NC Supreme Court Kills 30-Year School Case

The North Carolina Supreme Court threw out the Leandro case, a 30-year-old lawsuit seeking to improve public education for the state’s more than 1 million students, in a 4-3 ruling.

The decision overturns a 2023 lower court order that would’ve directed $677 million in education spending to low-income districts, with the majority ruling that the original claims were no longer the focus of the case.

The suit was first filed in 1994 by five low-income school districts arguing the state wasn’t providing an adequate education.

Jumping Branch Fire 80% Contained in NC

A wildfire in western North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest is 80% contained after burning 420 acres of steep terrain northwest of Marion, with light rain aiding crews on Thursday.

Hilary Brooke Inman, 38, of Marion, has been charged with starting the blaze by improperly discarding smoking material in an area already weakened by Hurricane Helene’s downed timber.

Nearby, the Cane Creek Church Road fire in Wilkes County—which burned more than 600 acres—was nearly fully contained Wednesday, and the Poplar Fire in Mitchell County reached 100% containment. No structures were lost in any of the three blazes.

WKRP to Become Real Cincinnati Station

Forty-eight years after the fictional WKRP in Cincinnati premiered on CBS, a real Cincinnati radio station is set to carry the iconic call letters.

D.P. McIntire, who runs the North Carolina nonprofit that owns WKRP-LPFM, confirmed a deal is done with a Cincinnati station—though he can’t yet name who or when. “Book it! It’s done!” he said.

No Cincinnati broadcaster has ever actually used the WKRP call letters, despite the show being set there. The sitcom ran from 1978 to 1982 and starred Loni Anderson and Richard Sanders, whose bumbling newsman, Les Nessman, famously covered a Thanksgiving promotion gone wrong when live turkeys were dropped from a helicopter. 

McIntire confirmed it will be a radio station. The WKRP-TV and WKRP-DT call letters remain available after a prospective buyer defaulted on that deal.

➤ Statewide: NC State graduate and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch described NASA’s first Orion images of Earth, saying, “There’s nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet.” (See Images)

➤ Cary: Hitachi Energy announced a $10 million, 32,000-square-foot expansion that will create 150 jobs, part of the Swiss company’s broader $1 billion investment in American manufacturing. (More)

➤ Raleigh: New Lenovo Center renderings offer a sneak peek into the multimillion-dollar upgrade project, which includes a new beer hall, main concourse upgrades, and an exterior facelift. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Residents and city leaders are pushing back against a proposed east Charlotte data center, citing environmental and data concerns as developer American Tower seeks rezoning approval. (More)

➤ Hendersonville: the city council approved a $2.27 million incentive package for an undisclosed company to build Project Vert, a 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility producing an unspecified clean energy product. (More)

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➤ Thirty-one former NC State athletes joined a lawsuit alleging years of sexual abuse by former sports medicine director Robert Murphy, with documents showing officials were warned about his conduct in 2014. (More)

➤ Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel set the franchise single-season three-point record with his 261st make, surpassing Kemba Walker’s previous mark of 260 set during the 2018-19 season. (More)

➤ The Biltmore Championship in Asheville is looking for volunteers to work as caddies, announcers, and standard bearers ahead of the area’s first PGA Tour event in over 80 years. (More)

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

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➤ A monk participating in the Walk for Peace adopted Hopper, a three-legged dog who spent 121 days at Guilford County Animal Services after an illness led to a life-saving leg amputation. (See Hopper)

➤ Charlotte has been ranked the worst U.S. sports city over the past 25 years, based on a study analyzing markets with at least two pro teams, championships, and playoff appearances. (See Data)

➤ Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina received more than 250,000 eggs from two farms through the nationwide Great American Egg Drive, providing nutritious food to families in need. (More)

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Which of these Southern food “gemstones” is your favorite?

1. Barbecue
2. Fried Chicken
3. Grits
4. Cornbread
5. All of them
6. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever tried moonshine?

1. Yes: 58%
2. No: 27%
3. Can’t remember: 15%

What country was Samuel Johnston’s family from?

Show me the answer