Suspected breast cancer cluster in Poe Hall, North Carolina, contaminated with PCBs.Another study shows those chemicals are linked to that cancer
Written by Lisa Sorg
A 2020 study of nearly 800 women in North Carolina found that PCBs may increase the risk of death from breast cancer, and North Carolina State Poe Hall contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals Questions have been raised about the suspected cluster in the area. Additionally, the study found that PCBs may contribute to deaths from all causes in women who already have breast cancer. PCBs are known to accumulate in breast tissue.
Newsline reports that sampling at Poe Hall in November found extremely high levels of PCBs in multiple rooms and air handling systems. [Read more…]
Expands Medicaid managed care for people with mental illness or disability starting July 1
Written by Lynn Bonner
A new managed care plan will begin July 1 for North Carolinians whose mental health treatment and disability care is coordinated and paid for through local mental health offices.
Based on these “tailored plans,” local mental health offices, called “local governing bodies/managed care organizations,” provide medical care for people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, substance use disorders, or traumatic brain injuries. You will have to pay the cost. [Read more...]
US military begins excavating up to 300 tons of contaminated soil at former missile factory in Burlington
Written by Lisa Sorg
The U.S. Army Environmental Command will begin excavating up to 300 tons of contaminated soil at the Tarheel Army Missile Plant in Burlington this month, city officials announced this week. This is the first step in a new effort to clean up extensive contamination at the abandoned 22-acre site at 204 N. Graham-Hopedale Road. The site is known locally as the Western Electric Plant due to a military contract to build Nike missile guidance systems there during the Cold War. [Read more...]
Rocky Mount Charter School leaders say 'coding errors' led to unexplained expenses
Written by Greg Childress
Rocky Mount Preparatory Academy leaders told the Charter School Review Board on Monday that coding errors accounted for more than $804,000 in unexplained expenses that threatened to close the school last year.
Last August, the former Charter School Advisory Committee warned school leaders that they could be forced to close due to declining academic performance and unexplained expenses. [Read more…]
Bonus reading: Charter update sparks debate among review committee members
Justice Department lawyer tells appeals court that jailed man could receive the same sentence twice
Written by Kellan Lyons
Lawyers for the North Carolina Department of Justice argued in court Wednesday that he should be allowed to serve the same prison sentence twice, even if he had already served time for the crime.
“This is a question of what authority North Carolina's statutory law gives judges in resentencing cases,” said Special Assistant Attorney General Heidi M. Williams. “If the text of the statute empowers the sentencing judge to exercise that discretion, this court should not limit that authority given to the sentencing court by the General Assembly.'' [Read more…]
North Carolina General Assembly requests postponement of hearing on important racial justice law
Written by Kellan Lyons
Johnston County prosecutors once likened black defendants to wild dogs and hyenas, hunting their victims “like predators on the African plains.”
A hearing scheduled for later this month could pave the way for North Carolina's 136 death row inmates to one day resent living without the possibility of parole or move one step closer to the execution chamber. be.
Starting on February 26, lawyers told a Johnston County Superior Court judge that race is a factor in prosecutors' jury selection not only in the Hasson-Bacote case, but also in death penalty cases across North Carolina. He plans to submit evidence alleging that he had a significant influence on the government's actions.[Read more…]
Latest NC campaign finance report raises important questions and concerns
Written by Bob Hall
North Carolina candidates and political committees recently filed their final campaign finance reports for 2023, revealing who provided the money and how it was spent. Many news articles tell us who is leading in the fundraising horse race, but there's much more to explore in these reports. They provide a unique window into our state's political culture. Here, we present eight examples based on a review of previous reports and a little research. Check out more examples soon. [Read more.…]
Monday's numbers: A closer look at school technology and learning loss recovery
Written by Clayton Henkel
It's hard to believe, but this March marks four years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As students and teachers switch to remote learning, federal pandemic relief funds have enabled school districts to purchase laptops, tablets, software and other technology to minimize learning loss and allow students to learn from home. Ta.
But now, in 2024, the cutting-edge tools introduced in 2020 are starting to show their age.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's (NCDPI) chief information officer shared the current state of school technology with the House Select Committee on Education Reform last week. [Read more…]
Big data companies: Extracting millions of North Carolinians with help from state government (explanation)
by rob schofield
Sports betting will soon be legal in North Carolina. The State Lottery Commission last month passed allowing bookmakers to begin taking bets on March 11, both on land and online. It won't be in time for this week's Super Bowl, but it would be easy to lose a lot of money in the lottery. The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament begins on March 12th.
And while this development is greeted by many as boring news in a society where gambling has become ubiquitous in recent years, lotteries, for example, already include what are called “digital instants,” and most sports fans You know, now even ESPN is plugging away. has an entire website with important programs dedicated to gambling. This is indeed an important and very worrying development.[Read more…]
