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North Carolina

Helene relief bill that strips incoming governor of power could see veto override vote this week

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Helene relief bill that strips incoming governor of power could see veto override vote this week


RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — This week, state lawmakers are expected to resume debate on SB 382 — the controversial bill that ties hundreds of millions of dollars in new disaster relief funding for Hurricane Helene to sweeping changes in state law.

The General Assembly is set to return Monday, where work on overriding Governor Cooper’s recent veto of the bill could begin.

Cooper vetoed SB 382 last week, calling the bill a “sham” and criticizing Republicans for tying relief to legal changes. Among other changes, SB 382 would change North Carolina election law — giving voters less time to fix issues with their provisional ballots — and strip certain powers away from the Governor and Attorney General. It includes $227 in new funding for Helene relief.

“Two months since Helene, there’s a lot of progress being made, but there’s still so far to go,” said Charity Honeycutt, a Burnsville native who has spent the last two months shuttling supplies and aid from Tennessee across the border into Western North Carolina. Those efforts have blossomed into a new non-profit, Mountain Strong.

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SEE ALSO | 2 months after Helene, some Western North Carolina survivors move into temporary housing

“We’ve raised a substantial amount of money, but that doesn’t even you know, come close to, you know, dipping a toe and just what our community actually needs,” Honeycutt said.

Republicans have so far downplayed the political aspects of SB 382, saying they’re doing what they can to get help out West.

“We want to do this in a way where we’re certainly going to give them the funding that they need, but we want to make sure the funding is going towards putting people back in their homes, rebuilding businesses,” said Destin Hall, the newly chosen House Speaker.

Charity called the debate “frustrating”, but said it emboldens volunteers to do the hard work they’re focused on.

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“They have their priorities, but that’s where the Appalachians have shown their resilience, honestly taking matters into their own hands and there’s been organizations like ours that have formed and are trying to get money into the hands of the people that need it most as quickly as possible.”

SEE ALSO | Some socially vulnerable communities taking longer to recover from Hurricane Helene

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Ohio State’s Michael Adedokun, North Carolina’s Kate Faasse win Hermann Trophy

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Ohio State’s Michael Adedokun, North Carolina’s Kate Faasse win Hermann Trophy


Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ohio State senior midfielder Michael Adedokun and North Carolina junior forward Kate Faasse were voted Hermann Trophy winners Friday as the top college soccer players in the United States.

Adedokun had 11 goals and 11 assists as Ohio State reached the College Cup semifinals. He was selected by Montreal with the 13th overall pick in last month’s Major League Soccer draft.

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Faasse scored an NCAA-leading 20 goals, including four in the NCAA tournament as the Tar Heels won their 23rd title.

Voting by coaches is conducted annually by the Missouri Athletic Club.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Wilmington once again tops study of top destinations for movers in USA

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Wilmington once again tops study of top destinations for movers in USA


WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – For the second time in three years, Wilmington, North Carolina topped metro areas across the country when it came to where Americans moved in 2024, according to a study by United Van Lines.

The company released its 48th Annual Movers Study this week, with Wilmington topping the list of Metropolitan Statistical Areas with an 83% of moves being inbound and 17% outbound, ahead of Springfield (Missouri), Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) and Flagstaff (Arizona). You can see the list of highest-ranking cities by clicking here to visit the United Van Lines website. Wilmington also topped the same study in 2022.

When it comes to the most popular states seeing more inbound moves, the UVL study found “..West Virginia was the state with the highest percentage of inbound migration (66%), among states experiencing more than 250 moves* with United Van Lines”, according to a news release. North Carolina came in at #5 for most inbound moves. For the seventh year in a row, the study lists New Jersey with having more residents than any other state moving out, at 67% outbound.

According to the news release, the 2024 study “…shows for the first time in decades, the primary driver for moving interstate was a desire to be closer to family (28%)” than other reasons.

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Gov. Josh Stein signs 5 executive orders for faster relief efforts in Western N.C.

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Gov. Josh Stein signs 5 executive orders for faster relief efforts in Western N.C.


ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) – During his second day in office, Former North Carolina Attorney General and now our state’s governor, Josh Stein signed five Hurricane Helene recovery executive orders.

Stein says each order will address issues that need immediate attention.

This comes as more than 12,000 people are without safe housing, and an estimated 8,000 private roads and bridges need to be repaired or replaced in Western North Carolina.

“We want every dollar dedicated to recovery whether federal, state, local or charitable to be spent as efficiently, impactfully and quickly as possible,” said Stein. “Folks have to have a safe place to live.”

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The first executive order will increase the supply of temporary housing.

The second order will enable the state to repair private roads and bridges faster. Stein says that’s necessary for people and especially emergency vehicles to access homes.

The third order creates the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, or GROW NC. Which is now a division within the office of the Governor for the next year.

The fourth order establishes a governor’s advisory committee to advise GROW NC to meet the community’s needs quickly and cost-effectively.

The final order authorizes 16 additional hours of leave for state employees to volunteer for storm-related efforts.

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“The needs facing this region are vast and require immediate attention,” said Stein. “I pledge to do everything in my power as governor to accelerate recovery and the rebuilding of a more resilient region for the long haul.”

Stein says the total losses are estimated to be close to $60 billion dollars. All of the orders are effective immediately.



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