Friday, April 25, 2025

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1908, American broadcast journalist and World War II correspondent Edward R. Murrow was born in Greensboro. After the war, Murrow became a CBS vice president overseeing news, education, and discussion programs, and later gained acclaim as the host of See It Now and Person to Person.

If you like fresh-picked strawberries, check out Top Stories, and let us know if you prefer picking them yourself by answering today’s Poll.

We’re excited to announce that beginning tomorrow, we’re adding a Saturday and Sunday edition, expanding Flyover North Carolina to seven days a week. Look for us at our regular morning delivery times this weekend and let us know what you think!

Also, we’re getting close to the podcast launch for the national edition of The Flyover! The first episode will be featured here on Monday. For now, here’s an introduction from our hosts, Ayla Brown and Amy Hess.

We’re flying today with Timeplast, offering an investment opportunity in a new environmentally safe plastic technology.

NC Economic Outlook 4th Best in Nation

North Carolina ranked fourth in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) latest Rich States, Poor States report, which examines economic outlook based on 15 policy variables directly influenced by state lawmakers.

The report ranked Utah No. 1, Tennessee No. 2, and Indiana No. 3, just ahead of North Carolina. This marks the sixth straight year North Carolina has been included in the top five.

North Carolina also ranked 11th in economic performance, which is based on a retrospective look at how the state performed on state gross domestic product, absolute domestic migration, and non-farm payroll employment.

ALEC is America’s largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators dedicated to limited government, free markets, and federalism.

Court Blocks Appointments Authority Change

A three-judge panel on Wednesday blocked the North Carolina General Assembly from transferring the authority to appoint members to the North Carolina State Board of Elections from Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, to State Auditor Dave Boliek, a Republican.

The 2-1 Superior Court ruling states that changes outlined in Senate Bill 382 violate the state constitution, which grants executive authority to the governor. “The only way to reassign a duty assigned to an Officer by the Constitution is by a constitutional amendment,” the court stated.

The ruling also cited prior court defeats for similar GOP efforts and granted Stein’s motion for summary judgment, allowing him to win the case without a trial. Boliek said he plans to appeal.

Democratic Judge Edwin Wilson and Republican Judge Lori Hamilton supported the decision. Republican Judge Andrew Womble dissented.

NC Strawberry Farms Open Early

Thanks to a few 80-degree days last week, several North Carolina strawberry farms opened a week earlier than usual. One of them, Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, predicts a successful strawberry season through the end of May.

Rudd Farm in Greensboro also opened early and is selling handpicked strawberries, but it no longer allows people to pick their own due to long lines and wait times that caused issues in previous years.

Plenty of strawberry farms are also open in the Charlotte, Triad, Triangle, and Wilmington areas.

Explore a comprehensive statewide list of strawberry farms using the North Carolina Strawberry Association’s locator website.

Click here to share Flyover North Carolina with all your friends!

Flying together with our sponsor

Japanese Water Soluble Plastic Has American Competition

Japan’s RIKEN institute recently unveiled a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours—a breakthrough in the fight against pollution. But Florida-based Timeplast may have quietly surpassed it.

With seven patents and a proprietary process called “molecular disintegration,” Timeplast’s plastics dissolve not just in seawater, but also in freshwater, rain, humidity, and soil. Unlike traditional solutions, these materials leave no microplastics behind and maintain the strength of conventional plastics. Already used in 3D-printing and flexible composites, Timeplast’s lineup is versatile and scalable.

They’re on a mission to revolutionize multiple industries:

Packaging
3D Printing
Healthcare
Agriculture
Consumer Goods
Marine
Construction
Retail & Events

As you can see, the market potential is enormous ($1.3T in total). That’s just one reason why they’ve already attracted over 6,000 investors.

This is your opportunity to join Timeplast as they lead a plastic revolution with global implications. Become a Timeplast shareholder now.

➤ Statewide: The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated $25 million in disaster relief funding for North Carolina as part of a nationwide $340.6 million initiative to assist farmers and farming communities impacted by natural disasters. (More)

➤ Pisgah and Nantahala: The U.S. Forest Service “used incomplete, inconsistent, and misleading data to justify a dramatic expansion of logging” planned for North Carolina’s national forests, according to a public records review by the Asheville Watchdog. (More)

➤ Western NC: AmeriCorps blamed federal cuts for its decision to pull more than 50 young workers from a federal program assisting western North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene. The workers will be formally dismissed on April 30. (More)

➤ Chatham County: The U.S. Department of Justice cited the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act in formally accusing Chatham County of unlawfully denying multi-congregational Summit Church’s rezoning request to build a new place of worship. (More)

➤ Sampson County: A Salemburg family unknowingly bought a cloned truck for $20,000 through Facebook Marketplace that had been stolen in Texas. (More)

➤ Union County: The sheriff’s office wrote a “cinematic” account of how a deputy wrangled two horses that escaped their pasture and wandered into a roadway. (See Photo)

➤ The Carolina Panthers selected Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the 8th pick of the NFL draft last night, giving QB Bryce Young another pass-catching weapon. (More)

➤ UNC running back Omarion Hampton was selected by the LA Chargers at pick No. 22 in the NFL Draft last night. He’s expected to compete for a starting role immediately in coach Jim Harbaugh’s run-first offense. (More)

➤ Duke Softball coach Marissa Young secured her 300th victory with the program on Wednesday with a 9-1 victory over Campbell University. (More)

➤ No. 1 seeded UNC women’s lacrosse beat Virginia Tech 19-9 on Wednesday, advancing to the next round of the ACC tournament. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Dale Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa Earnhardt, received a rezoning recommendation from the Mooresville Planning Board for a proposed data center project on 400 acres of her land, led by Denver-based developer Tract. The project is expected to create 277 recession-resistant jobs. (More)

➤ Airbus and Collins Aerospace announced a 100,000-square-foot expansion at their Wilson site to accommodate future demand and double current output. Collins Aerospace manufactures fire and overheat detection systems for Airbus’ aircraft. (More)

➤ Unifi Manufacturing, Inc. sold its Madison property to Canada-based Enovum Data Centers Corp. for $53.2 million. The deal included the land, industrial building, and select machinery and equipment. (More)

➤ NC Quick Pass has partnered with Speedway to sell its sticker transponder at 18 stores across the Triangle and Charlotte areas, and has tripled the number of 7-Eleven locations offering the Transponder on the Go, now available at 31 stores statewide. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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Flying together with our sponsor

Meet the Genius Who Invented Plastic That Dissolves in Water

The world produces 450 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Microplastics are seeping into our oceans and food. They even show up in our bodies. So you can imagine how revolutionary a new kind of plastic that completely dissolves in water can be.

Thatʼs exactly what Timeplast created. The company patented a water-soluble, time-programmable plastic that vanishes without harming the environment. Major players are already partnering with Timeplast for their patented technology.

Now you can invest in Timeplast as they scale in their $1.3 trillion market. Become a Timeplast shareholder here.

This is a paid advertisement for Timeplast’s Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.timeplast.com.

➤ A wildlife photographer discovered and reported an injured bald eagle on Jordan Lake’s Seaforth Beach in early April. The eagle is being treated at Holly’s Nest Animal Rescue for release back into the wild. (Watch Video)

➤ Speaking of wildlife, officials are warning coastal plain residents to be mindful of alligator sightings during their late-April-through-July mating season, stating, “If you see an alligator, don’t feed it, don’t approach it, and don’t provoke it.” (More)

➤ A limited number of St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway tickets are being sold for $100 through May 1 for a chance to win an $865,000 two-story home in Fuquay-Varina’s Serenity Subdivision. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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