Pardon Our Dust
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Agriculture
ASSOCIATED PRESS: New North Carolina biogas permitting for hog farms now law
A streamlined permitting process for hog farmers who also want to convert methane from waste ponds into energy will begin after Gov. Roy Cooper signed the legislature’s annual agriculture bill into law Friday.
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Despite pushback from environmentalists, some Democrats, Cooper signs farm bill into law
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed several bills into law Friday, most notably, the state’s annual Farm Act, which has stirred controversy due to a provision relating to the collection of methane gas that some have said could harm the environment.
Economic Development
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Raleigh leaders consider change to allow more duplexes, townhomes in city neighborhoods
The Raleigh City Council will consider a change on Tuesday that will allow duplexes, townhomes and other housing types by-right in mostly single-family neighborhoods. This will help address housing affordability and increase “missing middle” housing — two issues the majority of the Raleigh City Council campaigned on in 2019, said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
Education
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Enrollment soars in NC Home schools, private schools and charter schools amid pandemic
Home schooling grew by record numbers in North Carolina last school year and enrollment in private schools rose by the largest number in 24 years during the coronavirus pandemic.
NEWS AND RECORD: Report shows minimal COVID-19 transmission within N.C. schools
The ABC Science Collaborative analysis led by researchers at Duke University and UNC School of Medicine found that about 1 in 2,800 K-12 students who were in school buildings became infected with COVID-19 during school. Of the 864,515 students and 160,549 staff members analyzed, 308 pupils and 55 employees acquired COVID-19 from school.
WRAL: Wayne Community College launches one of the nation’s first Artificial Intelligence programs
Wayne Community College is set to become the second community college in the country to launch an artificial intelligence program for students. Program leaders hope the cutting-edge track will help WCC students and the Goldsboro community capitalize on the state’s burgeoning tech boom.
Government
WRAL: New email policy: NC lawmakers to delete most records after 3 years
The General Assembly is changing its email retention policies and planning to delete most correspondence after three years, raising questions about public access and access to documents often sought in lawsuits.
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Why four NC Senate Democrats bucked their party and voted for a GOP budget bill
The last time North Carolina’s Republican-majority legislature tried to pass a budget, Sen. Don Davis, a Greenville Democrat, had to choose between standing with his party and fulfilling a campaign promise.
Healthcare
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: The Delta variant in NC is a rising threat. Here’s what we know about the risk
Now that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is circulating in North Carolina, people need to understand its risks. That is, to the degree the risks are understood. Scientists are still researching the variant. Here is some of what is known.
Politics
WRAL: Cooper vetoes bid to cut off federal pandemic jobless benefit
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday he has vetoed a bill that would have ended $300 weekly federal pandemic payments to the state’s unemployed workers. Republican lawmakers who backed Senate Bill 116 said it would help resolve labor shortages in some areas. They blamed the additional weekly money for keeping jobless workers on the sidelines of the labor market.
Transportation
CAROLINA COAST: NCDOT resumes work on several Carteret County area transportation projects
Officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation recently announced engineers have resumed planning and design work on several projects previously on hold because of department-wide funding issues.