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We are tracking a couple of major wildfires that are burning across the state of North Carolina this morning as the North Carolina Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits effective. That was over the weekend. According to Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, he said with drought severity across the state, forecast fire weather, and the potential for limited rainfall in the coming days, it is critical to reduce the number of new fire starts. Vegetation fuels with a dry, with rapid growth and with the amount of fuel loading in the mountains. And the drought impacts statewide, a burn ban for all 100 counties is necessary to reduce the number of wildfires across our landscape.
Please follow this burn ban to help us reduce the risk for everyone. Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burnings statewide, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. And obviously, with the ban in place, no new permits will be issued until that is lifted. According to the North Carolina Wildfire Service this morning and a great website they've got that shows all of the active fires. There are six major wildfires burning across the state, five in western North Carolina, one just south of Jacksonville and Onslow County.
However, the one in Onslow County is about 95% contained.
So fortunately, crew's working that pretty well.
Some major ones in western North Carolina, 175 acres in McDowell County, 0% contained. 30 acres in Avery County, 60% contained. 45 acres in Wilkes County, that's only 15% contained. And a much larger one in Wilkes County as well, 140 acres with 0% contained as well. Obviously, out in Western North Carolina, we've covered this in great detail here on the Carolina Journal News Hour and over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, with all of the vegetation and debris, a lot of which is still left from Hurricane Helene.
The western half of the state, unfortunately, is ripe for rapid wildfire growth and expansion. That burn ban does remain in place until further notice. We'll keep an eye on, keep checking on this throughout the week and see how these fires are progressing and how crew. With the North Carolina Forest Service are continuing to work through those. We'll bring you the latest details right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
In some other statewide news this morning, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has joined 11 other state attorney generals in a letter calling on Congress to refund businesses and consumers for increased costs, including some $3.5 billion that he said was imposed on North Carolinians. This comes just months after the United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal government's tariffs that were implemented under the Trump administration were, in fact, unlawful. The North Carolina AG said in a press release: North Carolina businesses and families paid $3.5 billion for tariffs that a court has now ruled were illegal. That money came straight out of the people's grocery bills and small business budgets. The administration told the courts that it would pay people back, and now they need to do it.
Jackson said that businesses and consumers nationwide have paid approximately $166 billion in unlawful International Emergency Economic Powers Act, also known as IEPA, tariffs. The letter asks Congress to pass legislation requiring the presidential administration to reimburse importers for these illegal tariff charges with interest. The Attorney General also is asking Congress to direct businesses that passed along tariff costs to consumers to reimburse those consumers who ultimately ended up bearing the financial burden. He said that he and the coalition, the 11 other attorney generals, are pushing for new legislation to create a fair, uniform, and fast process for all affected importers to get refunds as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is trying to place the burden on the 330,000 importers to request those refunds.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection keeps a record of every IEPA tariff paid by America by direct importers and has stated that the refunds will only be available via a new direct posit platform, which only 6% of importers are currently registered for, as they may need to navigate multiple refund processes depending on their shipment status and the platform in which they are using, according to the Attorney General. This is not the first time, however, that Jeff Jackson has called out the legality of tariffs and sought refunds. He signed onto the March the 5th suit, which was filed by 22 state attorney generals and two Democratic governors, as well as the state of Oregon, who serves as the lead plaintiff. The complaint filed in the U.S.
Court of International Trade seeks a declaration that the so-called Section 122 tariffs are illegal, with many states, including Oregon, who's the lead plaintiff in that other suit. seeking refunds. President Donald Trump imposed ten percent tariffs in February based on Section one hundred twenty two of the Trade Act of nineteen seventy four, with those tariffs rising potentially as high as fifteen percent Section 122 tariffs were designed to replace tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which the United States Supreme Court invalidated back last month. The new tariff could cost North Carolina households $800 to $1,300 this year, according to estimates from Jackson's office, with Jeff Jackson actually citing John Locke Foundation research this month as he touted the multi-state lawsuit. According to the press release, these new fifteen percent tariffs would apply to an estimated $1.2 trillion worth of annual imports nationally, said Jackson in the news release.
North Carolina's agricultural industry could take an especially hard hit. The John Locke Foundation estimated that North Carolina's farming industry and rural economy would lose about $1.9 billion and some 8,000 jobs because of these IEPA tariffs. The new tariffs threaten similar pain in our rural economy if other countries maintain retaliatory tariffs, wrote Jackson in the lawsuit. The Attorney General is referencing the How Tariffs Threaten North Carolina's Agricultural Report, which came out in January. It was a white paper from the John Locke Foundation, our parent organization over here at the Carolina Journal NewsHour, and it was authored by Jeffrey Dofman, who is a professor of agriculture and resource economics at NC State.
Earlier this month, Democratic Governor Josh Stein joined 18 other Democrat governors in a letter urging Congress to reclaim its authority over tariffs following that 6-3 United States Supreme Court ruling that President Donald Trump cannot use those emergency powers to implement tariffs. The governor said at the time in the press release: too many North Carolina families are already feeling the squeeze of higher prices, and the volatility caused by the federal administration's tariffs is further exacerbating that pain. These tariffs are hurting consumers who are now paying higher costs and farmers selling goods overseas. Congress must act to reassert its authority on tariffs to lower costs and expand economic opportunities for North Carolinians. Donald Bryson, the CEO of the John Loc Foundation, said that the Supreme Court reaffirmed one fundamental principle, noting the power to tax and regulate trade belongs to Congress, with him going on by saying that tariffs are taxes and no president may impose sweeping new taxes on American people through creative interpretations of emergency statuses.
He continued by saying these tariffs increased costs for families, disrupted supply chains, hurt North Carolina businesses, and triggered retaliation against our farmers and manufacturers. By rejecting these misuses of emergency authority, the court has restored clear constitutional limits and reinforced that major economic policy must come from the legislative branch. We obviously have spent a lot of time, nearly well over a year now, covering tariffs, the impacts and the implementation of that across the United States and the impacts it has on a variety of different industries across the state of North Carolina, agricultural being called out in our most recent story, which does remain the state's largest business. You can read some more on this letter from Democrat Attorney General Jeff Jackson. We've got the details this morning over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
Look for the headline, Jackson, other state AGs push Congress to refund unlawful tariffs. It's 5:21 on a Monday morning. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. No better way to start off a Monday than to talk about the ABC system across the state of North Carolina. A new state audit report from North Carolina's liquor warehousing and distribution contractor found key delivery benchmarks were not consistently met despite the alcoholic beverage control system, that's what ABC stands for, generating over $1.4 billion in revenue over the last two years.
The Office of the State Auditor report examined the ABC's commission oversight with its distribution vendor, LBB Associates. That is the group that runs the distribution and warehousing across the state. State Auditor Dave Bollick emphasized that this performance audit provides a transparent overview of where the ABC system meets its goals and where consistent shortfalls, especially in delivery, require targeted improvements. The state auditor said in a statement: North Carolina's ABC system is a major source of state funding that comes with many intricacies as well. And our performance audit examined and provided layers of data behind that system.
With key performance measures holding the state's alcoholic distribution process to a high standard, this report gives a transparent overview of the supply, demand, cost and where some improvements can be made. Liquor across the state of North Carolina is stored at two state managed warehouses in Raleigh and Clayton, with LB and B handling distribution under a contract that runs through twenty thirty one. And it is a very lucrative job for LBMB. The vendor was paid some $21.9 million in 2025 alone. Auditors reviewed five contractual requirements key performance indicators known as KPIs over eight quarters over the last two years.
LBMB consistently met cost accuracy, outstanding claims, as well as safety performance indicators throughout the review period.
However, it fell short on on-time delivery and fill rate. The vendor failed to meet on-time delivery targets across all eight quarters, averaging 96.4% on-time, which are below the 24 and 25 threshold of 99 and 98% on-time deliveries. The audit identified driver shortages, mechanical problems, and sometimes Mother Nature's severe weather as some of the primary delaying factors that caused that 96% on time rate. LBNB also missed the fill rate requirement, which is a maximum of 165,000 cases shipped weekly in one quarter, which auditors linked to a seasonal decline following the holidays in 2025. The audit provided several recommendations addressing both performance improvements and oversight.
First, auditors urged the ABC Commission to collaborate with LBNB to address the root cause of some of those late deliveries. The recommended actions in the report include developing contingency plans, establishing improved fleet maintenance schedules, arranging access for backup vehicles, and implementing strategies such as cross-training and on-call staffing to address driver shortages. In addition, the report recommends that the ABC Commission and LBNB focus on route level improvements for deliveries that are repeatedly delayed. The audit from the state auditor's office is encouraging them to use trend analysis to better identify and address those problem delivery areas that are consistently running late. Auditors further advise the Commission to anticipate and plan for seasonal demand fluctuations by using levels of historical data to address and adjust staffing and logistics, scaling operations during peak periods of time and consolidating routes during some of the slower months throughout the year.
To improve accountability, the audit also recommends enhancing some of those KPIs, those are those key performance indicator monitoring, by improving real-time performance dashboards, clearly defining thresholds requiring corrective action, as well as mandating that the contractor submit quarterly improvement plans when performance targets are not met. Despite these shortcomings, the audit highlighted the scale and financial importance of North Carolina's ABC system as the state is one of seventeen controlled states that regulates liquor sales and distribution. Throughout the entirety of the state, the system operates 171 local ABC boards, which in turn run 452 retail stores across the state of North Carolina. And yes, liquor is big business in the state fiscal years 24 and 25. The ABC system generated $713 million in 24, followed by $696 million in 2025 worth of public revenue.
These funds are distributed to the state's general fund, counties, municipalities, alcohol education, law enforcement, rehabilitation, and health services. Mecklenburg County led all local ABC boards in gross sales across the fiscal years 24 and 25, generating over $280 million in Mecklenburg County, $222 million in Wake County, Greensboro $80 million, New Hanover County $72 million, and the Triad Municipal ABC board, that's over in the Winston-Salem area, reporting at $66 million in revenue. The audit also highlighted consumer trends as ABC's bestsellers data shows that Tito's vodka far outpaces all other products sold in North Carolina ABC stores across the fiscal years 24 and 25. Tito's sold more than 300,000 cases in various sizes, well ahead of any other spirit brand across North Carolina. The ABC Commission did receive an early copy of this audit.
That is typically how the process works. The auditor's office puts together a report, sends it to The agency or the group at hand. They respond and then the audit becomes public. The ABC Commission did accept the findings and recommendations included in the audit, noting in its response: quote, In addition to its importance to the citizens of our state, this performance audit helps process, this audit process helps the ABC Commission team highlight concerns and gain a valuable insight into solutions and opportunities for improvement. Ending the quote there from the ABC Commission, which is the umbrella, the large entity that is responsible for all of your local ABC boards and thereby extension ABC stores across the state of North Carolina.
You can read more on this audit by visiting our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. Look for the story with the headline: Audit finds delivery gaps in NC ABC system despite $1.4 billion in revenue. The Global Gaming League is presented by Atlas Earth, the fun cashback app. Hey, it's Howie Mandel, and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my Howie Do-It gaming team take on Gilly the King and Wallow 267's million dollars gaming in an episode. Global Gaming League video game showdown, plus a halftime performance by multi-platinum artist Travi McCoy.
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Of recovery efforts in western North Carolina after the unbelievable amount of devastation and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene. And we've got some good news to pass along to you this morning. On Saturday, that was March the 28th, 18 months after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina. The small mountain community of Bat Cave is making and marking a significant milestone. The partial reopening of a critical roadway and continued progress towards recovery after all of that widespread devastation.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced that US 64 will reopen to traffic in a temporary pattern, restoring a vital connection for residents and businesses that have endured prolonged isolation since the storm struck back on September the 27th, 2024. The route has been restricted to local traffic as crews work to stabilize slopes, rebuild washed-out roads, and remove massive amounts of debris. According to state officials, crews cleared roughly 20,000 cubic yards of debris, removed 4,000 cubic yards of dirt, and placed approximately 57,000 tons of rock to reconstruct portions of the corridor, which in some areas had been narrowed to less than one lane due to the amount of devastation and destruction. Final repairs are expected in the coming months with a full reopening with no longer a temporary pattern anticipated by late spring. We'll of course keep a close eye on that.
For residents, however, the reopening represents more than just improved mobility. It marks another step in a long and difficult recovery process that continues to shape daily life. In the immediate aftermath of Halleen, Batcave endured nearly 40 days without power, a prolonged outage that tested the limits of its residents as well as highlighted vulnerabilities in rural infrastructure. During that time, the Batcave Fire and Rescue Department, led by Chief Steve Freeman, continued operations despite very limited resources, assisting residents navigating hazardous conditions and helping families begin the process of returning and rebuilding. The extended power outage disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life, from access to food and fuel to communications with the outside world.
Residents relied heavily on neighbors and first responders, many of whom were facing their own losses while continuing to serve their community. That period of darkness has since become a defining chapter in Batcave's recovery, one that underscores both the fragility of infrastructure in mountainous terrains, as well as the strength of a tightly knit community in an unincorporated area of Henderson County. Even as progress becomes visible, significant challenges do remain, not only in Batcave, but in many areas across western North Carolina. Local residents describe a daily reality shaped by ongoing construction, traffic delays, and limited access routes. In some areas, particularly along Middle Fork Road and surrounding communities, drivers face extended waits as temporary traffic signals and flagging operations sometimes last for as long as two hours.
Yeah. According to Middle Fork Road resident Tom Durbin, who spoke to the Carolina Journal, he said, unless you live here, you don't know what it's like. Every trip requires planning, patience, and a high level of uncertainty. Those conditions reflect the broader complexity of rebuilding western North Carolina's rugged terrain, where landslides and erosion caused extensive and uneven amounts of damage. A federal task force led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, with support from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, assessed landslides last year to determine whether it was safe for residents to return to certain areas for the purpose of rebuilding. The evaluations were critical in communities like Batcave, where steep slopes and unstable ground pose ongoing risks, according to both state, local, and federal engineers. Geologists and engineers involved in the efforts said that rapid assessment teams are essential in the immediate aftermath of storms like Hurricane Helene, where shifting terrain can cause can continue to threaten infrastructure long after the floodwaters have stopped and receded, the rain stops, and the wind subsides. The geography of Batcave, situated at the crossroads of mountain waterways and steep ridge lines, made it particularly vulnerable near what is called the Eastern Continental Divide. Storm runoff and debris flows overwhelmed roads and bridges, cutting off access and complicating many of the emergency response efforts in the aftermath of the storm.
Differences in recovery timelines across neighboring communities also highlighted the challenges of coordinating what we would describe as large-scale infrastructure repairs. Batcave falls within a different transportation division than nearby Chimney Rock, which is in Rutherford County, leading to variations in construction progress and reopening schedules.
However, despite these complexities, officials say the reopening of US-74 ahead of schedule reflects significant coordination between state agencies, contractors, and local partners. Division 14 engineer Wesley Grindstaff said in a statement, we are excited to open this critical route. As he noted that the work will be completed on March the 28th, that was Saturday from the initial emergency response through ongoing reconstruction. That is also the same day that FEMA funding runs out for private security firms that were contracted to assist sheriff's departments at checkpoints in the area, with Chimney Rock officials confirming the Carolina Journal those details at a town council meeting that happened last week. NCDOT officials are still urging caution as travel resumes in many areas, as temporary traffic patterns, reduced speed limits, and active construction zones do remain.
Remain in place, motorists are advised to even still continue to expect some, in some cases, some significant delays. The recovery has also been uneven across the region, with some stretches of roadway having been fully paved and stabilized, while others remain restricted or under construction. All of this data comes from drivenc.gov, as well as recent presentations at the governor's recovery office for Western North Carolina or Grow NC Advisory Committee meetings that happened over the last couple of weeks. In parts of Henderson County, for example, sections of North Carolina 9 remain limited to local traffic due to storm damage, with repairs expected to continue into the month of May, while nearby corridors face similar constraints, reflecting the scale of destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. Community members say that while frustrations remain, so does the sense of unity that was forged during the storm's aftermath.
Volunteers from across the country helped establish temporary access routes in the weeks following the disaster back in 2024, and ongoing collaboration between residents, government agencies, and private contractors continue to drive progress forward. With local residents telling the Carolina Journal, there's still a lot of work to be done, but we're moving forward. Obviously, we have kept a very close eye on all of those recovery and relief efforts in western North Carolina. That cave is on our agenda this morning. You can read more on some temporary roadways reopening there, plus all of our coverage as it relates to those recovery efforts over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
Keeping our attention on Western North Carolina this morning, wildfires do remain a major risk as a statewide burn ban is officially in effect. That went into effect Saturday at 6 p.m., according to State Agricultural Commissioner Steve Troxler, who said in a statement: With drought severity across the state, forecast fire weather, and the potential for limited rainfall, it is critical to reduce the number of new fire starts. Vegetation fuel will dry rapidly, and with the amount of fuel loading in the mountains and drought impacts statewide, a burn ban for all 100 counties is necessary to reduce the number of wildfires across our landscape. Please follow this burn ban to help us reduce the risk for everyone. Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning statewide regardless of whether there was a permit previously issued.
And obviously, while the burn ban is in place, no new burning permits will be issued. At latest count, according to the North Carolina Forest Service, there are seven active, excuse me, six, I should say, active wildfires that are burning this morning. Five of those in western North Carolina, one of the largest in Mitchell County, right on the Tennessee border, about 350 acres there. Fortunately, that sits at about 80% contained this morning.
However, there are some other areas that are growing with 0% containment. An area in McDowell County within the National Forest just north of Old Fort is at 175 acres with 0% containment. Another smaller fire in Avery County, just on the Tennessee line as well, 30 acres there, 60%. Contained in Wilkes County, a relatively small 45-acre county. Crews have got that 15% contained.
And in Wilkes County, another large 140-acre wildfire with 0% containment there as well. There is one area that we are tracking in eastern North Carolina as well that is burning a small 16-acre wildfire in Onslow County. That is at 95% containment. And actually, one just popping up in Hyde County towards the Outer Banks, 50 acres, 0% containment there.
So the conditions are set to remain dry and very prone to wildfires over the coming days. That burn ban does remain in effect. Make sure if you are doing anything hauling with chains or any other sort of outdoor activities that could spark a fire, that you are very, very careful with that. We'll continue to track those wildfire risks and the burn ban right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. With Verbos last minute.
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It's 554. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 WBT. Looking at some other news this morning, North Carolina's Republican congressional delegation is now urging the Department of Homeland Security and the brand new secretary there, Mark Wayne Mullen, to clear administrative bottlenecks that have delayed FEMA aid for Hurricane Helene. Calling for a swift review of all unallocated relief funds. This letter was sent last week.
It was dated March the 25th, with lawmakers asking the newly confirmed Mullen to immediately examine all pending Federal Emergency Management Agency funding designations for Helene recovery. The letter reads in part, as members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation, we write you to congratulate you on your confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. We also want to recognize of President Donald Trump's commitment to the people of Western North Carolina. His visit following his inauguration, along with his willingness to call out the failures of FEMA in response to Hurricane Helene, sent a strong message to the communities impacted by the storm. We strongly support the president's continued commitment to our state and efforts to ensure that FEMA operates more efficiently.
As part of these efforts, we respectfully ask that you prioritize a comprehensive review of all unallocated FEMA funds designated for Hurricane Helene relief. Identifying and addressing any administrative or procedural bottlenecks will be essential to ensuring that the obligated funds reach communities in North Carolina as quickly as possible. We are confident that you will bring the same level of leadership to DHS and FEMA that you have demonstrated through your years of service in Congress. The President has made clear that the old way of doing things is not acceptable, and we stand ready to work with you and your new role to provide any assistance. The letter was signed by Representatives Tim Moore, Chuck Edwards, Virginia Fox, Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, Richard Hudson, Brad.
not Addison McDowell, David Rauser, and Greg Murphy. This obviously does remain a major topic, and in large part, some level of frustration within DHS and FEMA. We've seen and covered a variety of stories right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour and over on our website. In the last year or so, with DHS and FEMA funding and the lack of money flowing into portions of western North Carolina, that has been a topic of discussion not only in the United States House, but the Senate, where we've seen U.S. Senator Ted Budd on multiple occasions threaten to not move things forward unless money continues to flow out to western North Carolina.
We just talked about Batcave and some work going on there and new temporary roadways reopening. There is still, unfortunately, a very long way to go for our friends and neighbors over in Western North Carolina. We'll keep an eye on this letter from Congress and any work out of the new DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen right here on the The Carolina Journal News Hour.
Well, that's going to do it for a Monday edition. WBT News is next. Followed by Good Morning BT. We're back to you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. Uh
