Sunday, March 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1820, George Davis was born in what is now Pender County. A UNC valedictorian in 1838, he practiced law in Wilmington and opposed secession until 1861. He served as a Confederate senator from 1862 to 1864 and as Confederate attorney general from 1864 to 1865, then became a prominent Democrat.

After nearly a decade of construction, Charlotte’s I-485 Express Lanes are set to open. See what commuters can expect in today’s Around North Carolina section.

If you’re ready to finally take control of your weight and your health, today’s sponsor, DirectMeds, makes it simple to start—with trusted GLP-1 treatments prescribed online and delivered straight to your door.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Western Communities Receive FEMA Aid

Three western North Carolina communities will receive more than $16.5 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.

The funding will support critical infrastructure repairs and debris removal in Lake Lure, Burke County, and Polk County following the historic 2024 storm, according to Charlotte-area Rep. Tim Moore: R, NC-14

Burke County will receive $11 million through two FEMA awards for debris removal operations.

Lake Lure gets $1.3 million to repair critical lake safety facilities. The N.C. Department of Transportation will receive $4.1 million to complete permanent repairs to seven damaged segments of State Route 1102 in Polk County.

Four Arrested For Soliciting Children Online

A multi-agency undercover operation targeting online child predators led to the arrests of four men accused of trying to meet minors for sex in McDowell County.

McDowell and Cabarrus county sheriff’s offices arrested Justin Bryan Butler, 20, of China Grove; Richard Thomas Culhane, 50, of Forest City; William Cody Beadle Jr., 58, of Marion; and Terron Juandre Michaux, 39, of Lenoir. The four men were charged with felony solicitation of a child by computer.

Warrants are pending for four other suspects from other counties and out-of-state.

The operation involved deputies posing as teenage girls online, engaging in conversations with suspects who believed they were communicating with 15-year-olds.

Election Day Features Critical Races

Early voting for primary elections ended on Saturday, leaving Tuesday’s Election Day as the last chance to vote in many important races.

Republican North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger faces a challenge from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. President Trump endorsed Berger but has called both candidates “outstanding people.”

In the Democratic primary, Rep. Valerie Foushee faces Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District. Foushee is seeking her third term in Congress.

In the race for U.S. Senate, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is challenged by former Navy JAG officer Don Brown and Michele Morrow, who was the 2024 Republican nominee for state superintendent.

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➤Statewide: North Carolina elected officials spoke out after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in Iran on Saturday. (More)

➤ Triangle: Two brothers face trafficking and conspiracy charges after authorities said they tried to bring more than 200 pounds of marijuana through Raleigh-Durham International Airport. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The North Carolina Department of Transportation opened the I-485 express lanes between I-77 and US-74 on Saturday after nearly a decade of construction. (More)

➤ Durham: Drugmaker Merck will lay off more than 150 workers in Durham as it winds down production of HPV vaccines Gardasil and Gardasil 9 amid declining global demand. (More)

➤Johnston County: Chad Stewart, a candidate for Johnston County Board of Commissioners, was arrested and charged with a hit-and-run involving a school bus in Four Oaks. No one was injured. (More)

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➤ No. 1 Duke men’s basketball rolled over No. 11 UVA yesterday, earning a 77-51 win as three Blue Devils scored double-digit points. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets’ 16.9-point average margin of victory ranks fourth in NBA history, with 10 of their 29 wins through 60 games coming by at least 20 points. (More)

➤ Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said in a recent press conference that the team may look to trade current backup quarterback Andy Dalton, who has made seven starts over his last three seasons. (More)

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➤ Krispy Kreme launched a limited-time Oreo collaboration featuring two new Oreo-inspired doughnuts, available individually, in a three-pack, or by the dozen alongside a returning Cookies & Kreme favorite. (More)

➤ Cary native Trey O’Shea travels the country as “Tailgate Trey,” driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile during a one-year marketing tour that brings the 27-foot hot dog to events nationwide. (More)

➤ Winston-Salem State University graduate Nathaniel Jones rose from styling classmates’ hair in dorm rooms to serving as wig and makeup supervisor for the national tour of the Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen.” (More)

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