Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio Will there be enough dedicated money to fully fund the “Better Bus” pledge made during last year’s campaign for the transit tax referendum? It looks doubtful. The Charlotte Area Transit System pledged a 50% increase in bus service. It also promised 18 new “microtransit” zones where people could travel door-to-door with on-demand […]
Hannah Hall/WECT Feast Down East has received funding for improving local access to healthy food for people with chronic conditions through a new statewide initiative. According to the organization, the funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is part of the “Food is Medicine” initiative. “Food is Medicine” aims to […]
Frank Daniels IV/The Southern Pines Pilot The country has been in the throes of what many deem a “child care crisis,” with limited access for families due to the low number of facilities and spaces available. Child care centers across North Carolina struggle to meet community needs as the population grows and around 17 percent […]
Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who is the city’s second-longest serving mayor and easily won a fifth term in November, announced Thursday that she will resign from office and retire in June. Her decision comes as questions have grown in the community and among colleagues about her health and her ability to continue […]
Sarah White/The Waynesville Mountaineer Haywood County taxpayers could see the largest property tax increase in recent history next year. The county unveiled its proposed budget Monday that calls for a 7 cent property tax increase to cover raises for county employees, the jail expansion, rising costs and unfunded mandates. The tax increase will bring in […]
Port City Daily Both the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County commissioners signed off on resolutions in support of UNCW potentially launching a medical school in the area. It will be considered by the UNC Board of Governors on May 21. A UNCW spokesperson told Port City Daily it welcomes resolutions from other county […]
Amy Diaz/WFDD Radio Without a state budget, local school districts are left guessing about teacher salary increases and position allotments for next year. To prepare for the unknown, Davidson County Schools has opted to freeze hiring for vacant positions as a way to protect existing employees. If cuts need to happen down the line, officials […]
Greg Toppo/The 74 The largest study ever of school cell phone bans finds that they offer decidedly mixed results, with teachers reporting fewer distractions when students lock their phones away during the school day, but little evidence the bans quickly bring improved academic achievement or better behavior, as many advocates have hoped. The study, by […]
WRAL News Wake County Public School System leaders are investigating a breach involving the system that contains teachers’ and students’ data across North Carolina. According to the school district, they were notified of a cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, a statewide learning management system run by Instructure. Teachers use Canvas to post their classroom work and […]
Ted Clifford/Asheville Watchdog Mission Hospital has no plans to add staff in key areas – including trauma care, security, and nursing administration – as part of its recently approved, now-contested, 95-bed acute-care expansion, according to its application to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Despite conditional approval from NCDHHS to build its […]
Analisa Sorrells Archer/Education NC Home to nearly 40 million people, California’s population is roughly 3.5 times the size of North Carolina’s. But despite their differences, the two states share one thing in common: they have two of the largest community college systems in the country. California Community Colleges has 116 colleges serving 2.2 million students, […]
Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News A new coalition of North Carolina parents is taking aim at Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, alleging his past leadership decisions placed children at risk and demanding accountability ahead of the November election. The group, calling itself Parents Against Whatley, launched this week with more than 60 members spanning 19 […]
Brighton McConnell/WCHL Chapelboro As Orange County continues to explore ways to reform its property appraisal and tax evaluation processes, its Board of Commissioners approved the hire of a firm to conduct a review and make recommendations for improvement. The local government’s elected officials voted to contract the New York-based real estate appraiser and consulting firm […]
Mackenzie Thomas/Carolina Public Press Facing pressure to show significant progress in dealing with financial issues, Littleton town officials informed the North Carolina Local Government Commission in a meeting on Tuesday that they completed the town’s 2021 audit and are close to hiring a new long-term finance officer. That appears likely sufficient to prevent an immediate […]
Colin Campbell/WUNC News The state legislature could soon make university pay for student athletes a confidential record. Compensation for public university employees in North Carolina is a public record, from football coaches to professors and security guards. But legislation introduced in the House on Wednesday would exempt payments to athletes from public records law. Supporters […]
