VOLUME 11 ISSUE 17 | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO
Perfect storm
Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker kisses the Stanley Cup after Carolina beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Sunday’s Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to win their first championship in 20 years.
Stevens resigns House seat
the
BRIEF this week
The Surry County Republican is shifting focus to her Supreme Court campaign
Leicester chef wins James Beard Award New York The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars were announced Monday, and a Buncombe County chef was among those honored. Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester was named Best Chef in the Southeast, one of 25 categories of restaurants, chefs and others that were honored at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards in Chicago. The James Beard Foundation established the awards in 1990. Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting.
Blanche set for July confirmation hearings for attorney general Washington, D.C. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled confirmation hearings for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in mid-July, even as some Republicans remain undecided about whether to support him for the post. President Donald Trump nominated Blanche to lead the Justice Department this month, shortly after Blanche sparred with Republican senators in a contentious meeting about a $1.776 billion settlement fund. Blanche later testified that the fund would not go forward. But some Republican senators say they want more assurances from Blanche before they vote to confirm him as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Trump fired his first attorney general of this term, Pam Bondi, in April, and elevated Blanche to be acting attorney general.
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By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
Property tax bill heads to Stein The legislation would put a one-year moratorium on county reappraisals By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A bill placing a one-year moratorium on county property tax reappraisals is headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. Senate Bill 889 passed the Senate by a vote of 35-8 in ear-
ly May and was passed by the House on June 10 by a vote of 70-42. Four House Democrats voted with Republicans for passage: Reps. Maria Cervania (Wake), Garland Pierce (Scotland), Dante Pittman (Wilson) and Shelly Willingham (Edgecombe). For the 2026-27 fiscal year, certain counties will have to use property values from the See TAX, page A2
RALEIGH — North Carolina House Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) resigned Tuesday so she can shift her focus to her campaign for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. “After careful consideration, I have decided to devote my full time and energy to my campaign for the North Carolina Supreme Court,” Stevens wrote. “I believe this next step will allow me to continue serving the people of North Carolina and upholding the rule of law in a new capacity.” Stevens said it was “one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the people of North Carolina in the House of Representatives.” She also said she was “deeply grateful” for the trust the citizens of the counties she served, as well as the friendships and partnerships
Senate bill addresses social media, AI, kids “This legislation really is a simple truth that our children need protection and our parents need additional tools in their toolbox to protect their children.” Sen. Dana Jones (R-Forsyth)
The legislation targets social media use by children under 16 and would require formal AI policies and training in K-12 schools By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A bill aimed at protecting children 16 and under from “addictive” social media received approval from the North Carolina Senate last week. House Bill 301 would set up new rules for social media platforms while also including artificial intelligence (AI) education and safety standards for the state’s K-12 public schools.
The bill was filed by Sen. Dana Jones (R-Forsyth), who spoke on the measure before the Senate unanimously passed it by a vote of 48-0. “This legislation really is a simple truth that our children need protection and our parents need additional tools in their toolbox to protect their children,” Jones said. The social media portion of the bill creates a new law defining “addictive” platforms as those built around endless scrolling, unblockable push alerts, auto-play videos, live streaming and reaction counters. Definitions also include algorithms that push content specifically on sites where at See BILL, page A8
she gained while at the General Assembly. “I am especially proud of the work we accomplished together on judicial reform, infrastructure improvements, education initiatives, foster care reform, and efforts to make state government more effective and accountable to the people we serve,” Stevens wrote. Republican Party chairs for Stevens’ district will nominate her replacement, likely to be Dan Kiger, who won the March 3 primary for the District 90 seat with nearly 52% of the vote. In an exclusive interview with North State Journal, Stevens confirmed her departure after 17 years at the legislature was to concentrate on her state Supreme Court candidacy. Stevens is challenging Associate Justice Anita Earls this November. Stevens said there were “numerous reasons” why she was leaving office but admitted “fundraising is an issue” as her campaign war chest lags behind Earls. First-quarter reports for See STEVENS, page A8