This morning the North Carolina Senate voted 31-17 to pass H1224. Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, a Republican from Concord, introduced an amendment to the bill to raise the local sales tax cap to 2.75 percent rather than 2.5 percent. His amendment was defeated. John Burns, a Raleigh attorney and Democratic candidate for a seat on the […]
Jane Porter
Jane Porter is Wake County editor of the INDY, covering Raleigh and other communities across Wake County. She first joined the staff in 2013 and is a former INDY intern, staff writer, and editor-in-chief, first joining the staff in 2013.
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N.C. State Trustee arrested in D.C. on gun charge
Ronald Prestage, a veterinarian and president of Clinton-based Prestage Farms, was arrested in Washington D.C. yesterday for bringing a loaded 9 mm handgun into the U.S. Capitol Building. Prestage is an alumnus of N.C. State University and was elected to its Board of Trustees in July, 2013. He lives in Camden, South Carolina. According to […]
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N.C. Health Department revises Dan River advisories
It’s now safe to swim in the Dan River, but please, don’t eat the fish just yet. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has revised and updated public health advisories issued back in February, following cleanup of coal ash deposit from the massive Duke Energy spill into the river near Eden, N.C. […]
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New bill could kill Wake County sales tax for transit
A new bill introduced by Republicans would amount to a back-door reinstatement of former Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue’s much-reviled sales tax increase, which helped balance the budget and pay for schools during the Great Recession. However, critics say the new sales tax would prevent local governments from determining how their own revenues are spent. The […]
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N.C., national groups focus on fighting hunger
This week, state and national organizations are bringing awareness to—and fighting to end—childhood hunger. In Washington, chefs including Raleigh’s Ashely Christensen and other advocates are meeting with elected officials about the No Kid Hungry campaign, an initiative from non-profit organization Share Our Strength that works to end child hunger by connecting kids to nutrition programs […]
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N.C. Bill would pit transit against education
In the waning days of the General Assembly’s protracted short session, the state Senate is getting crafty about what counties would be allowed use their tax dollars for. On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee passed a revised version of House Bill 1224. It gives all North Carolina counties the right to hold a referendum on […]
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Some lottery ads cost more than a teacher’s salary
Lottery billboard advertising in the Triangle is sparse but expensive. A billboard ad in Wake County costs the N.C. Education Lottery Commission more than $4,000 a month, according to public documents. By comparison, it would take an N.C. public school teacher with a bachelor’s degree 10–16 years in the profession, depending on certification levels, to […]
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North Carolina Pastors speak out against marriage equality
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals seems poised to topple Virginia’s gay marriage ban, upholding a decision a federal judge in the state made earlier this year. This has implications for North Carolina’s own gay marriage ban, Amendment One, which was voted into our state’s Constitution in May, 2012. The North Carolina Pastors Network, a […]
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Raleigh shoppers to pay for plastic bags?
Last night a committee voted to send a memo to City Council members encouraging them to examine the possibility of a plastic bag “ban.” “Plastic bags are a nuisance in every neighborhood in Raleigh,” Environmental Advisory Board member Norman Camp said during the meeting. “Particularly in walkable neighborhoods. I pick them up every day and […]
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“Too Far Tillis” Rally in Raleigh
It’s been a year since the Legislature sneaked abortion restrictions into a motorcycle safety bill in a late-night session on the eve of a holiday weekend. Tonight, advocates for women’s reproductive rights and Planned Parenthood’s political arm will hold a rally in Raleigh’s Bicentennial Mall, to protest House Speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Thom Tillis […]