CHARLOTTE, N.C., AvidXchange, the leading provider of accounts payable (AP) and payment automation solutions for the middle market, today released the second report in its Middle Market Spending Trends series based on data captured from the 12 million payments processed annually through the AvidPay Network. The latest research shows that overall spending by middle market companies increased six…

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by Andrew Dunn, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — The federal government sent nearly $4 billion in COVID relief money to North Carolina, but a sizable chunk of it was returned, unwanted, a new report from the state auditor’s office finds. The report from State Auditor Beth Wood determined North Carolina’s budget office properly distributed the $3.6…

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New Uptick in Use of Falsified Documents to Show Proof of Vaccination Poses Risk for Travel, Business, Education WILMINGTON, N.C., Multiple news outlets across the U.S. are reporting a rise in counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine cards, leading to a 300% growth in advertisements on the dark web for such documentation since January. With people looking for falsified documents…

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Wilmington, NC – Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) is proud to announce the first microloan program for businesses to help increase access to needed funding for small businesses in the region’s central, commercial and emerging business districts. The new WDI microloan program is designed to help small businesses get access to startup funds, navigate the impacts…

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Campaign is now open for donations to support 100,000 rides for communities of color, seniors, and uninsured individuals across the state’s 100 counties. Durham, NC — United Way of the Greater Triangle, in partnership with Lyft, announced today the launch of RIDE UNITED NC, a statewide campaign designed to remove transportation barriers for low-income North Carolina residents…

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LELAND, NC – The Town of Leland Department of Planning and Inspections has been nominated for a Cape Fear CREW Award of Excellence for its creation of an online permitting and inspections system in response to COVID-19. Earlier this month, Cape Fear CREW announced that the Leland Planning and Inspections Department was a finalist for the…

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by John Hood RALEIGH — It may sound preposterous at the moment, with North Carolina’s unemployment rate still significantly above its pre-COVID rate, but I think our leaders should be talking about the state’s coming labor shortage. No, I don’t necessarily mean that businesses will have a hard time finding young, low-skilled workers to do…

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by John Trump, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper is further easing restrictions on state residents and businesses that began one year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooper’s latest executive order takes effect 5 p.m. Friday, March 26, and expires April 30. The state’s general mask mandate remains in effect. Cooper says 31%…

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UNCW will soon be a COVID-19 vaccination site. This message is to let the campus community know what to expect when vaccine appointments are available.   The Student Health Center will be notified each week whether UNCW will receive vaccines. Upon confirmation, UNCW will send a registration email for people to make an appointment using SignUp…

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by Andrew Dunn, Carolina Journal News Service RALEIGH — More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic brought North Carolina to a screeching halt, Gov. Roy Cooper shows no sign of relinquishing the sweeping and open-ended emergency powers he has claimed under state law. The General Assembly is now trying once again to clarify exactly what a…

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