More NC Residents Planning Summer Travel

A new AAA survey reveals that 61% of North Carolinians plan to take a vacation this summer—up six percentage points from last summer. Destinations include the beach (55%), a city or metropolitan area (29%), a theme park (22%), a national or state park (20%), or a lake (17%).

The survey also shows 38% of state residents plan to take more vacations this summer, while 41% will take the same number as last year, and 21% will take fewer trips.

Peak travel months are June and July, with 42% of North Carolinians traveling in June and 51% in July. Around 70% will travel within the continental U.S., while 11% will visit Europe, and 13% are Caribbean-bound.

Western North Carolina businesses are hoping summer travelers will head for the mountains—a region dependent on tourism, but still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene.

453 Schools Receive Military Support Award

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) announced that 453 schools received a 2024-25 Purple Star Award in recognition of demonstrating military-friendly practices and support for military families.

NCDPI established the Purple Star Award Designation initiative in 2019. The number of schools honored increased by 59 from last year’s total and includes schools from 31 districts.

Schools that have received the award for five or more consecutive years include Harnett County Schools, Alpha Academy, Anderson Creek Academy, and Northeast Academy of Aerospace & Advanced Technology. Fifteen districts were named Purple Star Districts, meaning every school in those districts qualified for the award.

The award recipients were honored during a ceremony Friday that included remarks from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green and Brigadier General Charles W. Morrison of the North Carolina National Guard.

Raleigh Included in Southern Dialect Study

New research documents the diminishing Southern dialect based on a study of three groups: people who grew up in Raleigh, black residents of Atlanta, and white working-class residents of New Orleans.

The accent and its many variations are fading due to migration from other parts of the U.S. and abroad, according to the study.

The Research Triangle Park’s opening in 1959 triggered the dialect’s decline in the Raleigh area by attracting highly educated workers from outside the South. In Atlanta, an influx of black Americans from northern U.S. cities contributed to the shift, and in New Orleans, it declined after many locals left following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

University of Georgia linguist Margaret Renwick says the Southern accent may be fading, but is unlikely to vanish entirely since it’s an expression of personal and regional identity.

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➤ Charlotte Area Transit System will provide free bus and Blue Line train transportation to PGA Championship events at Quail Hollow this week. Service will run through the Sharon Road West Park and Ride, though the lot will be closed Monday through Saturday. (More)

➤ Goldsboro: For the third time in a week, a snake slithered into Duke Energy equipment and caused a power outage. This one occurred Sunday evening and impacted 5,500 Wayne County customers. (More)

➤ Hatteras: A local man found a glass bottle in a creek containing a piece of paper with “Betty Willis, 1956” written on it. He gave it to her brother, who identified it as being written by his sister, now Betty Willis Fisher, nearly 70 years ago. (See Photo)

➤ Durham: A 25-year-old Durham man who destroyed an American flag in a Washington, D.C., protest was sentenced Friday to four months of probation and 40 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $525 in restitution. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Three people were injured at Big Ed’s restaurant during a Mother’s Day brunch after two families began fighting, prompting a man to pull out a gun and fire several rounds at the floor. (Watch Video)

➤ Wilmington: The New Hanover Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of a 60-acre tract for $11.6 million to preserve one of the largest remaining undeveloped properties within the city as greenspace. (More)

➤ Corolla: The Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced it will stop sharing foal names and limit the sharing of adult horse names to reduce human familiarity with the horses, which can endanger the animals and complicate herd management and conservation efforts. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2 last night in Game 4 of their playoff series. A Game 5 win on Thursday will clinch the series and send them to the Eastern Conference Final. (More) 

➤ Fans weren’t allowed into Quail Hollow Club for Monday’s PGA Championship practice round due to heavy rain in Charlotte. More storms are expected Tuesday, but conditions are expected to clear in time for Thursday’s opening round. (More)

➤ UNC women’s lacrosse advanced to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals after beating Clemson 18-9 over the weekend. They’ll play the Princeton Tigers on Thursday. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL | Soccer 

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➤ Cary-based SAS Institute is using technology from Cary-based Epic Games to create digital twins, which are virtual recreations of physical objects customers can use to glean real-world data and forecast how new systems could operate. (More)

➤ Genentech, a biotech subsidiary of Switzerland-based Roche Holdings, will invest $700 million and create 420 jobs in Holly Springs with an average annual wage of $119,833 over five years, beginning in 2028. (More)

➤ Triangle and Charlotte child care providers joined Monday’s national “Day Without Child Care” movement by shutting their doors or calling out sick to advocate for equitable policies and reimbursements. (More)

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Crayola Advances Manufacturing Excellence with Hidden Tech

One of America’s most iconic brands is using cutting-edge technology to improve manufacturing quality and help reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. 

But they’re just one of several major brands leveraging IotaComm’s cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) platform to improve their business operations.

Wifi alone has proven to be too costly for IoT tech, but IotaComm is quietly building a nationwide wireless network to make strong, secure, and low-cost connectivity possible in powering their commercial applications.  

They’re setting the foundations of a more connected world, which amounts to $1.5T in market potential.

Learn how you can become an IotaComm shareholder. 

➤ Ten iconic TV and movie scenes filmed in Wilmington over the past 40 years include “Ask me to stay” from Dawson’s Creek, “The hook” from I Know What You Did Last Summer, and various crane scenes from Iron Man 3. (See List)

➤ A Wake Forest father who painted his car to look like Lightning McQueen from the Disney-Pixar movie Cars said a driver with a revoked license and no insurance plowed into the back of the car and totaled it. (Watch Report)

➤ The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle & Rehabilitation Center held its first public release of the season Monday, sending 15 sea turtles back into the ocean in Surf City. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, park officials announced Friday that the first sea turtle nest of the season was discovered at Cape Lookout National Seashore in the Outer Banks. (More)

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Have you planned a summer vacation?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Hoping to

Yesterday’s Results:

Who will win the NHL Eastern Conference Final?

1. No clue: 33%
2. Carolina Hurricanes: 32%
3. Florida Panthers: 12%
4. Toronto Maple Leafs: 12%
5. Washington Capitals: 11%

Where did the founders of Salem, North Carolina, come from?

Show me the answer