Sunday, August 9, 2026

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2020, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near Sparta at 8:07 a.m. It generated the first documented co-seismic surface rupture by faulting in the eastern United States along a newly identified 2-kilometer-long reverse fault scarp and caused localized damage with no fatalities.

A Raleigh high schooler swam the English Channel on Friday, a feat fewer than 2,000 people have accomplished. Learn more in Sports.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Amy uncovered 5 Amazon Prime benefits hiding in plain sight. Many people pay $139 a year primarily for shipping, but the membership also includes perks involving photo storage, gas, food delivery, books, and prescriptions. One could save the average driver nearly $70 a year, while another may even beat your insurance copay. Amy explained how to activate all 5, so before you place your next order, find out what you may already be paying for but never using. Tune in here!

There are a lot of electrolyte drinks out there, but LMNT continues to be one we recommend checking out. It delivers the electrolytes your body needs without the sugar found in many sports drinks, and their new lemonade flavors are perfect for hot summer days. Plus, when you order through this offer, you’ll receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with your purchase.

Buxton Beach Gets $50 Million Rebuild

Dare County has begun pumping 2 million cubic yards of offshore sand onto three miles of eroded beach at Buxton.

The dredge Liberty Island started work July 31, and a second dredge arrives mid-August to keep the job on track for a Sept. 30 finish. The shoreline will be widened by up to 75 feet in places.

It’s the third nourishment attempt on this stretch and the most expensive yet for county taxpayers. Since 2020, 32 homes in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore north of Buxton have collapsed into the Atlantic, according to the National Park Service.

“Our beaches and our dunes are our levee system,” Dare County Manager Bobby Outten said, describing what stands between the ocean and the highway, power lines, and water lines behind it.

Nourishment in Dare County is designed to last about five years. Then the dredges come back.

Charlotte Police Crackdown Nets 47 Arrests

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported Friday that they arrested 47 people and seized 12 illegal firearms along the Sugar Creek and Reagan Road corridor in July.

The sweep is part of Operation Nite Shade, a multi-agency effort run by CMPD’s North Tryon Division. Officers made 529 traffic stops in the corridor last month, issued 309 citations, and recovered more than 350 grams of suspected narcotics.

The operation began after a May raid at a Reagan Drive hotel that the U.S. Attorney’s Office called “a farmer’s market for drugs and guns.” An earlier June round produced 21 arrests.

Business owners at the newly opened 85 Oasis Retail Center are counting on the crackdown to make the corridor safer.

Robert Dawkins of the activist group Action NC said that much of the trouble isn’t local: “Most of what you see is not neighborhood based.”

Heat Index Near 105 Next Week

Forecasters expect the heat index along the North Carolina coast to reach or top 105 degrees Tuesday through Thursday.

Inland, highs climb into the mid-90s across central North Carolina next week, with humidity pushing the feels-like reading past 100 most afternoons.

Around Charlotte and the Piedmont, highs hold in the low 90s this weekend. Storms are most likely in the mountains, drifting into the foothills and Piedmont by evening.

Rain chances stay hit-or-miss, with most storms tied to the day’s heat and falling apart shortly after sunset.

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The Hydration Upgrade Worth Trying

If you’ve been working out, spending time in the heat, traveling, or simply trying to drink more water, there’s a good chance you’re replacing fluids but not the electrolytes your body actually loses.

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If you’ve never tried LMNT before, now’s a great time. Their refreshing lemonade flavors have quickly become summer favorites, and every purchase through this offer includes a free LMNT Sample Pack, so you can try a variety of additional flavors at no extra cost.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina’s first West Nile virus illness of 2026 was confirmed in a Gaston County resident, and a Mecklenburg County blood donor tested positive in routine screening. (See Report)

➤ Charlotte: LendingTree has finished paying off a $19 million class-action settlement tied to its QuoteWizard insurance unit, the company disclosed in a July 31 SEC filing. (See Details)

➤ Fayetteville: The community gathered Saturday in Hope Mills for the funeral of Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton. The 30-year-old Fayetteville native and Fort Bragg soldier was killed July 19 while detonating a downed Iranian attack drone at Erbil Air Base in Iraq. (Read Story)

➤ Asheville: Hundreds of people filled Pack Square Park on Friday night as Buncombe County youth, families, neighbors, and community partners gathered for the fourth annual United for Youth Block Party. (See Photos)

➤ Winston-Salem: Superintendent Don Phipps is retiring from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools effective Sept. 30, 10 months into a 15-month contract he took as the district worked through a financial crisis. (More)

➤ Jacksonville: Onslow County Animal Services announced in a social media post on Saturday that “Every. Single. Cat. Has found their forever family today” and thanked the community for their support. (Details)

➤ Oak Island: Crews start the town’s annual beach monitoring survey Monday, with a GPS-equipped truck working the sand and a survey boat taking measurements just offshore. The work runs seven to 10 days, and swimmers and anglers are asked to reel in or step aside when the boat passes. (More)

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➤ Charlotte Hornets star forward Kon Knueppel was ranked 17th in ESPN’s list of the top 25 players in the NBA under 25 years old. (More)

➤ NC State defensive lineman KaTron Evans has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA after his waiver request for a sixth year of college football eligibility was denied. (More)

➤ Clayton, North Carolina advanced to the Little League Softball World Series finals yesterday with a 4-0 win over Florida Lake Mary Little League. They will play in the championship game today against Owensboro, Kentucky in Greenville, North Carolina at 3:00 ET. (More)

➤ Lorelei Schmidt, a 17-year-old rising senior at Raleigh’s Broughton High School, swam the English Channel on Friday in 12 hours and 5 minutes, finishing the Triple Crown of open water swimming. (Read Story)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf | Soccer | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ If you’re sitting on untapped home equity, Money.com says you may be able to turn it into cash for renovations, debt consolidation, or major expenses without touching your savings. Their latest guide compares top home equity loan and HELOC lenders, breaks down current rates, and explains how homeowners can access funds with predictable monthly payments. LEARN MORE

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A Summer Favorite

Few things hit the spot on a hot afternoon like a cold glass of lemonade. LMNT has taken that classic flavor and turned it into a refreshing electrolyte drink that helps replenish what you lose through sweat without loading you up with sugar.

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➤ A Raleigh man is going viral on TikTok after posting a video showing squiggly double yellow lines on South State Street, prompting the city to repaint the road and ask the contractor responsible how it happened. (See Video)

➤ Everett Blackmon is celebrating being the longest-serving employee at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library after 45 years of employment, calling it his “sanctuary.” (Read Story)

➤ The infant daughter of a Gaston County police officer is celebrating six months while recovering in a Pittsburgh hospital after surviving seven surgeries and two rare medical conditions. Her mother hopes she will be able to return home soon. (Watch)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The Postal Service’s massive quarterly losses places thousands of post offices at risk. (Hear More)

➤ A new generation of companies view space junk as a potential gold mine. (Listen Now)

➤ Fleetwood Mac’s most famous feud finally came to an unexpected end. (Podcast Available)