Pineola

Pineola, NC · Education
WFAE
thecharlottepost.com
ncfootballnews.com
hoodline.com
App State’s New GEAR UP Grant Targets 14,000 Students; Program Counts Vary by Cycle
Appalachian State University says its new seven-year, $35 million federal GEAR UP award will support college and career preparation for about 14,000 middle- and high-school students and their families in Western North Carolina. The program, GEAR UP APEX Northwest, began Oct. 1 and is the second consecutive $35 million GEAR UP grant awarded to the university, according to Appalachian Today.
fortmillprepsports.com
WBTV
Charlotte Observer
McGregor family speaks out for first time on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools turmoil
After weeks of silence, Raki McGregor has offered new details about the lucrative consulting contracts that put him at the center of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ ongoing controversy. The politically influential Charlotte businessman and his wife , Kimberly McGregor, defended their work with the school district and disclosed new details about their consulting contracts in an extensive interview with The Charlotte Optimist newsletter published Monday. Their comments come more than a month after former Superintendent Crystal Hill was fired after her bombshell memo raising concerns about the couple’s financial ties to CMS, board oversight and potential conflicts of interest. The allegations helped trigger multiple state and federal investigations into the district’s finances and governance. While the McGregors offered new explanations for their compensation and involvement in district projects, several questions about the arrangements remain unanswered. McGregors address CMS consulting contracts The new details included an additional source of funding for Raki McGregor’s work with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that had not previously been reported. Raki McGregor joined CMS in 2022 through a partnership with the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council while working as a senior executive at Novant Health, which initially covered his salary. After leaving Novant in June 2024, he continued working with the