N.C.
North Carolina Publishes 2024-25 School Report Cards; Letter-Grade Formula Draws Renewed Dispute
State officials say test scores and graduation rates rose, while critics argue the A-F grading formula still tracks student poverty more than school quality.
Man Held Without Bond After Shooting Outside Wilson County, N.C., Courthouse Wounds Woman and Two Officers
Authorities say the July 13 shooting of a 19-year-old woman on the courthouse steps was retaliation tied to a teenager's June killing; a 21-year-old man was denied bond after a gunfight with police.
North Carolina Legislature Sends Two-Year, $34.4 Billion Budget to Gov. Stein After a Year-Plus Impasse
The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval to a spending plan with income-tax cuts and pay raises; Gov. Josh Stein has 10 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law.
North Carolina Gov. Stein Signs $34 Billion State Budget Without Vetoing It
The budget cuts the personal income tax rate to 3.49%, raises teacher and state-worker pay, and became law after bipartisan majorities gave it veto-proof support.
Central North Carolina Drought Hits 'Exceptional' as Record-Breaking Heat Wave Strains Health Systems and Duke Energy Runs Plants Past Pollution Limits Under Federal Order
Record-breaking heat pushed Durham into the U.S. Drought Monitor's most severe category, drove a rise in heat-related illness, and prompted federal emergency orders letting Duke Energy exceed environmental permit limits to keep the grid running.
Wake County Democrats Petition Commissioners for $200,000 After NC State Early Voting Site Is Moved Off Central Campus
The Wake County Board of Elections relocated an early voting site from NC State's Talley Student Union to a building about a mile away, and county Democrats are asking commissioners for contingent funding to reverse or offset the move.
National Weather Service Forecasts Renewed Extreme Heat for Eastern North Carolina This Week
After a brief break, forecasters expect heat index values as high as 108 degrees across eastern North Carolina Thursday through Saturday, prompting First Alert Weather Days and public-health warnings.
Raleigh Gives City Manager Power to Speed Up Stage 2 Water Limits as Drought Covers Half of North Carolina
Raleigh's council voted to allow tougher restrictions before Falls Lake hits the level city code requires, as demand rises and roughly half the state sits in extreme or worse drought.
NC Legislature Recesses Until July 27 With Homeless-Camping Veto, Election Bill, and Governor-Power Amendments Unresolved
After passing a state budget, North Carolina lawmakers adjourned until July 27, leaving a vetoed homeless-camping ban, a sweeping elections bill, and constitutional amendments that would trim the governor's authority for a later session.
Nippon Electric Glass to Close Shelby, N.C. Fiberglass Plant, Ending 282 Jobs by Aug. 31
The Japanese manufacturer says years of losses and global competition drove the shutdown; a plaintiffs' law firm is examining whether workers got the legally required notice.
North Carolina Supreme Court Extends Briefing Deadlines in Cases Over Governor's Appointment Powers
With all parties agreeing, final briefs in two suits between Gov. Josh Stein and Republican legislative leaders are now due in late October, pushing arguments over control of state boards and judicial vacancies into the fall.
National Weather Service Issues Flash Flood Watches and a Coastal Flood Advisory Across North Carolina
A slow-moving storm brought flash flood watches to western and Piedmont North Carolina and a minor coastal flood advisory near Wilmington on July 13, three days after an EF-1 tornado hit Cleveland County.