Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News  Nearly two dozen law enforcement professionals from across Western North Carolina stood behind Attorney General Jeff Jackson — literally and figuratively — at the Historic Haywood Courthouse April 14 to warn grifters who might be looking to take advantage of Hurricane Helene’s victims. “What we want...

The High Point Enterprise A section of Interstate 74 has been named in honor of the late Dave Phillips of High Point, a businessman and government leader who died in December 2022. The State Board of Transportation passed a resolution April 3 renaming I-74 in High Point between N. Main...

Grace Vitaglione/NC Health News Julie Crockett’s 8-year-old granddaughter, Sophia McConkey, relies on Medicaid every day. She has a rare genetic disorder called TBCK syndrome that causes low muscle tone, seizures and fragile bones. McConkey requires 24-hour nursing care, which allowed her to qualify for a Medicaid waiver called Community Alternatives...

Jonathan Bym/The (Southern Pines) Pilot Overlooking Bear Creek high atop its banks, the large structure that is the former Robbins water plant nearly blends in with the wooded landscape, with weeds and smaller trees sprouting around it. The water plant is an eyesore located at the start of the gravel...

Ryley Ober/Asheville Citizen Times A wildfire burning in the Nantahala National Forest forced portions of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness to close April 15 near Robbinsville, U.S. Forest Service officials said. A lightning strike April 12 started the Haoe fire, according to an April 15 Forest Service news release. When it...

Karen Kistler/The Salisbury Post     Awareness was one thing that many spoke about at this year’s Earth Day Jam. Whether it was telling about a particular nonprofit or the mission of the event in general or a group raising environmental awareness, that was the message they wanted to share. Earth Day...

Liz McLaughlin/WRAL News More than a month after the Fayetteville Public Works Commission reported that $60 million in federal funding for a PFAS filtration system was under review, the money remains in limbo. The project is intended to remove harmful “forever chemicals” from the city’s drinking water and help the...

Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press Extensive personnel shortages at the NC Forest Service hampered the agency’s ability to manage the wildfires that raged in Western North Carolina this spring, state and county officials say. According to Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, 100 positions are vacant at the agency. Fast forward to...

Luke Garrett/WFAE Radio The Trump administration is considering new semiconductor tariffs, after the White House exempted certain electronics from reciprocal tariffs. “We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigation,” Trump posted on social media. Kevin Hassett, director of...

Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer A triumphant victory in mining rock for Interstate 40 slide repairs from the nearby national forest was announced by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration two weeks ago — but the reality isn’t quite what was telegraphed by the agency. A press release declared that the federal...

Erica Meltzer/Education NC After this story published, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs but said tariffs on China would increase to 125% in retaliation for the China’s response to American tariffs. Faced with rising food costs and delivery fees approaching $400,000 a year, Lauren Weyand decided...

Bill Moss/The Hendersonville Lightning Henderson County and the city of Hendersonville are either edging toward a new escalation in their decades-long war over water and sewer service or tilting instead toward settlement negotiations. The Board of Commissioners appeared to be deadlocked 2-2 on a resolution in support of a bill...

Jennifer Fernandez/NC Health News In a small room at Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington, students can now meet with a doctor during the school day — virtually. The school joins a growing network across North Carolina where students don’t have to leave school to be seen for physical or behavioral...

Brighton McConnell/WCHL Chapelboro An increased offer of financial contributions to Chapel Hill’s affordable housing efforts helped save a new apartment community along South Elliott Road from falling short in a town council vote Wednesday night. Town council members ultimately approved the conditional zoning application for 200 South Elliott Road with...

The High Point Enterprise A fire at a metal recycling plant grew on Sunday to cover 2 acres of the operation and sent up a large, black plume of smoke, the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department said. The fire at OmniSource Corp.’s plant in the 1400 block of West Mountain Street...