Jonathan Jones

The Burlington Times-News sued Alamance-Burlington School System in October seeking copies of closed-session meeting minutes related to the departure of Superintendent Lillie Cox. Special Superior Court Judge Lucy Inman ruled this week that the records can be withheld, and the newspaper said it would appeal. 

WRAL: The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday released information about what specific pieces of surplus military equipment were provided to local law enforcement agencies across the state. The N.C. Department of Public Safety had previously refused to release the information citing the public records exemption for specific details about security plans.

A coalition of 10 media outlets filed a lawsuit Monday against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over the university's refusal to release information about employees punished or dismissed in the wake of the Wainstein report on academic irregularities. This is the third public records lawsuit against the university since the academic-athletic scandal began in 2010. 

Media outlets asked Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge Richard Boney to unseal court orders authorizing the surveillance after the existence of the secret program was revealed by the Charlotte Observer in October. The District Attorney's office must now review hundreds of cases to determine if information was improperly kept from defendants in cases dating back to 2010. 

Under threat of sanction from the State Board of Education, Charter Day School, Inc. finally released salary information to the Department of Public Instruction. Despite Charter Day stamping the information a "trade secret," DPI said it will release the data to the public Monday evening. 

UNC Chapel Hill Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Leslie Strohm has accepted a similar position at the University of Louisville. Strohm has been the university's top attorney through several public records lawsuits. 

Toward the end of a wide-ranging interview with WFAE public radio in Charlotte, Gov. Pat McCrory said that the state's personnel laws need to be changed to allow more transparency.  McCrory's statement was in response to a question about the resignation of Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrison. 

The Sylva Herald: The SBI is investigating allegations of rape and underage drinking related to a high school Halloween party. The party was held at the business of a contractor with the sheriff's office, and was attended by a deputy and a county dispatcher. Superior Court Judge Brad Letts sealed court records related to the investigation for 90 days. 

Gov. Pat McCrory held an invitation-only meeting Thursday with representatives of state and federal agencies as well as the oil and gas industry to discuss the possibilities of offshore drilling in North Carolina. Several environmental groups requested the meeting be open to the public. McCrory opened the meeting at the end for a question and answer session. 

The State Board of Education is threatening sanctions against Charter Day School, Inc., of Wilmington, in an ongoing dispute over disclosure of salaries of employees contracted through a for-profit company. Charter Day School has refused to disclose them to the state unless a promise of confidentiality is made and it has not provided the information when requested under the N.C. Public Records Law.