Open up the records of public employees
Last July, The Smoky Mountain News produced a series of stories looking into police reform following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and other incidents of violence by law enforcement officers. One of the takeaways from that reporting was that good law enforcement officers are, perhaps, more critical of bad cops than the general public.
Mask mandates lifted amid plummeting COVID-19 numbers
New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are falling toward the lowest levels seen since the pandemic took root.
Funding coming for telepsychiatry in schools — if N.C. budget passes
A conversation between Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, D-Rocky Mount, seems to indicate that Cooper will likely abandon his hard stance on Medicaid expansion and pass a budget this year.
North Carolina ‘driving’ toward more diverse corps of educators
North Carolina’s population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse every day, but according to a report issued by Gov. Roy Cooper’s DRIVE Task Force, its educators don’t nearly reflect that diversity.
The DRIVE report , which stands for “Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education,” was issued this past Jan. 1 after Cooper called for a task force that was eventually convened in May 2020.
Increased benefits for pregnant women focus of Sen. Corbin bill
When Republican Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, announced during a March 25 listening session at Southwestern Community College that he intended to file a bill addressing the health care coverage gap, he also said he hadn’t quite formulated the particulars of it because he wanted to introduce something that would pass the Republican-controlled legislature.
Kings Mountain gaming to start this summer
A federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Interior’s decision to allow the South Carolina-based Catawba Indian Nation to build a casino in Cleveland County is far from resolution, but the tribe is proceeding with plans to begin gaming on the site — though at a slower pace than originally intended.
Sen. Corbin again leads health care push
With the support of a bi-partisan panel including commissioners from Macon and Graham counties as well as the head of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, announced he’d soon file a bill intended to close the health insurance coverage gap in North Carolina.
Transparency efforts underway for cops, teachers, other gov’t employees
For the very first time, the North Carolina General Assembly will consider giving the public meaningful access to personnel records that have long been hidden.
Top to bottom, prognosis for NC economic recovery is good
North Carolina’s fiscal and economic health, along with years of budgetary discipline and a commitment to economic freedom, bode well for a sustained long-term economic recovery so long as policymakers continue prudent decision making — particularly in regard to worker regulations and market restrictions.
Bit by bit, major investments bring broadband to the mountains
After years of pecking away at Western North Carolina’s broadband problem at the state level, a large-scale federal investment in rural broadband access could bring a game-changing impact for schools, businesses and entrepreneurs across the country, state and region.