Jackson commissioners likely violated law by removing plaque
In response to a public records request made by The Smoky Mountain News, Jackson County Manager Kevin King revealed that commissioners not only failed to discuss in any official meeting removing plaques placed on the controversial “Sylva Sam” Confederate statue at the old courthouse in 2020, they also failed to document any deliberations — likely violating state sunshine laws.
Too little, too late: After deadline, child care funding meets only a fraction of the need
A stopgap measure that will partially fund expired federal grants for child care providers finally found Gov. Roy Cooper’s pen, but advocates maintain that it’s too little, too late — and just kicks the can down the road for another five months.
Roundtable sheds light on threat to abortion care
June 24 marked the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, 21 of 50 states have enacted some variation of abortion restrictions, whether that be an outright ban or a time limit for when the procedure can be performed.
DEQ reminds everyone that burning trash is illegal
The open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other man-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a public health risk, it’s against state law.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is reminding North Carolinians that “If it doesn’t grow, don’t burn it.”
Open burning is only allowed in limited circumstances and only for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs and yard debris.
In addition, DEQ is reminding people that careless debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina. The N.C. Forest Service may require an open burning permit before certain fires are lit, including fires in protected areas.
