NC Bans ‘Fs’ for High School Absences

The North Carolina State Board of Education issued a new grading reform policy that prevents students from receiving a failing grade solely due to poor attendance. Only students who fail academically and miss a significant number of days can receive what is now formally defined as an “FF” grade.

The change goes into effect this school year, which begins for most North Carolina high schools toward the end of this month.

The current policy states that an FF may only be used for a student who does not have a passing grade based on content and who also has significant absences.

Supporters say the change protects students facing circumstances beyond their control. Critics, however, caution that chronic absenteeism remains a serious concern, with data showing 25% of K-12 students missed 10% or more of school days in 2023-24.

Plans Pulled for Data Center on Earnhardt Land

Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney announced Wednesday that Colorado-based developer Tract officially withdrew plans for a multibillion-dollar data center on land owned by Teresa Earnhardt, widow of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.

Community members and Dale Earnhardt’s oldest son, Kerry, mounted significant protests against the plans, with Kerry describing the Mooresville land as “property that Dad was proud of.”

Tract said the data center campus, which would have been built between Patterson Farm and rural Iredell County roads, was expected to create nearly 200 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Carney said the item has been removed from Mooresville’s Sept. 15 town board agenda and there will be no other action moving forward.

ECU Team Discovers Colonial Shipwrecks

East Carolina University archaeologists with the school’s Maritime Studies program discovered multiple shipwrecks and colonial waterfront features in May and June at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Brunswick County—including remains that may be tied to a 1748 shipwreck.

A wreck featuring rare Monterey or Mexican cypress wood, limited to Southern California and Central America, suggests shipbuilders incorporated raw materials from Spanish Caribbean colonies in the 18th century. This wreck is located near a cannon believed to be from La Fortuna, the Spanish privateer that exploded during a 1748 attack.

Three additional wrecks were also uncovered: one that likely aided land reclamation adjacent to a colonial wharf, another that appears to be a colonial flatboat used for local transport, and a fourth that remains poorly exposed and unidentified.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein announced that North Carolina received a $4 million grant for workforce reentry training for incarcerated individuals as part of $52 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Pathway Home grant program. (More)

➤ NC Coast: Tropical Storm Erin is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane this weekend and shift to a more northerly track next week, making U.S. impacts unlikely. (More)

➤ Wake County: Wake Technical Community College was ranked the best community college in North Carolina and 86th nationally based on cost and financing, as well as education and career outcomes. (More)

➤ Charlotte: American Airlines flight 720 from Charlotte to Rome diverted back to Charlotte over the Atlantic due to a mechanical issue. The plane landed safely, was inspected, and was rescheduled to depart on Thursday afternoon. (More)

➤ Union County: Public schools closed Thursday amid a citywide boil water notice in Monroe after E. coli was found in a small portion of the water system affecting nine customers. (More)

➤ Wilmington: Gary Sholar, 49, was arrested for assaulting a LongHorn Steakhouse employee by throwing a plate at the worker’s head, causing a hairline skull fracture. Sholar was released on a $1,000 bond. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Panthers were valued at $5.76 billion by Sportico, which ranks them 27th out of 32 NFL teams. (More)

➤ July set a record-low for sports gambling tax revenue in North Carolina—the lowest month since legalization in March 2024. (More)

➤ A team of Special Olympians from North Carolina won silver in 3×3 women’s basketball, losing by one point to Jamaica in the gold medal match. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | PGA | LPGA | LLWS

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➤ WakeMed is accusing Duke University Health of anti-competitive actions in a certificate-of-need (CON) dispute over a linear accelerator for cancer treatment. WakeMed is appealing a judge’s decision to reverse its CON, while Duke seeks the CON. (More)

➤ Mission Health and HCA Healthcare settled an antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of Western North Carolina towns and counties alleging anti-competitive practices following HCA’s acquisition of Mission. (More)

➤ NCInnovation, backed by $500 million in state funds, faces internal conflict as board member Art Pope criticizes its spending. That’s despite an investigation refuting his claims that also blames him for wasting resources. (More)

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➤ Smoky Mountain towns are hosting a Sasquatch scavenger hunt through mid-November, featuring a life-size Sasquatch mannequin named Carl hidden in a different town each week, with clues posted via Visit Smokies’ social media. (More)

➤ Krispy Kreme and Warner Bros. have partnered to launch a limited-time Harry Potter-inspired doughnut collection on Aug. 18, featuring the four Hogwarts houses, a Sorting Hat surprise doughnut, a Golden Snitch Latte, and a sweepstakes. (See Doughnuts)

➤ A new map based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data reveals that 26% of North Carolina’s land is used for farming. Nationwide, farmland covers approximately 876 million acres, or 39% of U.S. land. (See Map)

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Do you prefer pro or college football?

1. Pro
2. College
3. Both
4. Neither

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever visited a quilt trail?

1. No: 39%
2. What’s a quilt trail? 31%
3. Not yet: 15%
4. Yes: 15%

Who was the first European to explore North Carolina’s coast?

Show me the answer