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North Carolina Agency Says Chemical Makers Lied
Gov. Roy Cooper wants to tackle an emerging problem of water and air pollution from industrial chemicals by beefing up the state's health and environmental agencies, a move legislators have resisted.
Cooper proposed Tuesday spending $14 million, devoting half of it to finding sources of water contamination, or collecting and analyzing data on how to handle perfluorinated compounds like GenX.
Legislators in February failed to agree on even $2 million more for the Department of Environmental Quality.
State regulators said in new court documents this week that the operators of a chemical plant near Fayetteville have lied for years about discharging compounds that have contaminated water in Wilmington, as much as 100 miles downstream.
Study: South's Native Talent Suffers Without Better Schools
A new study says the South's increasingly diverse homegrown talent won't share in the region's economic growth unless state leaders commit to spending more on public schools and higher education.
The State of the South 2018 report found that 13 states across the region are relying heavily on an influx of newcomers with college degrees to fill higher-paying jobs. At the same time, the report finds that state leaders have failed to adequately invest in public schools, higher education and other resources to prepare the next generation of workers.
Ex-Prosecutor Bell Nominated As Federal Judge In North Carolina
A former assistant federal prosecutor now in private practice is President Donald Trump's pick to fill a vacant federal judgeship in western North Carolina.
The White House on Tuesday announced Trump's nomination of Charlotte attorney Ken Bell to become a U.S. District Court judge. Bell served nearly 20 years in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte starting in the 1980s and now works for the McGuire Woods firm.
The U.S. Senate would have to confirm Bell for the post. North Carolina Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis recommended Bell for the job and praised his pick in a news release.
Board Rejects Challenge To Hege's Bid For Sheriff
The Davidson County Board of Elections voted to allow a controversial former sheriff to remain on the ballot for the May primary.
A standing-room-only crowd heard more than two hours of testimony and discussion before the board voted 3-1 to deny a challenge to former sheriff Gerald K. Hege's candidacy.
The issue was whether a felony record that had been expunged clears the way for a candidate to run for sheriff. The state constitution bars convicted felons from eligibility, based on an amendment passed by voters the same year as Hege's last run for office.
But board members were concerned that the language didn't directly address expunged records.
Hege served as sheriff for ten years but was ousted from office and ultimately pleaded guilty to two felony charges. He recently went through the process of removing the convictions.
Arkansas Activist Is New Equality North Carolina Leader
North Carolina's leading gay rights organization has hired an LGBT activist from Arkansas as its new executive director.
Equality North Carolina announced Tuesday that Kendra R. Johnson would become its leader next month.
Johnson worked recently as Arkansas state director for the national group Human Rights Campaign. An Equality North Carolina release says she championed HRC's "Project One America" initiative, designed to expand gay rights in the Deep South.
Johnson succeeds Chris Sgro, who left last fall to become communications director at Human Rights Campaign.
Chris Paul To Purchase Ownership In Winston-Salem Dash
NBA star and Winston-Salem native Chris Paul will become part owner of his hometown's minor league baseball team.
C.J. Johnson, President of the Dash and Dash Chairman and Managing Partner Billy Prim made the announcement Tuesday at BB&T Ballpark. They were joined by Paul's parents Charles and Robin Paul.
Paul himself was not present but recorded a video message expressing his enthusiasm for the team.
The basketball player has strong roots in the Triad. He was born in Winston-Salem, attended West Forsyth High School and then Wake Forest University before joining the NBA in 2005.
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