Brighton McConnell/WCHL Chapelboro  After nearly four years of negotiations and planning, a major acquisition of land in Hillsborough officially added more than 200 acres and a popular historical attraction to the Eno River State Park. The North Carolina State Parks system announced Tuesday that property, including the Historic Occoneechee Speedway...

Chris Megerian, Zeke Miller & Lisa Mascaro/The Associated Press President Donald Trump’s budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country. The memo, which was issued Monday by the Office...

James Farrell/WFAE Radio Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ fourth-grade reading scores were higher than the average for large urban districts across the country, and around average for eighth graders, according to the latest Nation’s Report Card, the results of federal assessments administered by the National Center for Education. But overall, reading scores have...

Rose Hoban/NC Health News At 10 a.m. today, when a Senate committee is scheduled to begin the first confirmation hearing for Robert F Kennedy Jr., the president’s choice to take charge of the country’s health and well-being, many in North Carolina’s health care and public health communities will be paying...

Colin Campbell/WUNC Radio In the final weeks of his unsuccessful campaign for governor, then-Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson struggled to raise money, while spending much of his remaining funds on campaign consultants, legal bills and parties. Campaign finance reports for the final quarter of 2024, released this month, provide new information...

The Associated Press A North Carolina district attorney has announced an investigation into how then-State Treasurer Dale Folwell used state government vehicles is ending with no charges filed, saying the review found that any alleged policy violations were “insufficient to support a successful criminal prosecution.” Wake County District Attorney Lorrin...

Shaun Gallagher/WRAL News The future of the former site of Cary Towne Center is once again up in the air as Cary officials pulled the rezoning request for Epic Games’ planned headquarters late in 2024. The gaming company applied for a rezoning request of Cary Towne Center in 2021 after...

Shea Carver/Port City Daily It’s the largest financial acquisition in the history of a small beach town in the southern portion of New Hanover County. On Tuesday, Carolina Beach Town Council voted unanimously to settle an ongoing lawsuit by agreeing to purchase nine parcels surrounding the Carolina Beach Boardwalk for...

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  Eroding North Carolina of criminals, in particular those who entered the country illegally and then broke more laws, continues to get a push from lawmakers in the Republican Party, the president, and forecast soon ICE. The General Assembly on Nov. 20 overturned a gubernatorial veto to...

Alice Scott/The Daily Tar Heel Documents obtained by The Daily Tar Heel revealed the use of Artificial Intelligence in the UNC admissions process. The Durham-based company Measurement Incorporated provides the technology for the essay review. The Measurement Incorporated website states that the company offers automated scoring for writing through their...

Ryan Kelly/The Mount Airy News At the most recent meeting of the Town of Pilot Mountain Board of Commissioners Mayor Evan Cockerham continued his attempts to make good on a promise of increased transparency and open communication since the tumult caused by the suspension and later termination of former town...

Andrew R. Jones/Asheville Watchdog The decision to sell nonprofit Mission Health to for-profit HCA Healthcare was made behind closed doors, without public review, and, contrary to promises made by Mission’s leadership at the time of the 2019 sale, did not lead to lasting improvements at Mission Hospital, according to the...

Emily Thomas/Education NC The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) is requesting nearly $100 million from the General Assembly this long session to implement Propel NC – a new model for funding the state’s 58 community colleges that focuses on modernizing and stabilizing their funding. The system’s 2025-27 legislative agenda...

Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press Three central North Carolina municipalities in 2024 fought — and won — for their right to release a potentially toxic chemical into the drinking water of communities. Now, those cities — Asheboro, Greensboro and Reidsville — are taking full advantage of the court’s decision, dumping...

Rusty Jacobs/WUNC Radio The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday in what one law professor called a “knotty” and “fascinating” case over North Carolina’s disputed election for a seat on the state’s highest court. A three-judge appellate panel heard arguments Monday on the uncertified statewide contest between...