Carolina Public Press

Lake Lure is high on Hollywood’s call list. The small town in Rutherford County has been the site for blockbuster movies including the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing.” But the community is now facing a critical situation. The dam that makes Lake Lure the idyllic spot that it is, is in urgent need of repairs that may cost up to $5 million.

Carolina Public Press has spent the past year investigating adult care homes across North Carolina, and it found a lack of consistency and accountability across the board in how these centers are evaluated. But when a tip led managing editor Frank Taylor to look at one particular center, he found not only shocking violations including prostitution, but also a baffling handling of the case by the state.

Carolina is home to more than 1000 adult care homes – spaces designed to provide shelter and assistance to those living with disabilities and mental health issues. But an in-depth investigation by Carolina Public Press reveals a broken system where oversight for the care homes is inconsistent and shuffled back and forth between state and county agencies.

New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau paints a complex picture of the changing demographics in western North Carolina. Carolina Public Press managing editor Frank Taylor sifted through the data to find trends in poverty, education, and employment, as well as to undercover political implications of the area's demographic makeup.

Thousands of Medicaid recipients across North Carolina are being denied government-assisted funding for personal-care services. In April 2015, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Medical Assistance changed the requirements for personal-care eligibility.

Prosecutors in North Carolina and New Jersey are reopening the case of Felicia Reeves, a western North Carolina woman who was found dead in New Jersey last year.

Authorities originally concluded that Reeves had taken her own life in a motel room, but Reeves had claimed to be a police informant, raising questions about whether someone would have wanted her dead.

There is no evidence that police in New Jersey followed that lead during their investigation of Reeves' death.

North Carolina is among the top 10 states with the highest number of reported human trafficking cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Experts say the number of major interstates that cross through the state, the large agricultural population, and the state’s strategic location along the East Coast contribute to the issue.

A private company that owns mental health care facilities in western North Carolina is coming under fire for its treatment record and its insensitive corporation name: Nutz R Us.

One family tells the Carolina Public Press that it had little control over their son's placement in a Nutz R Us facility because a private guardianship company was making his treatment decisions. The CPP investigation found the state has little oversight of the industry.

 In an era where many consumers get their news from Twitter feeds and Facebook posts, how do complex stories of corruption, crime and power get told? And what are the challenges facing today’s shrinking cohort of investigative reporters? 

A K-12 charter school in Rutherford County is under fire from the North Carolina American Civil Liberties Union after the school suspended all student club activities earlier this month.

Duke Energy has scrapped a proposal to build new transmission lines in western North Carolina.

The decision comes after environmental groups raised concerns about the plans for 45 miles worth of towers from Asheville to South Carolina. The controversy attracted more than 9,000 public comments online.

Duke Energy Progress says it will convert another power plant from coal to natural gas.

Duke Energy's plans for the facility at Lake Julian in Asheville are another indication that the energy giant is increasingly relying on natural gas, in part because of its falling price. 

The utility calls the transition for Asheville a "win-win:" cleaner energy and more jobs. Environmentalists say natural gas has its own negative consequences.

Chuck Lewis has had a long career as an investigative journalist. He has worked for national news shows, including CBS News' "60 Minutes," and he helped to create the Center for Public Integrity. 

But in the decades since he started digging for the truth, the reporting industry has suffered a serious decline in investigative reporting.

Fewer news outlets are spending the time and money for investigations in favor of daily news blurbs, breaking news coverage, or entertainment.

Media outlets mark Sunshine Week as a time to celebrate and promote open government laws and free access to public records.

Public housing residents in Asheville are raising concerns with the city's housing authority because of a recent rise in evictions. 

Police departments across the state of North Carolina are arming themselves with the same weapons and gear as the U.S. military. 

Newly released excerpts from H.R. Haldeman’s diary provide new insights into the relationship between Billy Graham and Richard Nixon. 

Audio journals from Nixon’s chief of staff reveal Graham’s firm grasp of political craftsmanship, and Nixon’s reliance on the televangelist for more than spiritual advice.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Carolina Public Press reporter Jon Elliston about the audio journals and what they revealed.