Board of Ed Updates Language Arts Standards

The North Carolina State Board of Education approved revised K-12 English Language Arts standards last week. The changes extend the evidence-based “science of reading” approach—previously required only in elementary schools—into middle and high school instruction.

The updates emphasize foundational phonics, comprehension, and a wider range of texts, including poetry, digital media, spoken word, and complex contemporary literature.

Teachers will now have greater flexibility in material selection, addressing feedback from 2024 surveys that criticized the 2017 standards for lacking clarity and measurability. The changes respond to ongoing low literacy rates, with nearly half of eighth graders below grade level on recent tests.

The new standards take effect in the 2027-28 school year, supported by teacher training from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Town of Cary Probe Reveals Potential Crimes

North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek announced Monday that an initial forensic investigation into the Town of Cary uncovered potential criminal activity by former Town Manager Sean Stegall. The probe, conducted by the auditor’s investigative division, included a procurement card analysis that identified several transactions “potentially indicative” of fraud.

Stegall was placed on administrative leave in November following public records requests that exposed questionable spending. He resigned in December amid concerns over transparency, financial reporting, and workplace issues.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman confirmed Tuesday that both agencies officially opened criminal investigations into Stegall.

Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht Jr. said the town takes the allegations seriously and will cooperate fully with authorities. Stegall has not publicly commented on the auditor’s findings.

State Trooper Can Pursue Retaliation Claim

A federal judge has ruled that a former North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper, Jonathan Daniel Williams, can proceed with his claim that he was fired in retaliation for objecting to mandatory COVID-19 testing policies.

Williams was terminated in January 2022 after declining to comply with nasal swab tests on religious grounds, following a 2021 Department of Public Safety policy tied to an executive order issued by then-Gov. Roy Cooper.

Williams initially complied with nasal swabs but later requested a religious exemption, arguing the testing violated his beliefs. Although the department denied the exemption and offered saliva testing as an alternative—which Williams accepted and used—the agency fired him for alleged noncompliance.

Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger found there is a “sufficient forecast of evidence” that the firing followed Williams’ exemption request and may have been pretextual.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina lawmakers held a hearing Tuesday where state and county officials reported on department responses to President Trump’s SNAP cuts, with additional updates on Medicaid cuts and work requirements expected during the session. (More)

➤ Statewide: North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he’ll block President Trump’s Federal Reserve nominees, including the next chair, until the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation into Chair Jerome Powell is complete and concerns about central bank independence are resolved. (More)

➤ Mecklenburg County: The measles virus was detected in the county’s wastewater during routine surveillance, prompting public health officials to urge vaccinations amid rising cases in the Carolinas. No local cases have been confirmed. (More)

➤ Greensboro: Longtime civil rights activist Willena R. Cannon, a veteran of the 1963 Woolworth’s protests and survivor of the 1979 Greensboro Massacre, died Saturday at 85 after battling pancreatic cancer. (More)

➤ Mooresville: Former town employee Jeff Noble sued the town Monday, alleging retaliation after he discovered and reported surveillance video showing Mayor Chris Carney in the town hall after hours without pants, accompanied by a woman. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill: The university and former provost Chris Clemens are asking a court to pause Clemens’ open meetings and public records lawsuit for 45 days as settlement talks continue over his claims against the school. (More)

➤ Core Sound: A U.S. Coast Guard search located and rescued a missing boater on a solo fishing trip. Aircraft and surface units were deployed in the coordinated operation and the man was brought safely ashore. (More)

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➤ Women’s AP Poll: UNC dropped out of the rankings this week, leaving North Carolina without a team in the Top 25. (See Poll)

➤ The Carolina Panthers are picking up quarterback Bryce Young’s fifth-year option, which will keep him with the team through the 2027 season. He’s coming off a year that saw career highs in passing yards (3,011) and touchdowns (23). (More) 

➤ Duke hired 2025 Patriot League Coach of the Year Ahen Kim to become the successor to volleyball coach Jolene Nagel, who announced her retirement in December. (More)

➤ USA TODAY ranked the Carolina Hurricanes No. 5 in their latest power rankings, down one spot after goalie Pyotr Kochetkov’s potentially season-ending injury. (More)

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

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➤ The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Duke Energy’s appeal in an antitrust case involving rival NTE Carolinas, which accused the utility of using anticompetitive tactics to block competition for Fayetteville’s electricity contract. (More)

➤ The Stokes County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 Monday to approve rezoning 1,845 acres near the Dan River for Project Delta, a large-scale data center projected to create jobs and $20 million in annual tax revenue. (More)

➤ Charlotte City Council approved four local businesses—Rumbao Latin Dance Studio; Alvaranga Realty, which plans to operate a salon; Artisan Gelato; and Higher Grounds coffee shop—as the first commercial tenants at Eastland Yards, the redevelopment of the former Eastland Mall. (More)

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➤ Buddhist monks, on their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C., are expected to arrive in Charlotte on Thursday. They’re promoting compassion and urging Congress to recognize Vesak, which celebrates the birth and enlightenment of Buddha, as a national holiday. (More)

➤ Inspired by a 2009 Blue Ridge Honor Flight, Scott C. Stump of Waynesville led efforts to build the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial honoring Gulf War veterans on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall. It will be dedicated Oct. 24. (See Photos)

➤ The North Carolina Film Critics Association announced its 2025 Best of Cinema nominees Monday. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leads with 19 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme. Winners will be revealed Jan. 26. (More)

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