Month: January 2025

10. Cherokee schools to look at consolidation plans for county

Randy Foster/Cherokee Scout The Cherokee County Board of Education is expecting to propose a school consolidation plan after its next meeting Feb. 6. The board will have a workshop at 4 p.m. before the 5:30 p.m. regular meeting to discuss three consolidation proposals put forth by school board members Steve Coleman, Jeff Tatham and Jason […]

Written by on January 26, 2025

Growth in Charlotte

The Charlotte region is likely to add about 1.3 million people by 2050, with some of the largest percentage increases expected in Union and Iredell counties. That would boost the 15-county area’s population to 4.6 million, from 3.3 million now. That’s the view of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, which released its 25-year growth projection […]

Written by on January 24, 2025

Chapel Hill, UNC and growth

UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts’ push to expand enrollment at his institution by 5,000 students begs a couple questions, the first being why now, and the second being why hasn’t it been growing all along. Though there’s undoubtedly some economic factors too, the why now is partly a function of politics. The university’s admission […]

Written by on January 24, 2025

Summerfield scraps proposed no-attacks policy

Officials in Summerfield appear to have shelved a policy that would have forbidden public comment at their meetings that lodges “personal attacks against members of the Town Council, the town manager or town employees.” The proposed “code of conduct” prepared for consideration in the Summerfield council’s Jan. 14 meeting (see page 106 of the PDF) […]

Written by on January 24, 2025

Cabarrus County fires its manager and attorney

Speaking of turmoil, and Cabarrus County, the Republican majority of the Cabarrus County Commissioners voted 3-1 on Tuesday to fire longtime County Manager Mike Downs and County Attorney Richard Koch. Downs had worked for the county since 1986 and had been county manager since 2011. Koch, who also has a private practice, had been county […]

Written by on January 24, 2025

Trump EO calls for Lumbee recognition plan

President Trump has signed an executive order that directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to come up with a plan within three months for giving the Lumbee full federal recognition. The department’s to consider “each potential legal pathway,” including recognition through an act of Congress, the courts or the existing administrative recognition process, Trump […]

Written by on January 24, 2025

1. Most likely CATS expansion plan favors rail from airport to Bojangles Coliseum

Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio The Charlotte Area Transit System on Wednesday released four new scenarios of how it could spend billions of dollars from a proposed one-cent sales tax — specifically which new train lines could be built and which ones couldn’t. Almost five years after Charlotte and CATS started working on the updated transit plan, […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

2. A look at Propel NC and other legislative priorities for the N.C. Community College System

Hannah Vinueza McClellan/Education NC The State Board of Community Colleges discussed the N.C. Community College System’s (NCCCS) legislative agenda for the 2025 long session at its meeting last week, which includes the system’s primary ask of funding for Propel NC. The system is asking lawmakers for nearly $100 million to implement Propel NC, the system’s […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

3. Liquid courage: Duke Energy not asking for forgiveness following flooding fiasco

Lucas Thomae/Carolina Public Press Scores of waterfront property owners in Mecklenburg County are slowly moving forward with government programs to acquire or elevate their homes almost four months after Tropical Storm Helene, and later Duke Energy, upended their lives. Despite Charlotte being more than 100 miles away from the storm’s center, Helene dumped enough water […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

5. Waynesville holds off on tougher flood elevation rules

Paul Nielsen/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer An effort to enact tougher new building standards in flood-prone areas in Waynesville is quickly losing steam. Town council last week held off on a proposal aimed to protect homeowners from future floods and make the town more resilient from heightened flooding. The sticking point with several councilmembers is that stricter […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

7. Asheville BID tax will generate $1.25M for downtown: How will it be spent?

Sarah Honosky/Asheville Citizen Times The city has selected a service provider for the newly minted Business Improvement District, which levies an additional tax on downtown property owners to fund supplemental services, like enhanced cleaning and a team of “community connectors.” The January vote came with relatively little fanfare — a contrast to the district’s controversial […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

8. Belichick signs UNC contract. Will public release end stories about his NFL future?

Brian Murphy/WRAL News North Carolina and football coach Bill Belichick have made it official, releasing a signed employment agreement Thursday that could end the swirling speculation about the legendary NFL coach returning to the league this off-season. The school released a term sheet at the time of Belichick’s hiring that laid out many of the […]

Written by on January 23, 2025

9. Durham Council approves Brickworks rezoning

Wes Platt/SouthPoint Access The massive new Brickworks project is moving forward with Durham City Council approval with a unanimous vote after Tuesday’s meeting. Brickworks, proposed by Charlotte-based SpaceCraft, is expected to include 1,880 units – both apartments and townhouses – and mixed-use commercial space. The critical step achieved Tuesday was getting approval for a zoning […]

Written by on January 23, 2025