Month: July 2025

6. NC elections board OKs changes to military, overseas voting

Theresa Opeka/The Carolina Journal The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) voted unanimously on several items at its meeting Monday morning, including changes to voting for military and overseas voters. The changes stem from protests by Republican Justice Jefferson Griffin, who challenged Democratic candidate Justice Allison Riggs for a seat on the state Supreme […]

Written by on July 22, 2025

7. Famed Charlotte civil rights attorney James Ferguson has died

Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio Famed Charlotte civil rights attorney James Ferguson has died at age 82. He was part of the legal team that won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1971 that required school districts to use busing to integrate. Ferguson and fellow attorney Julius Chambers founded North Carolina’s first integrated law firm in […]

Written by on July 22, 2025

8. Lumos, T-Mobile update sale

Pat Kimbrough/The High Point Enterprise One of High Point’s largest employers says it has expanded its local presence since being bought by another company. Internet service provider Lumos reported that it had 237 employees here at the end of 2024, making it the 24th largest employer in the city, according to the High Point Economic […]

Written by on July 22, 2025

9. City sets public hearing on Plaza sale; more information given by developers

Robert Sullivan/The Salisbury Post    Ahead of a public hearing on the potential purchase of the city-owned Plaza, members of the development team headed by the Wallace family appeared in front of the Salisbury City Council on Tuesday and presented their preliminary plans and gave more information. The City Council’s only action on Tuesday was scheduling […]

Written by on July 22, 2025

10. Ingles to build new Swannanoa store, replacing post office, Ace Hardware, official says

Will Hofmann/Asheville Citizen Times Black Mountain-based grocery store chain Ingles confirmed to Buncombe County staff that it plans to build a new Swannanoa location, according to a county commissioner, providing the clearest details about the future of the store that has caused confusion and frustration among residents. In a July 21 Facebook post, Buncombe County […]

Written by on July 22, 2025

1. UNC study: 43% of flooded NC buildings were outside FEMA’s hazard zones

Liz McLaughlin/WRAL News When torrents of muddy water filled the Trader Joe’s parking lot at Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing this month, sending shopping carts clattering downstream, business owners were frustrated but not surprised. The shopping center, built beside Booker Creek, already sits inside the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s special flood hazard area and has filed flood‑insurance claims […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

2. ‘It has been devastating’: Chapel Hill leaders on recovering from Chantal

Aaron Keck/WCHL Chapelboro It has now been more than two weeks since Tropical Depression Chantal dropped a record amount of rain on the western Triangle, leaving six dead, hundreds displaced, numerous businesses devastated, and tens of millions of dollars in overall damage. In the last two weeks, we’ve seen countless small acts of heroism from […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

3. Can a union make Charlotte’s municipal election a question of worker’s rights?

Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio The left has been rejuvenated in the first six months of the Trump administration, defying predictions that the Democratic Party would counter the MAGA movement by scrambling to the center. That’s best seen in the surprising New York City primary victory by Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the race for mayor. In […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

5. Unraveling a film industry slump

Rickie Houston/WilmingtonBiz The film industry in Wilmington has encountered a slowdown, and it’s uncertain when things will pick back up. While the state has its own film incentive, the slowdown has affected the number of projects being shot in the area, and more attractive incentives offered by other countries have also played a role in […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

6. Jackson Co. threatens to break up another NC regional library

Lucas Thomae/Carolina Public Press Last month, Jackson became the second county in Western North Carolina to vote to exit its library system following local controversy over books with LGBTQ+ content. The move is the latest example of public libraries in the region being turned into political battlegrounds over such issues. On June 24, the Jackson […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

7. Report: State needs more fisheries scientists to meet goals

Jennifer Allen/Coastal Review Online The state has the protocols in place for successful fisheries management, but North Carolina is missing the mark, recently released state-mandated research concludes. A top recommendation: Hire more fisheries scientists. And the head of the state body formed to coordinate scientific research for the legislature, in a letter accompanying the report, […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

8. Blade-maker cuts new path into Europe

Frank Daniels IV/The (Southern Pines) Pilot It’s important to stay sharp through one’s years, especially if you run a knife-making company like Southern Pines-based Spartan Blades. After 30,000 blades, Curtis Iovito and Mark Carey, who founded the company in 2008 in an old mule-barn, continue to keep the company honed through a dedication to excellence […]

Written by on July 21, 2025

10. Bobcat partners with Charlotte to boost engineering talent through scholarships and internships

Giselle Jimenez Del-Carmen/Niner Times The Bobcat Company and UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering partnered to provide academic opportunities for engineering students through Bobcat’s student development program and a $200,000 scholarship fund. Bobcat is a growing company that has been seeking future engineers to expand its workforce further. For multiple reasons, Charlotte offers […]

Written by on July 21, 2025