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As first-year students at N.C. State University’s College of Education trickled into orientation on a stifling summer morning, Chelsea Lundquist-Wentz handed out flyers that plunged them into a cold reality.   

“You are the first Education class in a half-century that has not been exposed to toxic chemicals in Poe Hall, which has served as the Ed. building since 1971,” the flyer read. “Let’s keep it that way.” 

Lundquist-Wentz was part of an unusual welcome party. Like the orientation leaders, she wore a uniform for the occasion. Hers was a white T-shirt, the back emblazoned with an illustration of the seven-story building and a sign that said “PCB Hall.” 

Last school year, the university closed Poe Hall after finding PCBs—chemicals once used in building materials that have been linked to a variety of adverse health effects. But as Emily Vespa reports, Poe Hall is just one of many aging UNC System buildings with potential health hazards.

The Closure of ‘PCB Hall’ Reflects Problems Across UNC System

N.C. State University’s shuttering of Poe Hall has raised concerns about exposure to hazardous substances in aging buildings across the 16-campus system—and whether administrators have been transparent about risks.

Nearly 60 percent of square footage across the campuses is not in satisfactory condition, according to a system-wide study released in April. About 25 percent requires major renovations.

“As buildings age, the building systems wear out, reach the end of their useful life, or become harder to repair and maintain due to obsolescence,” the study says. “Failure to plan for timely replacement of systems often leads to building system failures and costly emergency repairs.”

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

Knight Vision

Big news this week that we can finally share: The Assembly has won a grant from the Knight Growth Challenge Fund. 

As Knight noted in the announcement on Tuesday, these grants are designed to help local news outlets “that have proven journalistic and business prowess” as we “fertilize news deserts and expand access to local journalism.”

“In a year that has been marked by layoffs and headlines about our industry’s decline, we’re supporting publishers who are ready to build something that will serve their communities for the long term,” wrote Knight Director of Sustainability Initiatives Duc Luu. “And, we hope this fund will create a model for other publishers to learn how to leverage their brands, existing operations, partners and resources into additional ways to address a community’s news needs.”

Over the next two years, the grant will help us build a best-of-class audience and product team that matches the level of sophistication and ambition we’ve long prioritized on the editorial front. It will also help us further professionalize our business operation as we build work with our partners and bureaus around the state.

In the long-term, we will be sustainable with subscriber support. But doing deep investigative journalism is resource-intensive, and grant support helps us bridge the gap. Please consider becoming a subscriber today if you aren’t already! You can join now through November for just $0.99 a month using code THEASSEMBLY2024.

We’re so grateful to Knight and our friends at Blue Engine Collaborative, which is supporting the local news cohort. 

What We’re Reading

Accounting On It: Carolina Journal reports that NC Innovation, which we wrote about last year, is the subject of a state audit. The issues under review include private funding commitments, whether grant awards are awarded in accordance with state law and organization policies, and how programs selected for funding are evaluated.

Schooled: WRAL has in-depth interviews with state superintendent of public instruction candidates Michele Morrow and Mo Green.

Trial and Error: Former N.C. Sen. Richard Burr, who broke from his party in voting to convict Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial, told Spectrum News he still plans to vote for him in November.

Our Recent Stories

Riding the Solar Coaster

North Carolina’s solar installers are navigating new utility-backed state rules that have put a damper on businesses and homeowners looking to host their own arrays.

What Lee Roberts’ Interim Months Tell Us About How He’ll Lead UNC-Chapel Hill

The well-connected finance executive has been named the school’s next chancellor. Here’s what people have made of his eight-month tenure as interim.

North Carolina’s $55 Million Olympic Dream

Top legislators quietly allocated large state grants to attract Olympic organizations to the Charlotte area. No governing body has relocated, but the organizers and consultants have received millions in fees.

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