The Local Skinny! Gov. Stein Signs ‘Mini-Budget’ Supporting Medicaid

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Gov. Josh Stein signed a “mini budget” on Wednesday that state lawmakers passed that includes some stopgap spending measures, one of which includes supporting Medicaid.

N.C. District 32 Rep. Bryan Cohn has stated the importance of informing his constituents how the recently passed federal legislation – the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – will affect and impact local health care.

“Regardless of political positions, the factual consequences of this bill are significant and concerning, especially for residents relying on Medicaid,” Cohn said in a press statement.

“Granville and Vance counties have approximately 41,000 residents enrolled in Medicaid, with over 6,800 gaining coverage through recent Medicaid expansion,” Cohn said. “The reduction in federal funds directly threatens this expansion, potentially leaving thousands of local residents uninsured.”

According to Cohn, North Carolina faces nearly $40 billion in federal Medicaid cuts over the next decade. This funding currently supports essential healthcare services, especially through State Directed Payments that are critical for maintaining rural hospitals and health centers.

Cohn said local hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and urgent care facilities rely on Medicaid reimbursements to operate. “With substantial funding cuts, our providers may be forced to reduce services, lay off staff, or in some cases, close entirely. This will inevitably affect healthcare accessibility and quality across our community,” he said.

Additionally, as major employers and economic drivers in Granville and Vance counties, Cohn said healthcare facilities could see funding reductions that could spell broader economic repercussions, potentially impacting local jobs and economic stability.

The mini budget includes $600 million to support both the Medicaid rebase and the Medicaid Oversight Fund, according to a statement from the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services. “However, this appropriation equates to a shortfall of $319 million for the Medicaid rebase. Despite careful efforts by NCDHHS to avoid disruptions to service, fully funding the rebase is necessary to maintain the current level of care across the state. To remain within budget, NCDHHS now has two options to address a shortfall from an insufficient rebase; reduce optional services and/or reduce provider rates,” according to the NCDHHS statement.

The bill introduces new eligibility conditions, including work requirements slated to begin in late 2026. This could complicate healthcare access for many residents already facing economic hardships, Cohn noted.

“While the political debates surrounding this legislation will continue, our community must understand the tangible impacts these changes will bring. I encourage residents and community leaders to engage actively in dialogue and preparations to manage and mitigate these upcoming challenges,” Cohn said.

Upon signing the bill, Stein made the following statement: “This Band-Aid budget fails to invest in our teachers and students, fails to keep families safe, fails to value hardworking state employees, and fails to fully fund health care. With federal cuts on the horizon, the legislature’s forced $319 million cut to Medicaid will be particularly painful. Despite these serious reservations, I am signing this bill into law because it keeps the lights on.

“We have so much going for us here in North Carolina, but we cannot just rest on our laurels, do the bare minimum, and expect to continue to thrive. The General Assembly needs to get serious about investing in the people who make this state great.”

Here’s a statement from NCDHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai:

“More than three million people in North Carolina depend on Medicaid for comprehensive care that is life-changing and in many cases lifesaving. Underfunding NC Medicaid now after years of building a nationally recognized program that delivers real outcomes for the people we serve is a serious setback. The forced cuts from the budget shortfall threaten care for those who need it most and include some of North Carolina’s most vulnerable populations.

Over time, the combination of underfunding, the loss of key initiatives like the Healthy Opportunities Pilots, and administrative budget shortfalls risks a fundamental erosion of the NC Medicaid program.

Despite these challenges, the mission of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services remains unchanged – we will continue to work to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. We will continue the essential work that NCDHHS does every day with determination, compassion, and a focus on the people we serve.”

 

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State Auditor Discloses Details Of DMV Audit As Long Wait Times, Lines Continue Across State

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— information courtesy of the N.C. Office of the State Auditor

 

The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor has released two audits of North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles. The reports – including a performance audit and information systems audit – were conducted to examine the current operational challenges affecting the most forward-facing agency in state government.

“I pledged to audit the DMV to get to the root cause of its failure, and the reports dealing with licensing procedures and information systems are now complete,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek. “Our audit team has worked hard to find opportunities where the DMV can course correct and effectively serve North Carolina citizens.”

OSA’s performance audit shows the DMV experience for both customers and employees has gotten worse over the years, and that the relationship between the DMV and the N.C. Department of Transportation is a contributing factor.

Customer service has been declining, with wait times on the rise:

  • Average DMV wait times stand at 1 hour and 15 minutes, up 15.5 percent since 2019.
  • Data shows nearly 14 percent of visits exceeded 2.5 hours in fiscal year 2025, up about 79 percent since 2019.

Employees are struggling with workload and burnout:

  • Only 47 percent of DMV workers believed the DMV fostered open communication.
  • 43 percent expressed negative views of prior leadership support.
  • Employees cited low salary, burnout, security concerns, lack of support and inadequate training.
  • Average salaries are below $50,000 for examiners in both rural and urban areas.

Staffing levels are unsustainable:

  • North Carolina’s population has grown by 2.5 million (29 percent) in the last 20 years, but driver license examiner positions have only increased by 52 positions (10 percent).
  • Only 505 of the 710 driver license examiner positions are filled, roughly 160 vacancies remain.
  • In Harnett County, there is only one examiner serving over 56,000 residents.

To address the structural challenges identified in the performance audit, and ensure DMV can deliver timely, effective, and citizen-centered services, OSA makes five recommendations:

  • Policymakers should consider establishing DMV as an autonomous agency or authority with direct control over its budget, strategic planning and operations.
  • DMV leadership should adopt a comprehensive strategic plan independent of DOT.
  • DMV should conduct an in-depth staffing analysis to inform a multi-year, phased staffing plan that addresses examiner shortages and ensures service equity statewide.
  • DMV should build and maintain a centralized performance dashboard to track and report key service metrics.
  • DMV should partner with an industry expert to develop and implement evidence-based improvements to customer experience and service delivery.

The findings in the performance audit point toward a dysfunctional relationship between DMV and DOT. There are four systemic challenges stemming from the DMV’s governance structure as a division of DOT, including limited strategic input, restricted budget autonomy, insufficient performance data and exclusion from key process modernization initiatives.

Examples include:

  • DMV generates 30 percent of DOT’s overall revenue, but accounts for only 2.8 percent of DOT’s expenditures.
  • Of the 45 performance milestones in the DOT strategic plan for the 2023-2025 biennium, only two directly pertained to DMV operations.
  • Only 31 percent of DMV’s staffing requests were included in DOT’s budget requests.
  • DOT left out DMV customer satisfaction data in its performance report.
  • DMV was excluded from planning and procurement phases of improvement efforts led by DOT.

“It’s time to solve the DMV problem. North Carolina has the will and the tools to make our DMV better. Our audit lays out some concrete steps to begin the process to fix the DMV,” Boliek said.

Each recommendation includes specific timelines for impacted parties to follow. OSA will be following up on each recommendation to ensure progress is being made.

In addition to the performance audit, OSA conducted an information systems audit of DMV. The information systems audit found that since 2014, the DMV and Department of Information Technology – Transportation initiated 46 projects that resulted in a cost of approximately $42 million. However, even with all the projects, IT modernization efforts have not produced meaningful customer service improvements, and the current DMV mainframe systems are outdated and overdue for replacement.

OSA made four recommendations for the DMV and DIT-T to take to improve operations.

The audit process for the DMV involved on-site visits to multiple locations, interviews with DMV and DOT personnel, and a thorough review of current strategic plans, general statutes and employee engagement surveys. OSA analyzed key data, including budget expansion requests, wait times, transaction volumes, ZIP code transaction data, service time data, and dwell time data, to assess operational efficiency and service delivery.

Auditors and specialists also engaged external experts from the Institute for Transportation Research and Education, the Bryan School of Business and Economics at UNC-Greensboro, and the UNC School of Government.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems pt. 3

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Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We continue our series on working with children with bedtime problems. This time we talk about how to keep your child in the bed after they have already been put to bed.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Local Man Faces Drug Charges; Cocaine, Marijuana, Guns, Cash Among Items Seized During Search Warrant

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— from the office of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office VICE/Narcotics Unit, the NC State Bureau of Investigation and the Henderson Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at 125 Harrison Ave., Henderson, after an extensive joint investigation into cocaine trafficking at the residence.

Investigators located and seized cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy), and marijuana, firearms, U.S. currency and other items of drug manufacturing equipment from the residence.

Baldwin Lemuel Bates, Jr., 44, was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking MDMA, manufacture cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, and possession of firearm by felon, two counts of possession of stolen firearm, and two counts of maintaining a dwelling for selling controlled substances (x2).

Bates was given a $780,000 secured bond pending a court hearing in Vance County court.

TownTalk: Commissioners Vote 4-2 To End Funding For Vance County Rescue Squad

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The Vance County Rescue Squad, in operation since 1953 as a nonprofit organization, will not get funding from the county commissioners beyond the 3-month contract extension that ends Sept. 30. Listen to TownTalk for a more detailed analysis of what the contract termination could mean for the rescue squad and how it may operate in the future.  Plus, some attempted explanation about the investment Vance County seems to want to make.  And, what we may hear next about these matters.

(The audio file below has been edited to remove an inaccuracy from when it was originally broadcast.  A correction has also been made on air.)

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Summer Reading Program Highlights And New Fall Programs At Perry Memorial Library

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Perry Memorial Library Youth Services librarian Melody Peters likens reading to physical exercise: Reading exercises your brain just like physical activity exercises your body.

And as Peters reflects on the success of the recently completed summer reading program,

participants got a lot of brain exercise!

She told WIZS’s Scout Hughes that more than 600 youngsters and adults participated in the summer reading program sponsored by the library. The goal was to read a minimum of 30 minutes a day over a seven-week period, complete a reading log and turn it in for prizes each week.

Peters and staff knew that participation was bigger than last year’s, but when she looked at the numbers, she said it was double last year’s program. And those 600+ participants recorded 688,000 minutes of reading time.

“It was amazing,” she said. “It is mind-blowing…very exciting to see the growth.” She said there were lots of return participants, but so many new people and new families also joined the fun.

All the prizes, incentives and coupons were donated from area businesses, Peters said. “We were so grateful that they were all donated…and we gave them right back into the community.”

As the dust settles at the library after such a successful summer program, Peters said she’s happy to report a couple of new programs will launch this fall to take their place among the library’s existing regular programs.

One is a new Life Skills program on the second Thursday of the month. A team from Coastal Credit Union will help teens learn about financial money matters over the course of a few months. And then the Life Skills time slot will focus on other types of basic skills, from sewing on a button to basic carpentry.

And then on Fridays in the fall, there’s Baby Rave at 10:30 a.m. and Parachute Play at 11:30 a.m. Baby Rave is for children 0-2 years and Parachute Play is for children ages 3-5. The dates are Sept. 5, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7.

Not one to rest on her laurels, you’ll find Peters at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market tomorrow – Wednesday, Aug. 6 – at 10 a.m. for a special Story Time at the market to celebrate National Farmers Market Week.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn about all the programs and services at your public library.

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NC State Board of Elections

Register To Vote By Sept. 12 In Upcoming Municipal Elections

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Voter registration deadlines are approaching for eligible North Carolinians who wish to vote on Election Day in October and November municipal elections.

Municipal elections in Vance County take place Tuesday, Oct. 7. The deadline to register to vote in this election is 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12.

The N.C. State Board of Elections has issued a press release with details and requirements about voter registration.

“To vote in a municipal election, you must be a resident of the municipality. Working within city, town, or village limits does not make a voter eligible to vote in municipal elections. Similarly, while a voter’s postal address may indicate a municipality, that does not always mean their residence is within the incorporated boundaries of the municipality,” the press release stated.

Check the state board’s Voter Search tool, to determine if you live in an area that conducts municipal elections by finding a municipality under “Your Jurisdictions.”

Eligible individuals who miss the regular registration deadlines may register and vote at the same time during the in-person early voting period at any early voting site in their county, if early voting is available in their municipality. County-by-county early voting sites and schedules can be found at the State Board of Elections’ Early Voting Site Search, once they are available for each election. Learn more at Vote Early in Person.

 

Eligible individuals have many options to register to vote, including the following:

If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before the deadline date. If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will be processed if it is received in the mail no later than 20 days before the election. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election. If submitted by fax or e-mail, the application must be received by 5 p.m. on the deadline date, and a hard copy of the document must be delivered to the county board office by 20 days before the election.

North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day, unless they become eligible after the registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.

Requirements for Registering

To register to vote, a person must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen;
  • Live in the county of their registration, and will have lived there for at least 30 days before Election Day;
  • Be at least 18 years old by the date of the general election (16- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote); and
  • Not be serving a felony sentence, including any period of probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

Updating a Voter’s Registration

Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the NCDMV website or a regular voter registration application.

Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other NCDMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the NCDMV online service but may not change their name through that service.

If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by the registration deadline. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.