Author: Jordan Meadows

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Wake County commissioners unanimously approved a $2.28 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, adopting a plan that increases spending while also raising property taxes for residents. The budget includes a 2-cent property tax increase, bringing the rate to 53.71 cents per $100 of assessed value and generating an additional $62 million in revenue. For the owner of a $450,000 home (around the county's median value)

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina's construction boom is reshaping the state's economy. But behind the surge in billion-dollar projects and record growth, a more troubling trend is emerging: construction workers are dying at increasing rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 196 workers died on the job in North Carolina in 2024, a 10.7% increase from the previous year. The construction industry remains the most dangerous

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer An elegant afternoon gathering in Northeast Raleigh carried a deeper purpose beneath the music, networking, and celebration. The 2026 Dayla, hosted by 100 Black Men of Triangle East on Saturday at Hibiscus Event Venue, brought together community leaders, families, alumni, and supporters to invest in the future of Black youth across Wake and Durham counties. The Dayla has served as the organization's signature fundraising event

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Inside North Carolina's prisons, the most immediate crisis is the growing absence of the people tasked with keeping facilities safe. Severe staffing shortages have left many correctional institutions operating with barely half the officers they need-creating conditions where violence is harder to prevent, basic operations are strained, and both workers and incarcerated people face heightened risk. At a recent press conference, Gov. Josh Stein pointed

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer The expansion of Heart to Home Meals into Durham reflects a growing response to one of North Carolina's most significant demographic shifts.  With one in five residents now aged 65 or older and projections reaching nearly 2.7 million seniors by 2040, demand is accelerating for services that help older adults remain independent in their homes. Across the Research Triangle, that demand has translated into steady

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer A Wake County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of state and national Republican Party groups in a legal dispute over whether certain overseas voters-known as "never residents"-can participate in North Carolina elections. Special Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener issued the ruling this week, siding with the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party in their challenge against the State Board of

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Althea Gibson was one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis and golf, becoming one of the most historically significant figures in sports. Born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, Gibson was the daughter of sharecroppers before her family relocated to Harlem during the Great Migration. There, she grew up in a working-class neighborhood and developed an

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina House lawmakers on Wednesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein's veto of House Bill 87, a measure that would align the state with a new federal tax credit scholarship program and allow families to benefit from up to $1,700 annually in tax credits tied to educational expenses. The override passed 73-46, with unified Republican support and key backing from two now-unaffiliated lawmakers. The

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Rising gas prices are often expected to accelerate a shift toward electric vehicles, but recent U.S. market data suggests the transition is more complicated. Even as fuel prices climbed above $4.50 per gallon nationally and more than $4.20 in North Carolina, new electric vehicle sales declined in April, according to estimates from Edmunds and Cox Automotive. Depending on the dataset, EV sales fell between roughly

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has proposed a sweeping change to one of North Carolina's largest and most debated education programs by recommending a phased wind-down of the state's Opportunity Scholarship voucher system. Under Stein's proposed budget, unveiled in late-April, the state would halt new enrollments in the Opportunity Scholarship Program and impose a stricter income cap on current recipients. The plan sets eligibility at 150%