Gov. Josh Stein has made it clear that he intends on prioritizing Hurricane Helene relief in Western North Carolina. 

Shortly after being sworn in on Jan. 1, Stein issued six executive orders meant to expedite aid to the still-devastated region where some have complained about a slow response, especially when it comes to housing amid frigid temperatures. 

With about 280 projects approved across the state, the new year will bring visible on-the-ground progress in the effort to reduce flooding in North Carolina communities.

Hurricane Helene victims in Western North Carolina have eagerly been awaiting an expected holiday gift in the form of federal aid since the Sept. 27 storm pounded the region, but after nearly three months of wholly insufficient action in the General Assembly and a last-minute House vote in Washington, the only gift under the Christmas tree this year was pink bunny pajamas. 

To be, rather than to seem; North Carolina’s aspirational state motto evokes notions of determination and the desire for substance in a world where a thin veneer of competence is oftentimes seen as an acceptable substitute.

A trio of high-ranking state and federal agriculture officials is warning that if farmers affected by Hurricane Helene don’t get help soon, next year could be a bleak one for both producers and consumers. 

After a series of emotional speeches by western legislators during an Oct. 9 press conference and assurances from Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) that the measure was only a “first step,” North Carolina’s General Assembly unanimously passed, and Gov. Roy Cooper signed a wide-ranging $273 million storm relief act on Oct. 10 that will fund recovery spending by state agencies and loosen regulations that can sometimes get in the way.

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. 

The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees will have a bit of a different look at its next meeting. 

Kathryn Greeley, chair of the board, has been appointed to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors effective immediately.

Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funds to help support their large animal practice.

Without immediate action from the General Assembly, Pandemic-era federal grants to child care providers will run out on July 1 — plunging the state into a child care crisis that will hamper economic and workforce development, make child care more difficult to find and further burden North Carolina’s working parents already feeling the pinch from unaffordable housing and the relentless corporate greed that’s driving inflation.