First-term U.S. Rep. Addison McDowell, R-6th, signed on as one of 26 sponsors of a bill that would formally authorize President Trump to open negotiations to reacquire the Panama Canal. H.R. 283 would also demand a six-month progress report identifying “potential challenges” and “anticipated outcomes.” McDowell and several other sponsors are members of the House […]
One of the Biden Administration’s last actions was announcing that Medicare, the nation’s largest healthcare insurer, will negotiate the prices of 15 more drugs. The matter has major significance for North Carolina’s huge pharmaceutical industry, which produces some of the key drugs on the list. Among the drugs on the list are Ozempic, Tradjenta, Rybelsus […]
John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog If one theme of rebuilding in a post-Helene world has emerged, it’s this: complexity. None of this is simple, whether it’s clearing debris, restoring roads, or trying to figure out if and how you can rebuild your business in a floodplain. Much confusion remains in this last item, whether it’s rebuilding in […]
Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press One winter night in early January, Delia Bailey awoke, shivering, in a camper parked outside of her house in Black Mountain. She has been living there since Tropical Storm Helene ravaged her home in late September. Her fingers were numb and her breath was visible. She went to the door. […]
Gerard Albert III/Blue Ridge Public Radio The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Sunday evening that it will extend its Temporary Sheltering Assistance Program — that pays for hotel and motel rooms — until May 26. The move comes after the agency received criticism earlier this month from nonprofits and politicians when FEMA initially announced that […]
Jaymie Baxley/NC Health News The walls of Devdutta Sangvai’s office were mostly bare on his third day as North Carolina’s top health official. A physician, professor and former president of Duke Regional Hospital, Sangvai had been far too busy settling into his new role as secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services […]
Trista Talton/Coastal Review Online A proposed federal rule designed to add another layer of protection for a critically endangered species of whale has been taken off the table. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, announced last week its withdrawal of proposed speed limits for vessels under 65 feet long in waters used by […]
Greg Parlier/Mountain Xpress Financial impacts to Buncombe County’s budget from Tropical Storm Helene are beginning to come into focus, and the outlook isn’t sunny. About seven months into the fiscal year, which ends June 30, county leadership is projecting revenues will be anywhere from $15.1 million to $25.7 million less than projected for the $440 […]
Scott D. Yost/Rhino Times Contec Industrial Automation Solutions – an international engineering firm that specializes in automating industrial processes and equipment – has selected Greensboro as the site for its newest sales and engineering office. The company provides a wide range of services to various business sectors such as the food and beverage industry, petrochemicals […]
Port City Daily An area planning board didn’t favor changes proposed to its zoning map for a developer to bring multi-family residential units to undeveloped land near Oak Island. Joe Barklow of Ohio-based Stark Enterprises presented to the board Thursday plans to build multi-family home units — around 244 on 51.66 acres — at 3190 […]
Johnny Casey/Asheville Citizen Times FEMA representatives were on hand at the most recent Madison commissioners meeting to help County Manager Rod Honeycutt provide updates on the county’s post-Tropical Storm Helene rebuild. Members of FEMA’s intergovernmental affairs team joined the Madison County Board of Commissioners at the board’s Jan. 14 meeting. According to a presentation from […]
Chandler Inions/The Salisbury Post Rowan County’s elected officials from Raleigh joined its local elected officials, among other dignitaries, for the Rowan County Chamber’s Legislative Power in Partnership Breakfast at Catawba College. The meeting offered the opportunity for Sen. Carl Ford and Representatives Julia Howard, Harry Warren and Grant Campbell to share their visions for the […]
If personnel is policy, UNC Chapel Hill leaders want to position their institution to finally start building things on the former airport property off Chapel Hill’s Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. A job posting that was scheduled to close on Monday sought applicants for a new “executive director for real estate development.” The new hire […]
The NC Chamber has filed a friend-of-the-court brief siding with the Atlantic Coast Conference in its battle to make North Carolina’s courts the main battleground in its fight with Florida State and Clemson. The issue, the Chamber’s Legal Institute says, goes well beyond the reality that college sports is big business across North Carolina. To […]
Sad news from Rep. Joe John, D-Wake, who announced he’s stepping down because he’s received “a terminal diagnosis” following the exhaustion of his treatment options for cancer. “This decision, though incredibly difficult, is made with the intention of focusing on my health and spending cherished time with my family during this challenging period,” John said […]
