Celeste Gracia/WUNC Radio Local governments and environmental advocates are asking the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to establish a preliminary health goal for 1,4 dioxane in drinking water. Similar to PFAS, 1,4 dioxane is a toxic, man-made chemical that can cause cancer over a lifetime of exposure. “This specific health goal is […]
Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio A Charlotte City Council committee Tuesday approved a framework for appointing board members to a new transit authority, which would be enacted if voters approve a new 1-cent sales tax in November. Some officials, however, were skeptical — even some of those who voted yes. If voters approve the tax increase referendum, […]
Brenna Flanagan/Port City Daily A transportation sales tax across New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties is in the early stages of research at the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, though elected leaders are looking for constituent feedback before moving forward. On Aug. 26, members of the WMPO’s Alternative Funding Subcommittee from each county and […]
Taylor Knopf/NC Health News A new psychiatric hospital in Greenville will begin serving patients in eastern North Carolina later this month. ECU Health Behavioral Health Hospital is a new 144-bed facility intended to provide inpatient and intensive outpatient psychiatric services to adults and children; it will open with a 24-bed unit designated for pediatric patients. […]
Andrew R. Jones/Asheville Watchdog Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe has told employees the company wants to hire 200 employees over just more than three months beginning on Sept. 22, according to a document obtained by Asheville Watchdog. “You asked, we listened,” Lowe said in a newsletter sent to staff and dated Aug. 21. “Starting Monday, […]
Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press Mecklenburg County is one of 10 North Carolina counties with primary elections this fall. Charlotte is one of even fewer municipalities with contests set for next week. In the largely Democratic stronghold, the primaries generally decide the overall winner. Turnout is usually low. In the 2023 mayoral primary, about 5% of […]
Sergio Osnaya-Prieto/EducationNC Four North Carolina community colleges have joined a network spearheaded by the Aspen Institute whose goal is to align these colleges’ programs with available career and bachelor’s degree pathways, according to a press release. The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced the 55 community colleges that will join the Unlocking Opportunity network on […]
Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer A truck driver who claims he was terrorized and assaulted by an angry mob of landfill workers at a flood debris site in Canton has made good on his threat of a lawsuit. A federal lawsuit against the private landfill company and six of its employees was filed Friday, Aug. 29, […]
Charlie Kingree/Wilmington StarNews Avelo Airlines flights from Wilmington to Houston will stop after September, while Detroit service will only run during peak periods. The airline is cutting the routes earlier than originally planned due to low demand. Travelers can still book one-stop flights to these cities on various airlines. Two major U.S. cities will soon […]
Here in the Triangle, Durham County Commissioners could face a decision late this year on whether to rezone the entirety of Research Triangle Park that lies within their jurisdiction. County records show that officials in Durham’s City/County Planning Department submitted paperwork for the change on Aug. 17. The current schedule calls for a neighborhood meeting […]
Gov. Josh Stein is setting up a new “AI Leadership Council” to help craft a strategy for the state government to follow as it deals with the many issues that stem from the wider use of artificial intelligence. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley and state CIO Teena Piccione will co-chair the 24-member panel, Stein and his […]
Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, four other legislators, and other state and private-sector officials traveled to Finland last week in hopes of attracting investment in military-related technology and manufacturing. On one level, the trip was the kind of international trade mission the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina mounts a few times every […]
Heather Landi/Fierce Healthcare Shifting federal COVID-19 vaccine criteria are making seasonal vaccinations a more complicated process, both for patients and providers. Retail pharmacies are often the most convenient places for patients to get COVID-19 vaccines, and, up until recently, it didn’t require a prescription and insurance companies covered the shots. COVID vaccines had been available […]
Donica Phifer/Axios Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that President Trump may grant some exclusions on tariffs for home construction supplies, potentially offering relief to homebuilders. Why it matters: The housing market has stalled as the cost of purchasing has risen and supply has dwindled. High interest rates, as well as price increases for construction […]
Brian Gordon/The (Raleigh) News & Observer Natron Energy, the sodium-ion battery startup that last summer promised to create 1,000 jobs at a future $1.4 billion factory in Eastern North Carolina, will stop operating as a company Wednesday due to funding issues. “We appreciate our customers and partners support though our journey,” John Schmidt, Natron’s chief […]
