North Carolina
Weekend reads: Junk fees, book challenges, free voter ID, and when the streams run orange | NC Newsline
In Biden’s war on junk fees, North Carolina’s senior senator pushes back
By Clayton Henkel
In a hot housing market, prospective renters can’t afford to be indecisive. Decide to sleep on it overnight and the property may be snapped up by someone else. But today’s rental market can also place a burden on even the most exp
editious renters with application fees, credit checks, move in fees and other “convenience” surcharges.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced plans to crack down on rental junk fees.
And last week, a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs began examining how such fees were applied across multiple industries impacting American consumers.
“Not all fees are the same,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). “Some fees are excessively high. Some fees are unclear. And some fees exist solely so that large corporations can pad their bottom lines on the backs of hard-working families.” [Read more…]
When the streams run orange: VinFast site pouring dirt into waterways without penalty
By Lisa Sorg
While VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle company, officially broke ground on their manufacturing plant in Chatham County last Friday, for the past seven months the company has been moving mounds of dirt around — dirt that has entered and damaged two streams and at least one wetland, but without penalty by state regulators.
Sedimentation in waterways is a serious problem. There are rules governing how much dirt can leave a development site and enter waterways, because bacteria can hitchhike on the sediment particles, entering the drinking water supply. The excess sediment can make it more difficult for utilities to treat and filter drinking water. And when too much dirt enters a waterway it can kill aquatic life, and ruin or impair its habitat. [Read more…]
State Board of Education denies charter school’s relocation request
By Greg Childress
The State Board of Education on Thursday denied Dogwood Classical Academy’s request to relocate to Iredell County on a 6-3 vote.
The K-8 school is scheduled to open next year in Cabarrus County. School officials requested the move to Iredell County after having trouble finding an affordable school site in Cabarrus County.
State board members discussed the relocation on Wednesday but did not comment on Dogwood Classical’s request before Thursday’s vote. [Read more…]
As the school year starts, districts prepare for onslaught of book challenges by conservatives
By Greg Childress
North Carolina has become what demographers and political pundits call a minority-majority system of public schools. That means nonwhite students outnumber their white counterparts.
This new dynamic, says Michelle Burton, a veteran school library media specialist with Durham Public Schools, has fueled a backlash against what’s taught about America’s racist past, as well as reading materials that school libraries make available to children. [Read more…]
Video gambling companies keep losing NC courts, but the legislature could make some machines legal
By Lynn Bonner
As North Carolina legislators consider expanding casino gambling beyond those owned by American Indian tribes, the latest chapter in the years-long court battles over electronic sweepstakes in the state ended this week with a loss for gaming companies operating in Catawba County.
The legislature has passed several laws since 2000 to limit — and then ban — video poker and electronic sweepstakes. In response, gaming companies tinkered with rules and software in efforts to get around the prohibitions.
That’s where “fish tables” come in. [Read more…]
NC county boards of election offering free photo IDs for voting
By Lynn Bonner
Registered voters can now obtain free photo ID from their county boards of election.
Voters will be asked to show photo identification when they cast ballots in municipal elections this fall. Drivers licenses, state ID cards, passports and other forms of identification can be used.
The state Board of Elections announced Wednesday that county election offices are ready to offer IDs to registered voters who don’t have any of the other acceptable forms of identification. [Read more…]
A job well done: Pioneering NC website wraps up a long and successful run (commentary)
By Rob Schofield
Blog.
Blogger.
It’s amazing how terms that seemed so new and cutting edge just a few years ago now strike us as obsolete and almost quaint.
In the first decade of the 21st century, blogs – mostly rudimentary websites in which, typically, an individual or a small group posted a series of takes and initiated conversations with commenters on a subject or subjects – were very hip, modern and important. [Read more…]
Preliminary test results confirm areas of East Durham, Walltown parks contaminated with lead
By Lisa Sorg
Old city Sign and Signal Shop at East End Park a hot spot; Lyon Park, Northgate in the clear
Contractors hired by the City of Durham have found hotspots of lead-contaminated soil at two parks, as well as at the old Sign and Signal Shop, prompting officials to fence off the affected areas no later than today.
According to an update from the City published last night, these parks have lead above the EPA’s action level of 400 parts per million for playgrounds: [Read more…]
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt reports ‘incredible’ gains in K-3 reading
By Greg Childress
North Carolina’s K-3 students have made “incredible gains” in reading and fewer of them require intensive intervention, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said Thursday.
Truitt shared K-3 reading data with the State Board of Education on Wednesday that shows kindergartners making a 48% percentage jump from the beginning of the 2022-23 school year to the end on assessments that measure whether students read well enough to receive instruction in group settings. [Read more…]
Bonus read: As summer slips away, school safety takes center stage
North Carolina
Tropical weather update for Wilmington: What we can expect and when
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor a tropical depression over Cuba. It’s expected to become a tropical storm later Saturday, bringing impacts to the Carolinas around the middle of next week.
Heavy rainfall and flooding are the primary impacts expected, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
“Gusty winds are also possible, but it is too early to predict specific impacts in great detail at this time,” the weather service said.
At the same time, there is the potential for heavy rainfall and some flooding associated with front expected to stall inland this weekend.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the center of the tropical depression, which would be name Debby if it becomes a tropical storm, was over Cuba and moving west-northwest near 15 mph. The hurricane center said a turn toward the northwest is forecast for Saturday, followed by a northward motion on Sunday and then a slower northeastwardmotion Sunday night and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph. Slow strengthening is expected throughout the day Saturday. Faster strengthening is possible Sunday, with the storm nearing hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast, the hurricane center said.
STORM TRACKER: Monitor the latest tropical developments here.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in the Wilmington area, according to the latest briefing from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
Wind
The probability of tropical storm force winds has increased, especially for the South Carolina coast. The most likely time of arrival of for northeast South Carolina is Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and for Southeastern North Carolina is during Wednesday morning.
Rain
The potential for significant rainfall exists with 8 to 12 inches possible from near Cape Fear to portions of thenortheast South Carolina coast. Flash flooding and urban flooding are possible. Some rivers, including the North Cape Fear River and the Waccamaw River, could exceed flood stage next week.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Enter your address to see hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed nearby
Marine impacts
Rough surf, including dangerous rip currents, and hazardous marine conditions are expected this weekend and will persist into the upcoming week.
Are you prepared for a hurricane?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the NC coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.
GET READY: Are you prepared for a hurricane? Here’s what to know if you live in the Wilmington area.
North Carolina
Tropical Depression Four forms on its way to the Gulf of Mexico
As of the 5 AM update Friday, Tropical Depression Four has formed. Areas along the East Coast including North Carolina need to continue monitoring this system. Winds are at 30 MPH and gusts are up to 40 MPH. The pressure dropped to 1009 mb and is moving to the west at 16 mph. TD 4 is expected to become Tropical Storm Debby over the weekend. Tuesday night and Wednesday are First Alert Weather Days due to the threat to ENC from this system but we may need to adjust the timing as we get closer.
It’ll move slowly before escaping to the north next week. As it moves up the East Coast, there’s a lot more uncertainty about the track and threats. We expect the track of this system to change through the weekend and even into next week. If ENC sees impacts from this system, they’d likely come mid-week. The longer this system stays over land, the weaker it’ll be. It’ll have the chance to strengthen if it moves back over open water, especially if it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
The speed of this system is just as important as the strength. The quicker it moves through, the less rain piles up. If it slows down or stalls, higher rainfall amounts would be expected. Our river levels have dropped a bit since July’s wet weather, but levels are still higher than what you’d find in a typical August.
This is a reminder that we are heading into the heart of the hurricane season and to make sure your emergency supplies are ready.
Stay with WITN and WITN.com as we continue to track this system over the coming days and monitor the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
Copyright 2024 WITN. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
Alabama man on work trip stops to buy $3 quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot
Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Alabama was on a work trip in Hickory, North Carolina, when he thought he’d try his luck on a lotto game. It turned out to be a lucrative Powerball win.
An Alabama man on a work trip in North Carolina bought a $3 Quick Pick Powerball ticket on a whim and walked away with a six-figure windfall.
Christopher Baker of Leesburg in northeastern Alabama bought his lucky ticket in July in Hickory, North Carolina, where had been traveling for work, according to Powerball.
When the numbers were drawn, Baker says he had to do a double-take when he realized he had a $100,000 winning ticket. He had matched four white balls and the red Powerball, which would have been $50,000, but a 2X multiplier doubled the win and the disbelief.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right,” he laughed, according to Powerball. “I told my family but they didn’t believe me. either.”
Baker, who called his win “a shocker.” said he plans to save his winnings to buy a house.
Baker will take home $71,501 after federal and state taxes are withheld.
How to play the Powerball
In order to purchase a $2 Powerball ticket, you’ll have to visit your local convenience store, gas station or grocery store − and in a handful of states, you can purchase tickets online.
To play, you will need to pick six numbers in total to mark on your ticket. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69. The Powerball is red and one number which is between 1 and 26.
If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can add a “Power Play” for $1 which increases the winnings for all non-jackpot prizes. This addition can multiply winnings by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.
Players can also ask a cashier for a “Quick Pick” where a cashier will give you a computer generated numbers on a printed Powerball ticket.
Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. If there’s no jackpot winner, the cash prize will increase by millions.
Where to purchase tickets
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.
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