Lucas Thomae

1 week ago | mountainx.com | Lucas Thomae

by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public PressJune 20, 2025With less than two weeks before Yancey County officially exits its regional public library system, opponents to the change are making a last-ditch legal effort to force the county to reverse course. The two-year-long debate over the future of the library in Burnsville began with residents’ complaints over a Pride Month display in 2023.

1 week ago | carolinapublicpress.org | Lucas Thomae

With less than two weeks before Yancey County officially exits its regional public library system, opponents to the change are making a last-ditch legal effort to force the county to reverse course. The two-year-long debate over the future of the library in Burnsville began with residents’ complaints over a Pride Month display in 2023.

1 week ago | mcdowellnews.com | Lucas Thomae

More than three months after McDowell County placed its Department of Social Services director on leave, officials have kept quiet about upheaval inside the office responsible for child welfare and a range of other public services. A letter obtained by Carolina Public Press revealed that McDowell DSS failed to alert law enforcement to evidence of child abuse - and violated other state policies, too.

1 week ago | carolinapublicpress.org | Lucas Thomae

More than three months after McDowell County placed its Department of Social Services director on leave, officials have kept quiet about upheaval inside the office responsible for child welfare and a range of other public services. A letter obtained by Carolina Public Press revealed that McDowell DSS failed to alert law enforcement to evidence of child abuse — and violated other state policies, too.

2 weeks ago | carolinapublicpress.org | Lucas Thomae

In April, Attorney General Jeff Jackson stood shoulder to shoulder with local law enforcement outside the Haywood County courthouse to launch Safe to Rebuild, an effort to fight looting of property and contractor fraud amid Tropical Storm Helene reconstruction. The gesture, Jackson told Carolina Public Press, was to give Western North Carolinians “peace of mind” as they work to restore their damaged homes and reopen their small businesses.