Month: August 2026

7. Moore County leaders tackle region’s $43.5M child care crisis at summit

The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal Local business and community leaders convened on Aug. 7 for the Business & Child Care Summit, where they examined how North Carolina’s child care crisis is stinting workforce participation, straining employers and costing Moore County an estimated $43.5 million annually. During the Summit at the Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, business […]

Written by on August 10, 2026

8. Shaw has an on-campus room for every student who applied for one, university says

Destinee Patterson/WRAL News Shaw University said it has been able to accommodate every student who has applied for on-campus housing. The university previously notified students of limited housing options following a fire that shut down the Dimple Newsome dorm last school year. Shaw University’s academic calendar lists the first day of classes as August 12, […]

Written by on August 10, 2026

9. Kenan Fellows Program conference highlights the importance of connecting teachers with industry and colleagues statewide

Chantal Brown/Education NC Over a hundred educators met in Chapel Hill on Aug. 3 to attend the first ever, two-day Reigniting Teacher Passion Conference hosted by the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership. Educators were able to connect with colleagues and industry partners through a variety of professional development sessions. Attendees also got to hear […]

Written by on August 10, 2026

10. Bladen County plans new emergency operations center as officials prepare for future disasters

Lexi Tatum/The Bladen Journal Bladen County has been awarded $2.5 million through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program to replace its cramped emergency operations center with a 7,000-square-foot facility designed to coordinate the county’s response during natural disasters, according to County Manager Samuel Croom. The center would be built at the site of the […]

Written by on August 10, 2026

1. Congressman’s withdrawal puts ballot prep in tailspin

Aarik Long/The Waynesville Mountaineer The late withdrawal of Congressman Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, from the race following a stinging House Ethics investigation has resulted in a ticking clock for the party to choose a replacement candidate in time for ballots to be printed. While the election may seem like three months away, prepping of ballots is […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

2. Duke Law discriminated based on race in admissions

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  Duke University School of Law, seventh-best nationally in a U.S. News & World Report ranking and consistent member of the national T14 list, discriminated based on race in admissions for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes, says the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Federal officials said the […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

3. Controversy is a constant at Asheville Schools; now, so is the superintendent

Dan DeWitt/Asheville Watchdog At a Buncombe County Commission workshop in April, Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman asked for an increase in the local tax that supplements the district. What she got was a broadside from County Commissioner Al Whitesides. “We’re treating our African American students like we were in 1935,” said Whitesides, 81, a […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

4. Legislative leader urges halt to State Health Plan provider tiers

Andrew Pomeranz/The Carolina Journal House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, is urging State Treasurer Brad Briner and the State Health Plan Board of Trustees to halt a new provider-tier system, warning that it would make local care more expensive for rural members and weaken community hospitals. In a letter to Briner, Jones said “a substantial […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

5. Transforming healthcare in Western NC

Walker Livingston/Carolina Public Press Western North Carolina has some unique healthcare challenges with only one Level One trauma center in the 18-county region, widening healthcare gaps, which the now-in-limbo Healthy Opportunities Pilots worked to address. But, a new statewide program that will be rolled out across the region soon looks to provide some of the […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

6. Governors and lawmakers say they’re getting serious about states’ rights

Kevin Hardy/NC Newsline State leaders of both parties say the federal government — including the president — wields too much power, and they want to see more authority returned to the states. Bipartisan groups of governors and state lawmakers held major gatherings in recent days where issues of state authority became a major focus. They […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

7. Luke Kuechly officially inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

WSOC News & The Associated Press Luke Kuechly was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon in Canton, Ohio, after a week full of festivities. He joined Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, and Roger Craig, who were also inducted Saturday. At 35, Kuechly became the second-youngest player inducted into […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

8. Guilford voters will see quarter-cent sales tax on Nov. ballot

Amy Diaz/WFDD Radio The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has approved a resolution directing elections officials to put a quarter-cent local sales and use tax up for a vote in the November election. This would mean shoppers pay the equivalent of an extra quarter in taxes per $100 of eligible purchases. Officials say they’d use […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

9. Charlotte data center expansion involves millions for power source by the airport

Desiree Mathurin/The Charlotte Observer A data center developer is continuing its expansion in Charlotte. The next step: helping Duke Energy build a multimillion-dollar substation near the airport to power the data center. Digital Realty Trust is in the process of building one of North Carolina’s largest data centers off of Moores Chapel Road in southwest […]

Written by on August 9, 2026

10. Cape Fear Valley Health receives $1.6 million grant from The Duke Endowment to support maternal and infant health

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal Cape Fear Valley Health has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from The Duke Endowment to participate in the Maternal Infant Health (MIH) Carolinas initiative, a multiyear effort focused on improving maternal and infant health outcomes across North Carolina and South Carolina, strengthening care coordination and advancing health equity. The initiative […]

Written by on August 9, 2026