Jacksonville’s U-19 state champions are heading to nationals as the U.S. closes Club World Cup group play.
The story tracks a local team’s path to national competition and highlights developments in international soccer, hockey recognition in North Carolina, and the NBA Draft. It also provides readers with upcoming dates, locations, and fundraising information tied to those events.
The Jacksonville Area Soccer Association’s Under-19 team won the State Cup and qualified for the national tournament, which is scheduled to begin July 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The roster includes 18 local players. The team is raising money to help cover travel costs through fundraisers in the coming days and a GoFundMe campaign.
The board secretary said neither acted with malice.
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Two Wake County Board of Elections members were censured Wednesday after the North Carolina State Board of Elections found they violated their duties by voting to count ballots cast by three voters who died before Election Day in 2024.
The state board voted 3-2 along party lines that Gerry Cohen and Greg Flynn violated their duties. But Chairman Francis De Luca, a Republican, joined the board’s two Democrats in voting against removing them from the Wake board.
Steve Holland of Weaverville filed the complaint, arguing that counting the ballots violated a state board policy. He said Cohen and Flynn, both Democrats, “knowingly departed from state directives.” As a result, he said, ballots from three deceased Wake County voters were counted, while ballots from 42 other deceased voters were not.
Holland appealed after the board, then under Democratic leadership, declined in January 2025 to hold a hearing on his complaint. A judge in the state Office of Administrative Hearings later ruled that the board had to hear the case.
At Wednesday’s hearing, the board considered whether a state memo on ballots cast by voters who later died was guidance or a directive, and whether the North Carolina Constitution required those votes to be counted.
Cohen and Flynn cited a constitutional provision stating, “Every person offering to vote shall be at the time legally registered as a voter,” arguing that ballots should be counted if the voters were properly registered when they voted.
Cohen, a former longtime General Assembly staffer who said he helped draft election laws, said no existing state law requires those ballots to be discarded. He also said a bill filed this year to address the issue showed current law does not.
Flynn said his vote was intended to force attention to an issue the state board or legislature needed to resolve. “I don’t think we should be penalized for exercising our judgement,” he said.
De Luca asked whether the two would vote the same way again, and both said they would not. Cohen said he had been influenced by testimony from relatives of deceased voters and had made a mistake.
Board Secretary Stacy “Four” Eggers IV said state law has required voters to be alive on Election Day for their vote to count for at least 25 years. He and Republican board member Angela Hawkins voted to remove Cohen and Flynn.
Chief Engineer Gene Albano cited access issues and “other limitations such as regulatory requirements.”
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Weeks before March’s Kona low storms, Honolulu said it was canceling another delayed project to dredge Kaukonahua Stream on Oahu’s North Shore, citing cost. After heavy rains, the stream overflowed, flooding nearby homes and farms.
Since the early 2000s, the city has spent more than $450,000 on plans and designs to dredge Kaukonahua and Kiikii Stream, the estuary it flows into, according to budget records reviewed by Civil Beat. Studies dating to at least 1980 examined ways to reduce recurring flooding.
Residents, experts and lawmakers had for years warned that sediment, vegetation and debris in the city-owned stretch of Kaukonahua could worsen flooding. Satellite images from 2002 showed islands of grass in the stream; by late 2025, images showed them covering much of the channel.
The Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance is responsible for city-owned streams and for requiring private landowners to keep adjoining sections clear. Civil Beat requested North Shore maintenance and violation records in April. The city provided some records for Paukauila Stream near Haleiwa, but said it had no records for several others, including Kaukonahua.
Past reports repeatedly identified Kaukonahua as a flood risk. In 2002, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the stream would continue to flood without permanent flood-control measures and regular dredging. In 2008, the City Council allocated $100,000 for drainage plans. A memo from then-Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz said, “If project is not implemented silt build-up will cause flooding.” Construction funding did not follow.
In 2013, the city launched a $350,000 design project to dredge Kiikii Stream. According to the city’s most recent budget, it remained in design and work was not expected to begin before 2029. A January report to the council said dredging was deemed infeasible “due to high cost.”
Council member Matt Weyer said he sought more than $55 million for flood improvements in Laie, Koolaupoko and the Kaiaka Bay watershed, which includes Kaukonahua, but those projects were not included in the final budget.
After the flooding, the city and state began a joint dredging project. Residents had begun clearing parts of the stream with privately owned excavators days earlier.
Stein said Republican lawmakers were “stoking the culture wars that divide us rather than fulfilling their long-overdue responsibility of passing a budget,” adding, “It’s time for them to do their jobs for the people of North Carolina.”
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North Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday overrode Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes of three bills requiring more cooperation with federal immigration authorities and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public schools and universities.
The House voted 71-47, along party lines, to override vetoes of Senate Bill 153, Senate Bill 227, and Senate Bill 558. The Senate had already voted to override the vetoes last summer, so all three measures are now law. They are the 10th, 11th, and 12th vetoes of Stein’s term to be overturned.
The House also voted 71-47 to override Stein’s veto of House Bill 171, which would bar diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state agencies. That bill still requires a Senate override vote.
Veto overrides require support from three-fifths of members present and voting. With all 120 House members present, that threshold is 72 votes. But Reps. Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg, and Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, were absent, lowering the threshold to 71, the number of seats Republicans hold.
Both lawmakers had attended a House Rules Committee meeting earlier Wednesday. House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said members had not received an explanation.
Republican leaders limited debate under House rules, allowing one speaker from each side for up to three minutes on each override. House Speaker Destin Hall said, “Frankly, there’s nothing in here that we’ve not debated at length already.”
Senate Bill 153 requires additional cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by local law enforcement. It also requires the departments of Health and Human Services and Commerce, the Housing Finance Agency, and local housing agencies to check immigration status before providing certain forms of assistance, including food, rent, housing, medication, and inpatient psychiatric care. The law also removes governmental immunity for local governments with a “sanctuary” policy or that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, and it bars sanctuary policies at state universities.
Senate Bill 227 and Senate Bill 558 end diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in K-12 public schools and public higher education, respectively. House Bill 171 would apply similar restrictions to state agencies.
Senate Bill 50, which would expand who can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, was not taken up Wednesday.
The Jacksonville Area Soccer Association’s Under-19 team won the State Cup and qualified for the national tournament, which is scheduled to begin July 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The roster includes 18 local players. The team is raising money to help cover travel costs through fundraisers in the coming days and a GoFundMe campaign.
Full story +
The Jacksonville Area Soccer Association’s Under-19 team won the State Cup and qualified for the national tournament, which is scheduled to begin July 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The roster includes 18 local players. The team is raising money to help cover travel costs through fundraisers in the coming days and a GoFundMe campaign.
The county has sought transportation sales tax referendums before. Voters approved one in 2018 and rejected one in 2024.
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Beaufort County Council approved an ordinance Monday, June 22, calling for a countywide referendum on a 1% transportation sales tax.
Council voted 8-3 to place the measure on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. If voters approve it, the tax will begin May 1, 2027, and end once it raises $780 million or by April 30, 2036, whichever comes first.
According to the ordinance, the tax would add 1% to sales made in Beaufort County and would apply to nonresidents as well. Rent and mortgage payments, fuel, unprepared food, and medical purchases would be exempt.
All registered Beaufort County voters can cast ballots in the referendum. A simple majority is required for approval.
County Council also said it will create a seven-member citizens oversight committee to monitor how the revenue is spent. Council will select three members, and each Beaufort County town will appoint one.
Council created the 2026 Transportation Advisory Committee to recommend how the tax would operate and how revenue would be distributed. The committee includes community leaders and representatives from each County Council district.
The proposed spending includes safety and intersection improvements, including work on traffic signals and intersections across the county. It also includes road-widening projects on South Carolina highways 170 and 46, U.S. Highway 278, and at the Neil Road intersection, as well as resurfacing and dirt-road paving projects across the county.
At the June 22 meeting, County Council Chair Alice Howard said the projects are needed for safety and school transportation.
“This is a school safety problem too,” Howard said. “I want our children to be safe on our roads and if we don’t pass this (ordinance) our school buses are not going to get to school on time, and they may not get there safely.”
The tax would fund work on county and town roads.
The highest-profile race this fall is for sheriff. Sheriff P.J. Tanner is not seeking reelection for the first time in nearly three decades.
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South Carolina’s statewide primary concluded after runoff results were reported Tuesday night.
The primary elections began June 9. Some races were decided that day, while contests in which no candidate received more than 50% of the vote advanced to a June 23 runoff. Local, state, and congressional primaries were on the ballot.
The primaries determined the Republican and Democratic nominees for each race in November.
Voters will also decide eight Beaufort County Council seats. Residents will vote for one candidate based on where they live in the county.
Sample ballots from the South Carolina Elections Commission are available here and show which races voters can cast ballots in based on their district.
The Beaufort County transportation sales tax referendum will also appear on the November ballot. If approved, it will add a 1% sales tax in Beaufort County beginning May 1, 2027, to fund infrastructure projects.
North Carolina senators approved bills on homeless encampments and property tax increases tied to revaluations.
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The North Carolina Senate on Wednesday approved two bills on homelessness and property taxes.
Senators voted 26-16, along party lines, to pass House Bill 437, which would bar local governments from allowing unauthorized homeless encampments in public spaces and would designate homeless shelters as drug-free zones. The bill now returns to the House for a final vote with an amendment from Sen. Brad Overcash, R-Gaston, clarifying which facilities are covered and how residents or business owners can file complaints.
Overcash said the bill responds to a “public safety crisis” tied to a “proliferation of homeless encampments.” He said it would restore “safe parks and public spaces once again” and increase penalties for drug sales in homeless shelters.
Democrats criticized the measure. Sen. Mujtaba A. Mohammed, D-Mecklenburg, said, “The message of this legislation seems to be, if we can move homeless people somewhere else, then the problem is gone.” Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, said the bill lacked funding for housing, mental health, addiction treatment, and other services.
The bill would require municipalities to designate a site on municipal property for homeless camps for less than a year, and only when indoor shelters lack space. Local governments would have to provide restrooms, water, and public safety personnel. The bill does not provide funding for those requirements.
Critics, including the N.C. Coalition to End Homelessness and the N.C. Housing Coalition, said the measure would create legal and financial burdens for local governments and push people out of public spaces. The bill does not make homelessness itself a crime, but it would expose local governments to civil liability if they do not remove camps outside shelters or approved sites.
The Senate also approved Senate Bill 992, known as “Truth in Taxation.” It would require local governments undergoing a property tax revaluation to pass a resolution or ordinance if they want to set a tax rate above the revenue-neutral rate, publish notice, and hold a public hearing.
Sen. Carl Ford, R-Rowan, said the bill is meant to make tax changes clearer to property owners. Local governments that do not comply would have to refund property taxes collected above the revenue-neutral rate. The bill heads to the House.
As of April, the final U.S. base in Syria had closed, according to the inspector general’s report, ending 10 years of U.S. presence there though the U.S. continues to work with Syrian partners to coordinate anti-ISIS operations.
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A senior Islamic State leader died in a U.S. airstrike in northwestern Syria on June 19, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
U.S. Central Command said the strike killed Ali Husayn al-’Ulaywi, according to a statement posted on X. Central Command oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
“CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
For more than a decade, U.S. forces have led an international coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve.
After the ouster of longtime Syrian leader Bashar Assad in late 2024, the Pentagon said it would begin consolidating forces and reducing its presence in the region.
That process accelerated after the February start of the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, according to a quarterly report published in late May by the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General.
U.S. forces deployed for the anti-ISIS mission withdrew from bases in Iraq and Syria that had been targeted by missiles and drones from Iran and Iran-backed militias. Operation Inherent Resolve also moved its headquarters from Kuwait to Jordan.
At least two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Israel and Lebanon held another round of talks in Washington aimed at ending cross-border fighting. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strike hit a vehicle on the Tallat al-Dabsha road near Kfar Reman in…
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At least two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Israel and Lebanon held another round of talks in Washington aimed at ending cross-border fighting.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strike hit a vehicle on the Tallat al-Dabsha road near Kfar Reman in Nabatieh district. It later reported Israeli artillery fire on the outskirts of Yater in Bint Jbeil district.
The Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. It later said it “struck” two people who crossed a “security zone” in the area, without providing evidence.
The attacks followed several quieter days after ceasefire calls from the United States and Iran.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israeli troops would not leave Lebanon “even if there is an American demand.”
He added, “200,000 residents will not return,” referring to people displaced from southern Lebanon.
“What happened in the past when there was a civilian population [present] was roadside bombs and attacks against the [Israeli] soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that,” Katz added. “We are not withdrawing.”
Lebanese officials said Israeli forces must leave Lebanese territory and attacks must stop for any ceasefire to hold. Israel said it would withdraw only after Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
At the border, U.N. peacekeepers reported no missile launches or airstrikes from midnight to 4 p.m. local time, according to U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq. He said the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon observed continued Israeli airspace violations, mostly by drones.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the second day of the fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington ended at about 8 p.m. GMT.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the Gulf that “the only reason Israel is in Lebanon is because Hezbollah launches rockets and drones from there.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Tel Aviv that Israel’s military objectives in Lebanon were not yet complete and that it was creating a zone in southern Lebanon to prevent cross-border attacks.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon would deploy its army in the south after an Israeli withdrawal. Hezbollah condemned the Washington talks and demanded a full Israeli withdrawal first.
The FIFA disciplinary committee said Wednesday that the ban was for serious foul play and was subject to appeal.
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Qatar player Assim Madibo received a five-match suspension after a tackle that broke the leg of Canada midfielder Ismael Kone at the World Cup.
Madibo was shown a straight red card during Canada’s 6-0 Group B win over Qatar in Vancouver last Thursday.
The suspension ruled Madibo out of Qatar’s remaining World Cup matches, including Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina at Seattle Stadium.
Canada’s first World Cup victory was overshadowed by Kone’s injury. He was taken off on a stretcher after he was tackled from behind in the 51st minute and later underwent surgery for a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg.
Kone sat upright on the stretcher and waved to the crowd as he was taken off the field.
Nathan Saliba, who replaced Kone and scored Canada’s fourth goal, ran to the sideline to hold up a replica of Kone’s Canada shirt and pointed to his No. 8.
Madibo also appeared distressed on the field, and Canada coach Jesse Marsch said at a news conference that Madibo went to Kone’s dressing room after the match to apologize in person.
“You can’t even imagine how grateful I am to everyone who reached out and that has me in their prayers,” Kone later posted on Instagram.
Madibo, along with Qatar’s sports minister, later visited Kone to check on his health following the injury.
“They were received by the President of the Canadian Soccer Association,” the Qatar Football Association said.
“This visit reflects the spirit of sportsmanship and the strong relationships on and off the field. We wish the player a speedy recovery and a quick return to the pitch.”
The association also posted photos of the visit, including one showing Kone, in a wheelchair, hugging Madibo while both wore their national jerseys.
Kone watched from the sidelines as Canada lost 2-1 to Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver on Wednesday.
The ban was shorter than some previous World Cup suspensions. Uruguay striker Luis Suarez received a nine-match ban and a four-month suspension from all football-related activity for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. In 1994, Italy defender Mauro Tassotti was suspended for eight matches for elbowing Spain forward Luis Enrique.
