Month: December 2024

2. Government funding plan collapses as Trump makes new demands days before shutdown

The Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate — days before a deadline when federal funding runs out. Trump’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling as lawmakers are trying […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

3. Courting elections. Lawsuits address key topics of protests.

Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press As long as there are elections, there will be lawsuits — and in many cases, election protests. This is true particularly in North Carolina, a swing state where “margins matter,” Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper said. “North Carolina is often ground zero for not just redistricting litigation, but […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

4. Shops selling cannabis products need to be regulated, N.C. child advocacy group says

Jennifer Fernandez/NC Health News Child advocates want the North Carolina General Assembly to regulate the sale of intoxicating cannabis products, many of which are packaged to look like popular candy and snacks. They argue that products with tetrahydrocannabinol — or THC, the psychoactive compound that creates the “high” from cannabis products— are sold without any […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

5. Waynesville leaders mull whether to up the ante for flood elevations

 Paul Nielsen/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer Waynesville’s town council has delayed a vote on tougher building standards in flood-prone areas, as they ponder whether the measures would be too great a burden for hundreds of property owners in the 100- and 500-year flood plains. The proposed measures aim to protect homeowners from future floods and make the […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

6. New study confirms produce grown near Chemours plant contains high levels of PFAS

Evey Weisblat/CityView North Carolina researchers have confirmed that GenX and other PFAS have contaminated not just the water, but also the fruits and vegetables grown near the Fayetteville Works Plant. The goal of the study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, was to determine the extent to which homegrown produce near fluorochemical […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

7. Edward Teach defamation lawsuit against local performer resolved with public apology

Shea Carver/Port City Daily Wilmington-area performer Madonna Nash apologized publicly to Edward Teach Brewery owner Gary Sholar and its employees, after defamation charges were dropped against her. The apology appeared on her personal social media page, shared by the brewery’s business page as well. “I take full responsibility for the mistakes I made, and I […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

8. Drones could deliver relief in North Carolina’s next big storm

WFAE Radio North Carolina’s next huge storm could feature relief delivered by drone. According to a news release, the state Department of Transportation will develop a program that places drones in communities ahead of a big storm. After the storm hits, emergency responders will launch the drones into the wreckage to gather visual information about […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

10. Commission OKs sandbag variance for NC 12 on Pea Island

Jennifer Allen/Coastal Review Online The North Carolina Department of Transportation can begin work on a temporary solution to protect a stretch of N.C. Highway 12 in Rodanthe that frequently experiences overwash, coastal flooding and erosion — but NCDOT officials are looking for a more permanent fix. Earlier this week, the Coastal Resources Commission unanimously approved […]

Written by on December 19, 2024

N.C. Community Colleges’ Finish Line Grants

Gov. Roy Cooper’s end-of-tenure victory lap around North Carolina brought him to Durham on Tuesday, where he touted a couple of initiatives he and his aides launched in hopes of boosting community-college completion rates. Cooper focused mostly on the N.C. Community Colleges’ Finish Line Grants, small allocations of up to $1,000 to help students who […]

Written by on December 18, 2024

Wanted: the meaning of “surrounding”

North Carolina’s Supreme Court handed down a decision in a charter-school case last week that could have implications for how the majority handles other land-use disputes. Ruling for a company called Schooldev East, the court’s 5-2 Republican majority found that officials in Wake Forest overstepped back in 2020 when it rejected the firm’s applications for […]

Written by on December 18, 2024

Furniture and wire

State recruiters on Tuesday rolled out two more incentive packages that they hope will between them facilitate the creation of at least 583 new jobs and $244.6 million in new corporate investment. One of deals targets a furniture factory that a Lithuanian company, SBA Home, proposes to build in Mocksville. SBA is a supplier for […]

Written by on December 18, 2024

Cooper touts “Finish Line” grants for community college students

Gov. Roy Cooper’s end-of-tenure victory lap around North Carolina brought him to Durham on Tuesday, where he touted a couple of initiatives he and his aides launched in hopes of boosting community-college completion rates. Cooper focused mostly on the N.C. Community Colleges’ Finish Line Grants, small allocations of up to $1,000 to help students who […]

Written by on December 18, 2024

Wanted: the definition of “surrounding”

North Carolina’s Supreme Court handed down a decision in a charter-school case last week that could have implications for how the majority handles other land-use disputes. Ruling for a company called Schooldev East, the court’s 5-2 Republican majority found that officials in Wake Forest overstepped back in 2020 when it rejected the firm’s applications for […]

Written by on December 18, 2024

State lands furniture and wire makers

State recruiters on Tuesday rolled out two more incentive packages that they hope will between them facilitate the creation of at least 583 new jobs and $244.6 million in new corporate investment. One of deals targets a furniture factory that a Lithuanian company, SBA Home, proposes to build in Mocksville. SBA is a supplier for […]

Written by on December 18, 2024