North Carolina Leaders Denounce Federal Threat On LGBT Law
North Carolina's Republican leaders are calling a federal warning about the legality of the state's new law limiting LGBT anti-discrimination rules a broad overreach by the government.
The Justice Department sent letters Wednesday to Gov. Pat McCrory, the head of the University of North Carolina system and another agency saying federal officials view the law known as House Bill 2 as violating federal Civil Rights Act protections.
McCrory and state legislative leaders are deciding what to do in response, but it doesn't sound like the Republicans' plans will include canceling the law.
North Carolina Budget Writers Agree How Much To Spend In '17
North Carolina Republican legislative leaders have agreed on how much the state should spend next year. It appears to resolve early an issue that tripped up budget negotiations last year and led to a General Assembly session lasting eight months.
House senior budget-writer Nelson Dollar of Cary and Senate counterpart Harry Brown of Jacksonville announced Wednesday the two chambers have agreed to limit spending to a little over $22.2 billion. That would be less than 2.3 percent higher than current year spending.
Gov. Pat McCrory has proposed spending $109 million more than the legislature's figure.
Grant Will Benefit Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools will soon get a major funding boost to help close literacy gaps and improve math proficiency for younger students.
Local foundations, businesses and individuals have committed more than $22 million so far to jumpstart the program.
Project Impact will focus on improving third-grade reading and math proficiency, starting with pre-Kindergarten programs.
Plans include more summer camps, expanding pre-K enrollment and additional instructional support.
Report: Children Worked A Few RJR Contract Tobacco Farms
A report about the practices of farmers who sell tobacco to R.J. Reynolds shows that a few growers had children under the age of 13 working in their fields, violating a pledge by the company to ban the hiring of people so young.
The report by a consulting company was released Wednesday by a pro-worker group. It shows that five non-family minors under the age of 13 were working in the fields at the time of the assessment.
Inspiration For “Floyd The Barber” Dies
A local icon many knew as the real-life “Floyd the Barber” has died.
Russell Hiatt was the inspiration for the character on The Andy Griffith Show.
Hiatt cut hair for decades at Floyd's City Barber Shop on Main Street in Mount Airy, and was known for his sense of humor and kindly disposition.
Hiatt cut Andy Griffith's hair years before he was famous, and Griffith carried those memories into the fictional town of Mayberry.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports Hiatt was in declining health, and hadn't worked in several years.
Russell Hiatt was 92.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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