Author: Scott D. Yost

In a decision that’s sending shockwaves through North Carolina political circles and national political circles, US Senator Thom Tillis announced abruptly on Sunday, June 29 that he will not seek re-election in 2026.

The move came just hours after President Donald Trump publicly lashed out at Tillis on social media – sharply criticizing the senator from North Carolina for opposing the high-profile Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill” that Trump has bet the farm on…

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners met on Friday afternoon, June 27, to hold a very rare special closed session to discuss a personnel issue and, when the board came out of that closed session, the commissioners voted unanimously to accept the retirement notice of Guilford County Manager Mike Halford.

Guilford County just adopted a new fiscal budget on June 19 and Halford did not appear at that time to be anywhere near ready to leave Guilford County government…

Personnel matters are one of the few things that local governments are not required by law to share with the public if requested to do so. Therefore, it isn’t known – and may never be known – which Guilford County employee is in very hot water. 

However, from the evidence that is publicly available, it’s clear that the county commissioners are extremely concerned about something going on in the county government…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has announced that on Wednesday, June 25, the Guilford County Narcotics Task Force, working with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, concluded a narcotics investigation and nabbed two people and over two pounds of fentanyl.

One of those arrested was a teacher at Southern Guilford Middle School: Saadia Marie-Denise Owen, 32, (pictured above) was arrested and charged with the following…

Not everyone in Guilford County government is going along to get along with Chairman of The Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston and his merry band of big spenders. There are still two Republicans on the board and, when the seven Democratic commissioners voted on the 2025-2026 fiscal budget, the two explained in detail why they were worried about it and why they couldn’t support it…

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the state’s first case of measles of 2025 – a child who became ill while visiting Forsyth and Guilford counties after arriving from a country where measles outbreaks are ongoing.

According to health officials, the child began displaying symptoms after arriving in North Carolina and the child visited several public locations in Guilford and Forsyth counties before being diagnosed with the disease…

Now that Greensboro and Guilford County’s economic success story has become better than in the leader’s wildest dreams  – and a bajillion people are about to move to the Greensboro area – the city is even more worried about where they will all live.

To that end, the City of Greensboro will hold a community open house on Thursday, June 26, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Depot – Waiting Room at 236 E. Washington St. in downtown Greensboro.

It’s officially summer now and it’s suddenly very, very hot and humid in Greensboro and Guilford County.  As the area bakes under a punishing stretch of extreme heat this week, Duke Energy is asking everyone to help reduce stress on the electric grid to avoid potential power outages.

As of Monday, June 23, a Heat Advisory is in effect through Tuesday, with the National Weather Service forecasting heat index values around 105 degrees. An Excessive Heat Watch is expected…

On Friday, June 20, the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced that the United States Department of Health and Human Services is eliminating federal funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that’s dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth services.

Beginning on Thursday, July 17, 2025, people who call 988 will no longer have the option to press 3, which is the extension specific to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide…

A North Carolina legislator has come under fire after sharing a controversial image on social media – prompting one prominent group to demand her removal from a key committee post in the NC House.

State Rep. Julie von Haefen, a Democrat representing Wake County, apologized Monday on the House floor after posting a video montage from the “No Kings” protest in Raleigh on Saturday, June 14…

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. 

And again, and again, and again. 

That’s certainly the philosophy of the Guilford County commissioners, who keep putting a quarter-cent sales tax increase on the ballot only to see it be shot down by voters time and time again.

The commissioners are now hoping that the eighth time is a charm…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that, on Monday, June 16, the newly formed Guilford County Narcotics Task Force executed multiple narcotics-related search warrants in both High Point and Greensboro.

The officers didn’t come up empty handed in either city.

 These busts follow on an impressive string of drug busts that have taken place in Guilford County in 2025, when a whole lot of cocaine and fentanyl have been taken off the streets…

For years and years, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners has passed a budget on Thursday nights; however, since Thursday, June 19 is a holiday, the board passed the fiscal 2025-2026 budget this year on Wednesday, June 18.

The new budget, the largest in the history of Guilford County, totals out at $847.3 million.

One month ago, Guilford County Manager Mike Halford proposed a budget totaling…

At its Tuesday, June 17 meeting, the Greensboro City Council adopted an $831 million budget for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends on June 30, 2026.

The budget of any local government is its road map for the coming 12 months and the official document that determines what priorities get taxpayer money and which projects or initiatives do not.

The new budget, presented by Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis, represents a 3.5 percent increase over the current year’s budget…

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners just authorized nearly $2.75 million to cover installment loan payments to pay for a whole lot of new cars, trucks and other vehicles.

The big beneficiary is the Guilford County Sheriff’s office which got the vast majority of the new vehicles.

Nearly all of the autos and items in the contract are already in the county’s possession.  The county voted earlier to buy them on credit and then make good on that loan at a later date, which they did on Thursday, June 5…

Guilford County has announced the appointment of Courtney McFadden as its new Division of Public Health director.

McFadden, who holds a Master of Public Health degree, will officially begin her duties with the county starting on Monday, July 14. In her new role, she’ll oversee Guilford County’s public health operations and lead the county’s efforts to protect and promote the well-being of more than 500,000 residents….

Juneteenth is such a new federal holiday that a lot of people still don’t realize it’s a holiday until they show up at the bank or a city office to conduct business and find no one there.  However, it’s a federal holiday in the United States that was officially designated as such four years ago when former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act…

Child abuse and spousal abuse in Guilford County get a lot of attention; however, anyone who works down at the Guilford County Family Justice Center can tell you that they also see a lot of elder abuse taking place. On Friday, June 13, the Guilford County Division of Social Services hosted a community event in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which is observed each year on June 15…

When Piedmont Triad Airport Executive Director Kevin Baker and other airport officials envisioned creating a new 1000-acre megasite around what was already a thriving airport manufacturing and repair business site, and began buying up a golf course and other land to make that vision a reality, they obviously thought it would be successful, but it’s highly unlikely in their wildest dreams that they could have imagined exactly how successful…

For seven years, Guilford County government has had an MWBE (Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises) Department  – a department that offered support and preference to those types of businesses.  However, that department has suddenly and quietly been disappeared like it was a tattooed immigrant who slapped Kristi Noem…

The City of Greensboro just took a big step toward reimagining how it addresses public safety with the unveiling of its new five-year “Comprehensive Community Safety Plan.”

The announcement came during the third annual “Peace on Purpose” event held at the Simkins Sports Pavilion, where city leaders and community members got together to highlight a collaborative approach to cutting down on violence and improving safety across all neighborhoods in the city….

Dr. Margaret B. Arbuckle has been named the recipient of the 2025 Lifetime Community Service Award from the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, and when she received word of that honor, she burst into tears.

The award is given to leaders who’ve advanced civil and human rights through their service to their communities…

Guilford Creek Week is back and making waves across Guilford County from Saturday, June 21, through Saturday, June 28. The weeklong celebration is designed to help county residents better understand, appreciate and protect the creeks, rivers, lakes and watersheds that sustain life across the region – and are great for recreation as well…

At a packed budget public hearing on Thursday, June 5, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners heard from more than 30 speakers who offered input on the proposed 2025-2026 budget presented by County Manager Mike Halford. The majority of speakers focused on the need for increased funding for Guilford County Schools; however, another group, Keep Gate City Housed, was also there in force with a sizable and vocal presence in the commissioners…

The Guilford County Family Justice Center has been around for a decade and on Friday, June 6, many stakeholders and others got together to celebrate the achievements of one of the county’s most successful and awarded operations.

Ten years ago, Guilford County made the major commitment to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder…

On Thursday, June 5, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on the proposed 2025-2026 county budget, and over 30 speakers came forward – many of them educators, parents, and school employees – strongly urging the board to increase local funding for the Guilford County Schools system.

The commissioners’ meeting room on the second floor of the Old Guilford County Court House in downtown Greensboro was packed, which meant many attendees had to view the meeting from the rarely used balcony seating….

Not all of the new activity around bustling Piedmont Triad International Airport involves big aeronautic companies announcing they are coming to the airport’s megasite. PTI has also been offering more choices for flights, and the airport is getting a very welcome addition this week.

On Friday, June 6, Breeze Airways will begin service at PTI, offering new nonstop flights to Hartford, Connecticut (BDL) and Orlando, Florida (MCO)….

There’s been yet another big drug bust in Guilford County. So far this year alleged drug dealers have been going to jail at a very fast clip and there was another bust this week that got some dangerous drugs off the street…

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is giving county residents a golden opportunity to speak their minds on how their tax dollars should be spent – or not spent – in the coming fiscal year.

On Thursday, June 5, the board will hold its annual public hearing on the county budget – the one time each year when the microphones are open, the timer is set,…

A billion here, a billion there – pretty soon it can add up to real money.

Guilford County’s school construction program, supported by two major bond referenda in the last five years – a $300 million referendum in 2020 and a $1.7 billion one in 2022 – is expected to cost county taxpayers more than $3.2 billion by the time the debt is fully repaid with interest.  About $1.2 billion will be interest on the $2 billion debt, according to estimates…

June is recognized as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. It’s meant to be a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, commemorate the famous Stonewall Uprising, and advocate for equal rights. Pride Month events and marches are scheduled across the country, around the world, and in Guilford County.

On Thursday, June 5, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is adopting a resolution formally recognizing June 2025 as Pride Month in Guilford County…

Guilford County Animal Services announced on Monday, June 2 that the animal shelter is limiting the intake of cats and kittens due to the discovery of cases of feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) at the facility, which is formally known as the Guilford County Animal Resource Center….

For years, the City of Greensboro has been having a long discussion – and been putting a lot of attention into – the questions of when Greensboro police officers should or should not pull someone.

On Tuesday, June 10, Greensboro’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, and Human Rights Commission – together with the City’s Community Safety and Police departments – will present a “Traffic Stop Policy Panel Discussion and Community Conversation.”…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has formed a new “Guilford County Narcotics Task Force” along with other area law enforcement agencies and plans to reveal details of the new entity: Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson will hold a news conference on Monday, June 2, to discuss the Narcotics Task Force, which was created to combat illegal drug activity in the community…

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has appointed Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt as the state’s new health director and chief medical officer.

He’ll take over that role on Monday, June 2.

He gets that job at a time when, post-pandemic, the entire country is seeing multiple political battles being fought in the health arena….

Summerfield has a problem.

It’s trying to keep its town charter and, in that attempt to do so, town leaders are proposing nearly doubling the town’s tax rate and adding new services.

The new proposed budget for fiscal 2025-2026 calls for raising the property tax rate from 2.75 cents to 5 cents per $100 of assessed property value, a change that would generate more than $2 million in revenue based on a total tax base of $2.04 billion…

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in downtown Greensboro marked the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death with a public statement that called for reflection, renewed resolve, and continued action in pursuit of racial justice.

John Swaine, the museum’s CEO, said the anniversary “marks five years since the murder of George Floyd on a public street in Minneapolis – an extended moment that stunned the world and ignited a fresh global demand for social justice, official accountability, and human dignity.”…

Recently, both the Greensboro city manager and the Guilford County manager proposed fiscal 2025-2026 budgets that call for no increase in the property tax rate, and it looks like that will actually be the case in June when the Greensboro City Council and the Guilford County Board of Commissioners adopt their final budgets. 

The new budgets will likely include no tax rate increase so your tax bill should look the same as last year’s when it arrives in mid-to-late July…

When it comes to erectile dysfunction, men in North Carolina are neither struggling more than most nor are they doing particularly better than men anywhere else in the country. According to new data from Innerbody Research, North Carolina ranks 24th out of 51 in a nationwide analysis of ED-related search behavior, which means the men in the state are squarely in the middle of the pack in this regard.

According to broader studies, about one-third of all men experience this type of dysfunction, and nearly one in five adult men in the US — around 18 million— are affected by the condition…

The demolition has now begun on the old Windsor Recreation Center building, making way for something designed to be much, much better.

The  heavy equipment has started rolling and, once the old center is demolished, built in its place will be the Taj Mahal of community centers – the coming new Windsor Chavis Nocho Community Complex. That new facility at 1601 E. Gate City Blvd. is going to offer much more than a traditional community center, so much so that it should be thought of as a completely different animal….

On Wednesday, May 21, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched an “Interactive Vaccine Provider Map” that’s meant to help eligible families find and access free, childhood vaccines through the department’s vaccines for children program.

With a new measles outbreak happening across the country, and US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. often raising his concerns…

On Thursday, May 15, Guilford County Manager Mike Halford presented the Guilford County Board of Commissioners with his recommended budget for the county, and on Tuesday, May 20, Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis got the chance to unveil his proposed budget for the largest city in the county.

He did so at the meeting of the Greensboro City Council, where he suggested an $828 million budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. That year begins on July 1 and runs through June 30 of 2026….

Monday, May 26 is of course Memorial Day and if you use the City of Greensboro’s services, transportation or facilities, here are a few things you need to know about the holiday this year.

First of all, feel free to head down to city hall, but you won’t be able to get in because city offices will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

Also, there will be no trash or recycling collection that day. Instead, if your collection date was supposed to be Monday, it will instead take place on Tuesday, May 27. ..

Until last year, the Guilford County budget process – when it came to funding non-profits – was that the county manager, along with a staff committee, would go through applications from non-profits and community-based organizations, such as various festivals, art foundations, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, and a host of others asking for funding. 

The manager made the recommendations and then the county commissioners held public work sessions to decide which groups would get taxpayer money and which would not…

The Guilford County commissioners, school system leaders, community organizations and others who want to see a quarter-cent sales tax hike in Guilford County have spent nearly two decades explaining the benefits of such a tax increase but time and time again county voters have said no.

Now, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston is in talks with NC Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger to see if the state will go along with a change that Guilford County commissioners have asked of the state for a long, long time.

The City of Greensboro is calling for suggestions on ways to spruce up south Greensboro, make it more accommodating, visually appealing and an all-around better place to live and do business.

The city is especially interested in hearing what the residents, business owners and frequent visitors of south Greensboro have to say regarding that area and, in order to gather input for future improvements, the city is inviting those interested to attend an upcoming “Culture and Authenticity Workshop for the South Greensboro Plan.”…

Representatives from Transco – a subsidiary of Williams Companies – came before the Guilford County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, May 15, to explain a proposed natural gas pipeline expansion that would cut through the Oak Ridge area.

The discussion focused on safety measures, public input opportunities, and environmental considerations surrounding the controversial project….

Guilford County Manager Mike Halford presented his recommended fiscal 2025-2026 budget to the Board of County Commissioners during the board’s regular meeting on Thursday, May 15, and the budget included a little something for everyone, but, in many cases, not as much as department directors and school leaders would have liked.

Halford’s total general county budget comes to $842 million, which compares to $834 million for the 2024-2025 budget adopted last June..

Earlier this year, the Guilford County Board of Education asked the Guilford County Board of Commissioners to give them $44 million more for school operations than the county gave the schools last year. However, if the county commissioners’ final budget is anything like the budget Guilford County Manager Mike Halford proposed at the commissioners’ Thursday, May 15 meeting, then the school funding for operations will be woefully short of the schools’ request…