VOLUME 11 ISSUE 21 | THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
COURTESY @NC_GOVERNOR / X
Gov. Josh Stein signed the long-awaited budget at a ceremony last week.
Stein signs state budget
the
BRIEF this week
The roughly $34 billion budget includes pay raises for teachers and law enforcement
Inflation cools as gas costs fall, underlying prices ease Washington, D.C. U.S. inflation cooled last month as the cost of gas, clothes and used cars fell, providing some relief to consumers, while underlying price pressures also eased more than expected. Prices dropped 0.4% from May to June, the largest monthly drop in four years, the Labor Department said Tuesday. On a yearly basis, inflation declined to 3.5%, down from a year-over-year gain of 4.2% in May and lower than many economists expected. Excluding the food and energy categories, core prices were unchanged in June, a positive sign that underlying inflation is cooling. On a yearly basis, core prices rose just 2.6%, down from 2.9% the previous month.
U.S.-Russian crew blast off for ISS stint Moscow A U.S.-Russian space crew blasted off successfully Tuesday on a mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 for an eightmonth stint on the orbiting outpost. Their spacecraft entered the designated orbit and is set to dock at the station three hours after the launch. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the launch, the first visit to Baikonur by a NASA chief in eight years that highlighted the ongoing cooperation in orbit between Moscow and Washington despite tensions over Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
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By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
Woodhouse resigns from auditor’s office An office spokesperson said the position was never meant to be permanent By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Dallas Woodhouse has resigned from the North Carolina State Auditor’s Office effective Monday. In his five-page resignation letter, Woodhouse framed his tenure as helping 100 county board chairs be better equipped and working on
much-needed election systems upgrades as well as early voting plans, but said, “the need for a dedicated Elections Liaison has naturally come to an end.” Woodhouse also thanked the auditor’s office staff for welcoming him and State Auditor Dave Boliek, writing it was “an honor to work for a man whose character, honesty, humility, and integrity are evident every day.” The resignation follows the Office of the State Auditor See RESIGN, page A6
RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed the roughly $34 billion state budget during a ceremony held last Tuesday in Raleigh. “These are real wins worthy of celebration, worthy of my signature,” Stein said before signing the bill. Legislative leaders issued statements on the budget being signed. “Today, the best budget in decades becomes law, delivering historic raises for teachers and law enforcement, as well as tax relief for the working men and women of our state,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) said in a statement. “There is something in this budget for every North Carolinian, and the meaningful investments we’ve made will deliver real results that strengthen our communities, put more money back in people’s pockets, and im-
Audit cites Rocky Mount utility billing confusion The city’s unauthorized schedule changes in utility bills led to complaints By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor conducted an Information Systems Audit of the City of Rocky Mount after public confusion and complaints following customers receiving two utility bills in one month. The audit found the confusion was caused by unauthorized schedule changes, not overbilling. Additional discoveries revealed that two city council members accumulat-
ed unpaid utility bills while continuing to receive utility services. “This new report details mistakes made by the City’s billing department that led to confusion regarding bills received by the public,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek in a press release. “It also shines a light on Rocky Mount officials who had delinquent bills. Rocky Mount continues to face financial and personnel issues that need to be addressed. “The State Auditor’s Office will not stop providing much-needed transparency to the people of Rocky Mount, so that they can make informed, educated decisions on what’s best for their community.” See AUDIT, page A6
“Rocky Mount continues to face financial and personnel issues that need to be addressed.” Dave Boliek, state auditor
prove lives across our state.” “Republican fiscal policies resulted in an incredible decade of success and economic growth,” Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) said in a post on X, containing a link to an extended set of remarks. “Senate Republicans fought to secure a budget that would continue those efforts, and the budget Gov. Stein signed does just that. It continues to slash tax rates for all North Carolinians and prioritize the needs of our citizens, not bureaucrats.” Stein said the budget “gets a lot of things right” but also said he “won’t sweep this budget’s flaws under the rug.” During the signing ceremony, Stein praised the budget for delivering the largest starting teacher pay raise in nearly 50 years and the largest overall teacher pay increase in 15 years. He also touted fully funding Medicaid, providing double-digit raises for state law enforcement officers and bonuses for local ones, and allocating another $700 million for Hurricane Helene recovery in Western North Carolina. See BUDGET, page A2