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The arguing about where to put the Dean Dome’s replacement has already begun

In the that-didn’t-take-long department, there’s a petition circulating in Chapel Hill that opposes the idea of building UNC Chapel Hill’s next basketball arena somewhere on the former site of the university’s airport. It argues the project should go on “a campus-connected location” that among other things “ensures continued foot traffic...

By Ray Gronberg

February 20, 2025

Greensboro considering Couch annexation request

Greensboro’s Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously endorsed the idea of the Triad city annexing 78.5 acres of developer David Couch’s lands that until last year were part of Summerfield. Via successive 9-0 votes on Tuesday, it also endorsed Couch’s request for planned-unit-development zoning, and a development plan that includes...

By Ray Gronberg

February 20, 2025

Farm loans and banks

A group of House Republicans wants to punish banks and credit unions if their views on the environmental lead them to refuse to loan money to farmers. Sponsored by among others the chairs of the House Agriculture and Environment Committee, House Bill 62 would make it illegal for banks to...

By Ray Gronberg

February 20, 2025

Grants and loans for Western NC

N.C. Bankers Association President Peter Gwaltney says there “needs to be a healthy debate” on the question of the state’s strategy for helping small businesses in western North Carolina survive the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. “Small businesses have been assisted greatly by their banks in terms of loan deferrals, payment...

By Ray Gronberg

February 19, 2025

Crop losses

N.C. House members are looking at setting up a $475 million program to insulate farmers from disaster-related crop losses that happened in 2024. But while the west’s recovery from Hurricane Helene has been front and center with legislators since last fall, House Bill 130 is not a Helene relief measure. To...

By Ray Gronberg

February 18, 2025

State lands factories for Hoke, Vance counties

State officials have deployed a couple of One North Carolina grants to seal the deal on two recruiting efforts that between them are promising 251 new jobs. The larger of the two targets is in Hoke County and involves an expansion of Pennsylvania Transformer Technology’s facilities along U.S. 401 east...

By Ray Gronberg

February 18, 2025

Court of Appeals rules against company police

In October, I wrote about a couple of cases involving the performance or prerogatives of private law-enforcement agencies operating under North Carolina’s company police law. One has yielded a court ruling. State Court of Appeals Judge Valerie Zachary and two colleagues overturned a trial-court decision that went in favor of...

By Ray Gronberg

February 17, 2025

Both parties scorned in Meredith Poll

Folks are pouring over the latest Meredith Poll results, which the school announced on Thursday and among other things show 56% of those questioned would like to see a third party take hold in the country’s politics. Only 25% said the Democratic and Republican parties do an adequate job of...

By Ray Gronberg

February 14, 2025

DOGE N.C. style

Should North Carolina embark on its own version of the Trump administration’s DOGE effort, House and Senate leaders have very different ideas about how to do it. House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, in late January set up an interim House Select Committee on Governmental Efficiency and assigned Reps. Keith Kidwell,...

By Ray Gronberg

February 14, 2025

Decision coming soon on NCORR, Berger says

Senate leader Phil Berger said he expects legislators will soon deal with the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency’s request for $217 million to complete its housing rebuilds in eastern North Carolina. “We’re having conversations with the governor’s office,” Berger said after Wednesday’s Senate session. “Obviously, with the House as...

By Ray Gronberg

February 13, 2025

Bell sticks up for GOP’s Helene relief strategy

Rep. John Bell, R-Wayne, is defending the GOP’s approach to hurricane relief and small business as the House’s Helene recovery bill moves closer to passage. Since October, the leading point of dispute between Republicans and Democrats about disaster-relief strategy has been whether the state should provide grants to businesses that...

By Ray Gronberg

February 13, 2025

There’s another new consultancy in town

A Tennessee-based political consultancy, the Poplar Group, has added a North Carolina arm by bringing a Triangle-based communications professional on board. Crystal Feldman Lorbacher, once press secretary to former Gov. Pat McCrory, has joined the firm as a partner. She is a Durham native and Jordan High School grad who went...

By Ray Gronberg

February 12, 2025

Helene aid

Tuesday’s markup of the House’s latest hurricane recovery package underscored the continuing difference between the parties on how best to help small businesses in western North Carolina keep their doors open. Among the amendments to House Bill 47 approved in committee is one that reallocates $60 million away from repairing...

By Ray Gronberg

February 12, 2025

Stein team refines Helene housing-rebuild strategy

Monday’s meeting of Gov. Stein’s hurricane-recovery panel also yielded new information about the state’s intended approach to using about $1.4 billion that will be coming its way from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The “action plan” Stein’s aides are drafting for the use of Helene-related CDBG disaster...

By Ray Gronberg

February 11, 2025

Hurricane strategy

Senate Deputy President Pro Tem Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, confirmed Monday that his chamber will draft its own next-steps hurricane relief bill instead of merely adopting the one the House is working on. Speaking to Gov. Josh Stein’s advisory panel on Helene recovery on Monday, Hise said he believes the Senate...

By Ray Gronberg

February 11, 2025