On the cover

• Roanoke Rapids finally unloads former Randy Parton Theatre

• RNC picks Charlotte, but will it be an economic bonanza?

 

News

• Quick Takes, Pages 2 – 6

• BOG member says he was recommended for job at WCU, Page 7

• Party disclosure bill could bring courts into election process again, Page 7

• NCGA: Ballots won’t include captions describing constitutional amendments, Page 7

• Raleigh puts new limits on outdoor seating, surprising businesses, Page 8

• Distiller makes agreement with ABC over alleged violations, Page 9

• ‘Expired’ tax credit program still paying out millions, Page 10

• Policymakers demand answers about GenX-like compounds in solar panels, Page 11

• Polls, Page 24

 

Interviews

• Leonard Gilroy: Unfunded retiree benefits threaten state governments’ budgets, Page 18

• John Dinan: State constitutions face far more amendments than the federal document, Page 19

 

Opinion

• Terry Stoops commentary: The triumph of homeschooling in North Carolina, Page 14

• Mitch Kokai commentary: Justice’s dissent helps explain stakes in N.C. political tug of war, Page 15

• Shannon Watkins commentary: Speaking with the chairman of the UNC board, Page 16

• Kristen Blair commentary: The movement to drop APs for more rigorous coursework, Page 17

• Chris West commentary: Free college just another middle-class entitlement, Page 17

• Editorial: Big Almond and Big Coconut aren’t pulling the wool over your eyes, Page 20

• Michael Walden commentary: Is N.C. keeping up with other states?, Page 22

• John Trump commentary: Distillers, brewers, winemakers play big, giving role in communities, Page 22

• Andy Taylor commentary: The five most important counties in North Carolina politics, Page 23

• Becki Gray commentary: Lingering lessons from a short but ongoing session, Page 23

 

Commentary by John Hood

• Case for incentives strikes out, Page 21

• Wheel of politics always turns, Page 21

• North Carolina economy had strong spring, Page 21