Last autumn, Brandon Tarbert — who often visits Asheville for work — stopped in a farmer’s market in his home of New Jersey, to peruse the assortment of local cheese at a vendor’s booth. He made his selection and prepared to pay the marked price for the cheese but was...

The Republican nominee for superintendent overseeing North Carolina’s public schools and its $11 billion budget has a history marked by extreme and controversial comments, including sharing baseless conspiracy theories and frequent calls for the execution of prominent Democrats. Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who last week upset the incumbent Superintendent...

North Carolina’s elected labor commissioner has declined to adopt rules sought by worker and civil rights groups that would have set safety and masking directives in workplaces for future infectious disease outbreaks like with COVID-19. Commissioner Josh Dobson, a Republican, announced Wednesday that his refusal came “after carefully reviewing the...

A state lawmaker who appears to have lost last week’s primary has filed protests of the election results. The latest vote tally for a state House race in the Roanoke Rapids area shows that Rep. Michael Wray, D-Northampton, is behind by just 36 votes. If those results don’t change, social...

Asheville’s Mission Hospital has violated the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA), the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told the hospital’s CEO on Thursday, again threatening to withdraw the system’s federal funding, according to a letter obtained by Asheville Watchdog. EMTALA ensures public access to emergency services...

American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal that will eliminate a bedrock of the industry, the 6% sales commission. For years, homeowners paid a commission fee to brokers as a condition of...

Charlotte Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson apologized in a video over the weekend for how he handled his vote to potentially ban the popular app TikTok, where Jackson has built a large following. Jackson is one of the most effective members of Congress to communicate with voters on social media, including...

NC State found PCB concentrations that exceeded EPA limits in 2018 testing of Poe Hall and D.H. Hill Jr. Library, a report the University released Tuesday reveals. In a statement shared on the Poe Hall updates website, University officials said NC State hired outside consultants in 2018 to test exterior...

A federal court has signed off on a $1 million settlement agreement between residents of Indian Creek Mobile Home Park in Garner and the property’s owner, Riverstone Communities LLC. The settlement stems from a class action challenge to a “rent-to-own” scheme perpetuated Riverstone Communities. As part of the settlement, Riverstone...

Congress recently approved federal expenditures for two projects in High Point. Rep. Kathy Manning, whose district includes the city, secured $1 million for a proposal called the Lighthouse to redevelop a vacant building and $959,752 for the city’s “advanced water metering” project. The latter will go toward the city’s ongoing...

A more structured approach to New Hanover County and Wilmington’s joint homelessness response was presented to county commissioners Thursday after both governing bodies rejected a task force proposal last month. Jennifer Maready, the county’s chief strategy officer, and Rachel LaCoe, the City of Wilmington’s director of housing and neighborhood services,...

Dwight Wadford climbs the wooden steps of the box stand. He’s a hunting mentor with Academics Afield — a hunter education program at North Carolina State University that teaches young adults how to hunt. Kahron Guzman shoulders the rifle and clicks the safety off. He’s part of a new generation...

Residents booed and stormed out of the room Tuesday when the Board of Commissioners ignored Town Attorney Slade Rand’s recommendation to restore an accounting firm’s electronic access to town financial records so it can reconcile Elm City’s books for past-due annual audits. “If you table this for another month, you’re...

More than a dozen rules state coastal management officials say are crucial to day-to-day operations will remain on the books for now. The Coastal Resources Commission on Wednesday unanimously adopted the 16 rules as “temporary,” a move that will keep the rules in the state Administrative Code for one year...

In North Carolina, public school systems are the largest employer in nearly half of the state’s 100 counties. While school superintendents act as the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officers (CFO) are responsible for managing school system budgets. The work of a CFO often goes unnoticed by the general...