[“3 things happening in NC” is Cardinal & Pine’s weekly guide to the people, storylines, and events driving the news this week in North Carolina.]
We’ll get to North Carolina’s 100-mile yard sale below, but first:
It’s so hard to find hope in politics these days. So much of the discourse has been broken down into social media memes and culture war nonsense.
While I’m not here to lionize any given politician, I will say it’s a breath of fresh air to see the way NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson has risen above the silliness to accomplish actual things.
I was happy to speak with Jackson on my Nooze Hounds podcast when he was a state senator in 2020, before he became a US House rep.
He was then gerrymandered out of that seat and, rather than fight through a campaign he knew he would lose, he ran for NC attorney general, an office where he felt he could make a difference. And he has done that.
In April, we covered his victory against LiveNation alongside other state AGs, and now he’s got chemical company Chemours in his sights. The federal government has made a deal with Chemours, but that happened with LiveNation too and it didn’t stop Jackson.
This time, it’s not up to us just to observe; he’s asking for your help.
Jeff Jackson wants your input on EPA deal
NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson put out the call last week for North Carolinians to share their thoughts on a proposed deal between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Delaware-based chemical corporation Chemours related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pollutants known as PFAS.
The proposed deal aims to settle PFAS contamination claims from Chemours facilities in North Carolina, New Jersey, and West Virginia, but Jackson’s office insists it guarantees nothing for North Carolina.
Jackson cited research that shows Chemours and its predecessor, DuPont, have been emitting PFAS and other pollutants into the air and discharging the chemicals into the Cape Fear River, which provides drinking water for 500,000 residents of eastern North Carolina, for decades.
Jackson denounced the deal, stating it would do almost nothing to address the damage Chemours has done in North Carolina.
“This deal was negotiated behind closed doors without anyone from North Carolina at the table, and it guarantees our state nothing,” Jackson said in a release. “The EPA is going to hear from my office. We think they should also hear from the people who actually drink this water.”
The federal government is accepting comments on the proposed deal until July 29. Residents can email their comments to pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or mail a letter to:
Assistant Attorney General
U.S. DOJ—ENRD
P.O. Box 7611
Washington, DC 20044–7611
The 100-mile yard sale that never ends comprises five NC counties
If you missed the 301 Endless Yard Sale in June, don’t fret, our state happens to host a couple of these.
This 100-Mile Yard Sale takes place along US Highway 21 from Friday-Sunday, stretching from Harmony in Iredell County to Wytheville in Virginia. It truly does feel endless, offering endless opportunities to turn one person’s trash—or many people’s trash—into your treasure.
Drive the route and stop when you spot a stall that intrigues you, or check out this helpful guide from Bill Layne Insurance for specific vendors across the participating counties. As for North Carolina, the route passes through Iredell, Yadkin, Surry, Wilkes and Alleghany counties, as reported by WXII.
Blowing Rock hosts Art in the Park
Once every month from May to October, Blowing Rock’s Park Avenue turns into a haven for creators and art lovers, with 70 juried artists lining the street next to Memorial Park in downtown Blowing Rock selling art of all fashions.
This summer marks six decades of Art in the Park, but I’d be willing to bet you will find the best piece anyone has found in all of those events.
