Cooper, Whatley Kick Off Senate Campaigns

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley launched their U.S. Senate campaigns Wednesday, one day after winning their respective party primaries to fill the open seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Cooper, a Democrat and two-term governor, kicked off his bid in Raleigh, pledging to tackle affordability by opposing tariffs, blocking corporate grocery mergers, and curbing practices he says drive up prices.

Whatley, endorsed by President Trump, held his event in Charlotte at a Fraternal Order of Police lodge, promising to prioritize public safety with tougher measures on crime. Law enforcement leaders, including members of the Fraternal Order of Police and sheriffs from Iredell, Cleveland, and Cabarrus counties, voiced support for Whatley’s campaign.

The contest is expected to be one of the country’s most closely watched and widely covered races.

NC Districts Make Plans for Aging Schools

North Carolina school districts are confronting the challenges of aging infrastructure amid budget constraints and shifting enrollment.

Wake County Public School System’s board voted Tuesday to rebuild John W. Ligon Magnet Middle School, built in 1953, with a new facility expected to cost about $121.8 million. Officials say the new structure will preserve the school’s history as Raleigh’s only black high school during segregation while also meeting future needs.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools officials are weighing closures of five elementary schools more than 55 years old—Ephesus, Estes Hills, Frank Porter Graham, Glenwood, and Seawell—amid declining enrollment and budget shortfalls of $3 to $7 million.

Statewide efforts to address outdated facilities received a boost last November when 10 economically distressed districts were awarded $392 million through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, which provides lottery-funded grants for qualifying districts.

Culinary Shows Spotlight NC

North Carolina’s culinary scene is gaining national attention through two major TV competitions. Bravo’s Top Chef Season 23, set in the Carolinas, opens at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with race cars pulling up trackside as judges Gail Simmons, Kristen Kish, and Tom Colicchio greet the chefs during the premiere episode.

Early access was available March 3 via Peacock and Bravo’s YouTube channel, and the show officially premieres March 9 on Bravo. Filmed across Charlotte, Greenville, South Carolina, and Asheville, the season features chefs Brittany Cochran from Charlotte’s Stagioni and Oscar Diaz from Durham’s Little Bull.

CBS’s new series, America’s Culinary Cup, premiered Wednesday with next-day streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Padma Lakshmi and judged by Michael Cimarusti and Wylie Dufresne, the show features Asheville chef Katie Button as a competitor and offers a $1 million prize.

Button, a James Beard winner and co-founder of Cúrate and La Bodega, advanced past the premiere eliminations.

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➤ Western NC counties will receive nearly $70 million in additional FEMA grants for Hurricane Helene recovery. The announcement came Wednesday amid criticism of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for allegedly delaying aid. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: Sheriff Sam Page, who is separated by two votes from Senate District 26 incumbent Sen. Phil Berger amid outstanding provisional ballots, is questioning election integrity due to the closed Rockingham Board of Elections office. Page also alleges conflicts of interest involving the state auditor. (More)

➤ Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam conceded the Democrat Party primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District to incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee on Wednesday, despite Foushee’s narrow 0.96% margin of victory qualifying for a recount. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Marine veteran, Green Party Senate candidate, and Raleigh firefighter Brian McGinnis, 44, was charged with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest after disrupting a Senate Armed Services hearing Wednesday by protesting U.S. involvement in Iran. (More)

➤ Randolph County: A jury found Heather Hicks Auman, 37, guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday for the June 2022 shooting death of her husband, Seagrove firefighter Michael “MJ” Auman, after claiming he committed suicide. She will serve life in prison without parole. (More)

➤ Mooresville: A third former town employee filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging he was terminated in retaliation for managing 2024 surveillance footage that he says shows Mayor Chris Carney undressed and in a state of arousal in the presence of a female consultant. (More)

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➤ Former NC State football coach Lou Holtz, who coached the Wolfpack from 1972-75, died this week at the age of 89. (More)

➤ Billionaire Marc Lasry agreed to invest $40 million in the North Carolina Courage at a $155 million valuation. In 2022, the team was valued at $66 million. (More)

➤ UNC is considering three arena options for the future of its basketball program: renovating the Dean E. Smith Center or building a new arena at either Odum Village or Carolina North. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers were selected to kick off the 2026 NFL preseason by playing in the Hall of Fame Game, in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6. They’ll face the Arizona Cardinals during Hall of Fame weekend, when Panthers legend Luke Kuechly will be inducted. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf

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➤ State Treasurer Brad Briner is preparing to launch a request for proposals that could replace Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrator when its contract cycle ends in 2027. (More)

➤ The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lifted the “immediate jeopardy” designation for Mission Hospital on Wednesday, following a February survey conducted after CMS’s Jan. 29 approval of the Asheville hospital’s Enhanced Plan of Correction. (More)

➤ Duke University and Duke Health will raise their minimum wage from $18 to $20 per hour starting this summer, affecting over 4,000 employees and equating to about $41,000 annually for full-time workers. (More)

➤ The Carolina Farms Fund is partnering with Boy and Girl Farm in Union County to expand it from 12 to 96 acres, part of a farmland preservation effort supported by a $500,000 JPMorgan Chase donation that is also backing another Union County farm expansion. (More)

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FIND AFFORDABLE CARE

➤ Miniature therapy horses Jolene and Ladybug from Brevard’s Free Rein Center for Therapeutic Riding and Education visited Transylvania Regional Hospital this week, bringing smiles to patients and staff. (See Video)

➤ The Earl Scruggs Music Festival announced its lineup for Labor Day weekend at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, featuring Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart on Friday, Greensky Bluegrass on Saturday, and the Avett Brothers on Sunday. (More)

➤ The iconic Krzyzewskiville tent city tradition for Duke students seeking tickets to the annual UNC basketball rivalry game marks its 40th anniversary this season. It originated in winter 1986 when Duke senior Kim Reed and friends first pitched tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the camp was soon dubbed Krzyzewskiville after Coach Mike Krzyzewski. (See Photos)

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Have you ever camped out for game or concert tickets?

1. Yes, those were the days
2. Nope, not for me
3. Someone else camped for me

Yesterday’s Results:

Did you see the SpaceX launch on Wednesday morning?

1. No: 55%
2. Too early for me: 23%
3. Yes: 22%

The Battle of Wyse Fork was North Carolina’s second-largest Civil War battle. What was North Carolina’s largest?

Show me the answer