VOLUME 9 ISSUE 39 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2024
NSJONLINE.COM
College hoops heating up, Sports
COURTESY UNCA
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Task Force set up a portable water filtration system at UNC Asheville to bring drinking water back to the campus’ students, faculty and staff.
the
Potable water restored at UNC Asheville
BRIEF this week
Couple injured in house explosion expected to make full recovery Union County The couple that was injured in a house explosion in Union County on Sunday morning is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Union County Emergency Services. Just before 9 a.m. on Sunday, the house on Steeple Chase Circle near N.C. 16 exploded. Authorities from multiple departments rushed to the scene, and the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. The man was flown to a burn center, and the woman was rushed to a local hospital, though crews said her injuries weren’t life-threatening.
Putin lowers nuclear threshold after Biden’s arms decision for Ukraine Moscow President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with Americansupplied longer-range missiles. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, adding that air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more. While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to such a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin’s options open. The approval demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap his nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slowmoving offensive in Ukraine as the war reached its 1,000th day.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ filtration system should supply up to 288,000 gallons per day to the campus
Gable youngest elected to NCGA in 126 years The Onslow County Republican is 22 and a senior at East Carolina University
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Newly elected 22-year-old Rep. Wyatt Gable will be the youngest and first Gen Z member elected to the General Assembly House in modern history. Clyde R. Hoey, North Carolina’s 59th governor, was 21 when he was first elected to the N.C. House of Representatives 126 years ago and served from 18981902. “It feels awesome,” Gable told North State Journal of becoming the youngest member of the General Assembly. “It’s a little weird just thinking how many people have been in the General Assembly in North Carolina, that I’ll be the youngest one,
but I am looking forward to it.” Gable was elected with more than 66% of the vote to the House District 14 seat, which covers all of Onslow County. Gable defeated Democrat Carmen Spicer by more than 8,100 votes and won in all nine precincts. Gable said that while his district trends Republican, his team didn’t take that for granted and had knocked on more than 500 doors this election cycle as well as running ads on social media platforms and contacting voters through text messaging. During his campaign, Gable ran as a “staunch conservative that will always stand up for your rights in the N.C. House.” Gable said the COVID-19 pandemic is what spurred him to run for office. “I just think kind of back in high school and college with the COVID itself, it really felt like See GABLE, page A2
ing around campus thanks to an innovative solution from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Task Force Water contractors. “The installation of this water treatment system is a key step in our process of restoring safe, running water to UNC By A.P. Dillon Asheville’s campus. I’m opNorth State Journal timistic that this project will RALEIGH — Hurricane allow the safe return of our Helene’s impact on western Bulldogs, which has been our top priority,” UNCA North Carolina’s Chancellor Kimberinfrastructure inly van Noort said in cluded widespread a press release. “We electricity outag- “The are extremely gratees, and it also shut installation ful to the U.S. Army down water proCorps of Engineers cessing and treat- of this water and to our staff who ment facilities. treatment have helped us overBoil water noticcome this challenge.” es were in place fol- system is a The Army enlowing the storm, key step in gineers installed a and institutions our process state-of-the-art porlike the Universitable purification faty of North Caro- of restoring cility on the UNCA lina at Asheville safe, running campus called a Re(UNCA) closed verse Osmosis Wadown to students water to UNC ter Purification Unit due to a lack of wa- Asheville’s (RO). The unit was ter available on set up Oct. 22 and campus. While the campus.” was done so at the recampus reopened Kimberly van quest of the Federal in late October Noort, UNCA Emergency Managewhen access to wament Agency, which ter was restored, chancellor is coordinating some students, faculty, and staff were still not cleared of the Helene recovery efforts to drink the water, resorting in the state. The RO is a temporary instead to bottled water for drinking and everyday use, emergency facility that takes such as brushing teeth. Potable water is now flow- See WATER, page A2
Folwell wants $2M in legal fees from BCBSNC “Our defense of your failed lawsuit cost the Plan $2,047,114.35.” Dale Folwell, state treasurer
The treasurer is asking for the state to be reimbursed after Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina sued following the State Health Plan’s contract being awarded to Aetna By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell is seeking more than $2 million in legal fees from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina following the conclusion of a legal dispute over the State Health Plan’s third-party administrator contract being awarded to Aetna. “Number one, you don’t get what you don’t ask for,” Folwell said during his monthly call with reporters about why he was pursu-
ing the legal fees from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). “I think when you’re the keeper of the public person, you’re watching the pennies and the paper clips, you have responsibility to collect any money that you think is owed to you,” added Folwell. BCBSNC sued after the North Carolina State Health Plan decided in December 2022 to replace BCBSNC with Aetna as the plan’s third-party adSee FOLWELL, page A3