Political winds change. Case in point: Lee County, the suburban county south of the Triangle that is expected to be the focal point of natural gas drilling in North Carolina. Democrats seized control of the local Board of Commissioners last November and are now expected to pass a resolution next week opposing fracking and the […]
Billy Ball
Bio: Billy Ball is an INDY Week staff writer.Email: [email protected]: http://twitter.com/billy_k_ball
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North Carolina targeted for offshore drilling
We warned that this might happen five years ago. Federal leaders on Tuesday rolled out a five-year draft plan for offshore oil and gas leasing in the U.S. As expected, North Carolina is included. The draft, announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, includes 14 potential lease […]
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Hillsborough clears the way for solar panels
Thanks to a change in town guidelines, obtaining permission to install some solar panels in Hillsborough could now take about three days and $10, town officials say. Members of the town’s Historic District Commission approved a change classifying solar panel installations as “minor work” if they cannot be seen from the street. The revision allows […]
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New ArtsCenter, Kidzu center in Carrboro draws mixed reaction
A $15 million downtown Carrboro development with tremendous implications for the town received a predictably mixed reaction during a public hearing Tuesday night in packed Carrboro Town Hall. Some locals offered concerns about the financial risks of the proposed Carrboro Arts and Innovation Center, a four-story, 55,000-square-foot structure at East Main and Roberson streets which […]
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Carrboro considers $12 million Arts and Innovation Center tonight
A building proposal with dramatic implications for downtown Carrboro goes before the Board of Aldermen tonight. As reported in last week’s Indy, town officials will hold a public hearing to consider partnering with The ArtsCenter and Kidzu Children’s Museum to build a four-story, 55,000-square-foot home for the nonprofits at the corner of East Main and […]
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N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary pushing for Medicaid reform
Even as North Carolina lawmakers reportedly consider a proposal shifting control of the state’s Medicaid spending to an independent panel of political appointees, North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos is calling for a different model. Wos asked legislators, who reconvened this week, to consider accountable care organizations, or ACOs, a model […]
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Nonprofits want town of Carrboro to chip in on new arts center
For 40 years, the ArtsCenter in Carrboro has been a hub for performance and education. Over the next weeks, it may have to prove it will be around for another 40 to land an unprecedented deal with the town for a new downtown home. On Jan. 20, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen will hold a […]
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Carrboro to consider $12 milion home for ArtsCenter, Kidzu
For 40 years, Carrboro’s ArtsCenter has been a hub for performing arts and arts education in Orange County. Over the next two weeks, they may have to prove they’ll be around for another 40 to land an unprecedented deal with the town for a new downtown home. On Jan. 20, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen […]
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Prison worker dismissed for inmate’s death has new position
At least one North Carolina prison official who lost his job following the death of inmate Michael Anthony Kerr has a new position in the Department of Public Safety. DPS spokeswoman Pam Walker confirmed this week that John Monguillot, the former assistant director of mental health in the prison system’s western region, received a demotion […]
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Pittsboro Matters sues—again over Chatham Park
Twice now, Pittsboro leaders have approved master plans for the mammoth Chatham Park project. And twice now, they’ve been sued for their actions. Last week, citizen group Pittsboro Matters filed a lawsuit against the town, asking a Superior Court judge to invalidate the Chatham County municipality’s most recent approval of a master plan for the […]
