It's 5.05. Good Tuesday morning, and welcome into the Carolina Journal News Hour. News Talk 1110-993 WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you.
We are following some updates on a story brought to you late last week about an individual that is being charged with illegally voting in the state of North Carolina.
Well, records indicate and show this individual having voted in the state for over 20 years over the last since the early 2000s. Here are the details as we've got them this morning. A federal grand jury indicted a Canadian citizen late last week for allegedly registering to vote and voting in federal elections in both 2022 and 2024 across North Carolina. The individual's name, Dennis Bouchard. He's 69 years old, and he falsely claimed to have been a U.S.
citizen to vote in a federal election. including the most recent 2024 presidential election. Bouchard, who has resided in the United States since the 1960s, never went through the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship. Despite his immigration status, Bouchard certified that he was a U.S.
citizen on voter registration applications in 2022 and 2024 when he cast a ballot in the 24 presidential election and the 22 midterm elections. U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina said, Every single time a non-citizen casts an illegal vote in North Carolina, it steals and nullifies the vote of an actual citizen. If the records are correct, this Canadian citizen appears to have voted in New Hanover and Pender counties, both in southeastern North Carolina elections, over the past 20 years. We intend to prove his illegal conduct in court and put it to an end.
Sam Hayes, the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, says that he appreciates the collaboration between state and federal officials, noting, I am proud of the efforts of our investigators who worked this case prior to handing it off to our law enforcement partners at the FBI. Nothing is more critical than our democracy than confidence in our electoral process, which is why vigorous enforcement of our election laws must be a priority, said Hayes. The state board of elections team continues to stand ready to assist the U.S. Attorney's Office as they investigate and prosecute voter fraud in North Carolina.
So it would appear, at least from Sam Hayes, that this was an internal investigation, potentially starting locally, then making its way up to the North Carolina State Board of Elections before being turned over to federal officials, where it is now being prosecuted. According to records from the state board of elections, a voter with the exact same name has been casting ballots in both New Hanover and Pender counties going back to the 2004 general election. Court records show prosecutor, or court records to this point, show that prosecutors have not yet indicated that they are investigating any additional Illegal voting outside of the 2022 and 2024 elections. Andy Jackson, the director of the John Locke Foundation Civitas Center for Public Integrity, told the Carolina Journal that this type of fraud is pretty hard to protect against, saying, This kind of election fraud that Mr. Bouchard committed is difficult to detect and prevent.
North Carolina does not have citizenship verification for voting, and checking a box on a registration form declaring that you are a citizen will hardly deter someone who is committed to committing fraud. This is set to be an interesting story to watch. We'll keep an eye on the illegal filings out of the Eastern District of North Carolina, where this case is being prosecuted by newly named attorney Ed Ellisa Boyle in that position. Again, the Eastern District is very large, serving 44 counties across the eastern half of North Carolina. We've got some additional.
Details, including a screenshot and link to those previous voting records over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. The headline there: Canadian indicted for illegally voting in North Carolina elections. We'll keep a close eye on the details right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour, where it's now 5:10, News Talk 11:10, 99.3, WBT. Later this month will be the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and its devastating impacts across the western half of North Carolina. Over the last year or so, we have been continually tracking recovery and relief efforts over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, and right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
To give us an update as we get ever closer to that one-year mark, Teresa Opaca, CarolinaJournal.com, joins us on the news hour. Teresa, some money continues to flow from the feds and state government into western North Carolina. What are some of those figures starting to look like? Sure. Good morning, Nick.
So we have some recently released figures from Homeland Security Secretary Christine Noam and FEMA. She announced in the last week or so that the state would receive Little over $124 million in recovery funding for damage that was caused by Hurricane Helene. One of the announcements was $28 million in funding, and they also had a previous announcement of $96 million in recovery funding. The funding will help cover items like road repairs, critical infrastructure restoration. Also, some debris removal and other emergency actions that were taken to protect life and property following the storm.
That money is reimbursed through the FEMA's Public Assistance Program, and that funds the state and local governments' response and recovery work. Um She also announced to date, or government officials rather announced to date, that more than $655 million has been provided to the state for all those items mentioned, including the road repair, debris removal. And since January 20th, more than $350 million in public assistance reimbursements has been approved to support those recovery efforts here in North Carolina. You know, Teresa, this is an interesting article. I've read some other articles over the last week or so, seen some commentary on social media indicating that really no money at all has flown in from the federal government.
That is seemingly being called out as inaccurate by Christy Noam and some officials from FEMA. While it might not be necessarily as fast as folks might want it to be, the money is flowing, correct? Correct. Yeah, you're right. Again, we all know how government is, and it doesn't matter who's in office.
Government, usually the federal government's pretty slow about getting money out to states and to other people that are in need. Unfortunately, it's one of those red tape processes, but the money is flowing, as we said. Ms. Noam, you just wanted to put out these press releases to let everybody know that, yeah, the funding is coming to North Carolina. Again, You know, Governor Stein held this press conference for Hurricane Aaron.
A few weeks ago. Um at that time he said he expressed appreciation for Know FEMA and Homeland Security, but he noted that there are still $100 million for other projects that need to be reimbursed.
So, yeah, it's slow, it's coming along, you know, but he. Yeah, it there is definitely money coming into the state. And obviously, this reimbursement is going to be helpful for a lot of those small municipalities, towns, and cities throughout Western North Carolina that have had to expend, in some cases, two or three times their yearly budgets, Teresa, to begin some of these cleanup and recovery projects.
So, some good news there. On the other side of the coin, the state of North Carolina, since December of last year, has continually been allocating funds to Western North Carolina. A group called Renew NC is continuing some of their work out in Western North Carolina. What are you following there? Sure.
They have completed the repairs on the first home in Western North Carolina under their single-family housing program. They did name Madeline Waters, was the first applicant. And the Renew NC is funded by a federal community development block grant disaster recovery grant, CDBGDR, from HUD. And of the total $1.4 billion in that funding that was allocated to the state for Western North Carolina recovery needs, $807 million is allocated to that Renew NC single-family housing program.
So it's just the first in a series of recovery initiatives that are going to be offered by North Carolina's Commerce Department's Division of Community. Revitalization under that program of Renew and C.
So there is more to come on this. But yeah, they got the first home repairs finished completed on that house. And it might be important to mention that this is not all of the work that is going to continue to go on out in the western half of the state. This specific grant that we're talking about, this is predominantly for low to moderate income households across the western half of the state. Is that correct?
That is correct. We have a full listing of all the counties that are approved and eligible in the story, but that's just the first in a series of that. Later this year, two additional renew NC housing programs will be offered that's going to address multifamily housing and workforce housing for ownership. Also, infrastructure and economic revitalization programs will also be launched in the coming months. Absolutely.
The recovery does continue, albeit maybe a little bit slower than some folks would want it to, but it is continuing across the western half of North Carolina. We'll continue to track that as we get ever closer to that one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the devastation and destruction left behind. We appreciate the details this morning. Teresa Opeka joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. At blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments.
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We all know that feeling. You finally manage to get away on vacation, and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your homes safe? What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock?
That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff? It's safe-ish. It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind.
Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing. Don't settle for safe-ish. Visit ADT.com today to learn more. It's 521. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-99.3, WBT, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
has announced that AmeriCorps and the Federal Office of Management and Budget Will release hundreds of millions of dollars in previously frozen federal funds. The move is set to reverse a Trump administration directive that had halted the group's volunteer work earlier this year amid concerns of waste and mismanagement. All of this at the agency following multiple failed audits over a pretty significant span of time. AmeriCorps, the federal service agency, is tasked with coordinating national volunteer efforts and has allocated a significant amount of money, more than $1.2 billion worth of taxpayer funds every year in the federal budget, but over the last couple of years has been under increased scrutiny following eight consecutive failed financial audits. Earlier this year, Jackson signed North Carolina onto an existing lawsuit by dozens of other state officials, all of whom are Democrats, and celebrated the release of taxpayer money in a press release late last week.
Jackson's announcement did not reference the failed financial audits and mismanagement concerns that continue to surround AmeriCorps. A november twenty twenty four independent audit revealed that the federal entity's financial statements could not be verified, resulting in a quote disclaimer of opinion. Auditors identified eleven material weaknesses and two significant deficiencies in internal controls, financial reporting and IT systems within the agency.
Some of these reoccurring deficiencies date all the way back to twenty seventeen and have yet to be corrected. In December of 22, then once again in 2024, AmeriCorps was forced, was the focus rather, of investigative hearings on Capitol Hill by U.S. House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development members. At the time, subcommittee chairman Representative Burgess Owens, the Republican out of Utah, said, Unfortunately, AmeriCorps has a long history of abusing taxpayer dollars. AmeriCorps is entrusted with over $1 billion worth of taxpayer funds every year with the result of failure of eight consecutive audits.
In 2023, AmeriCorps Inspector General issued a management challenge report detailing significant challenges that the entity faced. This includes being unable to detect fraud. We have no real idea when AmeriCorps will be able to have a clean audit again. In fact, this year's audit includes 78 recommendations that are still open, even after AmeriCorps said that it addressed 20 last year, ending the quote there from the subcommittee chairman, Representative Burgess Owens, out of Utah. The audit findings and lawmakers' investigations have raised red flags of mismanagement and led the Trump administration earlier this year, back in April, to direct AmeriCorps to halt all recovery work by more than 50 full-time volunteers in western North Carolina.
This was part of a broader program freeze of over $400 million and 750 service personnel nationwide. In response to that freeze, Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, joined twenty two other Democratic attorney generals along with the Democratic governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in suing the Trump administration. They argued that the freeze unlawfully withheld funds that had already been appropriated by Congress. A federal judge then issued a preliminary injunction back on June the 5th, ordering the restoration of grant funding and reinstatement of AmeriCorps members through staff terms.
However, staff terminations were not restored. In the president's budget for 2026, the administration proposed closing AmeriCorps. A White House spokesperson defended the administration's actions by saying in June, quote, AmeriCorps has failed eight consecutive audits and identified over $45 million in improper payments in just 2024 alone. President Trump has the right to restore accountability to the entire executive branch. That was told uh to Politico back in the month of June.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson says the path is now clear for immediate distribution of those funds, noting in a press release, quote, the federal government knew that it would lose against us in court because it had no right to cut the funds of AmeriCorps that Congress had already authorized. This money belongs to North Carolina and is crucial for Western North Carolina recovery. According to Jackson, restoring funds will now resume operations for several Western North Carolina recovery initiatives. One known as Project Mars, which is funding of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program of Western North Carolina. 45 staff members there aiding 18 counties with meals, supplies, shelter, and school support.
Another entity called Project Conserve, 25 staff members there serving 25 counties. That project focuses on debris removal, tree planting, and storm system repair, as well as Project Power, which includes 14 staff member helping more than 10,000 residents in Bunkham, Henderson, and Madison counties with food distribution, wellness checks, and cleanup efforts. Additional programs include literary services, community gardening, mental health support, teacher assistance, and grocery distribution. Again, I'll note that Attorney General Jeff Jackson did not include any of the very checkered past in terms of financial history of AmeriCorps, some of the huge deficiencies within the programs, failing financial audits over the last eight years. Last week's release of the withheld funds allows AmeriCorps' recovery programs in western North Carolina and elsewhere throughout the United States to continue, even as the entity remains under severe federal audit scrutiny.
This case highlights an ongoing tension between addressing waste and financial mismanagement problems at the federal level, while some state officials look to ensure that federal taxpayer-funded programs proceed without interruption, regardless of whether there is waste fraud and serious financial concerns at foot. You can read some additional details about this lawsuit, the money being sent out now, and some of the programs that will be found. Funded. We'll continue funding this morning. Those details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
The story's headline: AmeriCorps freeze recovery funds despite scrutiny over failed audits. Again, that full story available over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. We all know that feeling. You finally managed to get away on vacation, and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your homes safe?
What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock? That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff? It's safe-ish.
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We all know that feeling. You finally managed to get away on vacation and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your home safe? What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock?
That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff? It's safe-ish. It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind.
Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing. Don't settle for safe-ish. Visit ADT.com today to learn more. We all know that feeling. You finally manage to get away on vacation and the worrying starts.
Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your home safe? What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock? That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff?
It's safe-ish. It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind. Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing. Don't settle for safe-ish.
Visit ADT.com today to learn more. It's 536. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour. News Talk 1110-993 WBT, a concerning new report out this morning showing the DEI agenda alive and well at medical schools across the United States. This new research report from the James G.
Martin Center for Academic Renewal shows that top medical schools across the nation have integrated the diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda across admissions, faculty hiring, and their curriculum. The report written by the Martin Center's Jay Shallon argues for a return to merit-based systems, especially given the importance of other systems in such crucial areas such as medicine. Jenna Robinson, who is the president of the Martin Setter, said in a statement, quote, Medical education must prioritize competence, not ideology. This report reveals the extent to which DEI policies are weakening the physician pipeline at a time when Americans need highly skilled, well-trained doctors. Most of the nation's leading medical schools openly emphasize diversity in their mission statement.
According to the Martin Center report, Harvard Medical School, for example, places diversity at a core of its purpose with a commitment to, quote, alleviating suffering through an inclusive community. All of the top ten of ranked medical schools suggest some level of preference or special consideration for applicants from underrepresented groups, often through subjective criteria and tailored programs. Faculty requirements are similarly affected with the DEI agenda. For example, at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, it explicitly seeks candidates who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, service, diversity, and teamwork. Many schools, like the University of California's San Francisco, also known as UCSF, require applicants to submit personal statements that highlight their involvement in DEI initiatives or commitment to working with diverse communities, a potential workaround to race-neutral standards.
The author of the report and Jay Shallon notes that an alignment with federal policies has recently tampered down some of these practices. Shallon writing, quote, All over American universities, including medical schools, appear to have backed off their aggressive DEI agenda due to Trump's executive orders. The jury is still out whether these institutions are reducing their emphasis on DEI in fact or are merely continuing them as before without making them publicly known. Past examples reveal ongoing attempts to bypass legal restrictions. Harvard's 2023 Supreme Court defeat led to a subtle but clear shift, replacing an optional essay on applications with prompts designed to continue race-based considerations under different names.
As Joshua Winan of the Aspen Institute noted, such changes are clearly designed to allow continued race conscious administration contrary to a ruling from the nation's highest court. Jay Shallin writes that restoring merit-based standards in medical education is essential to preserving quality and patient safety across the United States.
Some of his recommendations include abolishing all DEI policies that prioritize that politicize healthcare education, emphasizing that healthcare decisions must be driven by competence and not social engineering.
Some of the other include requiring all applicants to submit standardized MCAT scores, ensuring that future doctor processes are essential knowledge and cognitive skills. We've got a list this morning of some of his other recommendations and a full link to the new report from the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. That is all available over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. The headline story there, Martin Center Report exposes DEI agenda in medical schools.
Again, those details available over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, where it's now 540, News Talk 1110, 993, WBT.
Sometimes you pull an old jacket out of the closet and find, wow, there's $20 sitting in the pocket. How about if you did that and you found $170 million? That's exactly what's going on here in North Carolina. To walk us through those details, Teresa Opeka, CarolinaJournal.com, that's a Teresa, $170 million is a pretty significant amount of money to find in the treasurer's office. What's going on there?
Sure, good morning, Nick. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I wish I could find $170 million lying around in my pockets and my coats or whatever. But yeah, big discovery, significant discovery made by the treasurer. He found that as part of a detailed review of the state's accounts.
And what he said, you know, through the review, we found that money. Sitting idle in the state's accounts for years, which is amazing. He said that money could be could be. Be put to good use, and they're intending to do that. And by reducing outstanding debt to improve the fiscal health of the state, but they can, you know, again, they're limited to what they can do with it.
So, unfortunately, you and I and the rest of the listeners aren't getting any of that money. They're going to refund debt, fund capital projects approved by the General Assembly, and maybe in some instances, projects approved by the state's voters. Things we did vote on, so it would come back to us in a similar way. But yeah, what a chunk of change to find after a number of years. And, Teresa, obviously, we don't have any details on additional cases of this, but I don't think many folks would be surprised or shocked to figure out there's similar amounts of money, maybe a little bit more, maybe a little bit less, sitting out there throughout other accounts in the state of North Carolina.
And this is probably an overall problem in government in general is accountability and really keeping track of where money's going. We're talking about $170 million here. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, you got to wonder, like, what else can be found, right? You know, now that Treasurer Briner's department has gone through such a review of all of that, like he said, his department has undergone reviews of internal policies and procedures and practices of things of that nature.
Maybe other departments should maybe take a second look at, you know, different accounts. And I'm sure they would find maybe not $170 million, but they probably could find a substantial amount of money. And that would be great for everybody for the state. And some other news out of the treasurer's office last week. The North Carolina Investment Authority Board held its first organizational meeting.
I remember talking about this a couple of months ago when it was first announced. What is this board's responsibility? What are they going to be doing? Sure. So this came out of a bill that was passed into law in June, the 2025 State Investment Modernization Act.
It's going to revamp how the state manages its $200 billion in public funds, and that includes $129 billion from the state's retirement systems and cash management, other funds. Right now, before this took place, the state treasurer was the sole fiduciary on how to manage those funds. But Treasurer Breiner, you know, he campaigned on this. He thought, you know, it really should go to a whole board, a number of people, to have a set of checks and balances versus one person, because that opens up the door for possible fraud. Not saying that there was any going on, but that's he said it would be a better model.
And also, you know, they could take a better look at maybe maximizing more funds for people, growing those funds, better investment decisions.
So, yeah, it was something that he campaigned on and fought for, and that the bill was signed into law by Governor Stein back in June. There we go. When you look at something like this, Treasure Briner is a Republican, the governor of the state and Josh Stein is a Democrat. There's not much that the Council of State and the Governor have agreed on over the last couple of months.
However, this is one of the issues, Teresa, that seemingly Stein is all behind us and in full support of. Right, right. Back in June, he did say we do have profound differences in our state, and we've had those for a long period of time. But if we could deliver 1% more, we'll be able to deliver $2 billion a year more to our state budget. And that's why we're doing this.
He also emphasized the significance of the new law at the bill signing because it as Treasurer Briner says, brings more voices to the table when it comes to making decisions about the state's retirement system.
So he's in agreement. Like you say, it's very rare that the governor and council of state come to such an agreement on such an on different issues. It's important to note with this that North Carolina was kind of an outlier when it came to this responsibility. Yes, the treasurer is an elected position, has to get presumably, you know, could be tens of millions of votes across the state of North Carolina to get elected into that office. But very few states had a setup like this, Teresa, which made North Carolina kind of unique.
Yes, you're correct. It did. It did. So, yes, it's bringing. Bringing the state into agreement with several other states.
You know, and we have seen a definite change. looks like a change for the better on different things that Treasurer Breiner has put into effect since he took office. But you're correct. It's North Carolina was one of the few states that still had that sole fiduciary model in place. There's some details this morning on who some of those board members are of this brand new investment authority.
Where can folks go and get some of those details? Sure, they can head on over to CarolinaJournal.com. We appreciate the update this morning. Teresa Opeka joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. We all know that feeling.
You finally manage to get away on vacation, and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your homes safe? What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock? That's where ADT comes in.
All that stuff? It's safe-ish. It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind. Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing.
Don't settle for safe-ish. Visit ADT.com today to learn more. We all know that feeling. You finally managed to get away on vacation and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your home safe?
What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock? That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff? It's safe-ish.
It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind. Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing. Don't settle for safe-ish. Visit ADT.com today to learn more.
We all know that feeling. You finally manage to get away on vacation and the worrying starts. Will that bogus beware of dogs sign keep your homes safe? What about that fake camera you set up? And will someone finally find your old hide and key rock?
That's where ADT comes in. All that stuff? It's safe-ish. It seems fine when you don't really think about it, but you know it truly doesn't work. Instead, ADT provides security solutions that keep you actually safe, giving you real peace of mind.
Because vacation is supposed to be, you know, relaxing. Don't settle for safe-ish. Visit ADT.com today to learn more. Hey Charlotte, it's time for the sixth annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Trive heading your way this Thursday, September the 4th. WBT and the One Blood Big Red Bus will be at the Dog House in Uptown Charlotte from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. We'll be broadcasting live and encouraging you to make a life-saving blood donation. It's the sixth annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Drive headed your way this coming Thursday, September the 4th, at the Doghouse in Uptown Charlotte. Visit wbt.com this morning for location details and register for your appointment. It's now 5:53.
Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT. As we get ever closer to the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the devastation and impacts left in the western half of North Carolina, so far the state has been approved for more than $124 million in recovery funding from damage caused by Helene. Secretary Christy Noam announced late last week that the state would receive $28 additional million dollars in federal funding. This funding helped covers items like road repairs, critical infrastructure restoration, debris removal, and other emergency actions taken to protect life and property following the storm. FEMA reimburses the costs through its public assistance program, which funds state and local governments' response and recovery work.
NOMA announced on August the 21st that the state would receive $96 million in additional recovery funding. Government officials have said to this date more than $655 million has been provided to the state for road repair, debris removal, critical infrastructure repair, and more. Since January the 20th, more than $350 million in public assistance reimbursement has been approved to support recovery efforts in many of the small towns and communities in the western half of our state. Turning our attention stateside, Governor Josh Stein announced on Wednesday that Renew NC, North Carolina's long term disaster recovery initiative, finished making storm related repairs to the first home approved through four assistance through RenewNC's single family housing program. An individual living out in Western North Carolina was the first applicant approved through the disaster assistance program.
Renew NC is funded by a federal community development block grant disaster recovery, known as a CDBGDR, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD. Of the total $1.4 billion in federal grants funding that was allocated to the state from Western North Carolina, more than $807 million worth of that money is allocated to the Renew NC Single Family Housing Program. This program is the first of a series of recovery efforts to be offered by the North Carolina Commerce Department's Division of Community Revitalization under the program name RENUW and See. Low to moderate income households from a plethora of counties in the western half of the state of North Carolina are eligible, and North Carolina is the first state affected by Hurricane Helene to start its home renovation and reconstruction program, the fastest state in more than a decade. Since Hurricane Sandy to begin rebuilding homes after a major hurricane, using some of that federal money coming in from HUD.
The governor said in a press release: Rebuilding safe and sustainable housing is crucial to helping Western North Carolina get back on its feet. Completing our first home is an important milestone in the Hurricane Helene recovery process. I applaud my team for moving at a record speed. Let's keep swinging hammers and getting more families back home. You can read some additional details on this grant program, including all of the counties eligible, as well as some of those federal announcements.
All of that available this morning over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. The headline WNC approved. over $124 million in federal recovery funding. That's going to do it for a Tuesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5-6, right here on News Talk 1110 and 99.3 WBT.
