Month: December 2025

7. Lawsuits linger in Russ Avenue widening: Right of way condemnations tied up in court

Aarik Long/The Waynesville Mountaineer As construction continues its march up Russ Avenue in Waynesville, more than a dozen commercial property owners are still objecting to the right-of-way buyout of their property by the N.C. Department of Transportation. That’s nearly one-fourth of the total 56 parcels that had at least some portion of road frontage taken […]

Written by on December 28, 2025

8. City, county misaligned on Wave Transit vision, delay vote on recommended performance shifts

Brenna Flanagan/Port City Daily Earlier this month, what was intended to be a workshop on route changes in the Wave Transit system turned into a strained conversation on funding public transportation. It highlighted another potential fault line between New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington. The Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, which oversees the […]

Written by on December 28, 2025

9. Officials wary of voracious ‘super termite’ colonizing North Carolina

Gareth McGrath/Wilmington StarNews Even in the early 1990s, it wasn’t unusual for new residents to flock to Brunswick County. But when these guys decided to show up in the Southeastern North Carolina county, hitching a ride in railroad sleepers used for landscaping, major red flags were raised. “We recognized it quickly, responded quickly, but two […]

Written by on December 28, 2025

10. 148-unit housing development approved for east of Boone

Nick FoglemanWatauga Democrat A new housing project known as The Retreat at Boone is moving forward on a 40-acre site east of Boone. The project is being developed by Landmark Properties, which also owns The Standard student housing development in Boone. The site is located approximately 3 miles outside of Boone along U.S. 421, on […]

Written by on December 28, 2025

Feds bar imports of new-model drones

Here in the Triangle, we’ve been watching DJI-made drones disappear from the shelves of Best Buy and other consumer-electronics stores amid rumors of an upcoming federal ban. Store managers replaced them with variously-branded knockoffs, which like DJI’s are likely made in China or other Asian countries. But even that strategy is now off the table, […]

Written by on December 24, 2025

Causey opposes potential pardon of Lindberg

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has written President Donald Trumpto oppose the idea of granting convicted billionaire Greg Lindberg a pardon or clemency. The harms from Lindberg’s actions “are real, ongoing and irreparable,” Causey said in his letter. “A pardon would not undo them; it would compound them by signaling that wealth, influence and persistence can […]

Written by on December 24, 2025

1. Four years after promises, a plan for apartments at The Pearl

Michelle Crouch/NC Health News & The Charlotte Ledger Four years after Atrium Health pledged to include affordable housing in its new medical innovation district in Charlotte, city filings now show a concrete proposal for the site: a gleaming 20-story tower with 382 apartments, including 19 for low-income residents. Called ANOVA, the building will include ground-level […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

2. US regulators approve Wegovy pill for weight loss

Jonel Aleccia/The Associated Press U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

3. What can philanthropy learn from nonprofits’ leadership on Hurricane Helene recovery?

Susan Mims/Education NC A little more than a year ago, Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. Thirty-one inches of rain, tornados, and mudslides washed out roads and bridges, flooded towns and farms, destroyed homes and businesses, and took the lives of deeply loved community members. Reflecting on 12-plus months of recovery, there are powerful lessons […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

4. NC county settles lawsuit over stifling public comment

Lucas Thomae/Carolina Public Press The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners has settled a lawsuit with James Campbell after it handed him a 90-day ban from meetings for “naming names” of public employees during a public comment period last year. The county, while not forced to admit any liability or wrongdoing for its actions, acknowledged at […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

5. All work and no play: Should kids have longer school recess?

James Farrell/WFAE Radio The playground at the Ballantyne Bowl has slides, climbing ropes and lots of other playground equipment. But on a recent Saturday afternoon, 9-year-old Christian Glynn and his 4-year-old brother Holden didn’t need any of that. They’ve brought scraps of cardboard and a dream. “The plan is to use the cardboard to slide […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

6. One path cleared for Novant Health hospital in 955-acre mixed-use project in Leland

Charlie Fossen/Port City Daily Leland Town Council has cleared the way for a medical expansion in the town’s northwest section in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions. The 955-acre Terrapin Landing mixed-use project needed to rezone approximately 37 acres from the multi-family and commercial zonings to office and institutional to include a new hospital from […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

7. Judge rules Fayetteville not required to pay for four burst dams

Rachel Heimann Mercader/CityView A nearly decade‑long legal battle over whether Fayetteville taxpayers should repair private dams blown out by Hurricane Matthew abruptly ended Friday when a Superior Court judge dismissed the case moments before it was set to go to the jury. The lawsuit centered on whether Fayetteville had effectively used the Homeowners Association’s lakes […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

8. Luxury mountain home tests state ridge law

Paul Nielsen/The Waynesville Mountaineer A $1.3 million house at 4,400 feet elevation in Waynesville had to prove it passed muster with the state ridge law before being granted a building permit — an unusual but not unheard of case that shows the ridge line law passed over four decades ago is still kicking. It is […]

Written by on December 23, 2025

9. NCDEQ’s staffing cut by more than 30% over 14 years: Report

Trista Talton/Coastal Review Online The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has suffered the highest percentage of staff cuts of any state, with nearly one-third of its workforce eliminated between 2010 and 2024, according to an environmental watchdog group. A whopping 32%, or 386 DEQ staff positions, were wiped out during that 14-year period, according […]

Written by on December 23, 2025