The Voice of the Black Community
State & National
| Political fights for 2020 begin to emerge |
| Wednesday, December 11, 2019 |
| With legal challenges to the state’s congressional and legislative maps closed, candidate filing for North Carolina’s 2020 election cycle opened last week, setting in motion what promises to be a contentious year of campaigns up and down the ballot. The three-week filing period opened December 2, after an unusually quick resolution to the |
| Senate passes bill to save funding for HBCUs |
| Wednesday, December 11, 2019 |
| The Senate recently passed a bipartisan deal that would permanently restore funding to historically black colleges and universities and other schools that serve large shares of minority students. The legislation also would simplify the federal form used to apply for student financial aid. Although the amended bill has yet to go before the House, it was |
| State Board of Ed examines decline in licensure exam pass rates |
| Monday, December 9, 2019 |
| The percentage of teachers passing state licensure exams has fallen to 80 percent, leaving some members of the State Board of Education to wonder if students are being shortchanged by ill-prepared teachers. A report shared with SBE members last week showed the passing rate on state teacher exams falling from 96% percent in 2014 to 80.2% in 2018. “I |
| ‘Raise the Age’ juvenile initiative begins in NC |
| Monday, December 2, 2019 |
| RALEIGH — Significant changes to North Carolina’s justice system for young offenders and sex-related offenses began this month. No longer will 16- and 17-year-olds be automatically tried in adult court for most nonviolent or less serious felonies as the state’s long-awaited “Raise the Age” initiative takes effect. Victims of |
| Vance County’s Jackson named superintendent of the year |
| Wednesday, November 27, 2019 |
| Anthony D. Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools, was named the 2020 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year at an awards presentation and reception on November 19 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The award was given jointly by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators, the North Carolina |
| NC Medicaid managed care won’t begin on time |
| Friday, November 22, 2019 |
| RALEIGH — North Carolina’s Medicaid program won’t shift to managed-care benefits as scheduled early next year, the largest casualty to date of the months-[long budget stalemate between Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican lawmakers. Although the Department of Health and Human Services’ Tuesday announcement about the rollout |
| Three plaintiffs, ACLU challenge cash bail system in Alamance County |
| Friday, November 22, 2019 |
| GRAHAM – The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three people being held in the Alamance County Detention Center. The lawsuit contends that court officials' use of cash bail violates the constitutional rights of those who can't afford to pay for their release. Attorney Ann Webb |
