Tuesday, Nov. 11: UNC Compact Rejected + Elections Board Shake-Up + WakeMed Officer Remembered
Tuesday, Nov. 11
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
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UNC declines Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence”
UNC-Chapel Hill says it won’t sign the proposed compact, which links preferred access to federal funds with mandates on institutional neutrality, limits on international enrollment, and viewpoint protections. Chancellor Lee Roberts called it “an infringement on academic freedom,” as faculty and students organize in opposition.
State Board of Elections sees leadership shake-up with GOP-linked hires
The board’s new general counsel, legislative liaison, and external affairs lead have ties to Republican officials. The changes follow a law shifting oversight to the State Auditor’s office and a new GOP majority. Advocacy groups say they’re watching closely but note no major red flags yet.
Community remembers WakeMed officer Roger Smith as a hero
Officer Roger Smith, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, was fatally shot Saturday in the emergency department lobby at WakeMed’s Garner campus. Police charged a 29-year-old suspect with first-degree murder. Friends and residents are honoring Smith’s kindness and quick actions that likely prevented further loss of life.
Wake County maps out post-2040 waste strategy as landfill nears capacity
With the South Wake Landfill projected to reach capacity by 2040, county leaders are weighing regional expansion and advanced waste-to-energy options. Officials stress these projects take a decade or more and will require equity considerations and strong public buy-in.
Walltown homeowner faces foundation crisis from stormwater runoff
Decades of runoff from a stormwater pipe draining nine surrounding acres have eroded the foundation of a Durham home purchased through an affordable housing initiative in 1997. With unclear installation records and denied insurance claims, the homeowner faces a March deadline for costly repairs.
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