Andrew R. Jones/Asheville Watchdog The mother of a patient who has been at Mission Hospital for nearly four years did not receive due process when a judge found her in contempt of court and ordered her jailed until her son leaves the hospital, Buncombe County public defenders and independent legal...

Shelby Perusi & Angie Schwab/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer When Amanda Stacy, 39, woke up to find her home on fire, her life was irrevocably changed. The electrical fire that tore through her singlewide trailer in the middle of the night reduced everything her family owned to ashes. “We lost everything,” recalled...

Liz Schlemmer/WUNC Radio A bill to grant public schools more control over their academic calendars is advancing in the state Senate. The bill would allow school boards to begin their school year up to a week earlier in August than current state law allows. Supporters say it should address school...

Richard Craver/The (Greensboro) News & Record With the national expansion of legalized sports wagering, including in North Carolina since March 2023, nearly 85% of U.S. adults actively participate in at least one of the six financial vices. Those vices, as defined in a recent Bankrate.com survey, are alcohol, casino games,...

Emma Dill/WilmingtonBiz Up to $855 million in tax-exempt bonds could help Novant Health finance projects across the Carolinas, including upgrades at facilities in the Cape Fear region. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds would help fund various Novant projects, including the construction of Scotts Hill Medical Center, along with...

Wes Platt/SouthPoint Access Tariffs pushed by President Donald Trump – especially those against China and Canada – are expected to prompt steep cost increases for (among other things) board games and comic books. “It will take time for the effects of the tariffs to be fully realized at the retail...

Mark Plemmons/Independent Tribune Cabarrus County Commissioners voted to replace Chairman Chris Measmer with Lamarie Austin-Stripling during an 11-minute meeting Thursday morning at the Cabarrus Governmental Center in Concord. Measmer is replacing Sen. Paul Newton in the N.C. State Senate. Measmer was appointed to the senate by N.C. Gov. Josh Stein...

Helen Chickering/Blue Ridge Public Radio North Carolina is experiencing its deadliest flu season since the state began broad tracking in 2009. More than 500 flu-related deaths have been reported during the 2024–2025 respiratory virus season, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Six...

The (Hendersonville) Lightning The N.C. Department of Transportation opened new lanes on Thursday morning following an overnight closure to safely remove temporary traffic control. New lanes opened from the Fletcher-Mountain Home exit to Long Shoals Road. The opening of the new lanes mark a major milestone in one of the...

Kristen Blair/Education NC A Durham charter school facing imminent closure received a lifeline this week from the North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB). The CSRB voted on Monday, April 7, to grant a three-year renewal to the Community School of Digital and Visual Arts (CSDVA), reversing its earlier decision...

Peter Castagno/Port City Daily Local elected officials are pushing a broad range of bills to address toxic chemical pollution in North Carolina, including legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) to prohibit non-essential PFAS uses and eliminate discharges in drinking water. Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), Rep. Deb Butler (D-New...

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra/WUNC Radio Several North Carolina universities have announced that the U.S. government has terminated the visas of some of its international students. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte confirmed to WFAE on Wednesday that the visas of six international students were terminated. On Tuesday, the University of North...

Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press Accusations of understaffing. Weekend pay bonuses slashed. A death in the emergency room. It’s been an exhausting start to 2025 for nurses at Mission Health in Asheville. Mission Health operates the hospital in Asheville and five smaller, rural hospitals across the North Carolina mountains. The...

Amy Diaz/WFDD Radio The chief financial officer for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools resigned Tuesday night in the wake of a significant budgeting error. An audit found that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools overspent its budget last year by about $16 million. Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kranz presented that information to the school board...

WRAL News A Durham nonprofit announced more layoffs Thursday following the Trump administration’s reduction in federal funding. FHI360 said it will reduce its workforce as a result of “the U.S. government’s reduction of federal funding and termination of projects,” reducing 144 employees in North Carolina and another 340 staff members...