AGP Executive Report

Real Estate Surge: Brunswick County’s residential market hit a peak in May, with 657 homes sold (+19.2% year over year) and $352.8M in total sales volume—the highest single-month total in five years, as prices and competition both climbed. Drought & Water Rules: With conditions worsening ahead of July 4, Brunswick County moved to a Stage 2 mandatory Water Conservation Alert, tightening irrigation to specific days and overnight hours and warning residents to cut non-essential use. Nuclear Preparedness: Duke Energy and county officials will run outdoor siren tests around the Brunswick Nuclear Plant July 1, with sirens sounding briefly and no public action needed. Forestry Supply: The N.C. Forest Service opens its annual tree seedling sale July 1, offering millions of seedlings across dozens of species for reforestation and landowners. Defense Manufacturing Expansion: INKAS is adding three North American production facilities, including a 200,000-square-foot armored vehicle plant in Charlotte, aiming to more than double production capacity by late July. AI & Workforce Policy: Gov. Josh Stein’s AI Strategic Roadmap lays out goals to protect residents, prepare workers, and reshape how government uses AI. Transportation & Growth: Canton leaders are pushing for federal-backed passenger rail expansion toward Western North Carolina, citing a major projected economic impact but calling for state matching funds. Gaming Development: The Catawba Nation opened its Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain and says it plans two more casinos in North Carolina. Wildlife Management: NC Wildlife Resources Commission announced new deer hunting rules for chronic wasting disease areas, including earlier seasons and updated carcass disposal requirements. Consumer & Food Industry: Multistate egg producers settlement moves forward, with companies agreeing to pay $3.3M and donate 53 million eggs after alleged price-fixing. Construction Deal: Bouygues Construction acquired Vannoy Construction, expanding its southeastern U.S. footprint where it’s targeting growth in healthcare, education, manufacturing and industrial projects. Energy Reliability: A major heat wave prompted a U.S. grid emergency alert affecting the PJM region, including North Carolina, with directives to protect essential operations and manage demand.

Business Courts & Cybersecurity: A North Carolina Business Court judge largely denied Bojangles’ bid to end a proposed class action tied to an alleged employee data breach. State Budget & Environment: Lawmakers set aside $22M for a new PFAS “forever chemicals” study at UNC-Chapel Hill, but critics say budget language could keep results confidential by shifting staff to legislative control. Water & Utilities: Charlotte Water says a budget-driven extension of a moratorium could delay its plan to expand Catawba River basin water transfers. Transportation Planning: NCDOT is seeking public input on its 2028–2037 long-range plan, with multiple southeastern NC projects on the table. Military Infrastructure: Fort Bragg will close the All American Gate and the Gruber Road Bridge July 27 for repairs and a bridge replacement expected to take 24 months. Workforce & Training: Walmart is rolling out an Associate to Optician program in NC to address optical labor shortages, funding an associate degree for participants. Food & Antitrust: Major egg producers agreed to pay $3.3M and donate tens of millions of eggs after DOJ alleged price-fixing. Construction Safety: Wake County crews are preparing for extreme heat with hydration and heat-illness training for construction workers.

Offshore Wind Exit: The Trump administration is set to pay Duke Energy $129M to terminate its North Carolina offshore wind lease, with the Interior Department confirming Duke will surrender the Carolina Long Bay lease—another blow to the state’s wind buildout. Antitrust & Food Prices: The DOJ and 17 states reached settlements with major egg producers Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman’s Egg Ranch over alleged price-fixing via the Urner Barry egg index; the companies face $3.3M in penalties and 53M donated eggs. Biotech Manufacturing: FDA named seven companies for its PreCheck Pilot Program, including FUJIFILM Biotechnologies in Holly Springs and Kriya Therapeutics in Durham, signaling earlier regulatory engagement for drug supply. Defense Supply Chain: Chemring’s Charlotte-based subsidiary won a JBTDS contract for rapid detection of airborne biological threats, with production work tied to CSES facilities. Infrastructure & Safety: Safe Passage is pushing wildlife crossing structures into the I-40 rebuild in the Pigeon River Gorge after Helene, aiming to cut roadkill while improving connectivity. Local Business Courts: A judge put the stalled Cedars Lodge & Spa project into receivership, giving a court-appointed overseer control to market and sell the property. Workforce & Skills: Randolph County selected Waga Energy for a 20-year renewable natural gas project at the Great Oak Landfill, turning methane into pipeline-quality RNG.

State Budget & Workforce: North Carolina lawmakers released a long-delayed $34B budget plan, aiming for approval this week, with average 8% teacher raises, 3% pay bumps for most state employees, and new community college funding tied to training for high-demand jobs. Hurricane Helene Recovery: The draft budget also includes a $706M “Disaster Recovery Act of 2026,” with money to help unlock federal matching funds for housing, volunteer repairs, and private road/bridge work. Health Care Costs: Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order creating a Health Care Affordability and Value Commission, co-chaired by the state treasurer and HHS secretary, to study drivers of rising costs and recommend fixes. Egg Price-Fixing Fallout: A multistate DOJ-led settlement secured 53M eggs and $3.3M from major producers after allegations of collusion to manipulate a widely used egg price index. Workplace & Industry: EEOC sued FedEx over alleged discrimination against blind workers at a Kernersville facility, while Carolina Handling and TinMan Systems launched conveyor health monitoring to catch equipment issues early. Policy Watch: The NC Senate advanced a bill to cap crypto ATM fees (setting up a final House vote).

Offshore Energy Shake-Up: The U.S. Interior Department reached another buyout deal with Duke Energy, ending Duke’s Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease and steering about $129M into other generation and grid upgrades in the Carolinas. Manufacturing Tech: JetZero’s Greensboro campus will use Siemens and AI-based “digital twin” tools to design its factory before construction, aiming to speed aircraft development. Transportation & Construction: NCDOT will close I-26 West overnight in Asheville for three nights to diamond-grind and repaint a section under the new Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge, part of a $531M widening project. Public Safety: Greenville Fire-Rescue urged strict fireworks safety ahead of the Fourth, warning about alcohol use, dry conditions, and the need for water nearby. Health Policy: Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements, challenging a narrower “medically frail” exemption. Business & Finance: Kite Realty Group priced a $300M offering of 3.25% exchangeable senior notes due 2032. Local Growth & Jobs: Gov. Josh Stein held a rural listening session in Martin County focused on hospital reopening, housing, and eastern North Carolina economic development.

Public Safety & EMS: Pender County will take over Pender EMS & Fire and Penderlea Fire Department on July 5, creating a new county Emergency Services Department while keeping station locations and response models the same. Road Safety: NCDOT is rolling out a DriveNC.dot.gov app and website with real-time closures, accidents, rest stops, events, and storm planning tools. Holiday Enforcement: The Governor’s Highway Safety Program launches Operation Firecracker “Booze It and Lose It” with checkpoints and extra patrols through Sunday to curb impaired driving. Energy Policy: Duke Energy will voluntarily terminate its Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease; the Interior Department says Duke can reinvest about $129M into grid and generation upgrades. Health Care Access: The State Health Plan expands no-cost Lantern Surgery options via OrthoCarolina for eligible members. Housing & Politics: A constitutional amendment is proposed to guarantee at least 14 days of in-person early voting in North Carolina. Legal Watch: A North Carolina federal case is nearing settlement over a “faithful slaves” monument challenge. Transportation Demand: AAA predicts record Fourth of July travel in North Carolina, with 2.3M residents traveling at least 50 miles.

Telecom Deal: Verizon is moving to acquire Wilkesboro-based Carolina West Wireless, with CWW customers needing to switch providers by Sept. 30 while the FCC review is pending. Roads & Safety: The Ecusta Trail will close twice this year for work on U.S. 64, including a July 6 closure for a roundabout and trail elevation changes, with intermittent lane closures keeping the road open. Housing Costs vs. Safety: States are loosening building code rules to cut construction costs, including more single-stairway apartment designs—prompting safety concerns from critics. Elections & Local Planning: North Carolina county early-voting plans are drawing scrutiny as the state auditor’s office weighs in on how counties run early voting. Energy & Grid Planning: Regulators are pushing “commitment-first” forecasting as data-center developers submit large-load requests to multiple utilities, inflating demand projections. Health & Food Safety: Clover Hill Dairy cheese recalls are expanding after listeria-linked illnesses, and another listeria recall hits cottage cheese products distributed in Virginia and beyond. Work & Culture: A new look at remote work weighs benefits like flexibility against downsides like weaker connection at work.

Workforce & Training: Surry-Yadkin Works and Surry Community College launched the Careers Electric Summer Academy, a 10-week program pairing classroom time with hands-on work at local electrical employers to build talent for North Carolina’s growing electrical workforce. Agriculture: USDA reported the U.S. hog inventory at 73.7 million head as of June 1, down slightly from last year; North Carolina ranked third among states with 7.2 million head. Public Safety: A Youngsville copperhead bite story highlights how quickly venomous snakes can turn routine chores into emergencies, with poison control noting hundreds of venomous bites statewide in 2025. Education Funding Debate: A new commentary revisits the Leandro education fight, arguing the Supreme Court’s stance reflects a long-running funding gap that keeps pushing disputes back into court. Energy & Water Pressure: As AI data centers expand, more than two dozen NC communities have adopted moratoriums or zoning limits, with residents focused on noise, power demand, and water use tradeoffs. Local Business & Grants: Duke Energy Foundation awarded $25,000 to the Stokes County Arts Council to support small businesses through grants of up to $5,000.

Energy & Utilities: Duke Energy Carolinas trimmed its requested two-year residential rate hike from 18% to 11.6%, after public pushback—though the state AG says it’s still too high. Environment & Industry: Federal and state regulators secured a $450M Chemours PFAS settlement covering plants in New Jersey, North Carolina and West Virginia, with major commitments to cut discharges and fund drinking-water cleanup. Housing & Local Control: A sweeping NC House bill would limit local zoning/regulatory authority, extend developers’ vested rights up to eight years, and create personal civil liability for board members in certain due-process violations. Workforce & Child Care: A new NC report warns the child care crisis is worsening, citing staffing shortages as the biggest problem and estimating a $7B annual economic impact. Food Safety: USDA recalled “Molly’s Kitchen California Style Pasta Salad” after it was mislabeled as chicken salad, with undeclared egg and milk allergens. Local Business: James Trading Company acquired Sampson Farmers Hardware, keeping the longtime local hardware operation in Sampson County. Community & Recovery: Chimney Rock State Park marked one year since reopening after Helene, with rebuilding and routes back to the area continuing.

Energy & Utilities: Duke Energy cut its proposed residential rate hike after pushback, while the broader debate over power costs and data-center demand keeps heating up across North Carolina. Public Health & Safety: Gaston County EMS won a $300K grant to launch a Crisis Intervention Unit for behavioral-health 911 calls, aiming to reduce ambulance strain and improve de-escalation and care coordination. Food & Agriculture: A federal judge sentenced a North Carolina DSS employee to federal prison for stealing over $100K in SNAP benefits, underscoring continued enforcement against benefit fraud. Community & Rural Access: Ripe for Revival updated Martin County mayors on its pay-what-you-can mobile markets that bring discounted produce, protein, and eggs to food deserts using local farm supply. Environment & Recreation: Henderson County reopened a French Broad River access point in Mills River after MountainTrue partnered with Lazy Otter, restoring a key recreational stop for paddlers. Weather Watch: Forecasters warned of strong to severe storms Saturday into Sunday, with damaging wind gusts and hail possible, followed by a heat ramp into the July 4 stretch.

Manufacturing & Jobs: Altec plans “Project Poplar” in Mount Airy, expanding its U.S. 52-area production with a new maintenance facility and more assembly space, aiming to add 100 jobs. Public Accountability: A lengthy state probe has led to a felony embezzlement charge against former Pilot Mountain Town Manager Michael Boaz, tied to alleged misuse of public funds. Health & Industry Costs: Hospital executives in North Carolina are moving toward more consolidation, with AdvocateHealth proposing a combination with WakeMed—another step in the merger push critics say can raise prices. Environment & Water: Residents in Robeson County are suing over alleged landfill contamination, claiming PFAS (“forever chemicals”) has tainted drinking water. Workforce Pipeline: Pitt Community College, Pitt County Schools and ECU launched STEP UP, a pre-apprenticeship pathway to teacher licensure and local education careers. Energy & Infrastructure: Duke Energy is preparing for hurricane season with “self-healing” grid upgrades, while state agencies keep planning for 2026 storm response. Logistics & Training: Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is registering for upcoming CDL truck driver training courses in Western North Carolina. Local Business & Community: The NC Auctioneer Licensing Board honored long-time licensed auctioneers and firms, including a 50-year milestone for the late Randy Walker.

NBA & College Sports: UNC guard Seth Trimble signed with the Washington Wizards after going undrafted, joining NBA Summer League action in Las Vegas. Rural EMS & Public Safety: Martin County manager Drew Batts says the county is moving toward on-duty paramedics, with Golden LEAF support announced and plans tied to the hospital closure fallout. Local Economic Development: Williamston commissioners renewed membership in Main Street America as downtown growth discussions ramp up. Manufacturing & Jobs: Martin County CEO Steve Biggs plans to retire June 30, capping a push that includes land set aside in the N.C. Rail and Industrial Park to attract manufacturing. Food & Health: Hospitality House of Northwest NC won a Second Harvest award for its Farm Fresh Nourish produce-and-nutrition program. Arts & Community: Emerge Gallery marked 25 years with awards and a ribbon cutting celebrating local arts partners. Transportation Innovation: Wilmington’s WMPO is seeking NCDOT funding to explore advanced air mobility, including drone delivery and eVTOL concepts. PFAS Watch: Cape Fear Riverkeeper questions how much a proposed Chemours PFAS settlement will actually help North Carolina communities. Agriculture Tech: Eastern NC UAV operators say drones are increasingly being used to monitor and apply inputs on farms. Infrastructure Planning: Ashe County will submit three projects to the state STIP, including road and airport improvements.

PFAS Accountability: EPA/DOJ reached a landmark $450M settlement with Chemours over “forever chemicals” discharges alleged to have violated permits and harmed communities along the Cape Fear (NC), Delaware (NJ) and Ohio (WV) rivers, with $337M+ for corrective measures including drinking-water alternatives and compliance upgrades. Homelessness Policy: The NC Senate passed HB 437 to restrict local governments from allowing homeless encampments on public property and to expand penalties for certain drug crimes near homeless service providers. Housing & Recovery Funding: Gov. Stein’s Renew NC program opened a first-round $70M NOFO for multi-family rental construction and repair in Helene-impacted areas, aiming to boost safe, affordable units. Energy & Data Centers: North Carolina is weighing new electricity rules for data centers as AI demand rises, while local leaders keep pushing back on environmental justice impacts. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Camden issued Stage Two drought rules with mandatory conservation; and NCDOT/VDOT-style holiday work-zone changes are underway to ease July 4 travel. Business/Industry: Voltage Energy won an ITC confirmation preserving its right to supply trunk bus solutions to the U.S. market.

Housing & Recovery: Gov. Stein’s Commerce Department launched a first-round NOFO with $70M in federal money for Hurricane Helene rental rebuilding via the Renew NC Multi-Family Construction and Repair program. Courts & Business Climate: North Carolina became the first state to ban third-party litigation funding, raising the odds other states follow. Water & Agriculture: The Triangle’s drought is worsening, and USDA is offering disaster help for drought-hit crops and livestock; NCDA&CS also tightened animal movement rules after New World Screwworm detections. Energy & Industry: Duke Energy opened its Brunswick Energy & Education Center for public tours, while siren testing is set for July 1 around Brunswick Nuclear Plant. Coastal Management: A CRC science panel urged caution as lawmakers consider lifting the long-standing ban on hard shoreline erosion-control structures. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Brunswick County road work is moving ahead with a $5.1M NCDOT contract, and Durham crash data points to a small set of streets driving most serious injuries. Manufacturing Jobs: Jabil’s $102M Henderson County expansion is tied to a local incentive package and aims to add 148 jobs. Food Safety: A major potato chip recall expanded after FDA upgraded the risk level to Class I for potential Salmonella.

PFAS Accountability: The U.S. Justice Department reached a $450M settlement with Chemours over “forever chemicals,” requiring a $22.5M penalty and $90M in PFAS mitigation across West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey, plus major drinking-water support and facility controls. State Policy: North Carolina became the first state to ban outside funding of lawsuits, a move insurers say targets predatory third-party litigation financiers. Manufacturing Tech: Unilever is expanding AI-enabled digital twins after results at its Raeford, NC plant, citing lower waste and higher capacity in deodorant stick production. Local Industry & Infrastructure: NCDOT highlighted progress on the rail “S-Line” project, while I-485 toll prices are set to rise during peak hours. Food Safety: Clover Hill Dairy expanded a listeria-linked cheese recall affecting multiple states including North Carolina. Energy Innovation: H2SITE secured new investment to accelerate hydrogen production and separation deployments.

PFAS & Clean Water: The DOJ, EPA and West Virginia DEP announced a multi-state settlement with Chemours over “forever chemicals,” with Chemours to pay a $22.5M civil penalty and fund about $90M to mitigate PFAS discharges, plus drinking-water and pollution-control work tied to facilities in West Virginia, New Jersey and North Carolina—total cost estimated above $450M. State Pushback: Gov. Josh Stein and AG Jeff Jackson criticized the deal as inadequate for eastern North Carolina, arguing it lets polluters shape fixes and offers no strong guarantees. Local Public Health: Mecklenburg County Health Department won the 2026 Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for food-safety work, citing progress toward FDA retail food standards and strong program metrics. Workforce & Cybersecurity: Caldwell Community College’s IT-cybersecurity program earned NSA/DHS “National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense” status, with a new program director named. Telecom Transition: Carolina West Wireless said it will sell its network to Verizon and end service by Sept. 30, urging customers to move accounts and phone numbers. Aviation/Tech: JetZero broke ground on a major Greensboro aircraft manufacturing facility, positioning it as a major aviation manufacturing investment for North Carolina. Housing Politics: Trump abruptly canceled a housing bill signing ceremony, saying election-reform legislation should come first.