Lawmaker Eyes CMS Split, Board Recall

A North Carolina Republican lawmaker is preparing legislation to divide Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools into multiple districts and enable recall elections for all nine board members. 

State Rep. David Willis, R-Union, notified board members through his staff of the forthcoming bill as the General Assembly prepares to reconvene.

The proposal comes amid ongoing state and federal investigations into CMS financial irregularities and contracts. Fully splitting the roughly 140,000-student district would require multi-year studies and logistical planning, while recall votes could proceed more quickly if authorized.

Critics, including CMS board member Anna London, said breaking up the state’s second-largest district wouldn’t serve students. Lawmakers return for a short session next week, before Democrats take control of the state House.

ECU Fraternity Suspended over Hazing Report

East Carolina University placed its Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity on operational suspension this week while it reviews a hazing allegation reported Nov. 7.

The order halts all chapter activity, including recruitment, new-member events, and socials, while campus officials look into the report. ECU has announced no findings and released few details.

The allegation came in through a Campus Security Authority report. Under the new federal Stop Campus Hazing Act, universities must log hazing allegations involving student groups, even unsubstantiated ones.

It is the second fraternity case at a big North Carolina campus this month. NC State’s Sigma Nu chapter, the first fraternity chartered there, has closed indefinitely after hazing allegations and the discovery of graphic videos.

First Freeze, Mountain Snow This Weekend

The coldest air of the season is pouring into North Carolina this weekend, dusting the mountains with snow and sending Piedmont temperatures tumbling toward freezing.

A cold front swept through Thursday. After highs in the upper 60s, the Charlotte area will top out in the 50s today.

In the mountains, snow showers are likely Friday into Saturday, with minor accumulations at the highest elevations above 3,500 feet. Forecasters expect low overall impacts, though mountain highs will hold in the 30s with wind chills in the 20s.

The Piedmont’s first freeze of the season is likely by Sunday, with morning lows in the 20s and low 30s around Charlotte. The first half of next week stays dry and cool.

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➤ Statewide: U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, intends to seek reelection in 2028 when his term ends, a spokesperson confirmed, while emphasizing his current focus on lowering costs and strengthening the state. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Voters rejected proposed local sales tax increases in nine of the 11 North Carolina counties where they were on the ballot last week. Only Guilford and Sampson counties approved hikes, both earmarked for schools. Macon County’s measure failed by nine votes in unofficial results. (More)

➤ Greenville: Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, a Greenville physician, conceded the 3rd District race to Democrat Raymond Smith, a former state House member. Unofficial results after provisional ballots were counted put Murphy 293 votes behind, close enough to request a recount. (More)

➤ N.C. State is proposing a 3% undergraduate tuition increase for the 2027-28 year, raising in-state tuition to just over $6,900 and generating an estimated $4.5 million for academic programs and faculty. Current students’ rates are locked. (More)

➤ Duke University researchers found that half of the veteran suicides they studied occurred more than 23 years after leaving the military, long past the first year, when support is usually concentrated. (More)

➤ Blue Ridge Parkway: The trail and parking area at Crabtree Falls reopened this week, more than two years after Hurricane Helene downed trees and triggered landslides along that stretch of the parkway. Several bridges still need repair, so the hike is out-and-back for now. (See Photos)

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➤ Sebastian Aho scored twice in his native Finland as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1 in the 2026 NHL Global Series at Helsinki’s Veikkaus Arena on Thursday. (More)

➤ No. 2 North Carolina women’s soccer edged No. 12 Duke 1-0 in the ACC semifinal Thursday as Bella Devey scored in the 18th minute, advancing the Tar Heels to the championship against Virginia. (More)

➤ The NC State Board of Trustees is expected to approve a contract today making former Wolfpack quarterback and NFL veteran Philip Rivers the football team’s head coach. Rivers has spent recent years coaching high school football in Alabama. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts said he worries efforts to land a Major League Baseball team in Raleigh would compete with the region’s college sports. A grassroots group has pushed the Triangle as an expansion market, buoyed by the Carolina Hurricanes’ recent success. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Gardner-Webb University received a nearly $3 million federal grant to expand nursing students’ clinical training, supporting 40 Bachelor of Science in nursing students with stipends and extra hours focused on rural, underserved communities. (More)

➤ Family-owned Halifax Linen Service plans a $2 million expansion in Roanoke Rapids, adding space and 11 jobs, partially funded by a $30,000 taxpayer-backed One North Carolina Fund grant. (More)

➤ Morrisville biopharmaceutical company Liquidia said its drug business remains strong after agreeing last month to pay a net $380.7 million, mostly to rival United Therapeutics, to settle six lawsuits over its inhaled lung-disease treatment Yutrepia. (More)

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➤ Atlanta cyclist Dave Mathews drove six hours to place a ghost bike, his 217th, on Optimist Farm Road near Apex for Patrick Turner, a 63-year-old Cary cyclist killed Saturday when a driver plowed into a group ride last Saturday. (Watch Report)

➤ A herd of goats is on the clock at North Mecklenburg Park, munching through invasive kudzu along the greenway and mountain bike trail. They’ll graze for about two weeks behind an electric fence, so visitors are asked to look but not pet. (More)

➤ The International Space Station was expected to pass nearly overhead of central North Carolina Thursday evening around 5:58 p.m., appearing as a bright white dot for a few minutes despite some clouds. (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. 

➤ Authorities say an HOA dispute over a man’s apartment turned into a deadly shooting at a Washington, D.C., gym. (Hear Story)

➤ New housing data suggests holiday-season closings may give buyers their smallest price markup of the entire year. (Hear Details)

➤ Spain’s first general strike in 14 years has escalated into street clashes just weeks before national elections. (Listen Now)

What are your favorite types of games?

1. Card games
2. Board games
3. Video games
4. Sports games
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which of the four new Chick-fil-A waffle breakfast sandwiches being tested in Raleigh would you order?

1. I’ll try any of them: 24%
2. Grilled chicken, bacon, egg & cheese: 22%
3. None of the above: 19%
4. Bacon, egg & cheese: 16%
5. Sausage, egg & cheese: 14%
6. Chicken, egg & cheese: 5%

What type of games did Harrah’s Cherokee Casino offer when it first opened?

Show me the answer

If you’re a fan of our Trivia section, you’ll love our new book, The Flyover Book of Trivia 2027, an illustrated collection of 100 of our favorite questions and answers. (Buy It Now)