Union County

Union County Public Schools students returned to classrooms Monday, with district leaders touting new academic offerings and setting goals for the year ahead.

Union County Public Schools is the latest school district to make tough decisions in a particularly tight school budget season. The district announced last week it was eliminating 11 media coordinator positions, impacting how schools manage their libraries and sparking some backlash.

Former Union County Commissioner Gary Sides has died after a battle with brain cancer. He was 68. He resigned from the board last week.

Union County families can begin applying for pre-K and kindergarten programs at Union County Public Schools on Feb. 2.

Leaders in Union County are taking new steps to tighten immigration enforcement, as the Trump administration ramps up mass deportations by relying on local law enforcement.

The Union County Commission voted unanimously Monday night to ban events from county parks that are judged "obscene," "sexualized," or "not suitable for young children."

An EF-1 tornado with winds up to 90 mph spun up near Unionville, North Carolina, as storms pounded the area Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and power poles and threatening nearby schools just as students arrived for class.

The Roadmap of Need highlights swaths of the state with big challenges. In the Charlotte region, Union County stands out as having unusually good conditions while spending relatively little on public education.