WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
University of Asheville announced that Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ryan Steed Ph.D. was selected as a new Heny Dreyfus Teacher Scholar for 2026 by the Camille * Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Each year, the Foundation picks eight teacher-scholars for a national pool of faculty within the first 12 years of their academic careers. The award includes a unrestricted $75,000 research grant to further the scholar’s work with students.
Democrats won control of Congress, but Republicans remained the clear choice in most major local races in Rutherford and McDowell counties
North Carolina health leaders discussed public distrust, Medicaid funding and rural care during an Oct. 28 meeting that also left questions about how they welcome public scrutiny
NORTH CAROLINA
Over the last week, Moody’s Rating and S&P Global reaffirmed North Carolina’s AAA bond rating. This is the highest rating available for its outstanding general obligation bonds.
In the 2026 midterm election, North Carolina Democrats secured wins across the state, including flipping the U.S. Senate seat, several Congressional seats and the North Carolina House.
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R- North Carolina) joined by several of his North Carolina Congressional colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth encouraging him to select the State of North Carolina to serve as the headquarters for the Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM), a new, functional combatant command that will lead the joint force in unmanned autonomous warfare.
DOJ indicts more individuals for illegally voting in North Carolina
TENNESSEE
Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn announced members of the Transition Advisory Committee, who will serve under Chairman Stuart McWhorter.
“Chris Hansen is a committed public servant with decades of experience in corrections and public safety,” said Gov. Lee. “His knowledge of the Tennessee Department of Correction makes him uniquely qualified to lead, and I am grateful for his willingness to serve Tennesseans during this transition.”
“Chris Hansen is a committed public servant with decades of experience in corrections and public safety,” said Gov. Lee. “His knowledge of the Tennessee Department of Correction makes him uniquely qualified to lead, and I am grateful for his willingness to serve Tennesseans during this transition.”
VIRGINIA
Last night Virginia prevailed in the competitive Congressional races, and the pro-abortion constitutional amendments passed. Notably, Virginia House members avoided the catastrophe seen in North Carolina, that led to a massive change in the Congressional delegation.
Barrar will develop a statewide outdoor recreation economy strategy to grow and support the industry based on feedback from local leaders and communities — integrating conservation, economic development, tourism, and workforce development.
Governor Abigail Spanberger today declared a State of Emergency to support Virginia farmers and producers in response to the statewide hay shortage caused by ongoing drought conditions.
SOUTH CAROLINA
VIRTEUS, a ceramics coating manufacturer, announced the selection of Newberry County for its first North American operation. The Germany-based company plans to invest at least $800,000 and create 15 new jobs. VITREUS USA is a subsidiary of VITREUS GmbH, a German company that produces engobes, glazes and granulates for the heavy ceramics industry, as well as raw materials including manganese oxide, iron oxide, glass and color pigments.
GEORGIA
"Along with our partners in the General Assembly, we are delivering on our promise to make life more affordable for hardworking Georgians by providing needed relief for homeowners from property taxes," said Governor Brian Kemp. "Because of our commitment to creating jobs and budgeting conservatively, we are able to take steps such as these to keep more money in Georgians' pockets."
Georgia's current motor fuel excise tax is 33.3 cents per gallon for gasoline and 37.3 cents per gallon for diesel. Following the suspension of the state motor fuel tax on September 28, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Georgia has remained well below the national average, according to AAA. Georgia's average price for a gallon of regular gas is approximately 63 cents below the national average, and the average price for diesel is around 61 cents below the national average.
Georgia will be home to the first U.S. manufacturing facility. The company is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, and Audi plans to invest approximately $4 billion in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, at the Middle Georgia Megasite, creating about 4,500 jobs.
OPINION
In 2013, a Gallup survey suggested 70% of people said a college education was very important. Only 31% say it's very important today. Much of that decline is a result of the exploding cost of education. It raises serious questions about the morality of burdening a teenager with a lifetime of debt on the hazy promise of a brighter financial future.
North Carolina needs more tools to address plastic waste, not simply more of the same approaches.
House Bill 605 offers an opportunity to expand those tools while creating new possibilities for economic development, manufacturing, and job creation across our state.
When was the last time you invited people into your home for dinner? Wait, it can’t be a work function or a major holiday. Just an ordinary Saturday night with a few friends, some food, a few bottles of wine, and absolutely no reason to celebrate anything. Give it some thought. We’ll wait.
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