Month: June 2026

1. CMS superintendent placed on leave amid investigation

James Farrell, Ely Portillo & Julian Berger/WFAE Radio Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill has been placed on leave amid an investigation into how the district is run, the school board said Wednesday. Hill has been on the job for more than three years. The school district and multiple board members either declined to give […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

2. Ethics complaint containing sexual harassment claims dismissed against NC Insurance Commissioner

Alex Littlehales/WRAL News The North Carolina Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against Insurance Commissioner Michael Causey after he was accused of exchanging ‘inappropriate’ messages with a former department employee. “This morning, Commissioner Causey was informed that the complaint had been dismissed by the Ethics Commission because ‘the facts alleged in the complaint would […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

3. Dominique Moody Act, a child welfare reform package, passes House 113-0

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  With three changes to the Senate’s passage along party lines, the Dominique Moody Act advanced from North Carolina’s House of Representatives 113-0 on Wednesday. The upper chamber is next up to consider two committee substitutes and a floor amendment to the bill championed by Sens. Steve Jarvis of Davidson County, Buck […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

4. NC Senate Democrats propose legalizing cannabis, but prospects hazy

Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline A new bill proposed by North Carolina Senate Democrats would put constitutional amendments to legalize recreational and medical cannabis on the ballot. But its odds of getting a vote in the Senate are not high, Republican leadership says. Senate Bill 1072 would put two separate amendments on the ballot in November, asking […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

5. Cumberland County enacts 6-month data center moratorium

Paul Woolverton/CityView A moratorium on data center projects is in place for the unincorporated areas of Cumberland County through December 15, after the Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 for the moratorium on Monday. Spectators in the commissioners chamber applauded and cheered the vote, which has been expected since last week. Some held up signs that […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

6. Negotiations at 11th hour could decide fate of NC election bill

Sarah Michels/Carolina Public Press A wide-ranging North Carolina election bill seemed headed for passage at lightning speed Tuesday morning in Raleigh. But now, it’s stopped in its tracks. Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, told Carolina Public Press that the election bill is still headed to its final destination, but is taking a brief rest stop while […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

7. As momentum slows on stadium idea, UNCA woods are still on chopping block

Jack Evans/Asheville Watchdog One of Asheville’s largest urban forests remains on the chopping block. Now it seems to have been joined by the very idea that put it there. According to a series of documents published by the University of North Carolina-Asheville, the committee tasked with guiding the future of several university properties appears poised […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

8. Work on Lowes Foods grocery begins at major Lake Norman highway under construction

Joe Marusak/The Charlotte Observer Grading work is underway for a 50,000-square-foot Lowes Foods grocery store beside a four-lane divided highway under construction in Mooresville near Lake Norman, a town official said Tuesday. Known as the East West Connector, the nearly mile-long road was first proposed decades ago for drivers to escape infuriating bottlenecks when traveling […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

9. Mineral companies shortlist Brunswick County for proposed refining facility

Emma Dill/WilmingtonBiz Brunswick County is one of four U.S. sites eyed for what could become the world’s first commercial polymetallic nodule refinery. The proposed facility, referred to in a news release as Project Infinity, is the product of a consortium between Australian minerals-processing and mining company Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited and Glomar Minerals LLC, an […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

10. YMCA selling Morrison campus in south Charlotte

WSOCTV News The YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced Wednesday it will sell its Morrison YMCA property for $42.5 million to Moments of Hope Church. The Morrison YMCA will remain open and fully operational through the anticipated closing in summer 2027. According to YMCA officials, the sale of the property is part of a broader reinvestment […]

Written by on June 18, 2026

1. EPA’s PFAS retreat is ‘a slap in the face,’ NC advocate says

Will Atwater/NC Health News Two years ago, Emily Donovan stood on a stage in Fayetteville and introduced then-EPA Administrator Michael Regan. Regan, who was secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality before being tapped by the Biden administration to lead the EPA, had returned to the region — where in 2017 the public […]

Written by on June 17, 2026

3. Election 2026: Cohn reverses, will seek reelection

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  With the expected blessing of party leaders in two counties he serves, state Rep. Bryan Cohn is expected to be on the ballot Nov. 3 trying to keep his District 32 seat in the House of Representatives. Cohn did not file for reelection and Oxford City Commissioner Curtis McRae outpointed Henderson […]

Written by on June 17, 2026

4. NC Democrats unveil teacher pay bill focused on retaining veteran educators

Ahmed Jallow/NC Newsline Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a teacher pay bill that would give larger raises to veteran educators, arguing that North Carolina has spent years recruiting new teachers while doing too little to keep experienced ones in the classroom. House Bill 1130 would overhaul North Carolina’s teacher salary schedule, restore extra pay for […]

Written by on June 17, 2026

5. Duke braces for impact of federal loan caps on graduate students

Dylan Halper/The Duke Chronicle Starting next month, the Trump administration will impose new limitations on graduate federal loans, leaving Duke’s graduate schools and prospective students in uncertain financial territory. The new regulations, coupled with provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, radically upend the current borrowing system for graduate students. On July 1, new […]

Written by on June 16, 2026