North Carolina
Disputes grow between NC Bar, legislative committee tasked with reforming it
A North Carolina legislative committee is drawing passionate support — and criticism — as it pushes forward with recommendations to inject more secrecy and politics into a group tasked with disciplining lawyers across the state.
The committee plans to meet again this week, fresh off a dramatic hearing Tuesday, during which members of the committee sniped at one another, at least one appeared to have had no idea they’d be asked to vote on one particularly contentious item, and security had to forcibly eject a former state lawmaker who had refused to stop yelling accusations from a podium.
The target of that speaker, as well as the committee he was addressing: the North Carolina State Bar, a regulatory board in charge of licensing and disciplining North Carolina’s lawyers.
It’s the central focus of the State Bar Grievance Review Committee, which has tussled with the Bar and its supporters in the state’s legal community as it has sought to investigate allegations of cancel culture against politically outspoken lawyers and as it has recommended other reforms or demanded political inquisitions.
The committee, created in 2024, is a rarity in North Carolina: It consists of zero members of the state legislature. It’s led by Larry Shaheen and former state Sen. Woody White, two GOP insiders close with Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger. It can’t make changes on its own but can recommend them to the state legislature for approval.
Some previous suggestions by the committee have won broad and bipartisan approval at the state legislature, such as limiting who can report lawyers to the Bar.
But its most recent proposals — including making lawyer discipline a more secretive process, controlled entirely by political appointees — has raised concerns inside the Bar, as well as with some of the lawyers who make a living fighting the Bar on behalf of their clients.
Some of the new changes Shaheen and others on the committee are backing would ban non-lawyers from being involved in hearings of the Bar’s Disciplinary Hearing Commission, which is tasked with deciding whether — and how harshly — to crack down on lawyers accused of things such as stealing clients’ money, sleeping with clients or abusing drugs or alcohol.
The committee also wants to staff the Disciplinary Hearing Commission entirely with political appointees — almost all of them Republicans — and decrease transparency in the process, making more details confidential.
The Bar has deep reservations about those and other proposed changes, saying they’ll harm its goal of protecting members of the public from predatory or simply bad lawyers. The committee has not asked for the Bar’s input during this process, and relations between the two groups have become strained.
State Bar Executive Director Peter Bolac told WRAL he questions the need for these changes, which he said appear to have been put together “without broader input or a comprehensive understanding of the State Bar’s work.”
Bolac was at the most recent hearing on the changes, but he wasn’t invited to speak — whether to provide his own presentation, or to answer questions and concerns. He told WRAL the committee should attempt to learn how the Bar works, first, before trying to change it.
“Without a clear and shared understanding of how the current system functions, it is difficult to engage in a meaningful discussion about potential improvements,” Bolac said. “Nevertheless, we remain willing to participate in thoughtful, good-faith dialogue aimed at strengthening the system.”
Shaheen says he knows firsthand how the process works, having served on Disciplinary Hearing Commission he and his committee are now targeting. And he sees it as his mission to drastically change the way it operates, saying he has lost friends because of his association with it. “I have several lawyers, who have been long term friends of mine, who have come to me and, because of some of the things said to them, feel like I’m the devil,” Shaheen said.
‘Radical changes’
The committee’s most recent meeting was just the latest in the committee’s years-long attempt to make reforms to the Bar.
Alan Schneider, who has represented more lawyers facing disciplinary hearings than perhaps anyone else in North Carolina, often finds himself at odds with the Bar. He previously gave a formal presentation to this same committee on suggestions to reform it.
But he says the latest suggestions, to ramp up the political appointments, go too far.
“There were problems in the past in terms of maybe old cases weren’t heard as quickly as they could,” Schneider said. “But the changes were made. The State Bar heard, and the State Bar has acted. What I’d like this panel to understand is the necessity for all these radical changes. I believe it is unnecessary.”
White and Shaheen said the changes are necessary. Shaheen said increasing political control over the Bar would increase accountability, by making members of the Bar answer to politicians who ultimately answer to the people.
Under the new proposal, 19 of its 26 members would be chosen by various Republican politicians and the remaining seven would be chosen by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
“To have more folks appointed by public officials, we want to create more accountability, to make sure that the process is not weaponized against attorneys,” Shaheen said at the committee’s meeting on Tuesday.
White defended the push for less transparency.
“Nowadays when you can weaponize allegations in a nanosecond and publish them, put them out in a political context … that is unfair, for a lawyer to be accused of something before he or she is convicted of it,” he said.
‘Such sweeping reforms’
The committee is set to meet again Wednesday. The committee hadn’t released information on what issues it plans to discuss, but it’s expected to be closely watched by the state’s legal community.
The relative lack of public notice on what this committee is considering also raised the ire of interested parties at last week’s meeting.
Jane Meyer, a Tharrington Smith attorney in Raleigh who also chairs the Bar’s disciplinary group, questioned why the proposals voted on Tuesday were only made public a few days beforehand, and with no opportunity for the Bar — or the general public — to respond.
White had originally attempted pushing through a vote Tuesday without allowing members of the public to speak. But he relented after Andrew Heath, a conservative lobbyist who serves on the committee, urged him to allow Meyer and other members of the public to have two minutes each to give brief comments.
“That troubles me — that such sweeping reforms are being considered without much study, and without asking for input,” Meyer told the committee.
Given the sweeping nature of their recommendations, Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby suggested the committee should “do a little bit more study and maybe get a little bit more information.”
Willoughby specifically criticized the proposal to make it harder for members of the public to learn about accusations against attorneys.
“We should not be trying to restrict and make things more confidential,” he said. “We should make it more open. The public needs to have quicker and more complete access. I think people find their lawyers now, not from their Sunday school class or their bowling league or their Lions Club, but through the internet searches. They want information.”
They were among the passionate speakers at the hearing, but perhaps not the most passionate.
Two-plus hours into its most recent hearing on Tuesday, former state Rep. Edwin Hardy had his mic cut off and then was escorted out of the room by security. He was several minutes into speaking during the open public comment period as his comments turned into a rant involving former President Barack Obama, the late Gov. Jim Hunt, allegations of political favoritism, cocaine usage and more.
Hardy, a Republican who used to represent Beaufort County in the state House, was the only one ejected — even though he was also one of the few speakers who appeared to support the committee’s goal of major overhauls to the Bar. His comments were in line with the allegations White, Shaheen and others have been claiming for years about cancel culture.
“I got very vocal online because Obama won,” Hardy told the committee. “… Well guess what: I was very vocal, and the day after Obama won reelection, I got a phone call and the Bar told me I had been randomly picked for an audit.”
State records show that that 2012 audit found Hardy had been using poor accounting practices with trust accounts where he held onto money for clients — including taking actions that “allowed entrusted funds to be disbursed in a manner not authorized by or for the benefit of the client.”
However, the Bar found he didn’t steal any of the money, and that there wasn’t any evidence of his clients being harmed by his trust fund missteps. It allowed him to continue practicing law.
North Carolina
Oklahoma a win away from national title after roughing up North Carolina ace in Game 1 of CWS finals
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — His team one win away from the national championship, Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson won’t mess with success.
The Sooners’ offense is producing at a level higher than any team to play in the College World Series since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field 15 years ago.
When it looked as though OU’s pitching could implode after being nothing short of magnificent the last week, Cord Rager settled in after a rocky first inning and combined with two relievers to shut down North Carolina the rest of the way in a 9-3 victory in Game 1 of the CWS finals Saturday.
“I’m just going to stay out of their way,” Johnson said. “I don’t know any other way to do it. You think we’re going to go out and hit tonight and take 100 groundballs somewhere? We’re not going to do that. I can promise you that. Just stay out of their way.”
Deiten Lachance homered twice off North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro early and the Sooners (42-22) used a four-run fourth inning to pull away for their ninth straight win. Rager, Gavyn Jones and LJ Mercurius allowed only two runners to reach second base after the Tar Heels (53-12-1) struck for three runs in the first.
Oklahoma won national titles in baseball in 1951 and 1994 and will go for its third on Sunday. North Carolina, looking for its first, will try to force a deciding Game 3 on Monday.
“North Carolina’s a really good team,” Johnson said, “and we picked a fight today. They’ll be ready for us tomorrow.”
OU ended DeCaro’s uncharacteristic bad day in the fourth inning. The Sooners scored all four runs that inning with two outs starting when Kyle Branch broke a 3-all tie with a two-run single. Branch came home on Jason Walk’s base hit and Camden Johnson singled off Walker McDuffie to make it 7-3.
DeCaro (11-3), who came in with a 2.31 ERA, was charged with all seven runs after having not allowed more than three in any of his previous starts.
“I think they just really punished the mistakes,” DeCaro said. “I feel like for the most part I made some pitches, and then whenever I did leave a ball over the plate, especially with two strikes, they capitalized.”
Lachance homered for a 2-0 lead in the first inning and again in the third to tie it at 3. The 6-foot-5, 231-pound Canadian known as “Big Maple” has hit all 18 of his homers in the last 32 games, including six in the last eight.
“I’m just trying to catch barrel at the plate right now and just help the team, just pass the baton,” Lachance said. “That’s a big thing for us.”
Oklahoma has hit 45 of its 93 home runs in the last 17 games. OU has connected 28 times in 11 NCAA Tournament games, and its 10 homers in four CWS games are the most by a team since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. The Sooners are batting .331 and averaging better than eight runs per game in the CWS.
“Their approach is to get an ‘A’ swing off. That’s clear,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “They’re not afraid to strike out.”
Rager (7-3), who threw 15 2/3 shutout innings over his previous three outings, steadied himself in the second inning and lasted through the fifth.
“After the first inning, I stopped playing for myself,” Rager said. “I just started playing for the guys around me, for the team. I really had to try to really be a pitcher today because I didn’t have my best stuff.”
Carolina’s Carter French made the defensive play of the CWS in the third when Walk sent a drive to deep right. As French went back to make the play, his glove got lodged under the padding running across the top of the fence. His glove was a bit crumpled as the ball landed in it. He held onto it and displayed it to the umpire.
“The great thing about baseball when you’re playing in a weekend series is you move on quickly,” Forbes said. “That’s what our team will do. They just beat us today.”
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This version corrects the spelling of Oklahoma pitcher Gavyn Jones’ first name.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
It was an eventful offseason in Chapel Hill, but the North Carolina Tar Heels recovered quite nicely, incorporating a formidable coaching staff and roster in just a few months.
Upon his arrival, head coach Michael Malone was faced with an uphill battle to revamp a roster, but he passed that test with flying colors. North Carolina’s style of play will look vastly different from last season, based on the players it acquired this offseason.
With that in mind, here are predictions for the five most efficient scorers on the Tar Heels’ 2026-27 roster. It is important to note that efficient scoring doesn’t necessarily mean each and every player on this list will also lead the team in scoring.
1. Matt Able
The 6-foot-6, 211-pound forward shot 41.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range last season at North Carolina State. That efficiency is a high baseline, as Able will be surrounded by more talent and placed in more advantageous spots in Malone’s system.
At North Carolina, Able could eclipse 40 percent from three-point range and near 50 percent from the field. Able doesn’t require a high volume of shot attempts to produce, which is why he is one of the most exciting players for me to watch next season.
2. Sayon Keita
Again, this doesn’t mean I expect Keita to emerge as one of the leading scorers on the roster. That being said, the former Barcelona center should be operating exclusively near the basket, and the majority of his shot attempts should come from close proximity.
Keita’s offensive production, for the most part, will generate from lobs, put-back dunks, and layups. There will be times Keita will be asked to create his own points in the post, but he will predominantly operate in the paint.
3. Jarin Stevenson
Malone prioritized retaining Stevenson, and the Alabama transfer’s role will expand in 2026. The 6-foot-9, 216-pound forward was an afterthought at the beginning of last season, but in ACC play, Stevenson’s production and efficiency took a major leap.
In the final nine games of the season, with Caleb Wilson out of the lineup, Stevenson averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. When Stevenson officially re-signed with North Carolina, Malone stated that he envisions the senior forward fulfilling a role similar to Aaron Gordon when Malone coached in Denver. With a potentially elite backcourt, Stevenson will have ample space to drift into, providing manageable looks at the basket.
4. Terrence Brown
Last season at Utah, the 6-foot-3, 174-pound guard shot 45.3 percent from the field, which is very impressive considering that he was a ball-dominant guard in the Big 12. However, Brown struggled from three-point range, shooting 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.
While I expect that to improve under Malone, Brown still expects to be shooting a handful of low-percentage shots along the perimeter. This is not to say that Brown will struggle; rather, it reflects where his shots will come from on the floor.
5. Neoklis Avdalas
The Virginia Tech transfer possesses a versatile skill set and can play both backcourt positions and on the wing. The 6-foot-9, 216-pound guard is a legitimate point guard option, according to his former coaches, and Malone is obviously aware of that.
Last season, Avdalas shot 38.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three-point range, which was a disappointing output. However, those percentages should improve at North Carolina.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Waste Management is providing up to $18 million in grants to help clean up additional debris from Hurricane Helene in the western region, state officials said Friday.
According to NCDEQ, applications are being accepted for the Debris Recovery & Disposal grant program, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the American Relief Act of 2025.
The program provides up to $18 million in grants to local governments, councils of government, and nongovernment organizations, according to NCDEQ.
State officials said applications are being accepted through Sept. 14. The maximum award is $3 million. The grants may be used for up to three years.
Counties, municipalities, councils of government, and nongovernmental organizations in FEMA-declared disaster areas due to Helene are eligible for the grants, according to NCDEQ.
According to NCDEQ, eligible projects include collecting and disposing of non-hazardous debris from private or public properties, clearing and managing debris at streambanks, floodplains, farmland, and local park lands, and removing debris to improve solid waste and recycling infrastructure.
Applications may be emailed to Chris Hollinger with the Division of Waste Management at chris.hollinger@deq.nc.gov.
State officials advise applicants to email or call Hollinger at 919-707-8284 or contact Jason Watkins at jason.watkins@deq.nc.gov or 336-776-9674 to discuss the eligibility of their project before applying.
More information about applying can be found on the NCDEQ website.
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