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Public School Testing Reduction Changes Approved In House
The administering of standardized end-of-year tests for North Carolina K-12 students would decline dramatically in Republican legislation getting bipartisan state House support.
The measure seeks to address parent and teacher complaints that too much instructional time goes toward "high-stakes" testing.
The bill receiving overwhelming approval on Wednesday would replace end-of-grade tests for grades three through eight with shorter assessments during the school year. High school end-of-course exams and standardized final exams would be replaced with the ACT, SAT or similar nationally recognized assessment.
Republican Bill Would Cut Taxes On Corporations, Individuals
There's a move afoot among North Carolina Republican legislators to cut more taxes by reducing a key corporate rate and making exempt more personal income.
Co-chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee filed this week a measure to increase standard deductions for individual tax filers of all types in 2021 by an additional $375 to $750. And the franchise tax rate for corporations would drop over time from $1.50 per $1,000 of the company's tax base to $1 per $1,000.
Lowe's Announces Layoffs, Relocation For Workers
Home improvement retailer Lowe's is announcing changes to a portion of its workforce.
The Charlotte Observer reports the company announced on Thursday that approximately 600 full-time employees at its corporate offices in Wilkesboro were told their jobs would be shifting to its headquarters in Mooresville. Dan Frahm, Lowe's vice president of communications, also announced that about 80 Wilkesboro-based tech jobs will be moved to the Lowe's data center in Winston-Salem.
Lowe's said it's also laying off 207 full-time workers at a Charlotte facility called a cross-dock terminal as the company moves the work to a third-party vendor in May.
Attorney Defends UNC's Hatchell Amid Player Complaints
The attorney for North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell says players misconstrued comments she made as racist and that she wouldn't try to force someone to play without clearance from medical staff.
Wade Smith made the comments Thursday to The Washington Post and The News & Observer.
The school placed Hatchell and her coaching staff on paid administrative leave Monday amid player concerns while a law firm conducts a review of the program. The Post, citing unnamed parents of players, said complaints were about inappropriate racial comments and players being pushed to play while injured.
Man Charged With Cruelty, Abandonment Of Pet Fish
A North Carolina man has been charged with abandoning a pet fish that authorities say he left behind without food when he was evicted.
The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office arrested 53-year-old Michael Hinson on Wednesday and charged him with one count of abandonment of an animal and three counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
Officials say Hinson was evicted from his Wilmington home last month and left behind an Oscar fish in poor health in a dirty tank.
The 6-inch fish is being nursed back to health at an aquarium store.
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