Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Empty FEMA Trailers, Designer Pets, and Lake Stars

Eighty unoccupied FEMA trailers sit behind a guarded fence in Hickory as many western North Carolina families displaced by Hurricane Helene wait for their assigned temporary housing to arrive.

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The Roundup

Article Icon 180+ FEMA Trailers Not Yet Deployed

Eighty unoccupied FEMA trailers sit behind a guarded fence in Hickory as many western North Carolina families displaced by Hurricane Helene wait for their assigned temporary housing to arrive.

Avery County Manager Phillip Barrier said Friday he continues to hear about trailers being deployed—"they're just not deployed to Avery County." Barrier knows of 10 families who need trailers but says only two have been delivered.

FEMA released an update following President Donald Trump's visit to the region Friday, during which he criticized FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene victims and floated the idea of overhauling or possibly getting rid of the agency.

According to the report, FEMA has contracted with 19 commercial parks to accommodate the temporary housing and is considering contracting with 20 more. The agency reports it has also allocated over $6.2 million for rental assistance in western North Carolina.

Article Icon 1Free IRS Tax Filing Program Now Available in NC

Direct File, a free online IRS tax filing program made available to 12 states in 2024, has expanded to 13 additional states this year, including North Carolina.

Direct File became available for 2025 filings on Jan. 27. It offers step-by-step instructions and live support, and covers more tax situations this year.

In addition to the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Credit for Other Dependents, taxpayers can also use Direct File to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit, Premium Tax Credit, Credit for the Elderly and Disabled, and Retirement Savings Contribution Credit.

Access the program by signing in here with your IRS account credentials.

Article Icon 1State Supreme Court Race Dispute Continues

A Wake County Superior Court judge has scheduled a Feb. 7 hearing for Republican State Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin's lawsuits against the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Griffin is challenging what now amounts to 65,000 ballots cast by voters he claims didn't register properly and therefore shouldn't be included in the results of his race against incumbent Democrat Allison Riggs.

A temporary stay issued by the State Supreme Court on Jan. 7 remains in place.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday about whether a state or federal court should rule on the dispute. A three-judge panel must now determine if a mistake was made when the case was sent from federal court back to state court.


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Around North Carolina

Chapel Hill resident Keith Siegel is among the next group of hostages to be released by Hamas this Saturday, Feb. 1, as part of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. (More)

Central NC: A federal appeals court upheld the conviction of an ear, nose, and throat doctor who defrauded Medicare of more than $46 million and reused single-use surgical devices on over 1,400 Medicare patients in Rockingham, Lumberton, and Raleigh. (More)

Charlotte: The North Carolina Supreme Court accepted a case brought by two Charlotte Latin School parents who say their children were improperly expelled after the children's father contested the curriculum's political direction. (More)

Raleigh: Protestors accompanied by rescue dogs gathered outside Petopia on East Martin Street to object to the store's sale of Aussiedoodles being promoted as "locally sourced, humanely raised designer pets." (More)

Greenville: The City Council unanimously voted to initiate a text amendment that, if passed, would allow Camping World to continue flying its 3,200-square-foot American flag without being fined $250 daily. (More)

Statewide: Approximately 11.2% of North Carolina's 226,000 federal employees worked from home during 2023. An executive order issued by President Donald Trump last week requires those still working from home to return to the office. (See Map)

North Carolina Sports

Cooper Flagg helped No. 2 Duke men’s basketball rebound from a first-half deficit to NC State by scoring 28 points to secure a 74-64 win on Monday night. Duke remains 10-0 in the ACC. (See Stats)

➤ Five-star prospect Caleb Wilson, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Atlanta, Georgia, has committed to UNC over Kentucky and Ohio State. (More)

Carolina Panthers star guard Robert Hunt has been named to the 2025 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson, who will be preparing for the Super Bowl. (More)

Want to stay up-to-date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports? NIL Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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North Carolina Business

A new real estate platform that offers multifamily developers data on current and prospective renters is now available in several North Carolina markets. (See Details)

High Point University donated $250,000 to Business High Point to support the development of the Washington Street Historic District. (More)

Biltmore Estate will continue paying 100% of insurance premiums for employees impacted by Hurricane Helene through Jan. 31. (More)

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Et Cetera

It costs $105,000 annually to raise a family of four in North Carolina. Hawaii is the most expensive state in which to raise a family of four at $259,000, while West Virginia is the least expensive at $82,000. (See Map)

The General Assembly allocated $3.2 million to New Hanover County and $2 million to Davidson County to pilot an Artificial Intelligence School Safety Program that could later be installed statewide. (See Details)

Lake stars, an ice formation typically seen only in colder climates, appeared on a Kitty Hawk pond over the weekend. (See Photo)

Auggie the beaver—rescued by the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center after almost drowning earlier this month in a Charlotte pond—has died after putting up a good fight. (More)

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The Poll

Should federal workers have to return to the office?

  1. Absolutely
  2. A few days each week
  3. Depends on their job
  4. No way


Yesterday's Results:

Would you ride on a supersonic passenger plane?

  1. Heck yeah: 41%
  2. I'd consider it: 33%
  3. No way: 26%
North Carolina Trivia

What was Beaufort known as during the 1600s?

Show me the answer

Flyover North Carolina

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