Month: May 2026

1. NC House committee votes to close property tax loophole, limit tax hikes

Colin Campbell/WUNC News A state House committee voted Tuesday to close an affordable housing tax loophole that’s causing major budget problems for urban counties. Representative Erin Paré, R-Wake, says real-estate investors are abusing a tax exemption designed to help nonprofits build and operate affordable rental housing. It’s costing local governments, particularly in urban counties, millions […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

2. Charlotte City Council withdraws support for I‑77 expansion amid resident skepticism

Elvis Menayese/WFAE Radio Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to withdraw its support for the controversial I‑77 expansion project, a decision that some residents say is encouraging but not yet reassuring. The council voted 6–5 to direct its representative on the regional transportation planning body to rescind the city’s support for the multibillion‑dollar toll lane […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

4. NC health officials are monitoring the hantavirus outbreak, but say North Carolina isn’t at risk

Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm one person from North Carolina is among the passengers evacuated from the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak. That passenger, along with 15 other Americans, was transferred to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s National Quarantine Unit for monitoring. […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

5. Corps crews set to wrap up cleanup at Buxton FUDS site

Catherine Kozak/Coastal Review Online Large amounts of underground oil contamination left behind decades ago at a former beachfront U.S Naval facility may finally be gone after the recent completion of an intensive seven-month excavation project, but additional sampling will still need to be done in the fall to confirm that petroleum is no longer a […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

7. The connection between food insecurity, mental health, and school meals for all

Analisa Sorrells Archer/Education NC Roughly 1 in 5 children in North Carolina face hunger. But what does that statistic mean for the well-being of North Carolina’s students? Josh Wells, community school coordinator at Owen Middle School in Buncombe County Schools, sees the tangible toll that hunger can take on students — including falling asleep first […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

8. Savannah Bananas generated million in economic impact, UNC says

WTVD News The so-called “Greatest Show in Sports” brought a major economic boost to the Triangle. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said last month’s Savannah Bananas games at Kenan Stadium generated more than $17 million in economic impact for the region. More than 100,000 fans turned out for the two-game series. They […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

9. School seek $8M more in funding for ’26

Emily Weaver/The Dunn Daily Record Harnett County Schools officials are seeking an extra $8.28 million in taxpayer funding from the county to cover two new positions and increase pay for teachers, directors and classified staff. The total request equates to $48,278,379 in the next fiscal year that starts July 1, up from $39,995,293 last year. […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

10. What a toll bridge would mean for the Cape Fear region’s economy

Kelly Kenoyer/WHQR Radio The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement has proven far more expensive than early estimates — and delays have only driven the expected costs of construction up. In the face of those tremendous challenges, a toll bridge is starting to look inevitable, pending some unforeseen funding miracle. There are many potential knock-on effects […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

Reports highlight top lobbying spends of 2024

Duke Energy, the NC Chamber and Blue Cross topped the state’s list of big spenders on lobbyists in calendar 2024, according to a Carolina Forwardanalysis of the statistics reported to the state. Reports to Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s office indicate that Duke spent $957,622 on lobbying in 2024. The Chamber spent $866,121 and Blue […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

Hall on WakeMed/Atrium merger

House Speaker Destin Hall isn’t inclined to join the parade of elected officials criticizing the proposed WakeMed/Atrium hospital-system merger. “Both of them certainly know what they’re doing, and I imagine they’ll get it figured out, one way or the other, and I hope they do that without us having to have any involvement with it […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

Carolinas sitting on a pile of lithium?

There could be enough lithium ore under the Carolinas and the rest of the U.S. East Coast to supply U.S. needs for 328 years at current rates, U.S. Geological Survey scientists estimate. That’d be enough to kit out 2.9 million new electric vehicles with batteries, they say in a new paper published in April. USGS […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

Clean-energy groups seek reversal of Utilities Commission ruling

Solar-power advocates want the N.C. Utilities Commission to reverse an order from Chairman Bill Brawley that directed Duke Energy to “defer” its 2026 solar procurement. The Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association argues Brawley exceeded his authority by acting without giving public notice that he was considering the move. State law required notice to Duke, but […]

Written by on May 12, 2026

Boliek frets about Charlotte airport, stadium, water-project borrowing

State Auditor Dave Boliek thinks Charlotte’s government is borrowing entirely too much money. The latest such request, reviewed and approved by the Local Government Commission on Tuesday, involves money to pay for upgrades to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. These include the construction of a new, fourth north-south runway and the renovation of one of the […]

Written by on May 12, 2026