A federal review finds North Carolina behind on special education: slow evaluations, staffing holes and a push to study weighted funding.

UNC Health has acquired Westgate Shopping Center and filed to build a 92‑bed hospital in West Asheville. Public records and state filings show the system is positioning for a major medical campus.

Two zoning cases would add about 440 homes and more than 1,600 daily trips to Farrington Road, putting traffic, schools and sidewalks under the microscope.

A former ECU social-work professor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for possession of child sexual abuse material.

The state budget names the Diaper Bank as North Carolina’s official supplier of period products for schools, but advocates warn funding and distribution still lag demand.

Douglas Byrd High held a campus rally after an activity bus overturned near Leland; counselors and medical staff were on hand as students were checked.

Three separate shootings wounded three people overnight in Durham; police describe the incidents as isolated and say investigations are ongoing.

Exceptional drought has lowered reservoir levels in Orange County; OWASA says supplies are holding but farmers and private-well households are already feeling the impact.

A police response at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill followed a reported safety threat; aerial video shows officers searching the stadium and parking lots.

A Durham water main ruptured Friday, shooting a roughly 30‑foot fountain into the air near the Parkwood neighborhood as city crews moved in to cap the line. Roads were closed and traffic rerouted while repairs got underway.

A 1951 Cary service station will reopen this August as Lloyd’s Full Service, a new restaurant from Early Bird Night Owl with a patio, retro van bar and seasonal menu.

A one-day triple-match fundraiser aims to turn small donations into dozens of meals as Food Bank leaders warn of a generational hunger spike affecting children and veterans across central North Carolina.

A Raleigh News & Observer review finds few North Carolina tattooists hold formal blood‑borne pathogen training. Practical, expert‑based tips show how to check a shop before your appointment.