NC Supreme Court Upholds 60K Votes

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that more than 60,000 ballots challenged by Republican Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin in his race against Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs should be counted. The court split 4-2 on how to handle the remaining 5,700-plus ballots.

“Mistakes made by negligent election officials” should not render votes void, the court ruled regarding 60,000 votes. However, more than 5,500 military and overseas citizen voters who used absentee ballots must now provide a copy of their photo ID or complete an exception affidavit within 30 days of notification for their vote to remain in the count.

The court also ruled that 267 ballots cast by voters who have never lived in North Carolina, but are connected to the state through their parents, must be removed.

Riggs, who leads Griffin by 734 votes, said her attorneys will seek immediate action in federal court.

Saturday, a federal judge ordered the State Board of Elections to proceed with the state Supreme Court’s plan and blocked certification of the race’s results. He also gave the board until April 15 to report how many voters are affected and where they cast ballots.

Expat Pleads Guilty to Tillis Murder Threat

Eric Charles Welton, a 53-year-old American citizen living in Thailand, pleaded guilty Wednesday to threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and his staff in September 2021.

Welton faces up to 10 years in prison for one count of threatening a federal official on account of his duties and will be sentenced in July.

Court documents state that in 2021, Welton spoke to a staff member at Tillis’ Raleigh office and threatened to show up and “put a bullet through each of [their] heads” and “mow…down” the “whole (expletive) state,” among other threats.

It’s not the first threat Tillis has received. Last year, the senator released a voicemail from a caller who threatened to kill him if he voted in favor of legislation to ban the social media platform TikTok.

Get Ready for the 17-Year Cicadas 

The Brood XIV cicadas, which burrow out of the ground every 17 years, are expected to emerge in North Carolina and 12 other states, plus the District of Columbia, in just weeks.

This map reveals that western portions of North Carolina will probably see the most cicadas emerge this year.

The 17-year cicadas are the second-largest periodical cicada brood and typically emerge in late April, when the ground temperature reaches 64 degrees, 8 inches below the surface. Their lifespan is four to six weeks, so cicadas emerging in April will die off by late June.

Males make loud buzzing and clicking noises to attract females. Weather that is consistently warm and dry shortens the cicada mating season.

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➤ Western NC: Gov. Josh Stein said Friday that FEMA denied North Carolina’s request to extend the 100% federal reimbursement period for Hurricane Helene recovery. (More)

➤ Avery County: Country music star Eric Church joined Gov. Josh Stein and others Friday to break ground on Blue Haven, a housing development for families impacted by Helene made possible by Church’s nonprofit, Chief Cares. (More)

➤ Greensboro: NCDOT is seeking public feedback by May 2 on a potential highway that would bypass the Triangle and connect to Fayetteville. (More and Submit Feedback)

➤ Raleigh: A section of South Street from Dawson to McDowell streets permanently closed today in preparation for the relocation of the Red Hat Amphitheater to facilitate the expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center. (More)

➤ Durham’s tallest rooftop restaurant, The Lenny, held its grand opening Wednesday on the 11th floor of the 555 Mangum building. Patrons can enjoy a 180-degree view that includes the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. (See Photos)

➤ Outer Banks: A dead female juvenile humpback whale washed up in Corolla Wednesday, marking the eighth whale fatality in the Outer Banks since January 2024. (More)

➤ Cape Lookout National Seashore officials are warning beachgoers to avoid unnecessary contact with Portuguese Man-o-Wars—closely related to jellyfish—due to the painful welts their stings inflict. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes matched a franchise record Saturday by defeating the New York Rangers 7-3, earning their 31st win at the Lenovo Center this season and tying the mark set by the 2005-06 team for most home wins in a season. (More)

➤ Former High Point University men’s basketball head coach Alan Huss announced he is leaving the organization to begin coaching at Creighton. The team promoted last year’s associate head coach, Flynn Clayman, as the new head coach. (More)

➤ Jon Edwards, an executive at North Carolina’s Hendrick Motorsports, died last week at age 53. The cause of death has not been released. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: Masters | MLB | NBA | NHL | NASCAR | F1 | INDY | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Durham-based FHI 360 announced that federal funding cuts and project terminations are to blame for the May 2 elimination of 483 U.S. positions, with 144 of those positions in the Triangle. (More)

➤ Novartis Gene Therapies asked North Carolina development officials to terminate an agreement that promised up to $1.5 million in tax breaks after it failed to meet Durham County hiring targets tied to the package. (More)

➤ The owner of Carolina Sports in Pleasant Garden, which makes most of the Carolina Cobras’ merchandise, says the arena football team owes him thousands of dollars. Team representatives said the debt will be reconciled. (More)

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Your Best Trip Yet Starts with Babbel

➤ Kelly Flagg, mother of Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg, has signed an endorsement deal with Dr. Scholl’s. Kelly played basketball for the University of Maine and helped the team win its first NCAA game during the 1998-99 season. (More)

➤ Raleigh ranked third and Durham ranked ninth in SmartAsset’s Top 10 Happiest Cities study, which analyzed 90 of the biggest U.S. cities across categories like personal finance, physical well-being, and quality of life. (More and See Study)

➤ Sixty-plus teams of seven competed in the Law Enforcement Torch Run on Saturday to see which team could pull a passenger airplane 25 feet in the shortest time as part of a fundraiser for the Special Olympics of North Carolina. (See Photos)

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Have you ever been stung by a Man-o-War or jellyfish?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Both!

Friday’s Results:

Should cloning be used to increase the red wolf population?

1. No way: 46%
2. I’ll ponder it: 29%
3. Yes: 25%

Which of the seven astronauts who died during the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion was born in North Carolina?

Show me the answer