Longtime New Bern community leader Linda J. Staunch has received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Staunch was surprised with the award during the North Carolina Symphony’s Concert in Your Community Patriotic Pops event celebrating America 250 in New Bern. Former Gov. Beverly Perdue presented the award.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary service and dedication to the state of North Carolina, according to a release.

According to the North Carolina Symphony, Staunch has been a trustee of the North Carolina Symphony Society since 2006 and served as the founding president of the Symphony’s Craven County Chapter.

In many respects, she is the face of the North Carolina Symphony in New Bern and across the region,” said Sandi Macdonald, president and CEO of the North Carolina Symphony. “The Symphony’s thriving presence in New Bern and throughout Craven and Jones counties would not exist without Mrs. Staunch’s vision and leadership.

Beyond her work in the arts, Staunch has been recognized for decades of service in education, community development, church leadership and civic organizations throughout eastern North Carolina.

An ambassador for the city, Linda is known for her tireless energy and integrity, making New Bern and Craven County a better place to live and work,” said Jeff Minges, president and CEO of Minges Bottling Group.

Staunch also played a key role in organizing New Bern’s 100th anniversary celebration of Pepsi-Cola in 1998 and has spent more than five decades serving First Presbyterian Church.

Linda Staunch is the very definition of an exemplary ambassador for the State of North Carolina,” said Rev. Anna Pinckney Straight, pastor of First Presbyterian Church.

She is widely regarded as the go-to person in New Bern — someone who brings people together, connects organizations, and gets things done,” Macdonald added.

The award was presented during opening remarks before the concert, honoring Staunch’s lasting impact on New Bern, eastern North Carolina and the state of North Carolina.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing age restrictions on the sale of hemp consumables and kratom.

Senate Bill 59 would prohibit the sale of hemp-derived consumable products to anyone under the age of 21 in the state. It would also require the seller to verify a buyer’s age.

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The bill also makes it unlawful for anyone under the age of 21 to possess hemp-derived consumable products.

Do you think North Carolina should prohibit anyone under 21 from buying hemp-derived consumables? Answer our local question:

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A North Carolina bill that would halt this year’s home reappraisals in Buncombe County has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is headed to the governor for final action. The measure would also pause new property tax revaluations in several other counties.

Even if the governor vetoes the measure, political experts say supporters likely have enough votes to override that veto and enact Senate Bill 889, known as the Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium. The bill would halt new property tax revaluations not only in Buncombe County but in several other counties across the state.

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The legislation comes after Buncombe County completed its latest property revaluation. The average Buncombe County home is now assessed at about $500,000 for tax purposes, up from an average assessed value of roughly $350,000 before the revaluation. The change translates to more tax collection for the county to run government and public services.

Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers of the legislature, say SB 889 is intended to protect homeowners from rapidly increasing tax bills tied to rising property values.

“Clearly it’s a concern about local government spending,” said Chris McLaughlin, a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government whose expertise includes local government tax and finance issues.

“Anything’s possible,” McLaughlin said of efforts to limit tax increases. “But I would then ask, how are we going to pay for the services we all expect and want, like fire protection and police and roads and parks?”

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The debate mirrors discussions taking place in states like Florida as homeowners grapple with rising housing costs and inflation.

“It is absolutely a national question,” said Chris Cooper, chair of the political science department at Western Carolina University.

“What the Republicans are arguing in the North Carolina General Assembly, the majority, are arguing is we’re in a time of high inflation, we’re in a time of people being pinched economically, therefore we want to make sure property taxes hold before the revaluation so they cannot get priced out of their homes,” Cooper said.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed changes aimed at significantly reducing homeowners’ property tax bills. Part of his argument is that local governments have nearly doubled their revenue collections over the past seven years, according to DeSantis.

Among DeSantis’ proposals is raising Florida’s homestead tax exemption to $250,000. Under that plan, local and state governments would not collect property taxes on the first $250,000 of a home’s assessed value.