Pardon Our Dust
We recently launched this new site and are still in the process of updating some of our archived content. Some details of this article may be incomplete, links may be broken, and other elements may not display properly yet. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Agriculture
SPECTRUM NEWS: Wetter hurricanes are a concern for N.C. farmers
Hurricanes are having big impacts on many different ways of life in North Carolina. That’s especially the case for our state’s farmers.
Economic Development
CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS: Taking the long road: The search for jobs in Scotland County
Historically, Scotland County had some of the highest unemployment rates of any county in the state, with a July unemployment rate of 9.3%, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. Despite these persistently high joblessness numbers, some county residents say they will change the narrative through local revitalization efforts to draw outside investors.
WRAL TECHWIRE: Where the jobs are: Triangle market continues to grow despite ‘Delta’
Despite growing concerns over the COVID Delta variant, the Triangle’s job market still shows signs of continuing recovery. Nearly all of the national job boards TechWire analyzed in today’s Jobs Report show considerable upward growth over the past week. Indeed.com and LinkedIn both show over 1,000 new jobs in Raleigh compared to this time last week, while Dice.com added 1,136 tech-focused jobs in Durham, and other sites counted hundreds of new jobs across the Triangle.
Education
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Daily COVID cases spiking at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State a week into fall semester
Daily COVID-19 cases are spiking at both UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University, one week after students returned to campus for in-person classes. Officials from both universities have said that the virus is not spreading in classrooms.
SPECTRUM NEWS: Rural North Carolina schools using COVID-19 funds for tech
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit their rural community, Weldon City Schools raced to give its pupils the tools they needed to quickly transition to virtual learning.
The district set up internet hotspots for those without connectivity at home and had staff deliver meals to students. It also drew on some of the funds to improve air quality in three schools, install touchless bathroom faucets and buy lots of cleaning supplies and protective equipment.
Environment
ISLAND FREE PRESS: Environment commission to review coastal protection plan
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission is set to review next month the draft amendment to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, which is revised every five years to reflect changes in the status of habitat protection in the state.
WECT NEWS: Gov. Cooper seeks major disaster declaration for western N.C. counties after Tropical Strom Fred
Governor Roy Cooper on Friday requested the federal government issue a major disaster declaration for western North Carolina after the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred caused extensive flooding and landslides in the region. “The people of Western North Carolina took a devastating blow from Tropical Storm Fred’s flooding,” said Cooper. “Federal assistance is needed to help rebuild and become more resilient ahead of future storms.”
Government
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A North Carolina court panel expands voting rights for parolees and people on probation
North Carolina must immediately allow felons who are on parole, probation or supervised release to register to vote, a three-judge panel in a state court said Monday.
Healthcare
WCNC: Atrium Health sees more than 1,000% increase in COVID-19 patients in the Carolinas
As the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 rises across the Carolinas, Atrium Health says hospitalizations have also increased, resulting in fewer available beds. Most of these new patients are unvaccinated, according to data from multiple health agencies and hospital systems.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Increasing child COVID hospitalizations filling pediatric ICUs, Triangle hospitals say
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to surge in North Carolina, the coronavirus and other respiratory diseases are causing sick children to fill up pediatric intensive care units in the Triangle.
Politics
SPECTRUM NEWS: Could North Carolina get a medical marijuana law? Bill passes another committee vote
A bill that could legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina is taking a long, winding road through the state Senate, but the bill’s Republican sponsors have managed to get it successfully through several committees. Medical marijuana is legal in 37 states, but North Carolina has long resisted any form of legal weed.
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Controversial NCHSAA bill reflects personal, political motivations of supporters, opponents
The passionate, often rugged and sometimes bruising competitiveness of North Carolina high school sports is embodied in the debate over House Bill 91 in the General Assembly.
Transportation
THE TIMES NEWS: North Carolina on track to break litter collection record
The state of North Carolina is on track to beat its 2019 litter collection record.
So far this year, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s crews, contractors and volunteers have collected more than 9 million pounds of litter. In 2019, crews collected 10.5 million pounds.