The North Carolina Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit Friday afternoon that had been attempting to save a Confederate monument in Asheville.
The Society for the Historical Preservation of the 26th North Carolina Troops sued to stop the city’s removal of a 75-foot-tall monument to Zebulon Vance, a Confederate and two-time governor who also served in the U.S. Senate, and potentially force them to re-erect it.
In oral arguments, an attorney for the preservationists told the Supreme Court the case was about three issues: the Monument Protection Act, a law that prohibits the state from removing a monument without the North Carolina Historical Commission’s approval; whether the historical preservation group has the right to make their case in court; and whether cities and the executive branch are bound by the Monument Protection Act to enforce the law, or if private interest groups must do it.
Those in favor of removal, meanwhile, said the statue’s presence would stand as a continual symbol of white supremacy. The statue’s removal is another chapter in a broader national reckoning about the place Confederate monuments have in conscientious communities searching for ways to topple the vestiges of slavery — or protect public safety from clashes and protests at the sites of these markers.
Earlier this month, Gov. Roy Cooper joined Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Department of Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo to announce $32 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan awarded to 10 women-led and minority-led capital firms in North Carolina.
Through the capital firms, the money will be invested into historically underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs. The firms are part of a cohort with the N.C. Venture Capital Program, a program that supports early-stage small businesses in the state primarily through equity-based financing.
“To hear that the governor is doing what he's doing to try to support small businesses, it is so kind and so important to keep that vibe because I don't think there's anybody in the world that loves their community or customers more than a small family business,” said Melissa Pate, the manager of The Shrunken Head Boutique.
Ted Zoller, a professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, said through the funding, the government has backed organizations that have experience in working with underrepresented founders.
By all appearances, the Bogue Sound, a serene, 25-mile stretch of water between the barrier islands and North Carolina’s mainland, is pristine, its emerald glint earning its reputation as a gem of the Crystal Coast.
But in reality, the sound, a major shellfish growing area, teems with bacteria: enterococcus,found in the intestinal tract and feces of warm-blooded animals, like people. Among the sources: the sewer systems and septic tanks at RV parks, beach homes and tourist attractions along the Crystal Coast.
“Wastewater is a big concern of the Coastal Carolina Riverwatch because many of our low-lying coastal areas still depend on septic systems that are old and inundated with groundwater,” said Riley Lewis, the White Oak Waterkeeper, whose basin includes Bogue Sound. “And many of our municipalities have old wastewater infrastructure that can leak or overflow. There are also stormwater issues associated with fecal waste from wildlife, pets and industrial agriculture that can enter these waters and influence bacteria levels.”
Because of high bacteria levels, more than 1,500 acres of the Bogue Sound are proposed for this year’s federal list of impaired waterways, also known as the 303(d).
The 303(d) list, named after a relevant section of the Clean Water Act, is a tally of impaired and threatened waterways, based on their designated uses, such as a shellfish growing area, drinking water supply, or a boating, fishing and swimming spot. In some instances, a waterway is impaired because of turbidity — or too much sediment — often the result of urbanization or land-clearing.
Mo Green, the Democratic nominee for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, held a news conference Thursday at his party’s headquarters in Raleigh, where he drew contrasts between himself and his Republican opponent, Michele Morrow, who has suggested that former President Barack Obama and other prominent Democrats be executed.
Democratic Party chairwoman Anderson Clayton said that Morrow’s remarks about executing Democratic leaders are “terrifying” and must not be tolerated.
Green, a former superintendent of Guilford County Schools, noted that district’s academic gains under his leadership. He said North Carolina is in a fight for the “soul of public education.”
“My opponent didn’t send her children to North Carolina’s public schools and now she is encouraging others to do the same,” Green said, referring to Morrow, who homeschools her children. “She calls them indoctrination centers and would defund them by sending taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private schools.”
Morrow defeated incumbent Catherine Truitt in the March 5 primary. She will face Green in the Nov. 5 General Election.
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