end of the month — if everything remains on track — according to a three-page letter filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 30. “We have become aware that there is a potential […]
