Eric Tegethoff

Industrial farming practices could be boosting the spread of bird flu. Avian influenza has been detected in poultry across the country, including in North Carolina, where 3.3 million birds had to be culled because of the disease at one farm alone in January. Rania Masri, co-director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, said concentrated animal feeding operations used for poultry are a breeding ground for disease. ...

Bad air quality days are a heightened concern as ozone season begins in North Carolina. Ozone season in the state lasts from March through October, when hot weather increases the prevalence of ground-level ozone. Rafaella Vaca, education manager for the advocacy group CleanAIRE NC, said there are health effects from poor ozone days. ...

By Anya Petrone Slepyan for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for North Carolina News Service Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaboration In the 1930s, women employed by the Works Progress Administration rode pack horses through the mountains of eastern Kentucky, bringing books to rural residents in hard-to-reach places. Nearly a century later, Kirsten Crawford Turner is carrying on that tradition, with the help of a truck and a U-haul rather than a horse and saddle bags. Turner grew up in Shelby, North Carolina in the Appalachian foothills, an area pummeled by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. ...

With cost at the forefront of prospective students' minds, higher education institutions in North Carolina are rethinking how to overcome one of the biggest barriers to enrollment. William Peace University in Raleigh has launched its "Peace Pledge," a program offering 100% tuition coverage for qualifying students. Damon Wade, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at the university, said school officials took a hard look at the enrollment challenges students faced. ...

An effort to increase students heading into high-demand jobs from North Carolina's community colleges is receiving a "boost." The N-C Community Colleges Boost program has received more than $35 million from the philanthropic organization Arnold Ventures to launch a new pilot in the state supporting students. Patrick Crane, vice president for strategic initiatives with the North Carolina Community College System, which announced the program, said there are eligibility requirements. "We see Boost really as a workforce development strategy for North Carolina. " ...

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration Imagery is a powerful cornerstone of food marketing — think of a laughing cow on cheese — often playing an outsize role in what consumers ultimately choose to buy. But when it comes to the marketing of meat, dairy and eggs, the branding does not necessarily match reality. Appealing to the emotional part of the brain, visuals are there to tell a story to connect with consumers, not provide transparency about the meat or milk in your cart. ...

Electric vehicles in North Carolina and around the country are getting love this week. A coalition of clean vehicle advocates has declared the week leading up to Valentine's Day EV Love Story week. The week comes in the midst of the Trump administration's suspension of a $5 billion electric vehicle charging station program. ...

By Taylor Haelterman for Triple Pundit.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration Like most tourism destinations, North Carolina's Outer Banks spent decades trying to attract as many visitors as possible. While more and more people flock to its beautiful beaches, historical sites, and thousands of vacation homes, locals question if the advertising was too successful. "For years and years and years, the tourism industry as a whole was really, really focused on marketing," said Whitney Knollenberg, associate professor and extension department specialist in tourism at North Carolina State University. " ...

The saga over votes in a North Carolina Supreme Court election continues, with potentially damaging effects for the state's democracy. While the race is still uncertified, the current loser of the November election - Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin - wants more than 60,000 ballots thrown out. He's challenging most of the votes from voters he says incorrectly filled out registration forms. ...

As young people struggle with mental health issues, schools often provide the best avenue for getting them help. However, Washington state has fallen behind in providing services to students. Eric Bruns, professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said school is the most common venue for young people to receive mental health supports and so, from a public health standpoint, there is no better place to invest in resources. ...

Rural communities in Idaho and other states rely heavily on Medicaid for health coverage, according to new research from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Nearly 37% of children in rural Idaho are covered through Medicaid or CHIP, compared with 33% in urban areas. Hillarie Hagen, senior policy associate at Idaho Voices for Children, said lawmakers in Boise and Washington, D.C. ...

Services for North Carolinians affected by the justice system is going mobile. The Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services mobile resource center is hitting the road today to provide reentry support across the state. It is the first effort of its kind. ...

North Carolina businesses are getting tips on how to harness a sustainable approach to their work. The North Carolina Sustainable Business Council is hosting its second group of business owners and entrepreneurs for its sustainability course. Council Executive Director Vicki Lee Parker-High said the purpose of the class is to equip business leaders with the tools to navigate the evolving landscape of sustainable business practices. ...

Obtaining medical records can be a costly endeavor but there is hope Washington state lawmakers could find a fix this session. Medical providers look for compensation when producing medical records because of the work involved in the process. Holly Brauchli, an attorney at Seattle Injury Law, said an outdated process is used to determine the cost. ...

The next legislative session is approaching in Olympia and Washington state's budget shortfall will be one of the biggest topics. A gap of $10 billion to $12 billion is expected over the next four years. Jerry Cornfield, a reporter for the nonprofit newsroom Washington State Standard, said a number of ideas have been thrown out. ...

Despite pushback, Idaho is again targeting diversity and inclusion efforts on college campuses. Over the holiday break, the Idaho State Board of Education passed the "Resolution on DEI Ideology in Higher Education," which prevents "central offices, policies, procedures or initiatives" on diversity, equity and inclusion. Francisco Salinas, who currently works at Spokane Falls Community College, has worked at the University of Idaho and Boise State University, including as director of student diversity and inclusion. ...

Cross-border governing bodies, including the state of Idaho, are taking steps to address mining pollution coming from Canada. Coal mining pollution in the Kootenai River has flowed into Montana for more than a century and affected water quality hundreds of miles downstream. Selenium is the biggest concern. ...

The holiday season is a difficult time of year for families with children in Washington's youth detention centers. Families have limited access to children in prisons. Rashida Robbins has a child in Green Hill School, a 180-bed facility in Chehalis. ...

Staff members who support schools are calling for greater investment from Washington state. As next year's legislative session approaches, wages and staffing are among the biggest asks in schools among classified staff - employees other than teachers and administrators. Melissa Roach is a peer inclusion preschool paraeducator in Tacoma who works with special education students. ...

Changes coming to Medicare in 2025 could be beneficial for Oregon residents who are eligible for the program. Oregonians who qualify for Medicare are now in the open enrollment period through Dec. 7, which allows them to search for health coverage plans to best suit their needs. ...