Latest news with #TheNews&Observer
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Postal service van runs over and kills 84-year-old man who went outside to check his mail
A postal service van ran over and killed an elderly man when he went outside to check his mail, police say. James Hofler, an 84-year-old Navy veteran from North Carolina, was crossing the street to check his mailbox when he was struck by a USPS mail delivery truck, The News & Observer reported, citing a police press release. The Kill Devil Hills Police Department said Amy Hudler, 53, who was operating the 'Mercedes-Benz mail carrier vehicle owned by the United States Postal Service,' backed into Hofler. Hudler called emergency services and stayed at the scene, police said. It happened on a Monday afternoon, May 19, in Kill Devil Hills, a town on the Outer Banks. Holfer was taken to two hospitals before he died from his injuries three days later on May 22. Hudler has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. The Independent has reached out to the Postal Service for comment.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This NC grocery store just announced 2 new locations in the Triangle
A North Carolina-based grocer will open two new locations in the Triangle. Lowes Foods, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem, is expanding to Wendell and Fuquay-Varina. This follows the closures of multiple Lowes Foods stores as part of the grocer's parent company's 'broader growth strategy to invest in new stores and remodel existing stores.' While the grocer has not announced anticipated opening dates for the new stores, it provided their locations. Wendell: The new store will be in the Wendell Commons development at the intersection of Wendell Falls Parkway and Eagle Rock Road. Barnett Properties is the developer behind the project, which will include 90,000 square feet when complete, Alan Maness, a vice president of development, told The News & Observer in an email. The Lowes Foods is expected to open in 2026, though the schedule has not been finalized, Maness said. Fuquay-Varina: The store will be in the mixed-use Academy Village development at Old Honeycutt Road and Purfoy Road. Shelly Johnson, the director of marketing for Academy Village developer MPV Properties, told The News & Observer in an email that the Lowes Foods building is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027, pointing to a late 2027 store opening. Academy Village will feature 85,000 square feet of commercial space, 300 apartment units and 54 townhomes, with Proffitt Dixon overseeing the residential component. Nearby grocers include Harris Teeter and Aldi. Lowes Foods has more than a dozen stores in the Triangle, across Raleigh, Garner, Cary, Knightdale, Holly Springs, Apex, Clayton, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. The Holly Springs store at 112 Bass Lake Road is being remodeled and will reopen Thursday, June 26. 'Our remodeling efforts are focused on enriching the everyday shopping experience,' Tim Lowe, the president of Lowes Foods, said in a news release. 'We want guests to feel at home in our stores and to discover something new each time they visit. Whether it's through new store openings or reimagined spaces, we are committed to offering an engaging grocery destination that reflects the spirit of each community.' The grocer also announced that the Kj's Market in John's Island, South Carolina, will be converted into a Lowes Foods. The grocer has closed multiple North Carolina locations over the past year. Its store at 8201 Rowlock Way in northwest Raleigh shut down last year, along with a Lowes Foods location in Wilmington and a Kj's Market in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Earlier this year, Lowes Foods closed its Cary store at 930 High House Road. The location at 6430 Tryon Road in Cary remains open. Have a question about your community you'd like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you'd like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you. If you have a question about the Charlotte area, send The Charlotte Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. If you have a question about Raleigh or a Triangle area community, send The News & Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. Grocery chain with big NC presence overcharged, report finds. What we know Walmart says it will raise prices due to tariffs. What NC shoppers should know
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Gov. Josh Stein praises House GOP's budget that gained Democratic votes
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein was at the Legislative Building on Wednesday, talking with lawmakers ahead of the first key vote on the House budget. Before the day was over, the majority of House Democrats voted with Republicans on their budget bill, citing teacher pay and state employee raises among the reasons. And most notable among them was Democratic Leader Robert Reives, of Chatham County. Good morning and welcome to our Sunday Under the Dome newsletter, which focuses on the governor. I'm Dawn Vaughan, The News & Observer's Capitol bureau chief. While Democrats balked at the idea that they voted 'with' Republicans, every House Republican and a majority of House Democrats voted in favor of the bill. 'I'm not voting with them, I'm voting with North Carolina. And that is not political speak,' Reives told me Wednesday night after the vote. On Thursday, the House took the final vote to pass the House's version of the budget. I also asked Reives about Stein, who was there earlier in the day. The theme of the House budget was raises, taxes and cuts. The Republican-written House plan gave state employees bigger raises than the proposals of either Stein or the Senate. The biggest rift now between the House and Senate, however, is likely to be taxes. Both the House and Senate budget bills continue the planned individual income tax rate reduction to 3.99% next year. But after that, the House wants to slow further planned tax cuts, while the Senate does not, and considers the House plan as a tax increase because it doesn't continue further cuts. As for Stein, he wants tax cuts to just freeze for now, given the cloudy economic situation. 'Gov. Stein recognizes what everybody here who voted 'yes' or 'no' recognizes,' Reives said in an interview. 'We're not heading towards a fiscal cliff. We are over it. We are working at a deficit, and somebody's got to figure something out.' Democrats split, but most vote for NC House GOP budget. What got their support. Just before the final round of budget debate, Reives left the floor with Republican House Speaker Destin Hall, and they came back smiling. I asked Hall after session about their conversation. It wasn't the first time Hall gave Reives a heads up about what was in the final House budget bill. Hall told reporters Reives knew about top-line information days before it was revealed to the public, and he was also told in advance what Republicans were putting in the final budget amendments. 'I've tried to talk with Rep. Reives as we move along through the process,' Hall said. 'It's basically just giving him a heads up on some of the things that we were going to add in there,' Hall said about his talks with Reives, 'which — I don't think I'm speaking out of school — he probably didn't love some of those things.' It's up to Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger to make the final decision on a budget deal this summer, if there is one. And that's the budget they'll send to Stein's desk to sign or veto. Hall said of House Republicans, 'Frankly, we want to do all of our caucus' priorities that we can, and still maintain veto-proof supermajorities.' While Senate Republicans hold a veto-proof supermajority, meaning they have the three-fifths majority to overturn a Stein veto, the House does not. House Republicans need the vote of at least one Democrat to overturn a Stein veto. Reives said that House Democrats won't vote to override a Stein budget veto, and that this vote was part of a negotiated mediation on the bill. Higher starting teacher pay, state employee raises, tax cuts in NC House budget In the hours between Stein's visit to the Legislative Building and the vote, he issued a statement that both praised and criticized the House budget. 'The House's proposed budget isn't perfect. But I am pleased that the House raises teacher pay to make North Carolina's starting teacher salaries the second-highest in the Southeast and rewards our state employees with a raise. The House budget also makes important investments in public safety, child care, and workforce training,' Stein said. Stein's thoughts on the Senate budget are far different. He used his statement on the House budget to also criticize the Senate: 'Importantly, the House budget cuts taxes for working families while recognizing that North Carolina is a growing state and reduces personal income tax rates after this year only when the economy is growing. In contrast, the Senate's fiscally irresponsible revenue scheme will result in fewer teachers and law enforcement officers and diminished services that would harm our people,' Stein said. The next battle on the budget front is between Republicans in the General Assembly. Democrats cross aisle to back NC budget, setting up battle over taxes within GOP I searched through hundreds of references to the governor in the House budget documents, looking for policy or funding that impacts Stein's office. I found that among the cuts in the budget was a planned new building for the governor and Council of State, which would have been built in the state government complex in downtown Raleigh. The project was only at the planning stage. The House would not provide more money to build it. The House budget also would change how the NC Arts Council is appointed. Currently, the governor appoints all 24 members of the council. Instead, the council would be reduced to nine people, with three appointed by the governor, three by the House speaker and three by the Senate president pro tempore. The change follows what Republicans have done in previous budgets, shifting appointment power away from the governor and giving it to the legislature, which has resulted in multiple lawsuits. This is a lower-profile appointment shift, but notable just the same. The staff of the governor's office are state employees, so 20% of the office's vacant jobs would be cut under the House budget plan, as the plan would do across state government. NC House budget cuts 20% of vacant state jobs to give bigger raises. How it would work Thanks for reading. Contact me at dvaughan@ Not a newsletter subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Milky Way will soon be visible in NC. Here's how and when to see it
Stargazing North Carolinians are in luck this month – one of astronomy's most dazzling phenomena will be visible soon. During May 2025, the Milky Way, our home galaxy with a disk of stars spanning more than 100,000 light years, will be visible, according to Here's what to know about the unique solar occurrence happening this month. The best time to see the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20 to Friday, May 30 between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., according to That's the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon. You can find the galaxy easily by looking for the Summer Triangle, 'a shape formed by three bright stars,' that sits across the Milky Way, according to the site. 'If it's above the horizon, you have a good chance of spotting it,' the site says. 'Between May 20 and May 30, the Summer Triangle will be up in the east at midnight and higher in the southeast by 3 a.m. local time.' Most (80%) of Americans aren't able to see the Milky Way, says. That's because of light pollution, since the sky's brightness increased between 7% and 10% per year between 2011 and 2023, according to a study published in Science. If you want to see the Milky Way, you'll need to be as far away from light pollution as possible, says. You can use a light pollution map to help find darker spots that are better for ideal stargazing. The weather is expected to be mostly sunny during the day with highs in the low 80s on Tuesday, May 20 before cloudy skies come in that night and temperatures drop to the mid 60s in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas, according to the National Weather Service. Conditions should be the same in the western North Carolina, with temperatures in the low 60s that night and a slight chance of rain. Have a question about your community you'd like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you'd like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you. If you have a question about the Charlotte area, send The Charlotte Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. If you have a question about Raleigh or a Triangle area community, send The News & Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. Painful no-see-ums are back in NC. What to know about the tiny biting insect Squirrels love to chew car wires. Here's why (and how to make them stop)
Newsweek
13-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Snakes Are Cutting Power to Thousands of People
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Snakes have been getting into North Carolina power equipment and causing widespread outages for Duke Energy customers. Newsweek reached out to Duke Energy by phone for comment. Why It Matters Power outages are frequently caused by events such as severe weather or equipment failure, but wildlife interference also can be a common cause. That was the case three times in the past week as snakes caused power outages for thousands in eastern and central North Carolina, The News & Observer reported. What To Know There are dozens of species of snakes living in North Carolina. Occasionally, the reptiles can come in contact with a substation, such as when they are looking for food or trying to escape high water, The News & Observer reported. Snakes have caused three power disruptions in North Carolina since May 5. The most recent occurred on Sunday, when 10 percent of Duke Energy customers in Wayne County lost power at about 9:35 p.m., CBS 17 reported. The outage affected more than 5,000 customers. Power was restored in less than two hours. An Eastern Garter Snake suns itself in the forest in North Carolina. An Eastern Garter Snake suns itself in the forest in North Carolina. Samuel Ray/Getty Duke Energy confirmed that the outage was caused by a snake, the report said. The other two instances occurred on Thursday in Rolesville, and last Monday in Durham, the report said. As of Tuesday afternoon at 2:45 ET, more than 2,600 people in North Carolina were without power, according to a map from Of those, none were Duke Energy customers. Snakes have caused power outages in other states over the years as well, including in Florida, Colorado and Georgia. What People Are Saying The Environmental Literacy Council, on a webpage: "Snakes can easily climb poles, trees, and even walls to access electrical substations or transformers. They are attracted to the warmth these structures emit, especially during colder months." TransGard, a company that makes products to protect power equipment from animals, on its website: "Squirrels and raccoons get the most publicity when it comes to substation outages. But a series of recent snake outages shows that legless crawlers also do their fair share of damage. "Snakes seek out eggs in birds' nests that are often found in substations. They also seek warmth after sundown. And, they're small enough to sneak through narrow gaps." What Happens Next As spring brings severe weather across the U.S., more power outages are likely. When it comes to animals causing the outages, TransGard recommends installing proper fencing around substations to prevent animals from accessing power equipment.
