Virginia
Fairfax Co. Police say Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax kills wife, then himself Thursday morning
Under bill passed by state Senate, New Orleans’ elected court clerk might not be able to take office
North Carolina
Extreme drought expands in North Carolina
The N.C. Forest Service’s ban on all open burning remains in effect until further notice.
North Carolina
RAWtools South Turns Guns Into Garden Tools in the Mountain South
In Asheville, North Carolina, RAWtools South brings together blacksmiths, gun owners, and faith communities to transform surrendered guns into art.
Federal Immigration Enforcement
Labor shortage expected for construction season after immigration enforcement in Minnesota
ECU Health’s plan to reopen hospital offers hope to an eastern NC county; Arizona universities quietly altered DEI offerings after the current U.S. president threatened funding cuts; After four patients died, Idaho governor approves restoring cut Medicaid mental health programs.
North Carolina
Emergency crews responding to forest fire in Brunswick County
Down Ballot Staff Reports Emergency crews are responding to an active forest fire in the area of Funston Road and Old Mill Creek in Winnabow, according to a news release from Brunswick County. This is an evolving event and conditions are subject to change. Brunswick County is in southeastern North
North Carolina
Durham tenants form unions to fight for repairs, respect from NC landlords
By Greg Childress (North Carolina Newsline) Published: March 27, 2026 Residents of Willard Street Apartments and nearby Ashton Place in downtown Durham formed tenant unions Thursday to fight against what they contend are poor management and shoddy building maintenance practices. The newly formed Willard Street United and Ashton Seniors in
North Carolina
Rocky Mount seeks to recover after scathing NC audit finds serious financial mistakes
by Mackenzie Thomas, Carolina Public Press March 19, 2026 A recent state audit this month found that millions of dollars in the Rocky Mount city budget were mismanaged in recent years, which the auditor blamed on a lack of oversight and due diligence by the City Council. Dave Boliek, the
North Carolina
N.C. Senate to have new majority leader
California leaders lionized César Chávez. Now, they face a reckoning with his past; El Paso jail scheduled unauthorized mental health tests for Walmart gunman, records show
Local Government
In N.C., Stokes County Approves a Data Center Rezoning, Triggering a Citizens’ Lawsuit
The data center would be on 1,844 acres that abut or include farms, homes and the burial grounds of Native American and enslaved people.
Education
Mississippi school district is addressing its educator shortage
After a Decade of Missteps, a Texas City Careens Toward a Water-Shortage Catastrophe; Only 13 of the nearly 100 known lynching sites in Virginia have historic markers. A new state program seeks to change that
State and Local Government
Asheville employs more municipal workers than similar-sized cities. Is it necessary for a busy tourist town or a sign of bloat?
Staffing under consideration as Asheville faces $26 million budget gap. The long-term challenge: building the tax base
North Carolina
North Carolina Created Complaint Systems for Its Industrialized Farms. They Don’t Work Very Well.
Complaints become part of the record only if a violation is found, but the state has only 14 inspectors for thousands of hog, poultry and cattle farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.