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Burke County hires incoming House Speaker Hall as its attorney

Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, has a new gig. And no, we’re not talking here about his impending accession to House speaker. On Dec. 2, Burke County Commissioners voted 3-2 to hire Hall and his law firm, Wilson, Lackey, Rohr & Hall, as county attorney. He replaces former County Attorney James...

By Ray Gronberg

December 10, 2024

Biden OKs 90% federal reimbursement for some Helene recovery work

President Joe Biden has agreed the federal government will cover 90% of the cost of public assistance, hazard mitigation, and “other needs assistance” for North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene. That’s in lieu of the 75% federal reimbursement already approved and Gov. Roy Cooper said is more typical. The added...

By Ray Gronberg

December 9, 2024

The override, pending

Obviously, the suspense this week is all about whether House Republicans will be able to muster the necessary three-fifths majority of those present and voting on Wednesday to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 382. This is the measure — styled as the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2024,...

By Ray Gronberg

December 9, 2024

Tribal dispute

A state legislator isn’t happy that Gov.-elect Josh Stein put the chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians at the head of one of his transition committees. The complaint about the appointment of Eastern Band Chief Mitchell Hicks comes from state Rep. Jarrod Lowery, R-Robeson, a Lumbee Indian and...

By Ray Gronberg

December 9, 2024

Two more incentive deals for Wake, Duplin

Thursday was another big day on the business-recruiting front, with state officials announcing a pair of new deals. The larger one would bring 370 more jobs to the Holly Springs area in Wake County, via an expansion of biotech giant Amgen’s incentivized construction of a factory off U.S. 1. That...

By Ray Gronberg

December 6, 2024

Chamber cheering for SB382 insurance change

The NC Chamber is rooting for the House to finish the override of Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 382 so it can become law, but not because it claims a dog in any fight over things like judicial appointments or the oversight of the State Highway Patrol. Rather,...

By Ray Gronberg

December 6, 2024

Speed, NC

Local Government Commission members are threatening to take away an Edgecombe County town’s charter unless it starts getting its fiscal affairs in order. The threat targets the town of Speed, which is three years behind in submitting annual audits and, according to State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s staff, hasn’t been answering...

By Ray Gronberg

December 6, 2024

House Helene committee set to go to work

Outgoing House Speaker Tim Moore has appointed 47 of the chamber’s 120 members to serve on a House Select Committee on Helene Recovery that will continue on into the 2025 session of the General Assembly. Reps. John Bell, R-Wayne, and Dudley Greene, R-McDowell, will co-chair the panel. Bell is the...

By Ray Gronberg

December 5, 2024

Copper maker expanding in Stokes County

State officials have pledged a $100,000 grant to a German copper manufacturer that says it’ll add 50 jobs and spend more than $27 million to expand a production facility in Stokes County. The company, Wieland, acquired the facility near Belews Lake in 2010 and uses it to make copper tubing....

By Ray Gronberg

December 5, 2024

A change on the Golden LEAF board

There’s a new face on the Golden LEAF Foundation board, with Pembroke insurance agent Jarette Sampson joining as of Dec. 1. Sampson replaces former member Johnathan Rhyne, a lawyer from Blowing Rock who didn’t seek reappointment. He served in the legilsature from Lincoln County in 1985-92 amd 2009-11. Outgoing House...

By Ray Gronberg

December 4, 2024

Folwell takes a last shot at “cartel”

The completion of the Cone/Risant deal occurred on the same day as outgoing State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s valedictory monthly “Ask Me Anything” news conference. As might be expected, his comments included a blast at what he terms the state’s “health care cartel.” The trends there are “all going in the...

By Ray Gronberg

December 4, 2024

Duke cuts rates through fuel-cost adjustments

A bit of good news for Duke Energy Progress customers: Duke is cutting their residential rates in North Carolina by 4.5% this week via its annual adjustment for power-plant fuel costs. The typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see an overall decrease of $7.34. That average customer...

By Ray Gronberg

December 3, 2024

Mack leaves, noisily

Mack Brown’s ouster as UNC Chapel Hill’s football coach is generating far more controversy than I thought would’ve been the case after his team gave up 70 points to visiting James Madison back in September. And it’s a controversy that could once again test UNC System President Peter Hans’ insistence...

By Ray Gronberg

December 2, 2024

Turkeys, beards and Rules Review

Speaking of turkeys, the Rules Review Commission staff recently posed a question about them to their counterparts at the Wildlife Resources Commission. This came in the context of a revision to the rule establishing the spring wild turkey hunting season, which next year will begin on April 11 and run...

By Ray Gronberg

November 27, 2024

Recruiting news

Happy almost-Turkey Day. Don’t know how you’re celebrating, but North Carolina’s economic development people are marking the arrival of the holiday season with the announcement of a couple more recruiting wins. The larger of the two involves Charlotte-based freight broker RXO, which to obtain state and local incentives is pledging to...

By Ray Gronberg

November 27, 2024

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