RALEIGH—A lawsuit filed by a legal association against the state that maintained that offering tax rebate incentives to film companies violates the “public purpose” requirement in the North Carolina Constitution was dismissed Monday in Wake County Superior Court. Judge Narley Cashwell sided with lawyers representing the state, who argued that…
CHARLOTTE — Amid much fanfare, a nine-mile stretch of Interstate 26 between the U.S 19/23 interchange and the Tennessee state line officially opened Aug. 5 in Madison County. The new stretch of road is the final link in a four-lane divided highway connecting Asheville and Johnson, Tenn. Drivers might notice,…
RALEIGH — Approval of the state budget June 30 also marked the beginning of the fulfillment of a $10 million promise made by NC House Speaker Jim Black to a culinary arts school that planned to establish a campus in Charlotte. The budget appropriates $1 million in 2003-04 and an…
RALEIGH — A new report on the William S. Lee Act shows that 96 percent of the jobs associated with the act would have been created anyway – without the incentives authorized by the legislation. The report, released Thursday by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, was prepared by Michael…
Students at West Lumberton Elementary in Robeson County and Cedar Grove Elementary in Nash County are making extraordinary progress in academic achievement despite the fact that most qualify for the federal nutrition-assistance lunch program. Teacher say the advances are not rooted in greater funding, additional administrators, or trendy theories. They…
RALEIGH—A bill requiring community water systems to establish measures for dealing with drought awaits Gov. Mike Easley’s signature. The measure requires that system officials prepare local water supply plans, that the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources establish a Drought Management Advisory Council, and that the council issue drought…
RALEIGH—The length of time for copyright protection, which extends for the life of a creator plus 70 years, is excessive and society would benefit if that period were shortened, the dean of the Barton College School of Business says. In a new study, John J. Bethune wrote that patents and…
RALEIGH — The NC General Assembly has fallen in love with nonprofit organizations that shield it from the direct responsibility for special projects funded by taxpayers. One example is Golden LEAF, which administers half the state’s share of the tobacco settlement. Another is the E-NC Authority, which distributes public funds…
RALEIGH—Fingerprints are no longer enough for North Carolina law authorities. Neither is a database containing the DNA of those convicted of violent crimes. Legislation enacted this year by the General Assembly, seeks to expand the state’s DNA registry to include DNA samples of all felons and those convicted of “certain…
RALEIGH — A greater number of college students could be eligible for $1,800 state grants when classes start this fall. One of the last actions of the General Assembly before the legislative session ended in July was to pass a bill that increases eligibility, ending what some have labeled a…
