--- title: North Carolina News description: canonical_url: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news?start=49 language: en-US date: 2025-11-17T21:50:38Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news?start=49. markdown-tokens: 900 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news?start=49. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. [ ![Republicans united sending long-awaited state budget to governor](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/37d1c861a4.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/republicans-united-sending-long-awaited-state-budget-to-governor) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Senators in North Carolina on Thursday afternoon took the final steps to sending a one-year late state budget to the governor. [ ![Audit: Helene appropriation could thwart Transportation Department cuts](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/4b94aab874.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/audit-helene-appropriation-could-thwart-transportation-department-cuts) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Appropriation of $700 million for Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina’s state budget is expected to ease a strain and potentially avert program cuts a state audit says [ ![Hours away from America’s 250th, gas prices inch up across the state](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/01716b09bb.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/hours-away-from-americas-250th-gas-prices-inch-up-across-the-state) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Gas prices inched up three pennies overnight on average in North Carolina on the fifth day of the July Fourth holiday travel period just 72 hours from America’s [ ![Senate's choice was teacher, state employee pay raises not retroactive](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/3dc19f7961.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/senates-choice-was-teacher-state-employee-pay-raises-not-retroactive) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Applying raises for North Carolina teachers and state workers retroactively was blocked by the Senate, says the leader of the House of Representatives. [ ![Milk prices decrease; other consumer staples steady](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/4c55880581.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/milk-prices-decrease-other-consumer-staples-steady) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Milk prices decreased in the past month, bread was up only pennies, and eggs and beef are remaining stable among consumer grocery staples in North Carolina’s capital city. [ ![North Carolina laws backed by U.S. Supreme Court decision](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/4f2e723c01.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/north-carolina-laws-backed-by-u-s-supreme-court-decision) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Protection of women’s spaces, including sports, through North Carolina laws has been backed by a U.S. Supreme Court decision involving cases in West Virginia and Idaho. [ ![State budget votes Wednesday, Thursday in General Assembly](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/joomgrabber/2026-07/37d1c861a4.jpeg) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/state-budget-votes-wednesday-thursday-in-general-assembly) By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Votes are planned Wednesday and Thursday in the Senate and the House of Representatives for North Carolina’s state budget, a spending plan one year late and emerging from