Many Duke Energy customers saw higher energy bills last year due to a sharp increase in natural gas prices, according to a new report by the Environmental Defense Fund. The report examined how price fluctuations impact ratepayers’ electrical bills to make a pitch for more renewable energy. Fuel prices caused...

North Canton Elementary in Haywood County only runs one morning bus route, and at the wheel is Carol Harkins. She has been a bus driver for 25 years. “I like building those relationships with these kids, and just seeing how they get so comfortable with you, that sometimes they call...

State fisheries officials are asking lawmakers for another year to roll out a new harvest reporting requirement for coastal recreational anglers and commercial fishermen. “This will allow us more time to get the word out to the fishing public about the new law and to help them understand the importance...

A man convicted of killing his landlord’s adult son with a sawed-off shotgun is entitled to a new trial because the presiding judge failed to instruct jurors about a possible self-defense argument, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. A three-judge panel vacated the first-degree murder conviction of Ronald Wayne...

When UNC-Chapel Hill administrators closed the Campus Y building this spring, outcry from students and alumni was immediate. And while the building reopened under limited hours less than a week after it closed, student leaders have continued to feel that the fate of the space is unsettled. The Campus Y...

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said its anonymous reporting program has been helpful in apprehending poachers since launching last year. The new anti-poaching program has led to the conviction of more than 20 people. NC Wildlife launched its NC WILDTIP program last November, allowing anonymous reports of poaching through...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at odds with state officials and the dairy industry over its on-the-ground response to the avian flu outbreak spreading among dairy cows, complicating President Joe Biden’s efforts to track and contain a virus that has the potential to sicken millions of people....

A newly filed federal lawsuit says the HCA-owned Mission Health system illegally withheld pay of 1,000 or more employees. The class and collection action lawsuit filed April 25 by respiratory therapist Sharon McRee said the Tennessee-based HCA “willfully manipulated both the beginning and end of shift time records” for her...

A month ago, I spoke to students at a UNC Charlotte political science class. I talked about the Biden campaign pouring in resources in North Carolina; about how the state is essential to former president Trump’s chances; about how they — as students — are critical to whoever wins the...

Aberdeen plans to examine its historic guidelines for commercial buildings, wanting to balance preservation of historic structures in its downtown while supporting economic development. “There’s a lot of frustration with — we’re trying to get things done, respect the historic integrity of the buildings but also keep things going in...

In June last year, 11-year-old Henry picked up a sharp object and threatened to harm himself and his mother. It had been a rough year for Henry, who has autism spectrum disorder and has been diagnosed with a host of other developmental, mental and physical health conditions. His mother, Nicole,...

The aroma of blackened chicken, pasta and sugar cookies filled a room at Samaritan Ministries, where outside a narrow doorway, people had lined up an hour before opening. At the stroke of 11, the soup kitchen’s doors swing open, welcoming the guests: women and men; elders and children, people in...

There are wide disparities between what different New Hanover County Schools’ parent-teacher associations and organizations around the district can raise. WHQR explored this topic with researchers and leaders of these organizations to see how significant resources can make an impact — and how some groups with a smaller fundraising capacity...

Wilson City Manager Grant Goings said energy rates this year will pose a unique challenge to Wilson residents as well as the city’s annual budget. “We’re faced with two temporary rate riders, two temporary increases, that we have no influence over,” Goings said at Thursday’s monthly City Council work session....

Candidates aiming to earn their Green Beret this year will have the chance this month, according to a news release from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. From May 10-23, the candidates take their final test for the Special Forces Qualifications Course, known as Robin Sage. The...