New Hanover County beaches could again mine sand from nearby inlets to nourish their oceanfront shores under a proposed law recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would exempt a handful of federal coastal storm risk management projects on the East Coast from a rule that prohibits...

The usual plodding journey toward a tight budget and minimal tax hike hurtled off the rails Wednesday when Waynesville’s police and fire chiefs declared the town’s conservative fiscal approach was undermining the morale of their departments and their ability to protect citizens. The public works director and recreation director then...

Two Robeson County commissioners are accused of bribing at least 21 voters in the March primary, according to a court petition filed Thursday. Commissioner Wixie Stephens allegedly paid at least nine residents up to $60 to vote for incumbent Judy Sampson in the March 5 Democratic primary for the commissioners’...

As the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) and North Carolina Rules Review Commission (RRC) head to court over regulatory language for coastal development and use, Jockey’s Ridge State Park is in danger of losing its Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) protections. The AEC protections, among other things, prohibit removing sand that...

Five large buildings are for sale along the Hay Street and Person Street corridor in downtown Fayetteville — including the former Prince Charles Hotel — and a sixth one, the former AIT Building, was almost sold in March. Downtown properties for sale include: -The eight-story former Prince Charles Hotel on...

The landscape of Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) programs has changed significantly in recent years, from the number of applicants to the requirements needed to become a law enforcement professional, according to local law enforcement officials. Even more changes are coming as the course’s curriculum is being revised to account...

For more than 20 years, North Carolina has wielded its incentives program to grow its economy and lure corporate expansions to the state — from large-scale manufacturers such as Toyota to tech companies like Apple. But this year’s gubernatorial election will be a contest between candidates with differing views on...

Medical marijuana can now be legally purchased in North Carolina with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opening its long-planned dispensary this weekend on tribal land. Hundreds of people, many with approved medical patient cards to purchase items, celebrated the historic opening of the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. on Saturday...

As the one-year anniversary of the fatal SouthPark construction site fire nears, so does a potential toughening of North Carolina’s safety codes, which officials hope will prevent similar tragedies. On May 18 last year, flames erupted from the diesel engine of a trailer carrying spray-foam insulation on the bottom floor...

Codie Bruce Schiene was sitting in his SUV in a hotel parking lot, scrolling through his phone, when two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers approached him back in 2020. He told them he was a guest at the Baymont Inn. The officers quickly ordered Schiene and his nephew out of the GMC...

At Wednesday’s annual joint meeting between the New Hanover Airport Authority and county commissioners, parking bogarted a great deal of conversation, as did ILM’s expedient growth and what infrastructure is needed to keep pace. Last year, the airport had a 21% increase in passengers (1.3 million), a 70% increase in...

Guilford County has been tracking infant deaths for decades, yet officials there continue to struggle with high death rates and no answers. Jean Workman and Leandra Vernon with Every Baby Guilford hope to change that with the formation of North Carolina’s only Fetal and Infant Mortality Review program. “As time...

Those white blades the length of a city block that have been at the North Carolina Port at Morehead City the last few weeks are destined for great heights. Vestas, a wind turbine company based in Portland, Oregon, manufactured the onshore wind turbine components, which arrived in mid-March from India...

Waynesville’s planning board is still weighing whether short-term vacation rentals should be regulated and limited in town — with plans to examine the issue more thoroughly before making a recommendation. Proposed changes from the town’s Development Services Department would ban some short-term vacation rentals in certain neighborhoods while also imposing...

Jefferson Currie steps outside his home in Moore County, and the stench of chicken waste lingers in the air. He takes a sip of his morning coffee and grimaces. The coffee tastes like the beans have been roasted with rancid chicken. Currie lives half a mile from a chicken farm....