News
NC hurricane victims continue to wait for housing years later
As the midpoint of the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, victims of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence's are still waiting to return to a home years later.
News
Promises made but not kept as Cooper official testifies on hurricane recovery
It was a case of rinse and repeat for North Carolina lawmakers Wednesday as they heard much of the same testimony from North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) officials on efforts to help those who lost homes due to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
News
Slow disaster recovery prompts change in agency leadership at NCDPS
The director of disaster recovery at the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management will be taking on a new role in another state agency beginning Feb. 1.
News
Why does S.C. hurricane recovery surpass N.C.?
The slow response by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency to get people back into their homes four to six years after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence was brought to light at a legislative hearing Wednesday. It’s in stark contrast to how well neighboring South Carolina has done with its own efforts.
News
Grant helps hospitals recover from past storms, weather new ones
When Hurricane Florence battered North Carolina, vaccines spoiled in Lee Ann Amann’s clinic and across the coastline. Without a reliable generator, her clinic shut down and lost tens of thousands of dollars. But after receiving a $50,000 grant, Amann plans to buy a generator to power her clinic, so that it will stay open during...
News
Hurricane disaster recovery bill focuses on resiliency funding
The House Appropriations Committee has passed a more than $250-million hurricane relief bill that places a greater emphasis on resilience and disaster mitigation. The committee took up House Bill 1023, the Storm Recovery Act of 2019, on Wednesday, Oct. 30. H.B. 1023 provides money for communities affected by the storms and for disaster recovery efforts,...
News
Tillis, GOP lawmakers vow to speed disaster relief for Florence, Matthew
Jones County residents are still feeling the effects of recent hurricanes. At least one of the county’s three towns remains flooded, and two of its six schools were condemned. Those facts came out during a Wednesday, Aug. 28, news conference at the state Legislative Building. Republican state lawmakers and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., used...
Opinion
Weathering the storm through bold leadership
If we learned one thing during the devastation and recovery from Hurricanes Florence and Michael, it’s that setting aside more than $2 billion in savings for a rainy day was a very good idea. But that $2 billion didn’t just magically appear. It came from hard decisions, focused priorities, bold leadership, and fiscal discipline. Thank goodness we...
News
Rural issues take center stage in competitive state HD 12
N.C. House District 12 (All of Lenoir County, and southwestern part of Pitt County that includes portions of Greenville, Winterville, Grifton, and Ayden.) George Graham, Democrat (three-term incumbent). Occupation: Retired educator. Education: Fayetteville State University, bachelor’s of elementary education. N.C. State University, master’s of education. Career highlights: Served 30 years as Lenoir County commissioner. Lenoir...
News
Hurricane relief session may mark only temporary break from partisan fights
Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law the $793 million Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Act on Tuesday, Oct. 16, following unanimous legislative passage. An N.C. State University political science professor says not to expect the good vibrations to last. “We see these things fairly frequently, crises or challenges that emerge that generate quick and pretty large...
News
Municipal sewage overflows from Florence dwarfed hog waste discharges
Municipal sewage systems jettisoned tens of millions of gallons of untreated human waste into Hurricane Florence floodwaters, dwarfing the hog manure lagoon discharges state and national media cited as public health and environmental hazards. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality issued preliminary estimates Wednesday, Oct. 10, showing municipal sanitary sewer systems disgorged 26.7 million gallons...
News
Lawmakers up Cooper’s ante for first package of hurricane relief
Legislative leaders plan to allocate $794 million for Hurricane Florence disaster relief when they return to special session on Monday, Oct. 15. Most of the money will come from the $2.1 billion Rainy Day Fund Republicans built up over recent years to prevent tax increases or major budget shuffles during emergencies. On Wednesday, Gov. Roy...
