How NC’s School Voucher Program Is Impacting Black Education Access

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina has found itself at the center of a fierce national debate over the future use of private school vouchers. A program launched in 2014 to help low-income families access private schooling has now grown into a nearly billion-dollar initiative, driven by aggressive legislative expansion, rising private school tuition, and new opportunities introduced by federal policy. The state's Opportunity Scholarship Program was initially underutilized,

Matthew Henson Was The First Man At The North Pole

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Just outside the nation's capital, in the suburban sprawl of Montgomery County, Maryland, lies a serene 116-acre stretch of forested land named in honor of a man whose legacy was nearly lost to history-Matthew Henson. Matthew Henson State Park Stream Valley Park is threaded with a 4.2-mile paved trail that winds through woodlands and wetlands, with deer, wild turkeys, and birds making frequent appearances. Most

Free Classroom Supplies for Wake County Teachers

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina teachers often spend over $900 of their own money on classroom supplies. To help lighten that burden, WakeEd Partnership, an independent nonprofit working to improve public education, created Tools4Schools, a free classroom supply store serving Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) teachers. Since opening in 2022, Tools4Schools has given away more than $1.6 million worth of new school supplies to WCPSS teachers. In

The Woman Who Brought Black Girls Into the Girl Scouts

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Josephine Amanda Groves Holloway, born on March 10, 1898, in Cowpens, South Carolina, was a determined pioneer who worked to ensure African-American girls had a place in the Girl Scouts. The seventh of ten children born to Emma Gray Groves and Methodist minister John Wesley Groves, she was raised in a household that deeply valued education. After completing Brewer Normal School in Beaufort, she followed

One Man, A Thousand Cheers: The Story Of “Big Mike”

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Mike Whiting, affectionately known across the Triangle as "Big Mike," is more than just a familiar face at Carolina Hurricanes games-he's the heartbeat of the fan experience, a beloved preschool teacher, and a local hero whose impact spans classrooms, arenas, and countless hearts. Raised in Cary, North Carolina, Mike grew up as one of the few Black families in the area, where he developed a

State Audit Finds NC DMV In Crisis

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is facing a mounting service crisis, according to a performance audit released by State Auditor Dave Boliek on Monday evening. The report, based on visits to DMV offices, staff interviews, and data analysis, found that customer service has significantly worsened in recent years. Average wait times at DMV offices have increased by 15.5% since 2019, with customers now

GoTriangle Celebrates Grand Opening of New Raleigh Union Station Bus Facility

By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer On Friday morning, GoTriangle marked a major milestone in the Triangle region's transit future with a celebratory ribbon cutting for the new Raleigh Union Station Bus Facility, known as RUS Bus. The ceremony took place at the intersection of West Martin Street and South West Street in downtown Raleigh, right in the heart of the city's historic Warehouse District. The state-of-the-art RUS Bus facility is

SE Raleigh Development vs. Residents P4

By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Early Friday morning, a modest but resolute group of Southeast Raleigh and broader Triangle residents gathered outside a home on Barwell Road to protest a new road construction project they say is unfolding without transparency, community consent, or regard for civil and property rights. The protest was led by Reverend Isiah Green, a prominent voice in the neighborhood who has been championing community concerns around

North Carolina’s Weather Rollercoaster: From Drought to Record Floods

[caption id="attachment_12964" align="alignnone" width="912"] Photo from Raleighnc.gov[/caption] By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina has experienced one of its most extreme years of weather in recent history, beginning with an unseasonably dry winter and spring that sparked a wave of wildfires, and now culminating in record-breaking rainfall, deadly flash floods, and a devastating tropical storm season. Through late 2024 and early 2025, North Carolina was entrenched in drought. Between October

Fayetteville Mayor Reverses Course, Colvin Enters Race For Fifth Term

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer The 2025 Fayetteville mayoral race has taken an unexpected turn with Mayor Mitch Colvin reversing his decision to step away from public office and officially entering the race for a fifth term just hours before the filing deadline on July 18. Colvin, Fayetteville's longest-serving Black mayor, first took office in 2017 and had announced in June that he would not seek reelection. But citing growing