News

Critics Call Solar Plant in Robeson County A Turkey

RALEIGH — FLS owns and operates the solar thermal installation at Prestage Farms in St. Pauls. It sells low-cost electricity to the farm and gets a lucrative mix of state tax credits for construction, and revenue from renewable energy certificates sold to Duke Energy.

Dan Way
News

Solar Complex at Turkey Plant Raises Corporate Welfare Concerns

RALEIGH — FLS Energy, an Asheville-based solar company, has erected an array of 2,100 solar panels that heat as many as 100,000 gallons of water daily at the Prestage Foods turkey plant in St. Pauls. The hot water is used to clean equipment and processing rooms at the 260,000-square-foot plant.

Dan Way
News

GOP Primary Contenders for House District 45 Highlight Education

RALEIGH — John Szoka recognizes that education is often thought of as a campaign platform for Democrats, but he and Diane Wheatley, his Republican opponent for North Carolina’s open House District 45 seat, both have layered the public schooling dynamic into their May 8 primary race.

Dan Way
News

Three Republicans Face Off in Bid to Take 7th District From McIntyre

RALEIGH — The contenders are Ilario Pantano, David Rouzer, and Randy Crow. The district, which now stretches from Johnston County down to the southeastern coastal corner of North Carolina, has changed through redistricting from a leaning Democratic district to a more competitive, potentially swing district.

Barry Smith
News

Republicans Duke It Out in Winner-Take-All House District 16 Primary

RALEIGH — A civil engineer, a storm-recovery expert, and a builder are vying for the opportunity to represent the residents of N.C. House District 16 in the state legislature. The stakes are high in this coastal region: Because no Democrat has filed, the winner of the Republican primary May 8 becomes the de facto representative.

David N. Bass

Opinion

Elections

News

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."

Theresa Opeka
News

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.

CJ Staff
News

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

Bridge Safety, Abolishing The US Dept of Ed, and Teen Social Media Rules

This week on The Debrief, we break down the latest on Helene recovery efforts and Lake Lure bridge safety, where rebuilding, public access and long-term infrastructure questions remain front and center. We also bring you an update on North Carolina’s budget process, examine the renewed push to abolish the US Department of Education and what...

Video

The Debrief: Remaining Covid Lawsuits + Sam Hayes Interview

This week on The Debrief, Mitch Kokai and Donna King discuss the remaining covid lawsuits and other court cases in North Carolina. Plus, North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes sat down with Carolina Journal’s Theresa Opeka to talk about his first year in office, including his accomplishments and what’s on the...

Culture

Civil Society

Opinion

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...

David Larson
Opinion

Flashback: North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond

On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...

Dallas Woodhouse