Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press Darlene Fore is terrified. She’s a nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville: a hard, but stable, federal job. Last year, her family was devastated by Tropical Storm Helene. Now, as she reaches 60 years old, her job, and her retirement benefits, could be taken away at any […]
Kyle Perrotti/Smoky Mountain News More than two years after he was shot by Cherokee Indian Police Department SWAT Team members, Jason Harley Kloepfer has reached a $10 million settlement with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee County, ending any chances of what was shaping up to be a difficult and complicated federal trial. […]
F.T. Norton/Fayetteville Observer Cumberland County Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green will leave her position at the end of the year due to her spouse’s military relocation. Green oversaw several key initiatives during her tenure, including programs addressing the opioid crisis and maternal health. County officials praised Green’s leadership and contributions to public health, particularly during […]
Drew C. Wilson/The Wilson Times There weren’t any stupid pet tricks or top 10 lists, but there was small-town news when David Letterman showed up at Daniel’s Fine Dining in Wilson on Wednesday night. The late-night television talk show host known to millions sat down for a meal of crab cakes and pecan chicken in […]
The House budget bill will ban the N.C. Department of Transportation from spending state money to make any part of the Wake County portion of U.S. 1 a toll road. Members amended the bill at the behest of Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, whose Wake Forest-area district in northern Wake straddles U.S. 1, also known as Capital Boulevard. […]
Buncombe County jail inmates haven’t always gotten back from the county Sheriff’s Office the money they arrived with, or the money friends and relatives provided for them to use while they were in custody. A probe by State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office found that the jail hadn’t returned, all told, $19,272 to 914 former prisoners released sometime […]
House leaders’ latest Hurricane Helene relief bill includes a $60 million set-aside to establish and fund a “business recovery” grant program within the state’s Department of Commerce. If approved, the program would offer one-time grants to businesses that suffered economic losses of $25,000 or more because of Helene and that have been operating for at least two […]
Emma Dill/WilmingtonBiz The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has formally recommended that a replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge have a vertical clearance of no less than 135 feet. Following its review of the proposed replacement project, the Army Corps sent a letter to Trevor Carroll, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s District 3 engineer, […]
Pat Kimbrough/High Point Enterprise The city of High Point has put a hold on its efforts to enact its proposed Southwest Mill District. The plan to rezone a 171-acre old industrial area around W. Green Drive may conflict with recent changes in state law that limit local governments’ abilities to enact certain types of development […]
Kyle Perrotti/Smoky Mountain News Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has made headlines by targeting the United States’ most well-known colleges — those with the largest endowments and lowest admission rates — but now, in the latest twist in a year-long saga, his administration is shifting its attention to Cullowhee. Trump’s Department of Education notified […]
Bill Moss/Hendersonville Lightning Henderson County commissioners want to use a 25-year-old utilities agreement to force to the city of Hendersonville to provide sewer service to an Upward Road cidermaker, although City Manager John Connet says talks are under way to resolve the request. Under the so-called Mud Creek Agreement of Dec. 20, 2000, the city […]
Peter Castagno/Port City Daily A renewable energy advocacy group is urging Gov. Josh Stein to oppose legislation that would allow Duke Energy to charge customers upfront costs for new power plants. The nonprofit argued ratepayers should not bear additional risks since Duke has a history of expensive canceled nuclear projects. Durham-based NC Warn sent a […]
Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press When Anderson Clayton took control of the North Carolina Democratic Party at 25 years old, she knew she needed to make some changes. The previous election cycle, Democrats had left a quarter of the state’s legislative seats unchallenged, giving Republicans a free ride to Raleigh. From her viewpoint, that couldn’t happen […]
Mary Helen Moore/NC Newsroom Sports betting brought in $128 million in taxes the first year it was legal in North Carolina. With that figure projected to grow, legislators are seeking to change who gets a cut, a move that will benefit state schools’ athletics departments. Both chambers’ budgets would, for the first time, let the […]
Felicia Sonmez/Blue Ridge Public Radio Norfolk Southern will rebuild a key section of track east of Asheville, officials confirmed Tuesday. The plan may pave the way for the eventual return of passenger rail service to Western North Carolina. The 16-mile stretch was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. It includes the historic Old Fort Loops, one […]
