We’re pulling a Colin Campbell-era feature off the Tribune shelf and resurrecting the regular “get-to-know” series of capsule profiles of legislators, agency heads and lobbyists. nctribune.com/get-to-know-re… #ncpol Buncombe County Gov

To date, 96 people have graduated from the online degree programs some of the UNC System’s campuses are offering through Project Kitty Hawk. nctribune.com/project-kitty-… #ncpol

Kelly Hastings lives in the Gaston County town of Cherryville, although about 30% of his Republican-leaning district includes Cleveland County. nctribune.com/get-to-know-re… Rep. Kelly Hastings (R-NC) #ncpol

Republicans’ search for a Willie Horton to use against former Gov. Roy Cooper on the campaign trail in this fall’s U.S. Senate race are now looking to the Duke lacrosse case. nctribune.com/gop-criticizes… #ncpol

Curious what NCDOT, NCDOT NC12 and county leaders think about how we fund long-term fixes for N.C. 12? nctribune.com/mccrory-era-po… #NC12

National Park Service officials say it’s going to take until late this year to repair enough of the damage from Hurricane Helene to get the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway back in service. nctribune.com/park-service-l…

Stalled legislation that would restrict the use of “facility fees” by hospital systems could reduce healthcare costs for North Carolina families linkedin.com/company/769892…

There’s no recent North Carolina precedent, if any, for Senate leader Phil Berger’s apparent GOP primary loss. nctribune.com/is-there-a-pre…

The NY Times reports that the Trump administration is considering paying $133 million to buy out a French company’s lease of a potential offshore wind-energy site near the North Carolina coast.nctribune.com/nyt-trump-purs…

2026 NC Leadership Conference will bring together business, government, and policy leaders from across the state for a focused half-day program on Friday, May 15, at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. nctribune.com/leadership-con…

Celeste Cairns is a GOP state representative for Carteret County and part of Craven, first elected in 2022. nctribune.com/get-to-know-re… #ncpo #ncgeneralassembly

North Carolinians aren’t just worried about health care costs — 17% say they’ve skipped needed care because they couldn’t afford it. nctribune.com/affordability-… Paul Shumaker Roy Cooper #affordability Sydney Batch susan mims Dogwood Health Trust Carla Cunningham

Winston-Salem officials acted within they authority in 2023 when they told the owners of a nonprofit animal sanctuary in the far-eastern part of the city to shut down, an all-Republican state Court of Appeals panel says. nctribune.com/appeals-court-…

A traffic-safety group wants everyone running for a General Assembly seat this fall to pledge to practice safe-driving habits as they campaign. nctribune.com/drive-safe-whi…

One of the key backers of Rockingham County Sheriff’s successful bid to unseat Senate leader Phil Berger has a message for the rest of the Senate: No more casinos. nctribune.com/luddy-warns-se…

UNC Chapel Hill officials have walked back a vice provost’s statement that they’re investigating the student group Hill After Hours over a video lampooning attitudes toward the South Campus dorms. nctribune.com/unc-chapel-hil…

Duke has raised NC electric rates several years in a row and is now seeking double‑digit increases again for 2027. nctribune.com/utilities-comm…

Officials at UNC Wilmington want the university to set up its own standalone medical school, and have a plan they say can enroll the first 60 would-be doctors for the 2029-30 academic year. nctribune.com/unc-wilmington… UNCW

Four lobbyists have been indicted in connection with a 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour by a group of North Carolina state legislators. nctribune.com/lobbyists-indi…

nctribune.com/lobbyists-indi… Wake County grand jury has indicted four prominent North Carolina lobbyists on charges alleging that they solicited violations of state law that bans gift-giving to legislators.