North Carolina Republicans are voicing frustration over how the state is still struggling to recover from two hurricanes that ravaged the region long before Hurricane Helene hit in September. The issues bubbled to the surface Monday during a legislative committee hearing about a budget shortfall in the state Office of Recovery and Resiliency.
North Carolina lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a veto override of a bill that would commit nearly $6.5 billion in state funding for private school vouchers over the next decade. The Opportunity Scholarships have evolved over the past decade from a small $10 million pilot program, to a major budget expense that could transform education in the state.
Democrats fell short again in wresting away swing-state prize North Carolina from Republicans in the presidential election. But their party succeeded with significant state down-ballot victories, building hope for the next cycle.
The plan includes long-term projects like public art displays in the area as well as a more immediate focus on things such as better code and traffic enforcement.
Asheville experienced an outage of water following Hurricane Helene. The storm created high sediment levels at the North Fork Reservoir which provides about 80% of the system’s water supply.
A career archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service says managers have been engaging in irresponsible and illegal behavior that has resulted in damage to Native American sites across the forested slopes of North Carolina.
An already close race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat reached a razor-thin margin as most counties completed final tallies from the Nov. 5 election.