By Jennifer Allen Coastal Review The two agencies that enforce the Clean Water Act have proposed changes to the waterbodies considered jurisdictional, or under federal protection, and the deadline for the public to comment is here. The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers published on Nov. 20 in the Federal Register the “Updated […]
Posted inChildren's Health
NC health officials urge vaccinations after CDC reduces the number of recommended shots
By Jennifer Fernandez Raleigh photographer Abigail Chopel gave birth to her daughter in January 2020, just at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a scary time, she recalled. She couldn’t get her daughter vaccinated until she was 2 years old. Chopel also worried about the health of her grandmother, who was living with […]
Posted inMental Health
Built by peers, backed by the state: Inside North Carolina’s expanding peer support network
By Taylor Knopf Thanos first stepped into the peer cafe across from the bus station in downtown Raleigh looking for his friend — and the promise of a free coffee. What keeps him coming back months later is a community of people and group sessions that have supported his substance use recovery. “Everybody in this […]
Posted inEnvironmental Health
PFAS, microplastics and what comes next for North Carolina’s water
This story has been updated with additional information. By Will Atwater In North Carolina, debates over how to regulate emerging water contaminants are moving from the lab to the policy arena — and this week, those debates could translate into binding policy. The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission, which sets statewide water quality standards, is […]
Posted inDisabilities
What to know before getting a service dog in NC: training, costs and red flags
By Jennifer Fernandez Late last year, an Apex man pleaded guilty in connection with a now-shuttered nonprofit accused of selling poorly trained, or untrained and aggressive dogs to families seeking service animals for their children with disabilities. Victims paid between $4,500 and $16,710 for Briard breed dogs that Ry-Con owner Mark Mathis said were trained […]
Posted inState Health Policy
NC state retirees challenged health plan benefit changes 13 years ago. They’re still fighting.
By Anne Blythe More than 13 years have passed since a group of prominent state retirees filed a lawsuit challenging what was then a new state law that required them to start paying for health care benefits they had received free of charge for years as part of their benefits package. Now, attorneys for the […]