VOLUME 11 ISSUE 8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
COURTESY @NC_GOVERNOR / X
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, seated right, looks on during a ceremony Sunday honoring the 250th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves in Historic Halifax.
Fourth of July America 250 parade on track
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BRIEF this week
Arrest made after N.C. woman claims she was set on fire Roseboro A suspect was arrested Monday after a Roseboro woman with serious burns told authorities a man had doused her with gasoline at her home and set her on fire, authorities said. The suspect was located in a wooded area behind a residence and was taken into custody without incident, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The man was served with warrants on several charges, including attempted murder and first-degree arson, the statement said. Firefighters and deputies were called to a structure fire Saturday night in the town of Roseboro and found a woman with burns over about two-thirds of her body, the sheriff’s office said in a previous statement. The woman said a man had forced his way into her home and that the suspect left the scene on a bicycle, according to the sheriff’s statement. The woman was taken to a trauma center for treatment. Her condition wasn’t disclosed.
Diplomats try to arrange more U.S.-Iran talks Islamabad Diplomats are working through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran. As Washington enacted its blockade of Iranian ports, Tehran threatened to retaliate by striking targets across the war-weary region. Though last week’s ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities.
Astronaut Christina Koch was invited to serve as the grand marshal
Eggs & Issues forum priorities remain unchanged State budget, teacher pay, property taxes and the Leandro decision dominated the annual event By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The Public School Forum of North Carolina held its annual Eggs & Issues event at the McKimmon
See FORUM, page A3
RALEIGH — North Carolina’s Semiquincentennial Committee heard updates on statewide events to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary during an April 8 meeting. The committee, co-chaired by Rep. John Blackwell (R-Burke) and Sen. Phil Alexander (R-Cleveland), received a presentation from North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Trey Allen on the 1776 North Carolina Constitution, which established the state’s first framework of self-government after independence. Allen stressed that the 1776 Constitution placed popular sovereignty front and center. “All the political power that was exercised by the first governor under the 1776 constitution and all the government officials under that constitution, as is the case today, is power
Audit finds $342K in questioned statewide costs “This annual audit gives us a chance to examine at a high level how federal grants are used in North Carolina and where there may be questionable expenditures.” Dave Boliek, state auditor
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Center on the NC State campus last Tuesday. Most of the forum’s top issues from the past two years carried over to this year’s event, such as raising teacher pay, “fully funding” state K-12 education, revamping the A-F school accountability model, and addressing “whole child” needs both in and outside of school. The event also featured
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
The report marked the first time in more than 24 years there was no large-scale waste By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The annual statewide single audit was released last week, examining $28 billion in federal grants spent by state agencies for the 2025 fiscal year. The report by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) examined $43.9 billion in federal funds and found Medicaid made up “more than half” of expenditures. A total of $28 billion in federal money received was examined, with questioned costs
totaling $342,093 across the report’s 19 findings. “The federal government administers a massive amount of funding. Look no further than the $24.7 billion flowing through Medicaid,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said in a press release. “This annual audit gives us a chance to examine at a high level how federal grants are used in North Carolina and where there may be questionable expenditures.” An “improper payment of $113,115” made by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) was found, but the report said the funds have been recouped. See AUDIT, page A2
that is delegated by the people,” Allen told the committee. Allen also highlighted the landmark 1787 Bayard v. Singleton case, decided 16 years before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Marbury v. Madison, that created the principle of judicial review in North Carolina. The committee also noted a full reprint of the 1776 North Carolina Constitution will be available later this month. The bulk of the meeting focused on celebration programming items, including concerts, parades, traveling exhibits and the time-limited return of the original Halifax Resolves. N.C. Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley, speaking on behalf of the Celebrate America Foundation, confirmed that a major patriotic parade will take place in downtown Raleigh on July 4 at 9:30 a.m. “The General Assembly got fully behind having a patriotic parade in celebration of See AMERICA 250, page A6