'Extravagant' spending in Cary, State Health Plan confusion: Thursday's top stories
Cary’s former town manager dominates the day’s news after a sprawling state audit detailed lavish spending and a hostile workplace.
Here are the top stories from The News & Observer for Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Cary audit uncovers extravagant spending: The State Auditor’s Office released a 2,600-page report confirming a lengthy list of questionable expenses and an “intimidating” work environment under former Town Manager Sean Stegall, who resigned in December. State Auditor Dave Boliek said about 60% of town staff carried procurement cards, compared with 16% in Raleigh and 10% in Charlotte. Stegall has not responded to The News & Observer’s request for comment.
New details from the audit: Auditors documented bullying and erratic behavior by Stegall, widespread misuse of town-issued Visa cards and repeated inaccurate statements to officials about the town’s fund balance, which fell below policy minimums in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Stegall also did not receive his roughly $195,000 severance after refusing to return town property and provide access to his text messages.
Cary’s response places blame on former manager: Town officials pinned most of the questionable spending on Stegall, saying he made poor decisions especially late in his tenure. Cary said it has already cut procurement card access by 25%, budgeted for two new internal auditor positions and a budget director, and is updating purchasing procedures.
More top headlines
License plate readers become permanent: The newly passed state budget authorizes the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the State Bureau of Investigation to place automatic license plate readers on state-owned land, ending a three-year pilot. The ACLU of North Carolina opposes the provision, arguing it enables mass location tracking with insufficient safeguards.
State Health Plan changes spark confusion: The plan’s Board of Trustees voted to switch from Aetna to Blue Cross as administrator and adopt a preferred provider network, leaving state workers with questions about premiums and coverage. Treasurer Brad Briner has overhauled the plan since taking office, rolling back the previous Clear Pricing Project in favor of a market-competition approach.
NC State’s Brazil game moves to Virginia: The Wolfpack’s Week 0 matchup with Virginia, originally scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, will now be played in Charlottesville on Aug. 29 after doubts emerged about the host city’s ability to pull off the event. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said the league successfully petitioned ESPN and the NCAA to keep the game in the Week 0 slot.
NC film productions off to strong 2026 start: Projects filmed in the state this year include Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives” and Hallmark’s “A Grand Biltmore Christmas,” among others. As of April 29, direct in-state spending from productions reached $175 million, close to the roughly $185 million total for all of 2025.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.