The Trump administration has warned the UNC System that it has to take “immediate and appropriate action” against any harassment of Jewish students that creates a hostile environment for them. The warning came in a March 10 letter to system President Peter Hans from Craig Trainor, the acting assistant director of civil rights in the […]
There’s a move afoot to set up a rural development authority in Transylvania County to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Ecusta Mill site near Brevard. But the idea comes with a twist, namely that instead of using existing law that allows some counties to set up such an organization on their own, House Bill […]
Senate leaders are pushing forward a bill that would eliminate the 2030 “interim goal” of a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from North Carolina’s power plants. The proposal is embedded in Senate Bill 261, which would also give power providers more latitude to seek permission to pass on to customers the costs of building […]
Brian Gordon/The (Raleigh) News & Observer FHI 360, a global research nonprofit headquartered in downtown Durham, announced more indefinite furloughs Monday, citing continued frozen payments from the U.S. Agency for International Development. After furloughing a third of its U.S. staff in February, the organization said 45% of its domestic workforce is now on leave, including […]
Daniel Sheehan/Wilmington StarNews The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project was slated to have a big year in 2025. Last year, the project made headway when three design alternatives were proposed following a preservation project to extend the life of the current bridge. The project was awarded a $242 million grant from the U.S. Department […]
Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer N.C. Rep. Mark Pless is carrying the ball for five Maggie Valley property owners who feel they are unfairly subjected to town taxes or zoning rules. Pless has filed a bill that would remove eight parcels from the town limits, which would collectively save the five property owners $5,300 in town […]
Will Hofmann/Asheville Citizen Times Despite a natural disaster, two Western North Carolina national park sites remained among the most visited in the country in 2024, though a March 5 National Park Service memo indicated the Trump administration wishes to obscure information relevant to the number of visitors. While major sections of the roadway were devastated […]
John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: What measures are they taking to control the resuspension of sediment from the tributaries flowing into the North Fork reservoir? Some background: the mountainous area around the reservoir experienced severe erosion, including landslides, that resulted in exposed land from the […]
Moss Brennan/The Watauga Democrat Former Watauga County Schools Superintendent Scott Elliott has taken on a new role to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Elliott will serve as the deputy director for engagement for the newly formed Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) and work with agencies and communities throughout the region. […]
Ashley Belanger/ARS Technica Donald Trump’s sudden decision last week to attack the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act after he previously offered assurances that he wouldn’t has sent shockwaves across the industry and has even given some Republicans whiplash. Soon after Trump told Congress that the CHIPS Act is a “horrible, horrible thing,” chip company executives […]
Chantal Brown/Education NC The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation has brought on a new chief advancement officer. The foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is meant to support the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). Its board stewards the endowment, raises awareness and funds to develop and advance the system, manages several scholarship and […]
Laura Hackett/Blue Ridge Public Radio A Trump Cabinet official says the Department of Housing and Urban Development will not approve Asheville’s proposed plan for $225 million in disaster recovery if that spending plan includes programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote that “DEI is dead at HUD.” “We will not […]
Port City Daily The planning board in neighboring Brunswick County will take up multiple projects Monday. Around 600 units — a mixture of single-family homes and townhomes — are being proposed from Holden Beach to Ocean Isle, Bolivia to Supply. Another 2,500 units, already approved in September, are requesting to modify unit types for Timber […]
Andrea Poole stepped down as executive director of the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority to become chief of staff to UNC System President Peter Hans. Poole joined the authority in 2021 after working as vice president for strategic initiatives at the N.C. Community College System. She worked from 2013-19 at the UNC System office […]
Executive orders are the order of the day, and Gov. Josh Stein got in the spirit Monday with plans for a task force to study child care and early education. The group will be co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt and Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican from Harnett County. Its purpose is to identify “solutions to expand […]
