Emily Moosbrugger/The Waynesville Mountaineer The long-held vision of bringing passenger rail to WNC would generate an economic impact of $59 million annually to the region, according to a comprehensive economic impact study released earlier this year. The proposed passenger rail corridor would span approximately 139 miles from Salisbury to Asheville,...

Mackenzie Thomas/Carolina Public Press  Five years behind on financial audits, the town of Littleton faces a potential takeover by the North Carolina Local Government Commission if the town fails to complete its fiscal year 2021 audit by Monday. Littleton town officials attended the Local Government Commission’s meeting on April 1...

Port City Daily The elections director for New Hanover County has formally opposed her removal to the state board of elections. New Hanover County Board of Elections filed a petition to terminate DeNay Harris’ earlier this spring. Her attorney, Gary Shipman with Shipman Wright & Moore, LLP, filed a response...

Liz Bell/Education NC Business leaders and owners advocated on Thursday for legislative funding this session for the child care subsidy program, which helps low-income working and student parents afford care. “Without enough affordable, high-quality child care, employers across the state are missing out on what they need; that’s talent and...

Lily Levin/Smoky Mountain News   Haywood Community College President Shelley White got little pushback for the additional $268,000 she has asked for from county commissioners in HCC’s 2026-27 budget proposal, but Haywood County Schools Superintendent Trevor Putnam’s request for an extra $3 million encountered some resistance. Both school leaders presented...

Paul B. Johnson/The High Point Enterprise Supporters of a longtime local nonprofit worry that they face cutting back on food donations and meals to families and individuals in need because of the lingering effects of a reduction in a national program. West End Ministries is considering options to reduce the...

Zachery Eanes/Axios Raleigh Raleigh’s most prolific developer, Kane Realty, is betting big on Cary. Why it matters: Kane Realty, known for its work in North Hills and downtown Raleigh, is proposing two significant projects in Cary, one that would add to the growth of downtown Cary and another that seeks...

Jennifer McDermott/The Associated Press The Trump administration is spending nearly $2 billion to get energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects. Democrats in Congress are investigating. The Republican administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive...

Tanya Wan/9th Street Journal  Over half of Durham Public Schools high schoolers were chronically absent in the first six months of the current school year — yet another challenge for a district already facing state underfunding and declining enrollment. “In no way are we where we need to be with...

Brandon Kingdollar, Clayton Henkel & Laura Leslie/NC Newsline Thousands of educators, advocates and allies converged on Raleigh Friday, demanding higher pay for teachers, more state support per student, more childcare funding, and more funding for special education. The May Day rally crowd, dressed in red, nearly filled Halifax Mall, the...

David Wallis/WUNC News Fidel Rivera’s recently purchased two-story, white concrete house in a Merida suburb does not yet feel like a home. The walls lack much decoration, the furniture is limited and Fidel palpably pines for his family in North Carolina: “That was my everything, my family.” Last October, as...

Destinee Patterson & Kirstyn Clark/WRAL News The Cary Town Council approved the first step in creating the South Hills Municipal Service District on Thursday. The council voted to direct staff to prepare a report. Staff will then make the report available to the public before holding a public hearing. The...

Paul Woolverton/CityView The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday selected a design for a shelter and services center for homeless people that they plan to open by the end of 2027. The design sets the shape of the building and determines where different parts will be, such as courtyards,...

WRAL News Painted Tree Boutiques vendors will have another chance to sell their items after the Cary marketplace closed abruptly last month. A sale will be held Saturday and Sunday at Monarch Logistics at 8808 Running Oak Drive in Raleigh. Sunday’s shopping hours are from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m....

Ana Risano/The Southern Pines Pilot Vass is growing. There’s no question about it as new homes and subdivisions pop up along the main arteries in town. Once empty roadways are now congested with commuters and construction vehicles. Open farmlands and wooded lots are becoming new homes with driveways and fenced...