News Lines Aug. 8-21 in Moore, Lee & Harnett

A $600 million Sanford investment, PFAS concerns, Flock cameras as legal tools, data centers, the $500k Davis Center grant vote on nonexistent funds and Lee County animal shelter changes resulting in 10 dead animals are among the local stories shaping conversations across the Sandhills in the last two weeks.

Governor Josh Stein announced on Aug. 5 that STERIS plc (NYSE: STE), a leading health care company, will create 335 jobs in Lee County. The company will invest $600 million in a new manufacturing and distribution Chemistries Manufacturing Center of Excellence in the city of Sanford.

The project represents a $600 million investment and is expected to create 335 jobs.

Do you think a $23.9 million public incentive package is a good investment for Lee County and Sanford?

Share your thoughts on Sandhills News social media.

 A federal judge ruled Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC violated state consumer protection laws. The pre-filing consulting firm in Pinehurst acted as an unaccredited entity by submitting Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims for military veterans. 

In an Aug. 3, 2026, opinion, Chief District Judge Catherine Eagles granted plaintiffs summary judgment on liability under the N.C. Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The class-action lawsuit, brought by veterans Ford, Beard, and Otters, seeks millions from the company over fees paid by members nationwide.

The company collected over $250 million in fees by charging clients five times their compensation increase. Assisting veterans with initial disability claims for a fee is illegal for unaccredited parties. VA checks fees for later claims.

Judge Eagles stated Veterans Guardian told veterans to hide the firm’s involvement on VA paperwork, avoiding oversight.

Do you know a veteran seeking a disability claim?

They may want to read this article. Pinehurst’s Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC guilty of unfair trade practices in $250M lawsuit

The future of Harnett County hinges on voters evaluating law enforcement leadership. For many voters, the sheriff’s race is about fiscal responsibility, discipline, and accountability, not party. Candidate Aaron Meredith, a longtime sheriff’s department employee, remains on the department’s current path, while Candidate Reggie Watson offers a principled alternative based on nearly 50 years of decorated Law Enforcement service, recognized with numerous awards and commendations for dedicated leadership.

In addition to State and Federal service, Watson, a Harnett County native, offers over 21 years of U.S. Military service.

He provides an outsider’s order, free from local politics.

“The military prepared me for dealing with people at their worst and treating them with dignity.”

Fiscal conservatives face a clear choice: continuity or an outsider’s audit.

Read Watson’s campaign priorities here.

Jonathan Boyce qualified as a write-in candidate for Lee County Commissioner in District 2, representing the north and east sides.

On July 22, the Board of Elections notified him they had completed their verification of the signatures, and he received a letter dated Aug. 5, 2026, from the Lee County Board of Elections stating the signatures qualified along with a list of the names that have been certified.

His name will not be on the ballot.

Voters must fill in the bubble next to the line under Kirk Smith’s name and write in “Jonathan Boyce” in that line on the ballot.

All candidates received the same questions.

Questions for Candidates Seeking the Office of County Commissioner

Question 1. Read the following and explain your support for oversight committees…Read the answers here.

Read about Austin Simpson’s experience in the Construction Academy here.

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) and Sanford Contractors partnered to create the Construction Academy. During the nine-week learn-and-earn course, students complete general building construction coursework and work 40 hours a week at Sanford Contractors. Work divisions could include administration, building, bridge, site, utility, or support services.

Both Matthew Holway, and North Carolina Rep. Neal Jackson were provided the same questions concerning data centers, Flock cameras, education and election laws. Each are running for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 78 over Randolph and Moore counties in the Nov. 2026 election.

“Candidate Matt Holway and N.C. Rep. Neal Jackson talk Flock cameras, education, data centers and election law.” Read in full here.

Harnett County Commissioners learned of the county’s improved credit rating, approved Ripple Fiber’s final $800,000 payment, and citizens raised concerns about Flock cameras, alleged law enforcement misuse, and conditions at the sheriff department’s detention center.

Finance Director Kimberly Honeycutt announced that Moody’s increased the county bond rating from Aa1 to Aa2. The improved credit rating means, for example, a $100-million project’s finance charges would save the county $2 million.

Honeycutt said the goal was to be a triple A.

Harnett Regional Water and the Town of Coats have resolved previous questions about damage incidents. Ripple Fiber said as of Aug. 17, all complaints had been resolved.

There are about six other fiber companies in the area.

Read “Harnett County Commissioners approve $800K Ripple Fiber payment, hear Flock camera concerns” here.

The Sanford Council heard updates on PFAS levels, a coliform event, the water intake agreement, the farmers’ market, citizen participatory projects and ordered new Christmas decorations at the Aug. 11 work session.

Nick Fortune, Director of Business Management for TriRiver Water, and Project Engineer David Rosen, discussed the PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), man-made “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS.

According to Hazen’s report, Sanford’s PFAS maximum contamination levels (MCL) exceed North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) standards.

The council heard an update on the coliform (bacteria) contamination. The contamination originally involved only three residents and TriRiver representatives knocked on their doors to notify them to boil their water. It spread. On August 8, all customers living on Oakleaf Road were notified of the boil water advisory. On August 10, further testing found coliform bacteria in the other roads listed above. At that time, the advisory was expanded to include those areas.

Read “PFAS levels concern Sanford” here.

Only two minutes before the Aug. 11 board meeting began, the state auditor’s office informed the Lee County School Board that their requested report would be provided in a few days. The board requested records from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor after waiting months for an investigative audit report after employee embezzlement.

Former Lee County Schools finance employee Jordan Marie Allred pleaded guilty in August 2026 to felony embezzlement of $190,588.93 from the school district.

Read “Lee County Schools await state auditor’s report after $190,589 embezzlement” here.

Sanford’s newly constructed event expense report has data gaps, raising questions about individual costs, DSI revenue, and how to track public event expenses.

Sanford presented the cost of its events at the Aug. 11 work session after the July 14 meeting, when Town Manager Hal Hegwer told Sandhills News that the city did not have the information.

Yet, “It was information we already had,” Mayor Rebecca Salmon said at the Aug. 11 meeting.

During the July 14 meeting, Member Charles Taylor asked the council to review government expenses on all events to inform the public of the cost of each event, such as movies and concerts in the park. Because the city needs to be accountable and make budget decisions based on expenses and revenue. He said there were no detailed expense reports on events that would help the council decide whether it should fund specific events in the future.

Read “Sanford’s reporting on event expenses raises $208,134 in concerns” here.

Do you know a college-bound high school student? They may want to read “American Legion Post 296 announces speech contest” to learn how to win scholarship funds with a speech on the U.S. Constitution.

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A special meeting on Moore County’s Flock cameras answered questions about the technology’s use, authority, security and investigative value, while privacy concerns prompted debate.

The Moore County Commissioners and the sheriff’s department presented data on Flock cameras at a special meeting Aug. 17 at the senior enrichment center.

Read “Citizens cry “No Vote” over Moore County Flock camera use” here.

On Aug. 17, Lee County Commissioners moved to contact legislators about data centers, held a public hearing and approved an UDO change allowing emergency services to expand by right.

Before public comments, Chairperson Samantha Martin read a proposed resolution for the General Assembly to regulate data centers to protect citizens. The board immediately approved sending the resolution.

Martin said she did not want disruption, and that was why she read the resolution first.

UPDATE: The data center application will be reviewed and approved administratively by the planning department and will not return to the board of commissioners for a vote.

Read “Lee County talks data center, 46-home subdivision and emergency services UDO change” here.

Sanford planners supported several land-use changes, including allowing fire, sheriff and emergency-service facilities “by right” at the Aug. 18 meeting. The council will consider the “by right” request and several rezoning requests on Sept. 1.

The Sanford planning board recommended a staff-initiated Uniform Development Ordinance (UDO) amendment to change Article 4’s Permitted Use to allow the land use of fire, sheriff, and emergency services in all zoning districts “by right.”

Currently, a special use permit is required for emergency service development in RA, RR,

RN-20, R-20, SN-12, SN-9, UN-6, MF-12 and NC.

Planning staff said the “by right” change would ease the financial burden on volunteer fire departments needing to expand and build new facilities, would expedite the process by eliminating meetings, that Lee County Government supported the change, that rapid growth caused the need for increased services so homeowner’s could meet insurance requirements, and Sanford planners acknowledged residential concerns about siren noises, lights and large trucks rushing to aid citizens, and during a conversation after the meeting, said residents who did not like them next to their property would eventually move.

Planners said surrounding counties implemented the same “by right” land use.

The public hearing for the UDO “by right” change for emergency services facilities is Sept. 1.

A fire department in the rural district maintains lower insurance premiums. But who wants a fire department next door to their home in the rural agricultural district where they invested hundreds of thousands for peace and quiet to enjoy their property? “By right” steals public input on location.

Read “Sanford UDO changes may ease emergency facility approvals” here.

On Aug. 18, Moore County Commissioners voted 4-1 to seek repair bids for the vacant Davis Center instead of accepting a $500,000 state grant, but the General Assembly had already redirected those exact funds to local water infrastructure.

The General Assembly’s $500k originally budgeted grant for the Davis Center was redirected to the water infrastructure for Moore County on Aug. 11, only seven days prior. On Aug. 1, the idea was formally introduced by the conference committee working on the technical-corrections bill.

This may clarify why there was a push to send out bids instead of accepting the grant.

Sandhills News reached out twice to Rep. Neal Jackson, who Chairman Nick Picerno said helped attain the grant, about when he communicated with the commissioners that the $500k had been redirected to the water system. He has read both emails, but has not replied. In a previous statement request, he responded to candidacy questions within 48 hours.

County Manager Wayne Vest read a statement about the $500 grant having restrictive conditions the school would remove. He said the commissioners would ask legislators to reappropriate the funds if they do not accept and if placed up for bids, to include a first refusal statement.

Was the vote on funds already reappropriated to a different source a fumble from not knowing current legislation? Had the commissioners already heard from legislators that the funds had been reappropriated?

Many comments had been made about private citizen “Jim” with plenty of funds to invest in the historic Davis Center. Read that and more in “Moore County votes to seek Davis Center repair bids despite $500K grant redirection” here.

Share your thoughts on Sandhills News social media under the article.

To ensure Lee County Animal Shelter staff can adequately perform their job duties concerning animal welfare, Lee County Government is instilling a new process for information requests made to the shelter.

The Lee County Animal Shelter is made up of staff who work tirelessly to care for surrendered, stray, quarantined, bite, and dangerous animals that come into the shelter’s care.

Recently, the Lee County Animal Shelter has experienced a high influx of intense calls and messages requesting information on a daily basis, which is impeding shelter staff’s ability to carry out daily operations.

This change in policy comes after complaints, such as the one below from Facebook on Aug. 20, 2026.

Local animal rescuer Lori St. James voiced concerns about recent shelter communication changes and reached out to Lee County Commissioner Chairperson Samantha Martin. St. James is the founder of It Takes a Village.

St. James, Martin, and Commissioner Cameron Sharpe will meet online on Wed. evening to discuss resolutions to issues arising from the animal shelter’s new regulations under Health Director Heath Cain, who has not responded to calls or emails.

Elizabeth McLean stated in an email that communication limits began mid-July, prior to the Lee County Government’s Aug. 20 press release about the shelter’s new information request process.

She stated rescuers alerted commissioners due to existing policy issues, not because complaints drove the change.

Read “Rescuer takes shelter concerns to Lee County Commissioner Chairperson Samantha Martin” here.

Share your experiences on Sandhills News social media under the article.

Just in time for Christmas! Every kid loves opening a drum kit on Christmas morning. Prepare them with lessons.

Join the Lee County Arts Council in welcoming Chris Thompson for a tremendous opportunity for children and adults to take part in an eight-week workshop.

919-774-6139

hello@leecountyartscouncil.org

Enjoy the Teen News Video!

Aug. 22, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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