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Good night for incumbents as voters trickle to polls in 18 NC counties
Voters cast ballots for mayors and council seats and in many NC cities and towns. Several officeholders fend off challenges amid low turnout. Good night for incumbents as voters trickle to polls in 18 NC counties is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s more than 11 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism. Read More
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Tug of war over what books NC schoolchildren can read
Parent groups concerned by books in NC school libraries that may not fit their idea of US values. Academic experts seek more nuanced approach. Tug of war over what books NC schoolchildren can read is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s more than 11 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism. Read More
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Canton Man Steals Humvee From Police
A Canton man is accused of stealing a Canton Police Department Humvee before dawn and driving it until it became disabled downtown. Police say 35-year-old Jacob Tyler Forrest entered the Humvee from the shared police and town hall lot along Asheville Highway around 5 a.m. on Sept. 21, started it, and headed toward town. Along the way, the vehicle ran off the right side of the road and struck a parked wrecker, causing heavy front-end and suspension damage. The Humvee later came to a stop near the former ABC store, where a citizen spotted Forrest and called 911. Officers detained him a short time later. According to an arrest affidavit, Forrest showed signs of impairment, failed field sobriety tests, and told an officer he had taken 28 one-milligram Xanax pills. Forrest is charged with three felonies—larceny, possession of stolen goods, and breaking and entering a law-enforcement vehicle—and several misdemeanors, including DWI, resisting a public officer, injury to personal property, and hit-and-run with property damage. The Highway Patrol also issued citations for hit-and-run, reckless driving, driving while license revoked, lane control, and no seat belt. Police say the surplus Humvee is used for emergency responses; repair costs are still being assessed.…
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Friends of the Smokies Contribute To Park Reopening
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will fully reopen for one week despite the federal shutdown, thanks to emergency funding led by Friends of the Smokies. The park will be fully staffed and operational from Saturday, Oct. 4, through Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Cades Cove Loop Road, the Sugarlands and Cades Cove visitor centers, and the Chimneys and Cades Cove picnic areas—closed since Oct. 1—will reopen Saturday. Friends of the Smokies joins Tennessee, Sevier and Blount counties, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville to cover costs. Tennessee will contribute $80,000, with other partners providing more than $45,500 each; recreation fees will also help. President and CEO Dana Soehn says the funding ensures staff can maintain restrooms, assist visitors and protect wildlife during peak season. Until Saturday, current closures remain. Most roads, trails and facilities are open, with welcome centers operating in Oconaluftee, Kuwohi, Swain County, Gatlinburg and Townsend.
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The North Carolina Arts Council is awarding $11 million in grants
The North Carolina Arts Council is awarding $11 million in grants for fiscal year 2025–26. A total of 373 awards will support nonprofit arts groups, schools and after-school programs, municipalities, and individual artists in all 100 counties. Grants range from $2,000 to $347,014. DNCR Secretary Pamela Cashwell says the state’s investment in arts and culture is “critical for our communities and our economy.” Funding priorities this year include community outreach and audience engagement, strengthening organizational capacity, connecting K–12 students with artists—especially in North Carolina’s traditional arts—building public-private partnerships, serving military members and veterans, and supporting local arts partners statewide. This is the second year of the Council’s Sustaining Support grants, which provide operating funds; this cycle focuses on music, folklife, and arts-in-education organizations. A full list of FY 2025–26 recipients is available at NCArts.org.
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Former Swain sheriff answers to tribal court in significant moment for Cherokees
Due to 2022 change in federal VAWA law, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is trying former Swain Co. sheriff Cochran in tribal court. Former Swain sheriff answers to tribal court in significant moment for Cherokees is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s more than 11 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism. Read More
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Accountability and growth among top issues in NC municipal elections
A look at top issues on NC voters’ and candidates’ minds ahead of 2025 municipal elections in Louisburg, Rocky Mount and New Bern. Accountability and growth among top issues in NC municipal elections is a story from Carolina Public Press, an award-winning independent newsroom. Our breakthrough journalism shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing North Carolina’s more than 11 million residents. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism. Read More
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