U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in North Carolina on Thursday to announce a $17.5 million rural broadband grant that will provide high-speed internet to about 2,700 households, 100 businesses and 76 farms in Warren and western Halifax counties.

North Carolina beaches from the Outer Banks south to Oak Island will get about $20 million in state funding for renourishment and other related projects, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced this week.

State government’s newest commission kicked off on Friday, thanks to a provision included in last year’s state budget.

One potential outcome of the House Select Committee on Advancing Women in STEM’s work could come in next year’s budget: Wednesday’s meeting hinted at possible funding for programs that get more young people interested in STEM fields.

The conservative North State Journal publication had an eye-popping statistic recently: The state has spent $2,569,459 on repairs and renovations to the governor’s mansion since Gov. Roy Cooper took office at the beginning of 2017.

Speaking of staff-related challenges, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services also heard Tuesday about a “fiscal cliff” that could affect child care centers next year.

State Auditor Beth Wood is faulting N.C. A&T State University for failing to get competing bids for a facility painting contract. Wood’s office got involved after receiving a tip about the university’s relationship with G.S. Painting and Home Improvement.

As labor shortages continue, lawmakers got an update Wednesday on a $12 million infusion of funds to the state’s apprenticeship program included in last year’s budget.

State leaders will sign off on the creation of a new state forest this morning, as well as a key property purchase for the newest state park.

It wasn’t that long ago that North Carolina had something of an inferiority complex to its southern neighbor, repeatedly losing out on automotive and other major manufacturing jobs deals to South Carolina.

Speaking of Cooper and the state’s influx of federal funding, the governor spent Tuesday afternoon in the tiny Sampson County community known as Ivanhoe. He was there to promote a project you don’t often see: The creation of a brand new water distribution system to serve a rural community.

You must be logged in to view this content.

The N.C. Local Government Commission declined to support a public-private development partnership that aimed to reshape a downtown Wilmington block that houses the city’s main library.

Should lawmakers go ahead and finalize congressional and legislative districts for the 2024 elections? That’s the suggestion that Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake, made during a news conference Wednesday.