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‘They are calling us expendable’: NC House proposes 7.5% raise for state workers

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‘They are calling us expendable’: NC House proposes 7.5% raise for state workers


RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina Home Republicans launched a finances plan on Wednesday that proposes a 7.5% elevate for all state workers over the subsequent two years, with 4.25% within the first yr and three.25% the second yr.

“When legislators write a finances that does not sustain with inflation and assigns state workers a decrease degree of significance than different public servants, they’re calling us expendable,” the State Staff Affiliation of North Carolina mentioned. “State workers both matter or they do not. The Basic Meeting must do a lot better than this to persuade workers that they care concerning the understaffing disaster plaguing state authorities.”

The finances plan comes as almost 1 / 4 of the state authorities jobs are vacant, with departments such because the Well being and Human Companies and Agriculture and Shopper Companies dealing with the best emptiness charges.

“Our emptiness fee is at the moment 17 %, 9 % of our workers might retire with full advantages proper now, 11.5 % can retire inside the subsequent yr and 25 % of our workers can be eligible for full retirement in 5 years or much less,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler mentioned. “We have to spend money on workers now to make sure we are able to proceed to supply the companies all of us count on and wish.”

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Dr. James Trybus, who works on the state veterinary lab in Raleigh, mentioned they’ve 15 vacancies, which leaves his staff struggling to maintain up with the demand within the agriculture business.

“They’re coming in early, they’re staying late, they’re working weekends,” Trybus mentioned. “When we have now an animal illness occasion, that is an all-consuming occasion.”

Trybus mentioned they needed to briefly droop a lab in Elkin, which is positioned within the Triad space, as a consequence of having no workers. It is a main loss to the poultry-dense space that is susceptible to infectious illnesses, just like the bird-flu outbreak.

“The earlier that we are able to establish an infectious illness that permits it to be contained, then hopefully restrict the unfold,” Trybus mentioned. “So the lack of that laboratory having the ability to supply these companies at that laboratory, there’s some concern concerning the delay and prognosis of the illness.”

The pressure that staffing shortages have on the division is widespread.

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“The Division of Well being and Human Companies has a 28% emptiness fee,” Secretary Kody Kinsley mentioned. “We’re working a relay race and each 4th particular person is not there to catch the baton.”

Kinsley mentioned this inhibits their capability to supply vital service to North Carolina, which incorporates testing properly water and performing autopsies.

“It’s compensation,” Kinsley mentioned. “We’re in a spot and a time when folks could make appreciable wages in a whole lot of entry-level jobs that we do not start to compete with the present wage.”

SEANC govt director Ardis Watkins echoed Kinsley.

“State workers do not receives a commission sufficient, it is actually so simple as that,” Watkins mentioned. “37% of recent hires depart the state within the first yr of employment. That is why it is a disaster.”

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Watkins mentioned the state has the cash to considerably improve the pay, however it’s a matter of priorities.

“We might improve advantages, which can be a cash challenge, and I believe that may most likely get some folks to remain,” Watkins mentioned. “However we’re in a job market the place the state has to face the very fact we (are) an employer and so to maintain workers, you must do one thing that resonates with them and proper now, if they will go down the road and make a time and a half their wage, they’ll depart.”

The finances invoice might nonetheless change earlier than it finally ends up on Governor Roy Cooper’s desk, who had known as for an 8% elevate for state workers and just lately signed an govt order that goals to recruit extra folks with out an educational diploma for state jobs.

“Vacancies in state authorities make it difficult to supply the vital public companies wanted by North Carolinians and extra motion have to be taken to verify North Carolina can proceed to compete for public service expertise,” the Workplace of Governor Roy Cooper mentioned in an announcement.



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North Carolina

Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal

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Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal


Associated Press

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 53-36 victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis on Sunday.

The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday’s first semifinal.

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Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers.

Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Tar Heels held Villonova’s leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line.

Ustby had seven points and Donarski scored five to guide the Tar Heels to a 17-7 lead after one quarter.

Donarski scored five more in the third quarter to help North Carolina turn a 30-18 lead at halftime into a 44-23 advantage heading to the final period.

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North Carolina shot 40% from the floor, made 5 of 17 from beyond the arc (29.4%) and 4 of 6 at the foul line.

Villanova shot 23.5% overall but made 5 of 18 from distance (27.8%) and 7 of 10 free throws.

The Tar Heels scored 15 points off of 21 Villanova turnovers. They turned it over 14 times but it led to only three points for the Wildcats.

North Carolina outscored Villanova 30-14 in the paint and never trailed.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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People gather for NC Museum of History's annual American Indian Heritage Celebration in Raleigh

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People gather for NC Museum of History's annual American Indian Heritage Celebration in Raleigh


RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — November is Native American Heritage Month, and it’s a time to celebrate the traditions and cultures of the many Native American communities across North Carolina.

On Friday and Saturday, the North Carolina Museum of History held its annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. People learned about Native American history through live performances, food, art, storytelling and more.

Since the history museum is closed for renovation, the celebration was held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

“Our songs, our dances, our stories, our language–it’s all medicine to us,” Community Programs Coordinator of NC Museum of History Kaya Littleturtle said at last year’s celebration. “Medicine is anything that makes you well be it physical, spiritual, emotional, all those things are medicine. We hope is that people come out here and they learn about those things, to help uplift us as a people. We hope that it inspires them to go get engaged with things to help uplift them as a people.

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This was the 29th year of the celebration.

Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Eli Pancol helps Duke football beat Virginia Tech, keep spot as North Carolina’s top team

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Eli Pancol helps Duke football beat Virginia Tech, keep spot as North Carolina’s top team


Duke hasn’t played pretty football at times, but the Blue Devils have consistently proven to be the top team in North Carolina. 

After beating UNC (6-5, 3-4) and N.C. State (5-6, 2-5) earlier this year, Duke (8-3, 4-3 ACC) will go for the Tobacco Road sweep in the regular-season finale at Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5) on Nov. 30 (Noon, ACC Network).

Because of their consistently dominant defense and the ability to handle in-game adversity, the Blue Devils are in position to win double-digit games for just the second time in program history. 

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That’s quite a debut for first-year coach Manny Diaz, who has helped the Blue Devils win five of their six one-score games this season, including a 31-28 victory against Virginia Tech on Saturday in the home finale at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke report card vs Virginia Tech

Here’s what and who stood out on senior night in Duke’s eighth win of the 2024 college football season. 

Duke wide receiver Eli Pancol caps comeback with special finale at Wallace Wade Stadium

Eli Pancol, Duke’s sixth-year wide receiver who missed the 2023 season with an injury, capped his comeback with an incredible performance in the final home game of his career. 

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Eli Pancol’s incredible comeback story

Finishing with five catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns, Pancol did most of that damage on two of the first four plays when he had an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown, followed by a 77-yard catch-and-run TD. In his final two games at Wallace Wade Stadium, Pancol combined for 16 catches for 326 yards and four touchdowns. 

Ozzie Nicholas, Cam Bergeron, Kendy Charles shine for Duke football defense 

Pancol wasn’t the only senior to shine Saturday night against the Hokies. Duke’s top three tacklers were seniors, combining for 31 tackles, including three for loss. Princeton graduate transfer Ozzie Nicholas, Duke’s leading tackler, led the way again with 11 tackles. Fellow linebacker Cam Bergeron and defensive tackle Kendy Charles each had 10 tackles. 

Overall, Duke had 14 tackles for loss, including eight sacks. The Blue Devils have consistently been among the top five teams in the nation at creating havoc for offenses as a steady presence in the backfield. It’s the main reason Duke is in position to reach 10 wins this season. 

Manny Diaz keeps proving he was right hire for Blue Devils 

Duke has won 10 games once since 1922, getting it done in 2013 under former coach David Cutcliffe, who helped resurrect a struggling program. Following Cutcliffe’s departure, Mike Elko won nine games in his first season and eight in his second before bolting to Texas A&M. 

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After a successful stint as a defensive coordinator at Penn State, Diaz got a second head-coaching opportunity when Duke hired him in December 2023. In three seasons as the head coach at Miami, Diaz had one year with eight wins. He accomplished that in his debut year at Duke, putting the program in position to join an exclusive club if the Devils can win their final two games. 

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.



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