News Lines May 23– June 6, 2026 from Moore, Lee & Harnett counties

Enjoy the Teen News video!

The headlines cheered, “CAVS WIN! Southern Lee captures first NCHSAA Baseball State Championship with a 12-2 victory over South Caldwell.” Read the full story on Sandhills News.

When Game 2 of the 2026 6A State Championship Series slipped through their fingers with an 8-7 walk off win for their opponents to even the series, the Southern Lee Cavaliers had about three hours to regroup before a winner-take-all Game 3 at Burlington Athletic Stadium late Saturday night.

The North Carolina House voted 73-46 on May 20 to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of House Bill 87, Educational Choice for Children Act, advancing the school choice measure to the Senate, which must concur for it to become law.

“This is a federal program. It costs the state of North Carolina nothing,” Rep. Neal Jackson said. “It expands educational opportunities for all students — public school students, charter school students, private school students, and home school students. It allows taxpayers to voluntarily fund student scholarships, and it gives more students access to quality educational environments.”

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is offering a comprehensive Electric Vehicle Technology program to help prepare students for rewarding careers in the industry. Because when it comes to demand for experienced electric vehicle mechanics and technicians, the future is today. 

“These guys are making $40, $50 an hour,” CCCC Automotive Instructor Wayne Cole told students as he chatted with them in the auto bay on CCCC’s Lee Main Campus. “No dirt, no grease.”

Hybrid and electric vehicles now make up more than one in five new light-duty vehicles purchased in the United States. That is a category that includes cars, SUVs, and most pickup trucks. Other commonly electrified vehicles include motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and golf carts.  

“There’s more companies out there looking for young talent that they can grow, that can be interested in hybrid and electric vehicles, because there’s not enough technicians out there now,” Cole said. 

Lee County’s “Taj Mahal,” aka the Lee County Library, announced its 2026 Summer Reading Program will kick off this year with a special performance from magician and illusionist extraordinaire Dana Hill. For additional information about Lee County Libraries programming and events, call (919) 718-4665 or email library@leecountync.gov.

The City of Sanford’s proposed 2026–27 $162,039,292 budget faces challenges from inflation and rapid growth, leading to higher taxes, utility rates, personnel costs, and concerns about road repair delays.

Sanford reviewed its proposed budget on May 26. The presentation emphasized that rising operating costs affect every department.

The city recommended a .3 cent tax increase.

A $250,000 household would pay about $75 more in taxes per year.

The tax increase will help fund additional personnel: two new positions in finance, a human resources position, a public facilities technician, a fire inspector and three new fire fighters.

Health insurance alone will have a “conservative” estimated increase of $105,000.

*****Review of Taco Tuesday at A Toda Madre on May 26 in Sanford at 715 E. Main Street was a tastebud extravaganza.

Lee County School Board Chairperson Sherry Womack shared the following statement on the death of Marcus Mason.

“All of us at Lee County Schools are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Board of Education member Marcus Mason.

Marcus was not only a colleague, but a dear friend. Although his time on the Board of Education was brief, he demonstrated a genuine commitment to the success and well-being of students, a sincere appreciation for the district’s staff, and a strong desire to learn more about public education in order to help guide thoughtful policy and decision-making.”

Central Carolina Community College is building a fire rescue training tower on its Harnett Main Campus.

Area firefighters, fire academy cadets, and other emergency services personnel will train on the fire-resistant three-story steel structure to build the skills, speed, and experience they need to save lives and property. 

CCCC held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 26 for its Harnett Fire Training Tower, which is being funded with state dollars. The event was attended by emergency services personnel, local government and economic development leaders, and two state lawmakers: Sen. Jim Burgin and Rep. Joseph Pike.  

As populations grow and economic development rises in CCCC’s three-county service area of Chatham, Harnett, and Lee counties, demand is high for highly qualified emergency responders.

Central Carolina Community College celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 spring graduates during the college’s commencement exercises on May 14 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford.

Graduates are listed by county below. For information about Central Carolina Community College and its programs, visit www.cccc.edu.

The Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) approved the appointment of Chris Vonderkall, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, to serve on its Board of Directors. The appointment was voted on and approved during the organization’s May Board Meeting, with Vonderkall’s term beginning July 1, 2026.

The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation has named two members of the current graduating class of Pinecrest High School as recipients of their Volunteer Scholarship for the 19th consecutive year. Carter Lynn and Ava Vonderkall each received a $750 scholarship.

J.T. Stilwell, a 2012 U.K. Golf scholarship winner and representative for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, presented the awards in honor and recognition of the more than 600 World Championship volunteers during the recent Senior Night ceremony at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines, NC.

Moore County Schools hosted its third annual STEM and Technology Awards Day on May 28, 2026, recognizing outstanding accomplishments in technology education from across the district. Interim Superintendent Jenny Purvis delivered the keynote address, highlighting the district’s commitment to STEM education and its role in preparing students for a dynamic and evolving workforce.

A standout moment of the event was the presentation of the prestigious Frick Technology Achievement Awards to two outstanding Moore County Schools seniors: Emma Morgan of North Moore High School and Reece Carlson of Pinecrest High School. Both students were recognized for their exceptional accomplishments to date and their clear vision for future success. The financial award is made possible by Pinehurst native and former IBM executive Ed Frick, who has partnered with Moore County Schools for more than five years to champion student success.

Lee County Commissioners held public hearings for the proposed budget and proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at the June 1 meeting. Rapid growth led to Lee County’s proposed $127.86 million budget for 2026-27, with property taxes rising from .65 to .70 cents per $100 valuation.

“There is absolutely no reason our taxes should be increased this year,” Jim Womack, spouse of Lee County Board of Education Chairperson Sherry Womack, said during the budget’s public hearing, before explaining how to realign the budget and maintain the tax rate at .65 cents. He is a former commissioner. (View the video at 1:13).

Womack said the budget was unsupportable and had the worst spending proposal he’d seen in 20 years. He noticed an unjustifiable increase for the “Sanford Area Growth Alliance (SAGA) from $190,000 to $355,000. By the original agreement we put together back in 2013, SAGA should only be getting 50% of its funding from government, but it appears as much as 80% of its efforts are provided by the city and the county.”

Womack noted taxpayers are still chipping away at the flashy $40 million athletic park and the $30 million “Taj Mahal” library, both of which were not necessary. He suggested reducing staff at the new park and library to save taxpayer costs and increase rental fees. Womack explained that renters are hit the hardest because property tax increases were passed onto renters, so the commissioners should reduce property taxes.

Read Lee County proposed budget increases taxes while schools fall short.

On June 3, Moore County Commissioners approved funding for the New Carthage Elementary School, the Information Technology building and a fire engine for Cypress Pointe Fire and Rescue.

Commissioners approved using $3.3 million from its Capital Reserve Fund to build a new Moore County Schools Information Technology (IT) facility. In return, Moore County Schools will use $3.3 million in lottery funds for the new Carthage Elementary School, and the county’s $3.3 million contribution for the IT facility will be deducted from the elementary school’s overall construction budget.

Central Carolina Community College plays a key role in preparing high school students for heavy machinery manufacturing at Caterpillar’s facilities in Sanford.

These are the Caterpillar Youth Welding Apprentices: Lee County Schools juniors and seniors selected through a competitive application process. They receive training, education credits, and credentials from Central Carolina Community College as well as paid apprenticeship experience and preferred employment opportunities from CAT, with clear pathways for advancement.

Harnett County announced a free smoke alarm project. The Harnett County Fire Marshal’s Office is pleased to announce the receipt of Smoke Alarm Saturday Grants from the North Carolina Office of the State Fire (OSFM). 

Harnett County residents without working smoke alarms in sleeping areas are encouraged to request a free smoke alarm by filling out the request form. 

On June 1, Harnett County Commissioners approved the 2026-27 proposed budget amendments ahead of a June 15 public hearing, with debate centering on a $4.7 million library allocation, staffing shortages in Social Services, rising federal cost shifts, and increasing juvenile crime prevention needs.

Financing the library, a top ten county expense at $4,693,574, was a point of contention in the proposed budget discussion.

Under North Carolina General Statute 125, counties are not required to fund libraries. Read the full law here.

Underscoring a difference in priorities, Vice-Chair Matt Nicol said Social Services had requested funding for 13 positions and only received three.

County Manager Brent Trout said the county met their top two requests and they would meet with them to help strategize how to work with fewer people.

Commissioner Barbara McKoy asked if federal cuts were responsible.

Trout said they had to pay 20% more from the county budget for funding social services because of federal law changes.

According to Indeed, a Harnett County social worker is paid about $64k per year. For 13 social workers, the cost per year would be about $832,000, not including insurance or benefits.

During public comments, Larry Mitchell noted a flag needed to be added to the government and library building, and McKoy shared insight.

“I’m the only one here that’s name is on there [sign on the building]. That’s because…all the commissioners’ names that are on the building lost their seats because we voted to build this building [government center and library]. It was much needed…because that building that was over there was too small to have meetings. People said we were throwing away money to build a Taj Mahal. I’m glad I’m still here to make that statement because those were good commissioners,” McKoy said.

Budget considerations included whether Senate Bill 889, the move to force schools to provide mental health professionals, would pass. At the time of the budget review, the commissioners believed it would pass this week. At the time of publishing this article on Friday, June 5, the bill had not passed.

Mental health professionals would cost the county about $350,000 more.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on June 15 at 6 p.m. for the public to share input on the proposed budget.

The Town of Lillington will review a major commercial project proposal for a new grocery store and shopping outlets.

Applicant Carleton Baker with Branch Acquisitions Co., LLC from Atlanta, Georgia requested approval for a grocery store with shops and outparcels to be named the Lillington Shopping Center at U.S. Highway 421 and North Main Street.

Enjoy the Teen News video!

June 6, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

Subscribe to Sandhills News and support this conservative flagship journalism with advertising.

Submit news tips, events and interview requests to editor@sandhills.news.

Sandhills News is plain-English local government reporting that explains how decisions affect your land, taxes, schools and rights.