Greensboro City Council Lawsuit Moving Forward
A lawsuit against the state over changes to Greensboro's City Council is moving forward. A new trial is tentatively set for the summer and there are new allegations in the case.
The lawsuit was filed by the city of Greensboro and a group of residents to stop a new state law that restructures City Council and redraws voting districts. They say it's unconstitutional, and takes away local control.
One of the new amendments to the suit claims that race was a key factor when the state drew the district lines.
Joe Killian, a reporter with the Greensboro News and Record, says the trial's outcome could have implications for local governments across the country.
The General Assembly has since added new language to the bill. It says Greensboro can change its own lines — but not until after the 2020 census.
The trial date is scheduled for August 22.
Official: Coal Ash Deadlines Straining Environmental Agency
An official with North Carolina's environmental regulation agency says deadlines under a coal-ash cleanup law have put an enormous strain on the department's staff.
Tom Reeder is an assistant secretary with the Department of Environmental Quality. He made the remarks Wednesday as part of a status report on efforts to close storage sites for the residue created when power plants burn coal. His agency is assessing 32 coal-ash basins around the state to prioritize when each must close.
During a meeting before the General Assembly's Environmental Review Commission, Reeder said analyzing the voluminous amounts of data on tight deadlines has stretched staff "to the absolute breaking point."
But at the same time he says more data is needed to finish its work.
Lawsuit Challenges NC Law Against Telling Company Secrets
Animal rights and other groups are suing to stop a new North Carolina law that helps employers punish people who get hired to steal company secrets or dig up dirt.
The federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Center for Food Safety and other groups, saying the law violates free-speech and equal protection rights. State legislators passed the law last summer over the veto of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.
Opponents say the law was passed to end hidden-camera exposes of animal cruelty at farms or meat-packing plants and could intimidate other employees from reporting misdeeds like elder abuse at nursing homes.
North Carolina's business lobby pressed for the law, saying more protections were needed against people who land jobs to steal intellectual property.
Charter School Board Recommends Changes In Report
The North Carolina state Charter Schools Advisory Board has recommended several changes to a draft of the annual charter schools report, saying it needs to highlight more positives about the schools.
The board met Tuesday to discuss the preliminary version of the report.
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest criticized the draft version last week, calling it too negative. Forest said he wanted the advisory board to review it before it was sent to the legislature.
Forest complained that the original version described the overall student population at North Carolina's charter schools as whiter and more affluent than those at traditional public schools.
Board member Phyllis Gibbs said the report should always start with the positives that charter schools offer, before dealing with anything negative.
Panthers Starters Return To Practice
Three Carolina Panthers starters returned to practice following injuries as the team began stepping up its preparation for the Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Running back Jonathan Stewart returned to work after missing the final three games of the regular season with a foot injury. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (leg) and safety Kurt Coleman (foot) also were back to work after sitting out Week 17, a game in which the Panthers beat Tampa Bay to clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Backup running back Fozzy Whittaker (ankle) did not practice.
Getting Stewart back would be a huge plus for the Panthers against the league's No. 1 ranked run defense. Stewart ran for 989 yards and six touchdowns before injuring his foot in Week 14.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.