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Helene Recovery Clash; Walker Gets State Dept Role

Carolina Journal Radio / Nick Craig
The Truth Network Radio
February 19, 2026 6:17 am

Helene Recovery Clash; Walker Gets State Dept Role

Carolina Journal Radio / Nick Craig

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February 19, 2026 6:17 am

State officials and lawmakers in North Carolina are at odds over the pace of recovery efforts in western North Carolina, 17 months after Hurricane Helene. The state has allocated over a billion dollars for relief, but lawmakers say bureaucratic delays and complex designs are slowing repairs and increasing costs.

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Book in minutes at vaccassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. It's 5:05 and good morning to you. Welcome into the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM, WBT. I'm Nick Craig.

We have got some clashes going on between state lawmakers and state officials over the continued recovery efforts in western North Carolina and the pacing of some of these major projects. North Carolina emergency management officials say that hundreds of infrastructure repairs are underway nearly 17 months after Hurricane Helene affected western North Carolina.

However, Republican lawmakers representing some of those affected western counties are sharply criticizing what they describe as continued bureaucratic delays and rising costs that are slowing recovery. During a recent update at a February the 9th Grow NC meeting, Don Campbell, who is the chief of staff for North Carolina Emergency Management, outlined the scope of the state's efforts to restore access through many private roads and bridge programs established after the storm. One of the situations that made Hurricane Helene so unique and the damage that it left in its wake was the sheer amount of private infrastructure that does exist in western North Carolina. That is not as common pretty much anywhere else in the state.

However, lots of private roads, lots of private bridges, especially in more rural areas of western North Carolina. Back to Don Campbell, the chief of staff of emergency management. He reported that more than $612,000 in reimbursements have been awarded to households that have completed repair work with additional applications currently under review. He told the committee, Quote, we have a significant number of additional applications in the queue that we are working through, explaining that applicants must document completed work and payment before those funds can be approved and expensed from the state of North Carolina. Saying for a number of applications that we've received, the work has not yet been done yet.

They were just estimates.

So we've had to put those on hold. Inspectors are deployed to verify completed projects before those reimbursements or state monies are issued, a process that Campbell said ensures the responsible use of funds. Saying we send an inspector out to the site to validate that the information and the repairs were done and to assure that we are utilizing the dollars as best as we can and to the extent as far as they possibly can be used. The recovery program was developed in response to Helene's damage and because of the very unique nature of that strategy. Storm, it required building out new administrative systems and procurement strategies that did not previously exist.

With Campbell noting, this is not a program that existed here in the state of North Carolina prior to Hurricane Helene. He noted that officials had to assemble teams, establish contracting approaches, and secure vendors in a strained construction market, which pretty accurately describes what's going on out in western North Carolina. According to Campbell, North Carolina Emergency Management, more than 3,600 repairs have been identified statewide through interest forms that have been circulating now for the better part of a year, with 51 sites completed and 236 underway. Prioritization is continuing to be guided by a legislative direction focused on access for emergency services and multi-residential households. With Campbell saying our prioritization was those that did not have EMS access and those that serve multiple residential buildings.

Project complexity, I should say, has also increased cost and timelines. As was noted during the meeting back on February the 9th, a bridge that used to be 10 feet long is now requiring a 75-foot bridge because of the span of the creek. He told the participants in the meeting, explaining that engineering requirements have changed significantly in some areas after the storm. And when you talk about going from 10 to 75 feet, that is not only a massive engineering feat, it is a massive cost fee. Even with the progress, Campbell acknowledged current funding levels will limit the completion of identified projects unless additional resources are secured.

Telling the group, without additional funding, this is the number of projects that we believe we'll be able to complete with the funding that we have available.

However, he added, officials expect that those are already underway and set to be finished soon.

Sometime through the calendar year, 2026. That update came as a group of Republican state lawmakers publicly urged action by Democrat Governor Josh Stein and his administration to accelerate the building process in western North Carolina. In a statement released on February the 18th, members of the North Carolina House of Representatives, who are representing those storm-impacted districts, called for reducing administrative barriers that they say are slowing and delaying many of the repairs. The statement was issued in part by Representatives Carl Gillespie, Dudley Green, Mark Pless, Mike Clampett, Jake Johnson, Jennifer Bulcombe, and Ray Pickett. They wrote in the statement: While the North Carolina General Assembly has appropriated a historic amount of funds to help Western North Carolina rebuild private roads and bridges, Governor Stein has presided over a stifling bureaucracy utterly lacking in common sense and resourcefulness.

Overly complex bridge and road designs have slowed projects to an unacceptable pace and dramatically increased the cost of repairs and replacements. We are working to remove those barriers so that Western North Carolina can recover more quickly and more households can receive state funds. The legislators did not provide specific examples of projects they believe were delayed, but their criticism is reflecting broader political debates over recovery prioritization and the execution of that work. State officials at the meeting emphasized the coordination with multiple agencies and nonprofit groups to address some of those remaining needs and noted ongoing uncertainty tied to federal programs that often reimburse some of these projects, in this case after a natural disaster, when it is complete. They also said that additional funding requests are being pursued as the scope of remaining repairs becomes more clear.

Now this makes it pretty interesting as um we are getting this update. from state officials, this Grow NC meeting back on February the 9th, Don Campbell, who is the Chief of Staff for Emergency Management, described the inventory of projects as, quote, fluid. saying that homeowners are seeking help through multiple assistance channels, saying that the numbers continue to fluctuate as individuals either jump into other programs or resolve their projects, calling the tracking database a, quote, living document. Despite some of the competing perspectives on PACE and process, both state officials and lawmakers agree that restoring safe access for residents remains central to the region's recovery. Campbell said that emergency management staff continues to refine all of the processes that they have in place as those efforts continue to evolve.

Noting, overall, we've got a great program and a great set of team members that are continuing to work on the process. Further legislative oversight and administrative updates are expected in the months to come as those rebuilding efforts do continue in western North Carolina and funding decisions unfold in the months ahead. As we've been highlighting and talking about from time to time here, we do have no official budget moving forward in North Carolina, which does mean in all likelihood we will see some level of a mini budget potentially coming up relatively soon as lawmakers are expected to make their way back to Raleigh sometime after the March the 3rd primary coming up here in just a couple of weeks. Lawmakers are expected back. There is a date on the calendar right now, Monday, March the 9th.

It is not immediately clear exactly what will be discussed or gone over, whether this will be a full or skeleton session of the North Carolina House and Senate.

However, it's on the calendar right now for March 9th. And I would suspect as we move through the months of March, April, and into May. We will see the conversation and the chatter increase from state lawmakers as it does relate to this continued funding for Western North Carolina, potentially a mini budget or some other sorts of funding sources.

So, that is something that we are going to be keeping a very close eye on in the months ahead. You can read some additional details about this back and forth between lawmakers and state officials. We've got all the details and all the quotes over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. The story's headline: Lawmakers, State Officials Clash Over Helene Projects Pace. Let's go!

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Book in minutes at vaccassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Yeah. It's 5:21. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour.

Good Thursday morning to you, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9, WBT, President Donald Trump has appointed former North Carolina Congressman Mark Walker. As a principal advisor for global religious freedoms within the United States, within the U.S. Department of State. Walker had been awaiting U.S. confirmation for Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedoms after being nominated by President Trump in April of 2025, going back almost one year.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman recently reported that he would not schedule a confirmation hearing for Walker, saying that he did not have the votes.

However, in recent months, more than 120 present and former members of Congress signed a letter to support Walker's nomination to that position and his confirmation for that ambassador-at-large role. Walker said in an announced press release, after careful consideration and thoughtful discussion with the administration, I am respectfully withdrawing from consideration for the ambassador-at-large position and excited to announce that I have accepted the news. New role as principal advisor on global religious freedoms with the Department of State, or the State Department, excuse me. Walker told the Carolina Journal that his decision was driven by the urgency of the need of people in different countries who are being targeted. He also said that as far as the difference between the ambassador role and this new position, other than the fact that ambassadors have diplomatic immunity, the actual duties of the job have little to no differences.

Walker, in a statement, the Carolina Journal said: There are two major challenges to advancing religious freedom. Number one, in the Middle East and Asia, you have more of what they call blasphemy laws, where if you are simply talking about your faith, sharing your faith, it can be a prison sentence from five to ten to even twenty years. In India, for example, the president there has increased some of these laws to even be harsher penalties. Number two is in a phase where it is even more egregious. where you have places on continents in Africa.

For example, seven out of 10 Christians who are practicing their faith happen to be in the continent of Africa. 90% of those people happen to be in one country, Nigeria. Walker said that he wants to immediately start meeting with different countries and hopes to get some of these blasphemy laws reduced or completely banished from the books. He also hopes to encourage government leaders in countries like Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia to push back more against Islamics who attack all people of faith, whether it be Christians, Jews, or even other Muslims, he said in his comment to Carolina Journal. You can read some additional coverage of this.

We've got the full statement from former Congressman Mark Walker, as well as that letter signed by 120 lawmakers as his confirmation hearing completely stalled out in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee up in Washington. Yeah. However, he has been appointed to this new role. We'll continue to track the work and the progress over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. In some other statewide news this morning, K-12 mathematics standards in North Carolina are slated to get a major overhaul under a proposal presented to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee back just a couple of weeks ago.

The revised standards are designed to better align student learning with workforce needs, according to state officials. According to Dr. Christy Day, who is the director of the Office of Teaching and Learning at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, she said that academic standards matter only when they translate into high-quality classroom experiences and meaningful learning experiences for our students. This phase signals a shift from viewing the standards as just an adopted document into seeing them as a driver for day-to-day teaching and learning. One of the most significant proposed changes is to the high school math Pathway while maintaining the existing four-credit graduation requirement, which is the case for any public institute or any public school, I should say, public K-12 school in North Carolina.

The revised standards would shift from three required courses and one elective to two required courses and two electives. Math 1 and Math 2 would still be mandated for all students, but learners could choose two different elective courses that align with what their post-secondary plans are. The impetus of this revision, according to Day, is largely driven by an evolving workforce and some of those demands, noting that data science is huge right now in the workforce, citing feedback from business leaders who require students that need to be proficient in handling large amounts of data. The revised standards also seek to offer a wider variety of mathematical paths for students, with Day saying, we know that the math that is needed for a nurse is much different than math that is needed for an engineer. The revision process comes amidst some encouraging trends in student performance.

Department of Public Instruction data indicates consistent improvement in college and career readiness levels and grade level proficiency in third through eighth grade math from 2022 to 2025. High school end-of-course performances also showed some positive movement as well. And the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores for both fourth and eighth graders saw an increase between 2022 and 2024. The Department of Public Instruction does plan to release a second draft of these revised standards coming up in the month of April with a final draft going before the official North Carolina. Carolina State Board of Education for action sometime this summer with a two-year installation phase slated for the 26-27 and 27-28 school years involving extensive communication, professional learning, and supported documents for development within school districts across North Carolina.

Full implementation across all K through 12 public classrooms is tentatively scheduled to be completed in the 28-29 school year, which will coincide with the alignment of state assessments to some of those new standards. You can read some additional coverage on that story as well. This morning, we've got the details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. Just search for DPI set to update math standards to meet workforce demands. Let's go!

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Book in minutes at vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. It's 5.35. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM. WBT, I'm Nick Craig.

Good Thursday morning to you. I think it is safe to say that 2020 and the COVID-19 lockdowns were definitely an interesting time across the United States of America and here in North Carolina. Back during 2020, a group of bar and tavern owners got together across the state of North Carolina and were questioning whether the state government had the ability to shut down many of their establishments for months and years after the beginning of COVID-19. That legal challenge, as we talk about many a times, the slow wheels of justice continue to turn here across the state of North Carolina. We do have an update this morning to walk us through those details.

Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. Mitch, before we get into the most recent in this filing, can you walk us through what was going on almost six years ago here in North Carolina? Sure, we all remember that the governor shut down businesses across the state, really businesses of all types, early in the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper deciding with the advice of his top health officials that it would be good to keep people at home.

Now, shortly after businesses were shut down, many of them were allowed to reopen. But one particular group that was not allowed to reopen were private bars. They were forced to remain closed while other businesses were reopening, including restaurants that included bars.

So one of the things that happened as a result of the COVID shutdowns was that bar owners across the state in a pair of suits, including one that was filed in 2020, decided to go to court to say that the governor, with his shutdown orders and keeping the bars shut down while other businesses reopened, the governor was violating their constitutional rights, their right. To be able to work, to run their businesses, to enjoy, as our state constitution says, the fruits of their own labor. These suits took a while to work their way through the trial court level, through the appellate court level, but eventually they got to the North Carolina Supreme Court. And in 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in two different lawsuits filed by two different groups of bar owners that, yes, they should be allowed to move forward with their lawsuits, argue that the governor had violated their constitutional rights by keeping them shut down and treating them differently from other businesses.

Now, that isn't an ultimate victory. The Supreme Court didn't say, bar owners, you win. Governor, you lose, but they basically allowed them to go back to the starting point and progress with their lawsuits saying that the governor did violate their rights.

So that ruling came last summer from the state Supreme Court, means that the case goes back to the trial court level and the plaintiffs with their lawyers will get to argue before a trial judge that the governor, in fact, violated their rights by not only shutting them down, because Pretty much all businesses in North Carolina were shut down, at least temporarily, but shutting them down and keeping them closed while allowing other businesses to reopen, including their competitors, like restaurants that served alcohol and other establishments that serve alcohol, but were not labeled in this category of being a private bar. Mitch, I don't know if this is in the legal challenge or not, but I remember talking to some of these bar owners during this time. And one of the most ironic things in all of it was that they were still getting their fees from the North Carolina ABC Commission. They had to remain their liquor license here throughout the state of North Carolina, which I wasn't aware is actually pretty expensive.

Meanwhile, their doors are essentially padlocked shut, can't legally operate. And the state government is coming behind them and saying, hey, you mind paying us your ABC fee, and hey, you'll be able to open, I guess, at some point in the future. That's right. They had to pay all their fees. They had to pay their taxes.

Even if they didn't have any revenue coming in, they obviously wouldn't have had to pay a corporate income tax or pay any income tax from businesses that they weren't making. But if they had to pay a franchise tax, that Was there was no break from that. There was no break from the fees to keep their ABC license. And so, one of the interesting things, and one of the reasons that we're talking about this now is that a lot of bars ended up being casualties of COVID-19, that they just couldn't operate any longer after being shut down for a while. And we see some evidence of that in the latest development.

One of the things that happened was as this case was beginning to move back forward and go before a judge. In fact, there's one judge in this North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association. versus now Stein case. It was North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association versus Cooper. There has been one particular Special Superior Court judge, Edwin Wilson, who's been appointed by the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court to oversee this case, so it won't have to go to a bunch of different judges and delay things even longer.

But as it moves forward, the lawyers working on this case wanted to make sure that all their plaintiffs were on board. And they basically filed something with the court saying, please let us drop 27 different clients. And they list the contact name and the name of the establishment and said, allow us to withdraw from representing them because we can't reach them. We've been trying off and on through. phone, email, any other contact information we've had.

We've been trying since 2024 and haven't been able to reach these folks.

So allow us to drop them from the case, which I think is another sign of a couple of things. One, that COVID actually had an impact on some of these businesses and whether they would be able to stay open on a long-term basis. But also the fact that this case has been going on for so long. I would suspect that in the normal churn of business, if you didn't have COVID, you'd still have a number of these businesses would shut down just because bars don't have as long a shelf life necessarily as a lot of other businesses. But still, it's an interesting development.

27 different plaintiffs who were part of this lawsuit presumably will not be as it moves forward because their lawyers can't contact them. They have no way of knowing whether they still want to be part of the case or not. Yeah, and of course the assumption there, as you noted, that these places probably are no longer in business, which again, as you noted, is a pretty common thing with bars and restaurants, food service. It is a pretty brutal and rough industry. Mitch, 27 is a pretty large number.

Do you know off the top of your head how many other plaintiffs are still in this case? Is it still a large number in the grand scheme of things? Or does this 27 represent a large portion of those that were originally going after at then-time Democrat Governor Roy Cooper? I don't know the total number. My guess is this is a significant dent, but I wouldn't say that it's a majority.

My guess is we're talking about a significant minority, maybe 10%, a quarter, maybe even a third, but certainly there are enough plaintiffs. Who are continuing to move forward, that the lawyers thought it was a good idea to make sure that they press on. If you were talking about a majority of the plaintiffs, then you probably would find some way to wrap this up. It also has an impact on whether the state's gonna be interested in settling. If you still have a large number of bars and there's going to be some interesting payout, that would be less likely to entice the state to come to a settlement.

If they're only dealing with a handful of bars who still remain as plaintiffs, then it probably makes them more likely to settle.

So it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. My guess is that that is going to be one of the things that will drive settlement negotiations is how many bars are still a part of this case and how much would the state have to pay out if it wants to avoid a trial and would just like to settle it and get it off the books. Because remember, we're talking about things that happen in 2020. You have a whole new separate administration that probably doesn't want to have to deal with this mess anymore and still be talking about COVID six years after all of these shutdowns. If it's something that can be resolved without having to have a huge hit on the taxpayers, my guess is the state would have at least some interest in doing that.

You're leading me into my next question here. Obviously, I would assume maybe some of the plaintiffs in this suit would like the state to jump in a time machine and go back to 2020, Mitch, and not shut down their bars and other establishments. That is obviously not feasible.

So again, what are we looking at here? Is it presumably just financial, monetary support for some of the losses and some of the damages that these establishments faced during that period of time where most everything else had reopened predominantly besides bars? Yes, what you're going to be talking about if this has to go to trial is monetary damages. And my guess is what would be requested is some compensation for All of the lost business that took place during the time of the shutdown.

Now, as we know, The bars that didn't have to close permanently were eventually allowed to reopen. But that was, in some cases, you're talking about more than a year after the initial shutdowns. And so you would suspect that what the attorneys are going to say is, we'd like to get compensation for that lost business plus interest because this is something that was taken away from us. And we've waited now. By the time this gets resolved, it'll certainly be at least six years, if not longer, before it's finally resolved.

And so there would be some demand of some kind of interest. The state, if there is settlement negotiation going on, would certainly want to cut that and say, you know, this is what you're asking for. Would you be willing to take this, which would be a little bit less, and not have to go to a trial and take the chance that you might not win? Because remember, This is an argument that's not necessarily cut and dry because what you're saying, if you're the plaintiff in this case, is that the government violated your right to earn a living and to earn the fruits of your own labor. The state Supreme Court has said that there is.

A legitimate case to be made for that. But the Supreme Court did not say. That the plaintiffs win and the state has to pay out. They basically said the plaintiffs win the right to continue the case, because initially the case was thrown out. The lower court said, no, you can't make this argument, and just tossed the case.

The plaintiffs are basically at the starting point where they were in 2020. And so, if there is an inkling of trying to get some money and resolution of this relatively soon, they'd like to go for a settlement rather than go through probably. Several more years of trial, appeal, and then ultimately back to the state Supreme Court. Yeah, that was going to be my next point. Is this already something that we're talking about going back six years?

We've well moved on from COVID-19 now. But as you just noted, Mitch, going through what will be like the lengthy legal proceedings, we could be looking at another two, three, maybe even four more years. Who knows how long something like that could possibly take? We've got a full write-up this morning on these 27 bar owners that have been dropped, plus some of the backstory and history as to how we got to this point. You can read those details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.

We appreciate the update this morning. Mitch Kokai joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it. But your immune system, it weakens as you age.

That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer.

Where it's now 5:48 on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM WBT. We will head back to the traffic center. Another look at traffic on your Thursday morning commute with Boomer von Cannon. Thank you, Nick. And Meyers Park lanes are now open on Sharon Road.

Is a house fire with authorities on the scene on Sharon Road near Chilton Place and expect some authorities to remain on the scene throughout the course of the morning. Travel lanes are open, may have some periodic slowdowns, though, as you make your way throughout the morning. Incident to the west, disabled vehicle, Morris Chapel Road at Old Morris Chapel, and to the north, Old Statesville Road, Highway 115, next to 485 at Hendrick Way. Boomer von Kennen, WBT traffic. There's so much to love about North Carolina, but we all want more.

More boundless views. More pristine scenery. More wildlife. More adventures. And more clean roads to get there.

But to get more We have to do less. Less littering that is. Properly disposing of waste is never a waste of time. It leads to a more enjoyable environment for much longer.

So, when traveling in North Carolina, make it your nature to trash your trash. Leave it more beautiful than when you found it. Yeah. People all have more reason to love NC. With or less?

Get more. For more on the seven Outdoor NC Leave No Trace principles, visit outdoor NC.com. Sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and Visit North Carolina. part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina in cooperation with this station. Here at WBT forecast today, Thursday, February 19th, gradual clearing throughout the afternoon, rather breezy.

Today, high up to 74. Tonight, 62. Tomorrow, partly sunny, but chance of rain into early afternoon with a high 78. Lancaster 59. Huntersville, 58.

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Today, noon to 3, 107.9, WBT, Charlotte's FM News Talk. It's 553. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 WBT. As we look now, 17 months removed from Hurricane Helene and the unimaginable amounts of devastation in western North Carolina between state lawmakers and state officials. Questions remain about how quickly that work is being completed.

During a recent update at a February the 9th Grow NC meeting, Don Campbell, who is the chief of staff for North Carolina Emergency Management, outlined the scope of the state's efforts to restore access to many private roads and bridge programs that were established after the storm. Noting that to this point, some more than $600,000 in reimbursements have been awarded to individuals in Western North Carolina that have had work estimated, completed, and then, of course, submitted that information to the state for that full reimbursement. According to Campbell, more than 3,600 repairs needed to have been identified statewide through interest forms with 51 sites completed and 236 underway. That prioritization efforts is really being guided by directing their focus on access for emergency services.

So making sure that there is some roadway that is travelable by an ambulance, for example, and then other roads and bridges that lead to multi-residential households.

However, with all of that, state officials are now questioning why some of the projects are taking so long. In a statement released just yesterday, members of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Representatives representing some of those storm-impacted districts called for reducing administrative barriers and noted that they believe that the red tape is slowing repairs. The statement was issued in part by Representatives Carl Gillespie, Dudley Green, Mark Pless, Mike Clampett, Jake Johnson, Jennifer Balcom, and Ray Pickett. They wrote: While the North Carolina General Assembly has appropriated a historic amount of funds to help Western North Carolinians rebuild private roads and bridges, Governor Stein has presided over a stifling bureaucracy utterly lacking in common sense and resourcefulness.

Overly complex bridges and road designs have slowed projects to an unacceptable pace and dramatically increased the costs of repairs and replacements. We are working to remove those barriers so that Western North Carolina can recover more quickly and more households can receive state funds. And while the lawmakers did not provide specific examples of those projects, we did hear during the meeting, according to Campbell from North Carolina Emergency Management: a bridge that used to be a 10-foot bridge is now requiring a 75-foot bridge because of the span of the creek, explaining that engineering requirements have changed significantly in some areas after the storm.

So, backing up some of the comments there from lawmakers that designs that used to be pretty basic in nature are now, I think, what many might describe as overengineered, which is adding to the complexity, adding to the Cost and adding to the length of time that it is taking for these individuals to get contractors and builders on scene to get some of that work completed. State officials at the meeting emphasized coordination with multiple state agencies and nonprofits to help address remaining needs and noted ongoing uncertainty tied to federal programs that often reimburse projects after they are complete. They also said that additional funding requests are being pursued as the scope of remaining repairs becomes more clear.

State lawmakers have allocated more than a billion dollars for Hurricane Helene relief. We'll see if they add more to that pot coming up in the next couple of months. That's going to do it for a Thursday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour. WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT.

BT. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at vaccassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Mm-hmm.

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