A contract to sell Hofmann Forest is in the works, but an injunction hearing to block the sale is still scheduled for later this month. Jerry Walker, an Illinois agri-businessman and third-generation farmer, is the prospective buyer, according to N.C. State University press release. James Conner, the attorney for a coalition of professors, foresters, landowners […]
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.
Posted inNews
N.C. funeral service board misspends money
Who’s in charge? The N.C. Board of Funeral Service reports solely to the state Legislature. In addition to staff, the funeral serves board has nine members, four of them from the N.C. Funeral Directors Association, a trade group. The association has more power over the board than any other appointed entity. Funeral services board president […]
Posted inNews
Raleigh food distribution site in the works
Raleigh city staff members have identified a location near Moore Square Park that could serve as a temporary food distribution site for groups to use while the city works out a long-term solution to end homelessness. The 3,200-square-foot, city-owned warehouse, at 215 S. Person St., about two blocks from Moore Square, has entry points on […]
Posted inElections
Guns central issue in Morrisville mayoral election
Along with allowing concealed weapons in bars and restaurants where alcohol is served, North Carolina’s sweeping new gun laws trump the authority of municipalities to regulate concealed handguns in city parks, recreational facilities and on public playgrounds. And now guns have become an issue in Morrisville town elections. Last week, the National Rifle Association-PVF, a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Ashley Christensen expands her empire with Joule Coffee
Joule Coffee 223 S. Wilmington St. Raleigh 919-424-7422 Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday 7 a.m.–3 p.m. A joule (J) is a unit of energy, work or amount of heat released when work is done or energy is expended. Wikipedia helpfully explains that one joule represents approximately “the energy required to lift a small apple vertically […]
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The week’s scuttlebutt: federal shutdown hurts the blind; Raleigh food task force unclear; Rielle Hunter is sorry
Federal shutdown hurts blind North Carolinians More than 50 social workers that serve the blind and visually impaired have been furloughed because of the government shutdown, leaving potentially thousands of North Carolinians without services. This story originally reported more than 100, one social worker per county, with some counties having more than one. However, Department […]
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Food Distribution task force calls mission “unclear”
Several members of Raleigh’s food distribution task force said they were unclear about the purpose of the group and still have questions about the ordinance that prohibits food distribution in city parks. Held Thursday night, the meeting was the second of three before the task force will present recommendations to the City Council’s Law and […]
Posted inNews
State Auditor stands by Medicaid report
The state auditor’s office is defending a Medicaid report issued in January, after a North Carolina Health News story reported that officials at the state Department of Health and Human Services provided auditor Beth Wood with misinformation. Wood wrote a letter to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee of the Department of Health and Human Services […]
Posted inUncategorized
McCrory hires political operative to defend state in DOJ lawsuit
Butch Bowers Jr., the attorney representing Gov. Pat McCrory in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, has donated to major Republican candidates and represented some of South Carolina’s top elected officials. And the law firm where until recently, Bowers worked has ties to McCrory and Duke Energy, the governor’s former employer. The […]
Posted inNews
Who’s buying Hofmann Forest?
The potential buyer of the 80,000-acre Hofmann Forest remains a mystery, more than two weeks after the N.C. State Board of Trustees was scheduled to approve the sale. The forest, which is owned by N.C. State University’s Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund, is the largest single tract of state-owned property. It is home […]