Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning. Click here to sign up.
Unanimous Approval Given To Florence Bills
North Carolina lawmakers have quickly approved their initial legislation designed to address the damage and logistics problems caused by Hurricane Florence.
The General Assembly gave unanimous approval Tuesday to a pair of bills now headed to Gov. Roy Cooper, who is expected to sign them into law.
The bills put more than $56 million in a special Florence disaster relief fund, most of which can be used to match what the federal government provides in a preliminary relief package. They also allow schools in the hardest-hit areas to be forgiven up to 20 lost instructional days and ensure workers in shuttered schools are paid.
The deadline for traditional voter registration applications also would be extended by three days.
Post-Florence Coal Ash Tests At 1 Site Yet To Raise Alarms
North Carolina environmental officials say sludge washed from buried coal-ash pits by Hurricane Florence's flood waters hasn't polluted a neighboring river with heavy metals at levels concerning to human health.
State officials say water samples taken from three sites near Duke Energy Corp.'s closed H.F. Lee power plant in Goldsboro more than a week after Florence hit the state, found arsenic, mercury and three other metals within acceptable levels.
Florence Death Toll In North Carolina Rises By 2, To 39
The number of deaths in North Carolina from Hurricane Florence has risen by two, bringing the state's total to 39.
Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced in a statement Tuesday that the two fatalities involved people killed during storm cleanup last month.
The governor's office says a 47-year-old man was found dead outside a Duplin County home on Sept. 21 due to a head injury he received after falling from a ladder while repairing storm damage. Officials say a 69-year-old man in Pender County died on Sept. 22 after falling from a roof while cleaning storm debris and repairing damage.
6 To Receive North Carolina Award In November Ceremony
Six people will receive North Carolina's highest civilian honor in November.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced Tuesday Gov. Cooper will present the North Carolina Award at a banquet at the Raleigh Convention Center on Nov. 16. The award was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in fine arts, literature, public service and science.
Among the honorees for 2018 are Barbara B. Millhouse, founder of the Reynolda House art museum, and Bill Leslie, a former reporter and anchor for WRAL-TV In Raleigh. His musical passion led to eight albums celebrating North Carolina's people, natural beauty and Scotch-Irish heritage.
Also being honored are Carolyn Q. Coleman, Gene Roberts and William L. Roper for Public Service, and Michael A. McFee for Literature.
NCDOT Plans Open Houses To Discuss Business 40 Closure
The N.C. Department of Transportation is holding open houses in the next two weeks to alert motorists to the planned closure of Business 40 in Winston-Salem.
A news release from the department said one open house is scheduled for Oct. 9 at BB&T Ballpark, with the next one set for Oct. 16 at the Rhodes Center for the Arts, both in Winston-Salem.
The department said those in attendance at both meetings will receive pocket-sized detour maps of downtown Winston-Salem and will be able to ask questions about the project.
Representatives from the Piedmont Authority Regional Transportation and Winston-Salem Transit Authority will provide information about their programs.
Business 40 is closing between Peters Creek Parkway and U.S. Highway 52 for more than a year beginning in November.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad