Judge Tosses Sheriff Removal Bid; $116M Helene Aid on the Way

A judge has dismissed a petition seeking to remove the Mecklenburg County sheriff from office, bringing an end—at least for now—to a high-profile legal challenge over leadership and accountability. At the same time, North Carolina’s child care task force is focusing on workforce shortages and affordability concerns as demand for care continues to outpace supply. In disaster recovery news, $116 million in additional Hurricane Helene aid is headed to North Carolina, while Governor Stein and Senator Ted Budd say more federal assistance is still needed. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson and state officials are seeking to block the legislature’s release of records tied to the Iryna Zarutska case, setting up another separation-of-powers dispute.