A year of near misses and almost-made-its! | Sports VOLUME 1 ISSUE 45
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM | JANUARY 1, 2017
year in review 2016 NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
In N.C. 2016 will probably
go into the history books as the year of fires, floods, riots and surprise endings. Before we start looking down the road for the four horsemen, take a look back at the year in which N.C. defined itself to the nation. N.C. voters elected a Republican super-majority to the General Assembly, allotted the state’s 15 electoral votes to Donald Trump but also gave Democrats their only flipped governor’s seat in the nation. N.C. found a renewed spirit among the controversies. We helped neighbors in need and enjoyed one of the fastest-growing state economies in the nation with a $190 million state revenue surplus, despite lower taxes. There is more work ahead as the state recovers from fire and flood, and works to draw jobs to struggling small towns across the state.
MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
politics
connect In historic election year, N.C. strikes a battleground balance N.C. bond MORE THAN 2.1 MILLION North Carolinians voted for the Connect NC bond in the March primary. The $2 billion bond program, which will be paid back by the state over the next 20 years, will invest in 129 infrastructure-related projects in 76 of N.C.’s 100 counties.
$2 billion
Amount of general-obligation debt the state will issue
$698 million
THE YEAR 2016 WILL GO DOWN as one of the most memorable and divisive elections in a generation. N.C. voters gave Donald Trump the state’s 15 electoral votes by 51 to 45 percent. They sent a Republican super-majority back to the General Assembly and elected Democrat Roy Cooper governor. After serving as N.C.’s attorney general for 16 years, Cooper’s was the only governor’s seat the Democratic National Committee turned blue in 2016. Cooper was sworn in as N.C.’s 75th governor on Jan. 1, after besting incumbent Pat McCrory by 10,227 votes. The race wasn’t decided for a month due to recounts and lawsuits charging possible voter fraud and irregularities in tallying ballots. Cooper was not alone in his Democratic victory; Democrat Josh Stein is the incoming attorney general and Justice Mike Morgan replaces incumbent Bob Edmunds on the N.C. Supreme Court. They will be facing a relatively little-known hurdle because the majority of the N.C. Council of State, the elected heads of many state government divisions, went to Republicans, as did lieutenant governor. Conservative incumbent Dan Forest won a second term with more votes than McCrory or Trump got in the state. Insiders predict a tumultuous 2017 at the corner of Jones and Blount streets as Cooper takes on a Republican super-majority legislature and a Republican Council of State, but with the backing of a N.C. Supreme Court that now leans Democrat.
EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Debt capacity available per year, 2016-2024
$140 million Average additional debt service per year N.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, N.C. TREASURER’S OFFICE
Breakdown of the bond proceeds 49% will go to UNC system projects $980,000,000 17.5% will go to community colleges $350,000,000 15.5% will go to water and sewer projects $309,500,000 9% will go to agriculture projects $179,000,000 5% will go to state and local parks and the N.C. Zoo $100,000,000 4% will go to the N.C. National Guard and public safety projects $78,500,000 N.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY (H.B. 943)
5
20177 52016 $2.00
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MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Disaster & Renewal After epic fires and floods, N.C. neighbors rebuild communities and hope NORTH CAROLINA SUFFERED two of the state’s worst natural disasters in 2016. Hurricane Matthew ripped through the East bringing heavy rains and unprecedented flooding during October. And as November wildfires began sweeping through western N.C. destroying vast areas of land, it left the majority of our state in a state of emergency from floods and fires. Hurricane Matthew left 26 people dead and covered more than 150 miles of the state in water. The storm and its aftermath caused $1.5 billion in damage to 100,000 homes, farms and businesses. Princeville, the oldest town chartered by blacks in America, saw its government buildings, elementary school and numerous homes destroyed. Other severely flood-damaged cities
such as Kinston, Greenville, Fayetteville and Lumberton joined a total of 45 counties in need of FEMA assistance. More than $152 million has been approved in federal grants, loans and flood insurance payments to flood victims, and more than 73,000 North Carolinians have been helped by FEMA. More than 80,000 acres were burned in fires across western North Carolina and seven other states. Rutherford, Lincoln and Gaston counties suffered high smoke density while states of emergency were declared in 25 counties in the west. The Tellico fire burned more than 13,000 acres in Swain and Macon counties, making it the largest fire in the state. TURN TO PAGE A2 ➥