VOLUME 9 ISSUE 5
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2024
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BRIEF this week
LGC approves multiple projects Raleigh The North Carolina Local Government Commission approved several requests tied to population growth in Haywood County and Huntersville at its March 5 meeting. The Town of Huntersville’s request was approved for $32 million in bonds by the Local Government Commission (LGC) for new town hall construction. Haywood County was given the nod for $28.5 million in bonds for jail expansion and updates. Approvals were also given for various infrastructure projects, jail expansions and affordable housing in other areas of the state. Concord received $25 million in revenue bonds for water, wastewater, and electric system improvements; Beaufort was approved for $18 million in interim financing for infrastructure improvements; Charlotte will get nearly $4 million in financing to consolidate Charlotte Water operations; Pembroke will receive $2.3 million in financing, $865,625 of which will pay for a maintenance contract for radio-controlled water meters and meterreading equipment and $1.4 million will go to loan refinancing of a recreation complex; Kernersville was approved for $2.5 million in installment purchase for various projects; and Forest City will get a $650,000 lease-to-purchase agreement for a flood-reducing truck. Additionally, the N.C. Housing Finance Agency was approved for $13.2 million in revenue bonds for affordable housing development in Kannapolis. Inlivian Housing Authority was also granted approval for $11.5 million in conduit revenue bonds for affordable housing development in Charlotte. The financing will be provided to Ballantyne Housing for a 60-unit multifamily rental housing development.
Wray drops protests, concedes defeat Halifax Ten-term Rep. Michael Wray announced he wouldn’t ask the State Board of Elections to review the decisions by elections boards in Warren, Northampton and Halifax counties, dismissing his formal protests in the 27th House District primary race. Wray also had asked each board to conduct recounts, the final one of which was completed Monday. But the recounts in all three counties resulted in no changes to the tallies, board officials said. Rodney Pierce finished 34 votes ahead of Wray after nearly 12,000 ballots were cast. Since there is no Republican challenger for the seat, Pierce, a schoolteacher in Northampton County, will replace Wray, who had held the seat since 2005.
AP PHOTOS
How sweet it is!
All three Triangle teams advanced to the Sweet 16, winning their first two NCAA Tournament games last week. DJ Burns Jr. (left) and NC State, the South Region’s 11th seed, will face second-seeded Marquette on Friday night. Armando Bacot (center) and West No. 1 seed UNC play fourth-seeded Alabama in Los Angeles, while Jared McCain (right) and Duke — the fourth seed in the South — play Friday after the Wolfpack in Dallas against top-seeded Houston. See more in Sports
Looking back at pandemic school closures North Carolina students are still battling the effects of the COVID-19 shutdown four years later
NC legislators celebrate Howard Coble Day Much of the state’s Congressional delegation decked out in plaid to honor the late politician By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Members of both parties of North Carolina’s congressional delegation came together to celebrate late colleague Howard Coble. “I’m proud to join my colleagues to honor the life and legacy of the former Dean of the North Carolina Delegation, Congressman Howard Coble,” said Rep. Richard Hudson (R-09) in a statement. “Howard dedicated his life to serving North Carolina, doing so with kindness, humility, and integrity. He was a passionate leader, guided by his conservative principles and values. He set the standard for constituent service, working every day on behalf of the people of North Carolina. Howard was a mentor for me and so many others and left a lasting impact that we
“Howard dedicated his life to serving North Carolina, doing so with kindness, humility, and integrity.” Rep. Richard Hudson (R-09) will never forget.” Coble was also widely known for his penchant for snazzy plaid jackets. To honor Coble’s memory, Hudson and other members of the North Carolina delegation have continued a tradition of wearing madras or plaid blazers around Coble’s birthday each year. A North Carolina native, Coble was born in Greensboro on March 18, 1931, and passed away on Nov. 3, 2015. Coble, a Republican, served the citizens of the 6th District from 1985 to 2015. Before his role as a congressman, Coble served in the House of North Carolina General Assembly starting in 1979.
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Earlier this month, the anniversary of one of the most impactful and controversial decisions in North Carolina education history passed without so much as a mention from state officials. On March 10, 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper issued executive order No. 116, declaring a state of emergency because of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Four days later, Cooper followed that with executive order No. 117, which prohibited mass gatherings and also closed public schools through the end of the month. Just over six weeks later, Cooper announced all schools would remain closed through the rest of the school year. N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Mandy Cohen, now director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Biden administration, unveiled the “Strong Schools Toolkit” in June 2020 to provide guidance during the pandemic. The 26-page Toolkit contained requirements for school
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
From left to right, Reps. Don Davis, Deborah Ross, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Alma Adams, Chuck Edwards, Jeff Jackson and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina pose for a photo to honor late Congressman Harold Coble in Washington, D.C.
See PANDEMIC, page A8
Robinson, GOP leaders want answers on terror suspect Awet Hagos was arrested in Eure on March 11 following a four-hour standoff with police
PHOTO COURTESY OFFICE OF REP. RICHARD HUDSON
operations, including masking, infection screening, personal protective equipment, as well as ventilation and water safety. The state’s districts would defer to the Toolkit for school reopening and masking throughout the pandemic. Cooper and Cohen relied heavily on CDC guidance, as did the Toolkit, yet that guidance would come into question a little under two years when a Congressional committee found the CDC had allowed the American Federation of Teachers to rewrite key portions of school reopening guidance that had kept most schools closed. In some cases, the CDC had used AFT’s suggestions nearly verbatim. In mid-July, Cooper held a press conference unveiling plans for schools to reopen while implementing moderate social distancing with 50% rotating attendance capacity and “blended learning.” As the 2020-21 school year began, Republican lawmakers pressed Cooper to end all remote instruction and return children to the classroom. Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden), former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and State Superintendent candidate Catherine Truitt held a press conference during which Berger called remote learning “a slow-motion train wreck.”
RALEIGH — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson announced during a press conference last week that a man who was apprehended in the town of Eure by the Gates County Sheriff’s Office on March 11 may be on the terror watch list. Robinson said during the press conference that he sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding answers from his administration about Awet Hagos, who was arrested fol-
lowing a four-hour standoff with police. “I applaud Gates County Sheriff Ray Campbell and his team for getting this dangerous criminal off the street,” Robinson said in a statement. “Our brave law enforcement professionals are a credit to the people of North Carolina. Their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to keep our comSee TERROR, page A2
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