Month: January 2025

7. In light of critics, Canton mayor gives FEMA mixed reviews

Jimmy Potts/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer With Canton working to recover from the devastating damage of Hurricane Helene, Mayor Zeb Smathers did not shy away from supporting recent comments made by Haywood County commissioners criticizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response. During the mayor’s comments portion of Thursday’s Canton Board of Aldermen meeting, Smathers said he agrees […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

8. Durham biotech firm Tune Therapeutics raises $175 million

Zachery Eanes & Christine Clarridge/Axios Raleigh A Durham biotech firm founded on technology built at Duke University has raised $175 million to fund clinical trials of its treatment that tunes gene activity within the body. Why it matters: The fundraising round by Tune Therapeutics is one of the largest in the Triangle in recent months […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

Whither I-40?

Business North Carolina and N.C. Tribune reader Matthew Eisley is at it again, urging officials to take Hurricane Helene as a signal to rethink some of the decisions they made years ago about western North Carolina’s infrastructure. Trib readers will recall that in early October, Eisley pointed out that local opposition back in the 1960s […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

Stein lays out agenda

Gov. Josh Stein’s inaugural address on Saturday stressed hurricane recovery, economic development, education and public safety in an appeal for bipartisanship on the key issues facing North Carolina in 2025. The predicted snowstorm prompted a downsizing of the ceremony, but several Triangle TV stations streamed Stein’s 15-minute address from the old Capitol on YouTube. Stein […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

Downzoning

Senate leader Phil Berger has signaled he’s open to at least considering changes to a provision in Senate Bill 382 that bars cities and counties from downzoning land without the owner’s consent. “I’ve heard from a number of [Senate] members who have heard from constituents with some questions,” said Berger, R-Rockingham. “I have told members […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

1. Southeast Raleigh grapples with gentrification, affordable housing needs

Colin Campbell/WUNC Radio In College Park and other southeast Raleigh neighborhoods, modern-looking, multi-story homes are going up next to much smaller homes that have been here for nearly a century. They often sell for more than a half-million dollars, while the older homes can be valued at around $100,000. The homeowners who remain are facing […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

2. Premiums must rise at least $20 for State Health Plan members, new NC treasurer says

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi/The Raleigh News & Observer Newly elected State Treasurer Brad Briner said Thursday that health insurance premium increases for 2026 are under consideration for State Health Plan members due to financial shortfalls. Briner’s comments came during a meeting of the State Board of Education in a discussion on priorities by the board […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

3. Five economic trends to watch in 2025

Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise To help you navigate the economic year ahead, the Kenan Institute kicks off 2025 with a rundown of five issues that will be top of mind for business leaders and policymakers, along with our analysis. While this annual exercise is never easy, significant uncertainty about federal policy and its impacts […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

4. Attorney went around opposing counsel for order blocking certification of a disputed state Supreme Court election

Rusty Jacobs/WUNC Radio An attorney representing the Republican candidate in a tight race for the North Carolina Supreme Court went before a Wake County judge this week without notifying opposing counsel to seek an order blocking certification of the election. In some instances, under state and federal rules of procedure, such ex parte motions are […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

5. Mission pharmacy program plagued by high turnover, staffing shortage

Asheville Watchdog A Mission Hospital pharmacy program that provides and tracks patients’ medications to ensure their safety has been plagued by nearly constant turnover for years, Asheville Watchdog has learned. Despite warnings from a supervisor about dangerous errors that could result from staff departures, hospital leadership did not take significant action to recruit and retain […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

6. Local officials feel good about Pactiv mill parcel sale in Canton

Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News Apprehension over the fate of a huge industrial parcel in the heart of Canton is now transitioning to cautious optimism. A press release issued Jan. 10 by the St. Louis-based developer who’s been pursuing the 185-acre plot upon which the shuttered Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in Canton has sat dormant since […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

7. EPA intervenes in NC 1,4-dioxane case, pollution surged after judge blocked regulation

Peter Castagno/Port City Daily The City of Asheboro dramatically increased discharges of a toxic chemical flowing downstream into the water supply of the tri-county region after a judge halted its regulation. The Environmental Protection Agency is threatening to take over the permit’s enforcement unless North Carolina reinstates discharge limits. North Carolina has the third highest […]

Written by on January 13, 2025

8. Flooded barrier islands, rising mainland risks: USGS study

Jennifer Allen Cape/Coastal Review Online A recent U.S. Geological Survey study projects that rising sea levels and stronger, more intense storms will exacerbate four specific coastal hazards and associated management challenges for Cape Lookout National Seashore. Rising waters and eroding or sinking lands may be unsurprising on the coast, but the findings are troubling for […]

Written by on January 13, 2025