Environment
Briefs: NC DEQ accepting comments for air quality permit for Guilford Co. business; public hearing set for pipeline proposal in Rockingham Co.
Stretch of Wilmington's River Road to close on Sunday, August 18 for roundabout construction
Ben Ledbetter
Ben Ledbetter, MPA, is a former journalist. Down Ballot covers local and state news in the U.S.
Brunswick County
Board appointments part of agenda for Brunswick County, NC Commissioners meeting on Monday Aug. 4
Union County, N.C.’s property tax bills due Sept. 1; Other counties meeting Monday include Franklin and Haywood
Wrightsville Beach
Tensions Swell Over the Price of Parking in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Louisburg, N.C. leaders decry surprise election change passed without local input; Pennsylvania broke decades of promises to build a better system for people with mental illness; Mississippi broadband expansion moves forward despite federal changes.
new hanover county
Parking deck at 2nd Street closing for repairs starting Monday, August 4
New Hanover County, N.C. parking deck closure aligns with the last day of operation of the main library in downtown Wilmington
Environment
NCDEQ to hold public hearings on water quality impacts from Transco’s proposed pipeline expansion
2 public hearings in September will be in Rockingham and Forsyth counties
Emergency Management
Brunswick County, N.C. urges residents to sign up for emergency alerts
Southeastern North Carolina county urges residents to register for alerts with the peak of hurricane season approaching
Helene
2 N.C. colleges omitted from latest Helene relief bill
It's Friday, July 25, 2025 and in this morning's issue we're covering: Two N.C. colleges were omitted from the latest Helene relief bill, Current presidential administration canceled FEMA program that could have protected Hillsborough, N.C. from flooding, Pharmacies are disappearing across Pennsylvania
Mental Health
Behavioral health urgent care hopes to fill critical need in Robeson County
Tulane University librarians sign to form a union; Novant Health aims to build hospital in Buncombe County; Proposed Public Media Cuts Will Hurt Rural Americans
Elections
Kentucky Gov. Beshear scheduled to be in S.C. this week
He's scheduled to speak in Greenville and Pawleys Island
South Carolina
3 S.C. Republicans vying for governor
Spartanburg County state senator Kimbrell defendant in civil suit
Tropical Depression Chantal
Chantal Wreaks Havoc in North Carolina
Chantal wreaks havoc in North Carolina while the Texas Hill Country recovers from recent flooding.
Mining
N.C. DEQ to hold public hearing for mining permits in Mitchell County
Down Ballot Staff Reports The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on July 29, 2025, in Bakersville, regarding a mining permit application submitted by Horizon 30 to mine the Carter Quarry in