Sign in

Joe Killian

@joekilliannc.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.2K following 283 posts

Greensboro Editor for The Assembly. Formerly: NC Newsline, NC Policy Watch, News & Record, The Bristol Press, Cape Cod Times, Youth Journalism International. www.theassemblync.com/author/joekil…

PostsRepliesMedia
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
As trans-friendly policies increasingly come under scrutiny, the state’s health insurance plan no longer covers gender-affirming care. That’s left some employees in limbo. www.theassemblync.com/news/transge...
theassemblync.com
Transgender State Workers Are Facing Whiplash
A recent change means North Carolina's health insurance plan no longer covers gender-affirming care, leaving transgender employees in limbo.
1102
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
If this doesn't make you hungry, see your doctor. Cold Outside? It's Time for Ramen In Greensboro, a noodle tour finds that not all ramen shops are created equal. www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Cold Outside? It's Time for Ramen
A noodle tour ranking all the best ramen around Greensboro, including Takara Noodle and Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi.
070
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
A Genius Among Us Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and expert on fatal drug overdoses, was awarded a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship. The so-called “genius grant” comes with an $800,000 prize. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...
theassemblync.com
A Genius Among Us
Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and expert on fatal drug overdoses, was awarded the $800,000 prize.
0101
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Are Non-Partisan Races a Thing of the Past? Partisan politics has taken hold in North Carolina’s municipal elections–even in the races that are supposed to be non-partisan. www.theassemblync.com/politics/gre...
theassemblync.com
Are Non-Partisan Races a Thing of the Past?
Partisan politics has taken hold in North Carolina’s municipal elections–even in the races that are supposed to be non-partisan.
011
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Tonight in Chapel Hill, hear young journalists talk with some of our state’s top journalism minds about the future of what we do. It’s free and it’s going to be a great time. Tell your students, tell your friends and I’ll see you out there. youthjournalism.org/top-north-ca...
youthjournalism.org
Top North Carolina journalists to speak at YJI forum in Chapel Hill - Youth Journalism International
CHAPEL HILL, NC – The nonprofit Youth Journalism International will host a panel discussion with four prominent North Carolina journalists at 7 p.m., Oct. 2, at the Varsity Theatre, 123 E. Franklin St...
044
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Writer Laura Carney lost her father in a car accident when she was just 25. In completing his unfinished “bucket list,” she reconnected with him—and herself. A Last Gift From Her Father www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
A Last Gift From Her Father
Writer Laura Carney lost her father in when she was just 25. In completing his unfinished “bucket list,” she reconnected with him—and herself.
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
You really need to read this one, gang. A Labor of Love www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
A Labor of Love
Once Kyoto Fantasy Express, Thai Square stirs memories of a family restaurant and a life well lived in Greensboro.
031
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
A Delicious, But Never Uncomplicated, Meal at Reel Seafood Grill in Greensboro This dish comes to you looking not like a neat, perfectly portioned filet but what it is—a whole animal we’ve killed to eat its flesh. www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Greensboro's Reel Seafood Grill Delivers a Flounder Worth Facing
At Reel Seafood Grill in Greensboro, N.C., the whole flounder arrives head to tail. Crisp, glazed, and unforgettable.
020
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
April Parker Says District 3 Needs a New Voice  The librarian and community organizer says she can represent District 3 more holistically. www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
April Parker Says District 3 Needs a New Voice
The librarian and community organizer says she can represent the district and the city more holistically.
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
A Final Run For Zack Matheny Facing criticism and an ongoing SBI investigation, Matheny said he is still concentrating on the issues he cares about most—and looking toward what could be his last term on the Greensboro City Council. www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
A Final Run For Zack Matheny
Facing criticism and an ongoing SBI investigation, Matheny said he is still concentrating on the issues he cares about most.
000
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Hell of a scoop. Chris Clemens alleges the board went into closed session illegally, including before they postponed tenure votes, and forced him to resign after he informed faculty about the delays. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...
theassemblync.com
Former Provost Sues UNC-Chapel Hill Trustees Over Closed Meetings
Chris Clemens accused the trustees of "hiding matters of grave public concern,” including tenure debates, using a Signal group and closed session.
04017
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
A Fatal Stabbing and Its Aftermath Republicans have used Iryna Zarutska’s killing as a political cudgel. The Assembly obtained a draft bill that sends a tough-on-crime message. But critics say it reflects political posturing more than real solutions. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cha...
theassemblync.com
A Fatal Stabbing and Its Aftermath
Republicans have made a political cudgel of Iryna Zarutska’s killing. A draft crime bill expected this week may be more posturing than solutions.
000
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Food for thought on meat eating, hunting, fishing and Keanu Reeves in "The Devil's Advocate." We get a lot into these 600-word Friday food columns. www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Greensboro's Reel Seafood Grill Delivers a Flounder Worth Facing
At Reel Seafood Grill in Greensboro, N.C., the whole flounder arrives head to tail. Crisp, glazed, and unforgettable.
020
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Police still use odor to justify searches, even though legal hemp and illegal marijuana smell the same. The state Supreme Court now weighs in. Odor in the Court www.theassemblync.com/politics/cou...
theassemblync.com
Odor in the Court
Police still use odor to justify searches, even though legal hemp and illegal marijuana smell the same. The state Supreme Court now weighs in.
030
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
My mother worked hard and was never rich. But she believed in embracing "little luxuries" in life. For me, it's afternoon tea at the O. Henry Hotel. My Cup of Tea www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
My Cup of Tea
The afternoon tea service at The O. Henry Hotel provides “a little luxury" to get through trying times, says our reporter.
140
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
At this price, can you afford not to subscribe?
000
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
Listen: I've made my peace with SPAM. My dad couldn’t make me love it. But Qinji Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen gets the job done. Surrendering to SPAM (And Loving It) www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Surrendering to SPAM (And Loving It)
My dad couldn’t make me love it. But Qinji Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen gets the job done.
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
Campaigns for a seat on the state Supreme Court used to be tepid, removed from the political debates of the day, and generally nonpartisan. Not any more. Supreme Politics www.theassemblync.com/politics/cou...
theassemblync.com
Supreme Politics
State Supreme Court campaigns used to be functionally nonpartisan and removed from the political debates of the day. Not any more.
001
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
Hell of a last story for Erin at The Assembly. What a talent. The UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor has his sights set on the big picture—despite federal-level uncertainties and campus clashes over his business-driven vision. Lee Roberts' Long Game www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...
theassemblync.com
Lee Roberts' Long Game
The UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor is sticking with his big-picture vision endures despite federal uncertainties and campus clashes.
011
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
A company circumvented a ban on corporate donations to give legislative Republicans $220,000. Those lawmakers then passed legislation that could make the company millions. A New Way to Pay to Play www.theassemblync.com/politics/leg...
theassemblync.com
A New Way to Pay to Play
After a company that sells camera technology donated to a Republican fund, lawmakers passed legislation that could make it millions.
011
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Eight years after his first run, the community organizer with deep ties to civil rights says it’s time for change on city council and a different future for Greensboro. Irving Allen Wants Another Shot at City Council www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Irving Allen Wants Another Shot at City Council
There are a lot of contenders for the Greensboro City Council's at-large seats. But Irving Allen thinks he has a shot this time around.
001
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
The overly complicated Bloody Mary is an increasingly common sin against which all right thinking lovers of this simple pleasure must stand. Loved this great story anyway. A Private Eye, 34 Texans, and an $8,887 Bloody Mary Walk Into an N.C. Bar www.theassemblync.com/culture/food...
theassemblync.com
A Private Eye, 34 Texans, and an $8,887 Bloody Mary Walk Into an N.C. Bar
A Holly Springs restaurant and 34 Texans teamed up to build an $8,887 Bloody Mary topped with crab legs, lobster, steaks, and caviar—now under review for Guinness World Records.
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
A column about the communal experience of barbecue free of fights about vinegar and tomato. Sayaka loves food and writes about it beautifully. When Barbecue is More Than Barbecue www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
When Barbecue is More Than Barbecue
Gyukaku in Greensboro offers a communal Japanese barbecue experience which goes beyond pulled pork and grilled vegetables.
001
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
The late Jim Melvin helped shape the city he loved for over half a century, earning the moniker “Mr. Greensboro.” ‘He Never Stopped Being Mayor’ www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
‘He Never Stopped Being Mayor’
The late Jim Melvin, former mayor, helped shape the city he loved for decades, earning the moniker “Mr. Greensboro.”
030
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Just a hell of a team.
190
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Greensboro-based Held gives money directly to people who are unhoused. It sounds radical, its founder admits, but it’s working. Support Without Strings www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Support Without Strings
Greensboro-based Held gives money directly to people who are unhoused. It sounds radical, its founder admits, but it’s working.
083
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Nashville Hot Chicken now belongs to the world. But with two new hot chicken joints opening across the street from each other in Greensboro, we've reached a peak. A Game of (Hot) Chicken www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
A Game of (Hot) Chicken
Nashville Hot Chicken now belongs to the world. But with two new hot chicken joints opening across the street from each other in Greensboro, we've reached a peak.
050
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Hell of a team. The Assembly Network Wins 35 State Journalism Awards www.theassemblync.com/internal/ass...
theassemblync.com
The Assembly Network Wins 35 State Journalism Awards
The Assembly Network has been recognized with 35 awards from the North Carolina Press Association this year.
0172
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Two years after a Guilford County district judge seized a News & Record reporter’s notebook and issued a gag order, the case is no closer to being resolved. Stuck in Byzantine Limbo www.theassemblync.com/politics/nc-...
theassemblync.com
Two Years Later, N.C. Judge’s Gag Order On Reporter Still Stands
A Guilford County judge silenced a News & Record reporter and seized her notes. The same judge is blocking efforts to challenge the ruling.
022
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Fridays are for food. Don’t miss this. At Greensboro's Machete, a Dish to Remember www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
At Greensboro's Machete, a Dish to Remember
Greensboro's restaurant, Machete, offers a unique and delicious approach to roasted oysters. For Joe Killian, it's also a link to childhood.
021
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
In Greensboro, cars are king, and they’re killing people. City departments and local groups are leading efforts to be more bike and pedestrian friendly. Changing Course www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Changing Course
City officials and local groups aim to make Greensboro more bike friendly with better safety for cyclists and more bike lanes.
040
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
Dueling Separation Allegations Shed Light on Michele Morrow’s Political Plans www.theassemblync.com/politics/mic...
theassemblync.com
Dueling Separation Allegations Shed Light on Michele Morrow’s Political Plans
Court proceedings show the former candidate to lead public schools has started a new organization and angled for a Trump administration job.
121
Reposted by Joe Killian
Kim Kelly @kimkelly.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
I wrote about John “Ozzy” Osbourne—a working class lad made good, who rose from a slaughterhouse killing floor to the highest echelons of rock stardom in spite of himself, who gave us heavy metal and left a more complex legacy than many realize—for @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/cult...
thenation.com
Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025)
The Prince of Darkness, who gave us heavy metal as we know it, has been laid to rest.
415889832
Reposted by Joe Killian
The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 25/07/2025
Since the spring, federal agents have been patrolling the government buildings in New York City, waiting to arrest migrants as soon as they step out of the courtroom. Jordan Salama reports on an asylum seeker’s experience.
newyorker.com
When ICE Agents Are Waiting Outside the Courtroom
An asylum seeker and her children face the terrifying new reality of immigration hearings.
24930251293
Reposted by Joe Killian
Kimberly Spirit 👻🪦 @kimspirit.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Miss me with that shit. 😌
Samoa Joe walking out of the way of a diving wrestler, holding up his middle finger to him. The wrestler is saying "you have to hand it to him, he totally changed the landscape and put pro wrestling on the map" Samoa Joe walking away from a wrestler in mid-air attempting a moonsault. The wrestler is saying "you gotta separate the art from the artist!" Samoa Joe walking out of the way of a wrestler in mid-air attempting a diving crossbody. The wrestler is saying "you shouldn't speak ill of the dead" Samoa Joe walking out of the way of a wrestler attempting a dive. The wrestler is saying "what about all the good things Hogan did for pro wrestling?"
241155426
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
The tomato sandwich in summer is a sacred Southern thing. But is there room for innovation, or only blasphemy? Food for Thought: Summer Tomato Sandwiches www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
Food for Thought: Summer Tomato Sandwiches
Chez Genèse offers a new take on the Southern tomato sandwich. Joe Killian investigates—and admits it’s kind of genius.
020
Reposted by Joe Killian
Colin Campbell @raleighreporter.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Great thread from my colleague Jerad about all the work we produce at @wunc.org (we're a lot more than just an NPR station, but of course we do that too)
071
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Greensboro's City Council races are on, headed toward the October primary and November's general election. Here's some context. www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...
theassemblync.com
The Thread: Greensboro City Council Races Are On
Filing ended Friday for Greensboro City Council, setting the races for the October 7 primary and the November 4 general election.
000
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Lauren Massengale and Chelsea Fong built the sort of place they needed as working moms. Now they're ready to share it with other families. At Greensboro’s ‘City in the House,’ Parents Can Unleash Their Kids and Socialize www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
At Greensboro’s ‘City in the House,’ Parents Can Unleash Their Kids and Socialize
Two moms needed a place for their kids to play while they caught up on or finished work. So they built their own playplace cafe.
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
‘Let Me Go ’Way From This Lonely Town’ Historic and cultural preservationists are trying to save the house where Nina Simone was born in Tryon, N.C. The process reveals the artist’s complicated relationship with her hometown. www.theassemblync.com/culture/nina...
theassemblync.com
‘Let Me Go ’Way From This Lonely Town’
An effort to save the Tryon house where Nina Simone was born reveals the artist’s complicated relationship with her hometown.
011
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
010
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Got word today this story took first place in this year's North Carolina Press Association Awards for Political/Election Reporting. Thanks to The Assembly and my editors for believing in the story and to the folks who helped me tell it. www.theassemblync.com/politics/mar...
theassemblync.com
How Professional Wrestling Explains Mark Robinson
The Republican gubernatorial candidate's longtime love of professional wrestling offers a decent insight to his political rise and fall.
3140
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me.” - Emerson
050
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
The probe into a sitting but unnamed Greensboro City Council member was initiated two days after an Assembly story on allegations against City Council Member Zack Matheny. SBI Investigating Greensboro City Council Member www.theassemblync.com/greensboroth...
theassemblync.com
SBI Investigating Greensboro City Council Member
The probe into a sitting but unnamed Greensboro City Council member was initiated two days after an Assembly story on allegations against City Council Member Zack Matheny.
061
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Ruben Wright was one of the highest-ranking Black Marines before he was convicted of murder in 2006. Now his lawyers say one of prosecutors’ main theories presented at trial has collapsed, and Wright’s case should get another look. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cri...
theassemblync.com
Was This High-Ranking Black Marine Wrongfully Convicted?
Ruben Wright was a high-ranking Black Marine before a 2006 murder conviction. His lawyers say a main theory presented at trial has collapsed.
002
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Post your favorite Doctor Who. Wrong answers only.
141
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Hell of a nutso story from Lisa Sorg. insideclimatenews.org/news/2406202...
insideclimatenews.org
In North Carolina, Exploding Bulbs and Fridges on the Fritz Reveal a Town’s Fraying Electric System - Inside Climate News
Though town officials call the power surge in Red Springs an “Act of God,” tens of thousands of dollars in lost home appliances and municipal financial documents suggest otherwise.
053
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Terrific piece here that I’ve been really dying for people to be able to read. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 www.theassemblync.com/culture/gree...
theassemblync.com
How Did 'Monopoly: Greensboro Edition' Get Things So Wrong?
The official Hasbro-backed Monopoly game for Greensboro omits key local landmarks. Some say knock-off versions better represent the city.
144
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
The City of Greensboro eliminated a neighborhood food pantry that had problems with cleanliness, drawing rats and insects. The community it fed says they should have worked with them to solve the problems. 'It Takes a Village' to Dismantle a Food Pantry www.theassemblync.com/health/green...
theassemblync.com
Greensboro Eliminated a Busy Neighborhood Food Pantry. Locals Say They Needed Support, Not a Shutdown.
Greensboro eliminated a food pantry in Glenwood with rat and insect problems. Residents say the city should have helped instead.
042
Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
‘Without significant changes to our financial model, we simply do not have the cash flow or revenue to continue operating,’ the provost wrote to faculty last month. Guilford College Considers Formal Step Toward Possible Faculty Layoffs www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...
theassemblync.com
Guilford College Considers Formal Step Toward Possible Faculty Layoffs
What does the future hold for Guilford? 'Without significant changes to our financial model, we simply do not have the cash flow or revenue to continue operating.'
150