Caroline Yaffa/WRAL News North Carolina’s election technology is long overdue for an upgrade, state officials say, and a bipartisan commission met for the first time Tuesday to dive into the nitty-gritty of modernizing the systems. In the end, officials say, election results should come faster, voter data should be better...

Lauren Rhodes/WUNC News The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is preparing for its biggest expansion since the university’s founding in 1789. Carolina North, a satellite campus, could turn 250 acres of primarily empty land into a “live, work, play and learning” space. Located 1.6 miles north of UNC-Chapel...

Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News In a move that underscores shifting political terrain in Western North Carolina, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has placed a candidate in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District on its radar — an unusual step for a district long considered safely Republican. Calling Jamie Ager “a top-tier...

Mark Rogers/The Sanford Herald There were hugs, laughter, stories and even a few tears Sunday as retired and former employees said goodbye to an old friend — the Belk store at Riverbirch Corner Shopping Center. The store closed recently and now sits empty as Casto Development Co. plans to replace...

Emma Cooke/WCHL Chapelboro Amid discussions from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education about which elementary schools to close in light of declining student enrollment and funding challenges, Carrboro Elementary School will not be in consideration. Instead, the school district is making headway on its plans to replace the existing school...

Kate Denning/Carolina Public Press Where are all the men? That’s the question the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal is asking in its new policy brief analyzing enrollment data, which found that women outnumber men at every UNC System institution but one — not including the North Carolina School...

Jaymie Baxley/NC Health News Cole’s Pharmacy, a family-owned drug store in Person County, closed in early February after nearly 70 years, leaving many residents in and around Roxboro with a longer drive for medications and fewer local health care options. Robbie Carver, who managed the pharmacy with his sister, said...

Becky Johnson/The Waynesville Mountaineer N.C. Rep. Mark Pless has a reputation of introducing surprise bills that meddle in local governance, making enemies of local officials in the process — but Pless defended his tactics in an interview when asked, “Why do you do stuff that makes people mad?” “I don’t...

WRAL News & The Associated Press A 21-year-old man from North Carolina was shot and killed Sunday by U.S. Secret Service agents at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Austin Tucker Martin was a 2023 graduate of Union Pines High School, Moore County Schools confirmed Monday. According...

Josie Frost/WLTX News Lawmakers are considering a bill aimed at putting guardrails on data center growth in South Carolina, with supporters saying it would protect ratepayers and water resources and opponents warning it could drive millions of dollars in investment elsewhere. Data centers are large, often windowless buildings that house...

Claire Cranford/The Duke Chronicle Duke University agreed to end its partnership with The Ph.D. Project nearly a year after the Department of Education placed it under investigation for engaging in alleged “race-exclusionary practices.” The White House announced Thursday that 31 of 45 universities partnered with the program have now ceased...

Brian Burns/WUNC News Last month at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the 86-year-old Gospel and Soul legend Mavis Staples walked away with two awards for her 2025 album “Sad and Beautiful World,” a collection of songs that offer hope in the face of adversity. The album has received praise for...

Matt Lamb/The (Southern Pines) Pilot A defamation suit filed last month by incumbent Clerk of Superior Court Todd Maness against his Republican challenger, Deborah Duerring, and District Court Judge Beth Tanner has grown into a series of court filings that lay out accusations involving several attorneys and Senior Resident Superior...

April Laissle/WFDD Radio Voters in Alamance County will narrow the field for the Board of Commissioners in the March 3 primary, with a total of eight candidates vying for four spots on the November ballot. Tax policy has taken center stage in the Republican race as the county prepares for...

Charlie Fossen/Port City Daily Located on the border of Pender County, the town of Holly Ridge is on its way to doubling in population after a heated council meeting led to the annexation of roughly 1,200 acres into its borders. This could potentially bring forth an estimated 7,000 more people...