Month: December 2024

7. Work begins to ease Canton’s water woes

Vicki Hyatt/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer As Canton residents face increasing water outages thanks to an aging system, their town board has cleared some official hurdles to make sure grant money is in place to both improve that system and plan future wastewater treatment. In recent years, Canton residents have been plagued by numerous problems relating to […]

Written by on December 23, 2024

8. Forsyth’s new Soil and Water District Supervisor is a registered sex offender in Davie County

Amy Diaz/WFDD Radio Forsyth County’s newly elected Soil and Water District Supervisor Edward Jones is a registered sex offender, with an address listed in another county. According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Sex Offender Registry, Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old in 2001, when he was 31. But Tim Tsujii […]

Written by on December 23, 2024

10. UNC Charlotte’s Air Institute partners with Charlotte Douglas Airport to transform the workforce in the air

Eve Goldman/Niner Times UNC Charlotte’s Air Institute’s first-of-a-kind partnership with the Charlotte Douglas International Airport aims to transform the aviation industry by using the airport as a “living lab” to advance research, workforce development and community engagement. With additional support from the city of Charlotte, community organizations and industry partners, the Institute aims to bridge […]

Written by on December 23, 2024

1. Another I-40 section collapses into river: return of one-lane traffic up in the air

Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer A new chunk of Interstate 40 crumbled into the Pigeon River this week, dealing a blow to the anticipated reopening of one lane in each direction in January on the Haywood County route to Tennessee. Heavy rains last week, coupled with the freeze-thaw cycle, destabilized the slope below the roadbed. The […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

3. NCDOT asked for input on a new Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. Here’s what people said.

Daniel Sheehan/Wilmington StarNews A proposed bridge has residents across several counties talking. In October, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) asked for comments from the public regarding plans for the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. The department shared three alternatives of varying heights and designs. Alternate A would be a movable span […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

4. Meatpacking industry supports Trump but braces for deportation fallout

Axios Many in the meatpacking industry were happy to see Donald Trump reelected — but are also fearful it won’t be able to operate without the workers he may try to deport. Why it matters: Meatpacking, more than almost any other industry in this country, relies on foreign-born labor, whether documented or not. It would […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

5. DA dismisses all remaining criminal charges against UNC pro-Palestinian protesters

Brianna Atkinson/WUNC Radio The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is dismissing all remaining criminal cases against protesters who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus last spring. The decision came a day before some trials were set to begin. In April, hundreds of protesters held a pro-Palestinian encampment at UNC. Demonstrators camped out overnight in […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

6. EPA head Regan, who championed environmental justice, to leave office Dec. 31

Matthew Daly/The Associated Press Michael Regan, who championed environmental justice as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will leave the agency Dec. 31, three weeks before the end of President Joe Biden’s term. In a letter Friday to agency employees, Regan said he was proud of the EPA’s work to confront climate change, restrict air […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

7. NC settlement with Robinson campaign over errors revealed

Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press Nearly four years after it began, an investigation into the financial reporting of Mark Robinson campaign in 2020 has been completed, leading to fines and a settlement. In a closed session earlier this month, Robinson’s campaign committee agreed to pay the State Board of Elections $35,000 in a settlement agreement. In […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

8. Mountain BizWorks awards $3.69 million in grants to small businesses after Hurricane Helene

Felicia Sonmez/Blue Ridge Public Radio The regional nonprofit Mountain BizWorks has awarded nearly $3.69 million in grants to small businesses that experienced severe impacts from Hurricane Helene. The money will go to 276 local businesses in Buncombe County. Noah Wilson, director of sector development for Mountain BizWorks, said at Thursday’s Buncombe County briefing that the […]

Written by on December 22, 2024

9. Inside Poe Hall: The chemicals and where they were found

Keely Arthur/WRAL News This month, North Carolina State University officials announced plans to remediate, renovate, and reopen Poe Hall. The announcement came just over a year after toxic chemicals were discovered in the building, prompting its closure. However, even with a comprehensive remediation plan, students say the university will face significant challenges in convincing people […]

Written by on December 22, 2024