State Treasurer Announces Early Availability of Tax Documentation for 397,584 Retirees

By Jheri Hardaway Staff Writer Raleigh, NC - The North Carolina Retirement Systems (NCRS) has released 397,584 electronic 1099R and W2 tax documents for retirees and benefit recipients well ahead of the statutory Jan. 31 deadline. The early availability is due to enhanced efficiencies within the Retirement Systems Division, which enabled NCRS to load nearly 400,000 documents shortly after the holiday weekend. "A top priority for our department is making

N.C. State Board of Elections overrules local board in candidate challenge

[caption id="attachment_15864" align="alignnone" width="1030"] (Photo: Knight Facebook page)[/caption] NC NEWSLINE - The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 Tuesday to overrule the Wilson County Board of Elections in favor of a Republican candidate seeking to run for sheriff. Bobby Knight, a senior deputy in the Nash County Sheriff's Office, maintained he has been a registered Republican since 2012. But in December, when he says he tried to update

New Neighbors: U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command

  By Jheri Hardaway Staff Writer Fayetteville, NC - As reported by CNN in December, the US Army officially stood up a new command on Friday to oversee the Army's activities in the Western Hemisphere in the latest signal of increasing focus on homeland defense. The new command, called Army Western Hemisphere Command, will combine US Army Forces Command, US Army North, and US Army South into one organization, based

State Elections Board’s Actions Prompt Debate Over Access in NC Elections

[caption id="attachment_15859" align="alignnone" width="1760"] North Carolina Board of Elections hearing Jackson County's proposal at a meeting on January 13, 2026.[/caption] By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer A series of recent decisions by the North Carolina State Board of Elections is reshaping how and where voters across the state will cast their ballots in the upcoming primary. Since December 2025, the state board has begun approving early voting plans from county boards

Buddhist monks on national Walk for Peace receive flowers, tears, and gratitude along an NC highway

WUNC - Walking 3,200 miles throughout the South can wear you out. On Thursday, the 19 monks doing so took a break for lunch before resuming their trek on U.S. Highway 64 toward downtown Pittsboro. Onlookers parked their cars for miles along the highway, while Chatham County Sheriff's officers escorted the group. Hundreds waited for hours in hopes of catching just a few minutes of the peaceful walk - some

Benin offers citizenship to African diaspora, with help from Spike Lee

OUIDAH, Benin, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Isaline Attelly, a native of the Caribbean island of Martinique, had been living in Benin for nearly a year before she learned that her family's connection to the West African country went back much further. Genealogical records confirmed her great-grandmother on her mother's side was born in what is now Benin and, at the height of transatlantic slavery, was trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean.

A Civil War Leader, Politician, Entrepreneur And Inventor

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Parker David Robbins emerged from the rigid racial order of antebellum North Carolina to become one of the most prominent Black public figures the state produced during and after the Civil War.  Born around 1834 in Bertie County, Robbins was a free person of color of mixed African and Native American ancestry. At a time when North Carolina law prohibited the education of Black people,

Wendell Hires Its First Human Resources Director

WENDELL, N.C. - The Town of Wendell is pleased to announce the hiring of Melanie D. Joyner as Human Resources Director. In this new role, effective Jan. 12, 2026, Joyner will oversee the efforts of a people-first organization to serve a growing staff, which will allow for added efficiency of services provided to the greater Wendell community. As Director, she will also work towards streamlining processes and ensuring the growth of

Not White! Not Blue! But New-Collar Jobs Are Exploding

By Thomas Frey futuristspeaker In the closing months of 2016, a novel term began to echo through the corridors of the tech industry, heralding a significant shift in the employment landscape. Coined by Ginni Rometty, IBM's then-CEO, "new collar" entered the lexicon, encapsulating a burgeoning trend that sought to redefine professional success. Rometty's advocacy shone a light on the transformative nature of the labor market, drawing attention to an emerging