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North Carolina launches interactive map for public beach and waterfront access. May 22, 2026 The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Coastal Management announced on May 22 the availability of an interactive, mobile-friendly map to help residents and visitors locate public beach and waterfront access sites along the state's coast. The new online map is designed to make it easier for people to find more than 800 local, state, and federally funded public access points along ocean beaches and estuarine waters. The tool aims to improve accessibility as the summer beach season begins. Features of the map include a "Find Sites Near Me" option that locates access sites within a ten-mile radius. Users can also utilize tools such as "My Location," which pinpoints their current location when device location sharing is enabled, and "Near Me," which allows searches within one to ten miles of a selected area. Additional filters let users search for specific amenities like restrooms or showers. The basemap tool provides several viewing options including satellite imagery, street maps, and topographic maps. Since its inception in 1981, the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program has awarded 538 grants totaling over $56.7 million for land acquisition and construction projects aimed at improving pedestrian access to beaches and waterways. Projects supported by these funds include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers, land acquisition efforts, or urban waterfront revitalization initiatives. For direct use of the new mapping resource or questions about site locations, residents are encouraged to contact Rachel Love-Adrick at [email protected].

NC will launch Helene housing programs for multi-family, workforce units in 2026. By: Galen Bacharier - december 4, 2025 1:56 pm. A home damaged by Hurricane Helene under construction in Mitchell County, North Carolina on Sept. 11, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) North Carolina's programs to repair and rebuild multi-family and workforce housing in western counties will begin accepting applications in early 2026, Gov. Josh Stein said this week. "Multi-family housing applications will be in the first part of the year," Stein told reporters Wednesday. "And workforce [housing] will follow." The housing initiatives are part of a larger, federally-funded effort to rebuild housing after Hurricane Helene in fall 2024. State officials have been accepting applications for single-family housing since June; that program's applications close Dec. 31. That single-family program uses the largest chunk of $1.4 billion in federal grant money, just over $800 million. The multi-family program will spend around $191 million, according to the state's federally-approved plan, and the workforce program will spend around $53 million. The state's decision to stagger the timing of the programs is due to "limited staff," Stein said Wednesday, as state officials and contractors have pushed to get as many people enrolled in the single-family program as possible. State officials had initially estimated that the multi-family and workforce programs would open in late 2025. As of Dec, 4, there are just under 5,000 active applications for single-family housing, according to state data. Multi-family housing repairs and rebuilds will focus on rentals that are separated into two categories: small projects with four or fewer units, and large projects with five or more units. Those projects can include those that are mixed-use, and large project applicants can include both for-profit developers, nonprofits and local governments. Small projects will receive anywhere from $250,000 to $1.5 million, according to the state plan. Large projects can receive up to $15 million. If projects under the program have received or could receive low-income housing tax credits, state officials will consult with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. The state plan calls for priority to be given to projects developed in areas with "high costs... relative to area median gross income" and higher rates of poverty. The N.C. Department of Commerce, which is overseeing the housing programs, expects multiple rounds of applications "over the next several years" for large multi-family projects, the plan says. Workforce housing, meanwhile, will likely have just one application round. The program aims "to incentivize (workers) to remain in western NC following Helene and to partially remedy inadequate housing production in past years across western NC," according to the state plan. Housing developed under the workforce program will be for ownership, available to households who make up to 80% of an area's median income. Local governments, public and private companies and nonprofits are all eligible to apply to develop projects under the program. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

Lincoln County Schools Health Academy honored by governor. LINCOLNTON - The Lincoln County Schools Health Academy, a groundbreaking collaboration between Lincoln County Schools, Gaston College, Atrium Health Lincoln and the Lincoln Economic Development Association/Lincoln County Rotary Student Fund ("Rotary Rooted"), has been named the recipient of the 2025 Governor's NCWorks Award of Distinction for Outstanding Innovative Partnership. N.C. Gov. Josh Stein announced the winners on Oct. 15 and 16 during ceremonies held in Greensboro as part of the 38th annual NCWorks Partnership Conference, hosted by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The awards recognize exceptional accomplishments and contributions to workforce development across the state. "This award is a testament to the dedication, creativity and heart that has gone into this partnership," John Hauser, president of Gaston College said. "This academy proves that when education, healthcare and community partners collaborate, we can build vital career pathways for our students." Launched in the fall of 2024, the Lincoln County Schools Health Academy was created to address a critical shortage of healthcare professionals in Lincoln County. The program unites education, healthcare and economic development partners around a shared mission: to build a sustainable local talent pipeline for high-demand health careers. "I'm incredibly proud of the work that has gone into making this program a success for our students and community over multiple years," Aaron Allen, superintendent of Lincoln County Schools, said. "We value our partnerships with Rotary Rooted, Gaston College and Atrium Health for making this opportunity accessible, affordable and timely for the healthcare pipeline of our community." "We are excited to have this wonderful opportunity for our students to get a jumpstart on their college education and careers," Cale Sain, chief of postsecondary readiness and CTE said. "A big thank you to Gaston College and Atrium Health-Lincoln for the support they have shown to our students and our school community." The academy provides students with opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials, gain real-world experience and graduate ready to enter the workforce or continue post-secondary education. What sets the program apart is the introduction of North Carolina's first-ever Practical Nursing (PN) program for high school students. Upon graduating high school, participants in the PN cohort are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) - allowing them to begin their healthcare careers debt-free and job-ready. Currently, the Health Academy serves 36 students - eight from the inaugural PN cohort and 28 from the second cohort. These students represent the next generation of healthcare professionals prepared to meet the needs of Lincoln County and beyond. Governor Stein praised this year's honorees, stating, "These award recipients are further proof that when it comes to workforce development, no state will outwork North Carolina." The recognition underscores Lincoln County Schools' commitment to career-focused learning, community collaboration and innovative pathways that connect students directly to high-demand, high-impact careers.