Bracco Imaging will invest $230 million and create 200 jobs in Sanford, establishing the Italian company’s first United States manufacturing plant for injectable contrast media.

The facility will help Bracco serve growing American demand while shortening delivery times and transportation costs, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Contrast media are pharmaceutical products used to improve visibility during diagnostic scans.

The project will add manufacturing, engineering, technical, quality, warehousing, administrative and support positions. The jobs are expected to pay an average of about $103,000 annually, roughly 72% above Lee County’s private-sector average, while generating more than $20.6 million in yearly payroll.

North Carolina approved a performance-based Job Development Investment Grant worth up to $2.86 million over 12 years. Payments will occur only after Bracco meets hiring and investment targets. State analysts estimate the project will add $1.78 billion to North Carolina’s economy and return $4.97 in state revenue for every public dollar spent.

The project previously operated under the code name “Project Sunshine.” Lee County approved incentives expected to total about $3.77 million, while Sanford considered a similar package of up to $3.2 million. The payments are tied to property taxes and company performance.

Bracco, founded in Milan in 1927, develops contrast agents, medical devices and diagnostic imaging products used in more than 100 countries. The company said the United States is its largest market and domestic production will strengthen its supply chain for hospitals and patients.

The announcement adds to Sanford’s expanding manufacturing and life sciences industry. STERIS announced a $600 million, 335-job health care manufacturing center in August, while Caterpillar recently committed $1 billion to a new Sanford factory.

Bracco’s decision gives Lee County another high-wage employer and strengthens Sanford’s emergence as a manufacturing hub beyond the Triangle’s traditional core.

A Libertarian state Senate candidate was arrested Monday after an hours-long standoff with Cary police that began as a welfare check prompted by alarming social media posts.

Jonathan D. Miller, the Libertarian nominee in North Carolina Senate District 16, was taken into custody around 3 p.m. near Cary’s Lochmere neighborhood. Police said no shots were fired and nobody was injured.

Officers went to Miller’s home on Glen Echo Lane around 8:26 a.m. after monitoring posts in which he described suicidal thoughts and appeared to reference an armed confrontation. Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said an officer encountered Miller carrying a firearm, ordered him not to touch it and watched him run into nearby woods.

Miller continued posting during the search and called WRAL several times. He told the station he had been depressed the previous night and ran because he feared being hospitalized. Sult said police monitored the calls with WRAL’s permission and that the conversations gave officers useful insight during negotiations.

Police charged Miller with communicating threats, resisting officers and going armed to the terror of the people. He was being held at the Wake County Detention Center and was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. The charges are allegations, and Miller is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The response temporarily closed nearby roads and placed Resurrection Lutheran School under a code yellow lockdown. Cary police later announced that the crisis had ended peacefully and normal traffic could resume.

Miller is challenging Democratic Sen. Gale Adcock and Republican Philip Hensley in the Nov. 3 election. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina thanked police for resolving the incident without violence but declined to address Miller’s campaign status.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts can call or text 988 for free, confidential assistance.

Vice President JD Vance used a Hendersonville rally to highlight $858 million in federal highway aid for Hurricane Helene repairs, tying the recovery award to Republicans’ closing pitch in western North Carolina.

The figure Vance cited represents the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s share. A separate Federal Highway Administration breakdown assigns another $13.25 million to U.S. Forest Service roads and about $2.21 million to Bureau of Indian Affairs transportation sites, bringing the state’s Helene-related total to roughly $873.5 million.

Vance said the money would support eight major damaged corridors, including Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge. Helene destroyed or severely damaged about five miles of the interstate near Tennessee. NCDOT estimates permanent reconstruction will cost roughly $2.8 billion, with four lanes expected to reopen in late 2029, though unstable ground could change the timetable.

The money comes through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which reimburses eligible road, bridge and emergency-access costs rather than providing direct aid to homeowners. Federal officials say Helene created more than 9,000 transportation damage sites and over 1,400 road closures statewide. The allocation brings the federal highway commitment for Helene repairs in North Carolina to about $2.9 billion.

Vance made the announcement while campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley and House candidates Jennifer Balkcom and Laurie Buckhout. He credited President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Whatley attacked former Gov. Roy Cooper’s recovery record, while Cooper’s campaign said his administration activated emergency resources and secured major state and federal assistance.

Nearly 99% of storm-affected state roads have reopened, but NCDOT estimates the full transportation recovery will cost about $5 billion. The new allocation is a reimbursement milestone, not the end of a rebuilding effort expected to continue for years.