Editorial: Data centers, rural development, & property rights: what to know before voting
September 20, 2026
Data received from public information requests raised concerns about transparency, communication and governance within the Sanford City Council. The Sanford City Council’s June 23 and 25 meetings discussed eliminating the downtown police on foot patrol. During the meetings, council members texted, leaving colleagues and attendees out of the discussion. Some[Read More…]
Three development proposals, including a 127-home subdivision near Kiwanis Park, a renewed 27-lot subdivision on Pocket Church Road and a new commercial project with a dental office and coffee shop, return for review in July, raising questions about growth, school capacity and infrastructure strain. Parkside Village Applicant Beth Blackmon of[Read More…]
The North Carolina House voted today, June 25, to override four vetoes issued by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein after two lawmakers were absent, giving Republicans enough votes to reach the required three-fifths majority. The veto overrides passed 71-47. State Reps. Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, and Carla Cunningham, U-Mecklenburg, were not present[Read More…]
The Lee County’s proposed single data center does not correlate with the architectural drawings because planning will review the 11 proposed data centers separately as they are introduced in phases. The June 25 review of the POINTEONE DATA CENTER [Commercial Plan Review] at 10:20 a.m. is not public. Lee County[Read More…]