Thursday, October 29, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1901, a freight train plowed into Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show train near Linwood in Davidson County, killing about 100 horses and leaving sharpshooter Annie Oakley temporarily paralyzed.

From one wild tale to another, it turns out Wilkes County may still be the “Moonshine Capital of the World.” Learn more in Top Stories, then reply to let us know if you’ve ever tried Moonshine and what you thought of it.

Misplaced keys, a name that won’t come, and a parent telling the same story twice in one afternoon. Somewhere around age 50, memory stops being something we take for granted and starts being something we worry about. Researchers say nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed, and the steps that help are surprisingly ordinary. The No. 1 suggestion isn’t a puzzle or a pill, and it might be the easiest one on the list. Ayla counts down the seven things you can do to protect your memory on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Later today, you’ll receive a special email from Fisher Investments about their Stock Market Outlook, a free guide to help investors with $1 million or more navigate key retirement questions, from inflation to withdrawals.

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State Health Plan Taps Retiree Fund

North Carolina’s State Health Plan trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to double the plan’s monthly pull from the Retiree Health Benefit Fund to $600 per retiree, to keep it from running out of cash.

The temporary increase, retroactive from July through December, is expected to raise about $415 million before year’s end. The plan had been projected to run out of money by late 2026 or early 2027.

The plan, which insures teachers, state employees, and retirees, faced a roughly $500 million shortfall this year amid rising hospital and pharmacy costs. Executive Administrator Tom Friedman said the plan must tackle health care costs rather than treat the shortfall purely as a revenue problem.

Treasurer Brad Briner, who chairs the board, also announced a deal to bring remaining Atrium Health hospitals and physicians into the plan’s in-network tier.

Homeland Security Chief Visits Lumbee Tribe

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin met Oct. 23 with Lumbee Tribe leaders in Robeson County to discuss drug enforcement, disaster response, and the tribe’s next steps after winning federal recognition.

A law signed in December 2025 added the Lumbee to the list of federally recognized tribes, ending a fight tribal leaders say spanned more than 130 years. Mullin, a Cherokee Nation member and the first Native American to lead DHS, credited the tribe’s persistence.

Tribal Chairman John Lowery pressed federal and local officials to do more against drugs, which he called one of the community’s biggest problems.

U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-NC7, who joined the visit, said recognition is the starting point, and congressional support is still needed for tribal courts, land, law enforcement, education, health care, infrastructure, and other issues. The Lumbee are based mainly in Robeson County and Southeastern North Carolina.

Explosion Uncovers Wilkes Moonshine Still

An explosion and fire Monday at a property in Wilkes County led state Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agents to an active moonshine operation.

Inside, agents found a 200-gallon still, 1,800 gallons of mash, and 161 gallons of finished moonshine.

They charged 69-year-old Billy Ray Anderson of North Wilkesboro, who lives at the site, with six counts, including manufacturing non-taxpaid liquor and possessing distillery equipment.

ALE investigates illegal-liquor cases across North Carolina. Wilkes County has a deep moonshining history linked to the fast cars its bootleggers drove, which helped give rise to stock car racing.

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➤ Orange County: Carrboro is weighing a merger of its police department with neighboring Chapel Hill’s, citing budget strain and the recent retirement of its police chief. Any deal would need approval from both town councils. A community meeting is set for tonight. (More)

➤ Chatham County: Residents and the environmental nonprofit Haw River Assembly held a press conference in Pittsboro Wednesday urging a two-year statewide data center moratorium over water use and river contamination fears. (More)

➤ Charlotte: A committee leading the search for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ next superintendent met for the first time Tuesday and signaled it will largely follow its 2023 search process, with some changes. The board voted 5-4 in September to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill. (More)

➤ Iredell County: Sheriff’s deputies launched a large-scale narcotics roundup Tuesday targeting more than 75 wanted suspects accused of dealing and trafficking drugs. Investigators have seized about 113 grams of methamphetamine and 24 grams of cocaine. (More)

➤ Greensboro: At North Carolina A&T’s homecoming week, Chancellor James R. Martin II laid out his push to keep the nation’s largest HBCU a premier STEM destination and aiming to lift the university into the top-tier R1 research category. (More)

➤ Outer Banks: NCDOT hopes to reopen NC 12 with a one-lane detour at the Pea Island Visitor Center by noon Friday, after coastal flooding caused by a nor’easter closed the highway between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe. An emergency ferry is running 24/7 to Hatteras Island. (More)

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➤ Brandon Miller poured in 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, but the Charlotte Hornets fell short in a hard-fought 89-97 road loss to the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night. (See Stats)

➤ Five-star small forward Asa Montgomery, a 6-foot-7 standout from Hillgrove High School in Georgia and Rivals’ No. 3 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has committed to Duke, becoming the Blue Devils’ third pledge in the class. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers (3-3) visit the Green Bay Packers (4-3) tonight at Lambeau Field, arriving off a 43-13 home loss to Tampa Bay. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video. (See Preview)

➤ Former NC State coach Dave Doeren spoke publicly on Tuesday for the first time since his weekend firing, saying he holds no grudges, takes full blame for the season, and will always cheer for the Wolfpack. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NCAAF | NHL | NBA | Soccer

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➤ North Carolina joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states in suing Dollar General, alleging the discount chain repeatedly charged customers more at the register than the prices posted on its shelves. (More)

➤ American Airlines is partnering with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Charlotte campus to grow its mechanic pipeline, funding $25,000 in scholarships and a 10% tuition discount for any Charlotte Douglas International Airport worker, regardless of employer. (More)

➤ The Clearing House, a bank-owned payments network, plans to invest $11.5 million and add 200 jobs in North Carolina, supported by an incentive package worth up to $3.5 million from state, county, and city governments. (More)

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➤ The original Mason-Dixon Line map, drawn to settle the Maryland-Pennsylvania border and later dividing free northern states from slaveholding southern ones, goes to a livestreamed auction Thursday at Brunk Auctions in Asheville, where bidding could reach $1.2 million. (More)

➤ Former UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis, let go in March after a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, is returning to television as a studio and game analyst for TNT Sports this season. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Rays’ run to the World Series has a heavy Durham accent: more than a dozen players and coaches on the American League champions’ roster once suited up for the RaysÆ Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls—among them slugger Junior Caminero. (More)

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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.

➤ Try these seven everyday habits that researchers say may help prevent or delay dementia. (Listen Now)

➤ Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate has fled the country and surfaced in the US, defying a court order to surrender his passports. (Hear Details)

➤ One of basketball’s most familiar voices says heart issues played a role in his decision to make this season his last. (Listen Now)