News Headlines
Feds prod NCDMV for voter registration change
North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has strengthened the process by which it allows people with a driver’s license to register to vote in an effort to prevent noncitizens from illegally participating in elections.
The changes were instigated following scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, which prompted an internal investigation by the DMV. The initial inquiry that led to the change was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security.
Western North Carolina braces for 2026 races
Western North Carolina’s next election cycle is already shaping up amid a volatile mix of entrenched incumbents, disaster recovery fallout and deepening national divides, with competitive races stretching from the U.S. Senate on down to county-level offices.
While marquee statewide contests appear to be headed toward familiar General Election matchups, cracks are emerging down the ballot, where public trust and institutional legitimacy are demanding attention from voters now more than any other time in recent memory.
Jackson library exit critics cite Yancey chaos, dubious ‘list’
While some originally hoped — and continue to hope — that a series of amendments to the Fontana Regional Library System proposed by Jackson County commissioners might ameliorate enough of their concerns to allow them to remain in the decades-long partnership with the FRL system, a questionable pamphlet and an academically dubious “list of inappropriate books” being circulated by FRL opponents suggests otherwise, even as FRL supporters report troubling visions of Christmas future if commissioners don’t turn back soon.
