Catherine Kozak/Coastal Review Online In the sadder, more gruesome labor of wildlife conservation, a new count of dead wildlife on the asphalt of two strips of highway within Alligator River Wildlife Refuge continues to reflect the merciless decimation of living creatures by vehicular traffic. A new report, “US 64 Roadkill...

Morgan Casey/CityView Community leaders opened the Greater Fayetteville Chamber’s 2025 State of the Community event with an optimistic picture of Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s economy. Fayetteville’s housing market is moving faster than other metropolitan areas in the state, David Zeitz, president of the Longleaf Pine Realtors, told about 600 attendees...

John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog In the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene’s destruction last year, business owners’ optimism about rebuilding ran high in Asheville, even in the face of the enormity of the task ahead. But 11 months later, that optimism has evolved into tempered determination for many, and a realization...

Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press East Carolina University is officially pursuing the idea of reopening Martin General Hospital, the shuttered hospital in Eastern North Carolina. But first, it needs $220 million — and for cuts to Medicaid to stop coming. That’s starting to seem increasingly unlikely. The uncertainty around the...

Kim Jarrett/The Center Square  North Carolina far exceeded its projected revenues of $64 million in its first year of legal gaming, bringing in $116 million, a Georgia House committee studying the legalization of sports gaming in Georgia was told Monday. Former North Carolina Rep. Jason Saine touted the benefits legalized...

Emily Walkenhorst/WRAL News Changes to federal benefit programs will likely mean a loss in free school meals for some students, advocates warn. The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law by President Donald Trump in July, tightens eligibility for the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance (SNAP) and Medicaid programs. Two airstrikes...

Nicholas Ragone & JD Franklin III/WXII News Hundreds of students at multiple Winston-Salem/Forsyth County high schools are holding walkouts Monday to protest the planned job cuts for educators around the district. Glenn High School held its protest around 9:30 a.m. Similar demonstrations are planned at other schools around the district...

Analisa Sorrells Archer/Education NC As students return to school in Jackson County, they will all receive school breakfast and school lunch at no cost. Now in its second consecutive year of operation, these no-cost meals are funded by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, which provided more than $500,000 last...

Zachary Turner/WFAE Radio Congress has cut federal funding for public media — an $800,000 loss for WFAE. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism. The next leg of the 2025 legislative session begins in Raleigh this week, though...

Pat Kimbrough/The High Point Enterprise Budget records show how a state-funded project to restore John Coltrane’s childhood home in High Point fell short of completion. The High Point Preservation Society provided the Enterprise summaries of how it disbursed $250,000 that it was awarded by the N.C. General Assembly in 2022...

Will Hofmann/Asheville Citizen Times East Fork Pottery is suing Travelers Insurance after the company denied its business interruption insurance claim after Tropical Storm Helene. The nationally known pottery company is one of many in Western North Carolina still seeking insurance payouts almost a year after the storm, experts say. Among...

Jenna Fryer/The Associated Press The legal fight between NASCAR and two race teams, one owned by Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, heated up Monday ahead of a critical court hearing as both sides filed new motions over antitrust claims. NASCAR said in its filing that it plans to issue...

Mebane Rash/Education NC The first day of school is full of wonder for me and for many of us. Seeing the big yellow buses hit the road. Hearing the banter about Friday night football. Seeing the students’ smiles, their eyes lit up, their double thumbs up, and their nervous anticipation....

Nick de la Canal/WFAE Radio North Carolina lawmakers return to Raleigh this week to continue hammering out the state budget, and one of the biggest questions hanging over them is the future of Medicaid expansion. Nearly 680,000 North Carolinians have gained coverage since the program launched in 2023. But President...

Leah Rosenbaum/The War Horse It’s been six months since a now-infamous email presented millions of federal workers with a pivotal decision: They could reply “resign” to give up their job and receive full pay and benefits through the end of September. Or they could stay in their positions and hope...