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Following Court Ruling, Cooper Revives 6 Boards
Gov. Roy Cooper has decided to revive six government boards and commissions struck down by a state court as unconstitutional without waiting for legislative action because he says their work must continue, particularly in Hurricane Florence's aftermath.
Cooper signed executive orders Monday re-establishing the panels so he controls a majority of the appointments. Judges ruled in August the makeup of the original panels failed to meet recently developed constitutional standards.
Cooper Offering Florence Aid Package To North Carolina Lawmakers
Gov. Roy Cooper is offering his proposal for what state agencies need soon to respond to the damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Florence last month.
Cooper will unveil Wednesday the financial aid package he's asking the Republican-controlled legislature to approve when it reconvenes early next week.
Cooper will discuss his funding request while he updates the public about approaching Hurricane Michael and the storm's potential flooding and power outages.
School System Says Advanced Classes Law Falls Short
North Carolina's largest school system says a new state law is falling short of its goal of making sure bright, low-income students aren't skipped over for advanced classes.
The News & Observer reports that Wake County school officials say carrying out the law is difficult, citing a lack of state funding and instruction.
The law requires middle and high school students who achieve the highest possible score on state math exams be placed in advanced math classes. Wake K-12 Math Director Michelle Tucker told school board members Monday that these students are placed in advanced courses without having covered the material.
Professor Suggests Distinguished Grad Award For Blasey Ford
A petition seeks university honors for the woman who accused Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school.
Christine Blasey Ford is being nominated for an award honoring distinguished graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The award honors graduates who made outstanding contributions to mankind.
Ford graduated from the country's first public university in 1988 with a degree in psychology.
North Carolina Goes To The Frogs As Flooding, Breeding Align
In the wake of Hurricane Florence, the North Carolina coast has been plagued with a tide of frogs and toads, but the storm's record-setting floods aren't entirely to blame.
State biologist Jeff Hall tells The Charlotte Observer the coast is experiencing a convergence of two types of frog and toad population explosions. The first wave takes the form of tadpoles born during June and July's abnormally heavy rains, while the second is a boom of "explosively breeding" toads. Those toads found an ideal habitat in tiny puddles created by Hurricane Florence.
But the flooding has also augmented the interactions between humans and amphibians, as the latter group searches for dry ground.
Hall says coastal residents are likely to find frogs and toads in odd places until floodwaters recede.
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