Friday, October 3, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1900, Thomas Wolfe, author of Look Homeward, Angel and Of Time and the River, was born in Asheville. A sign on College Street marks the nearby locations of his former home and birthplace. His mother’s Asheville boardinghouse, known as the “Old Kentucky Home,” is now a State Historic Site.

A Durham high school topped the list of America’s best public schools in a newly released ranking. Learn more in Top Stories.

After years of shelters and struggle, Ana Duarte finally has her own place—and gave her mom the master bedroom as a long-overdue gift of peace and dignity. Don’t miss Ana’s story on this week’s Feel Good Flyover with Amy Hess.

If you’ve been searching for a safe, proven way to finally break through weight-loss frustration, today’s sponsor is Medvi’s GLP-1 program, which could be the life-changing solution you’ve been waiting for.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

‘Iryna’s Law’ Awaits Stein’s Signature

Gov. Josh Stein is still reviewing House Bill 307, known as “Iryna’s Law.” If signed into law, it could expedite death penalty appeals within two years, tighten pretrial conditions for violent offenders, eliminate cashless bail, expand execution methods to allow death by firing squad, and address mental health evaluations.

On Wednesday, Charlotte police released the 911 calls from the Aug. 22 murder of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail. Her murder prompted lawmakers to draft the bill.

The death penalty was last used in North Carolina in 2006. The bill’s new time restrictions could have an immediate impact on the 122 people currently on North Carolina’s death row.

Stein says the law and subject are both “immensely complicated” and wants to ensure the bill “is making us safer instead of making us less safe” before determining whether to sign or veto it.

Government Shutdown Impacts Some NC Parks

The Oct. 1 federal government shutdown has closed some areas within national parks in North Carolina and is expected to result in the furlough of at least 200 federally funded state employees without pay, though they will retain health care coverage through October.

The following sections of Great Smoky Mountains National Park are currently closed: Cades Cove Loop Road, picnic area, and visitor center; the Chimneys picnic area; and the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Most other roads, trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms remain open. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center also remains open.

Visit NC published a list of Blue Ridge Parkway areas that remain open during the shutdown, and a new parkway bridge over I-26 opened Wednesday after nearly five years of construction. Crews will now remove the old bridge, requiring nighttime road closures for six weeks.

NC K-12 Schools Rank Among Nation’s Best

The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham topped Niche’s 2026 Best Schools in America report as the country’s No. 1 public high school thanks to its 7:1 student-teacher ratio, STEM-focused curriculum, strong academics, clubs, activities, diversity, college prep, and administration.

Within North Carolina, The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro took the No. 2 spot for public school rankings, followed by Raleigh Charter at No. 3, Green Level High School in Cary at No. 4, and the Wake Early College of Health & Sciences in Raleigh at No. 5.

The top five private schools in North Carolina, according to Niche, are Cary Academy at No. 1, Durham Academy at No. 2, Providence Day School in Charlotte at No. 3, Salem Academy in Winston-Salem at No. 4, and Christ School in Asheville at No. 5.

View the full list of rankings here.

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➤ Statewide: Plaintiffs Moses Matthews and State Rep. Rodney Pierce are appealing Federal Judge James Dever’s Tuesday ruling upholding two northeastern North Carolina Senate districts, arguing they violate the Voting Rights Act. (More)

➤ Southport: The three people killed in the mass shooting Saturday at American Fish Company were Joy Rogers, 64, of Southport; Michael Durbin, 56, of Galena, Ohio; and Solomon Banjo, 36, of Charlottesville, Virginia. Suspect and former Marine Nigel Edge faces murder and assault charges. (More)

➤ Raleigh: NC State is suing Monsanto over allegations it misled the public about the safety of toxic Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) used in Poe Hall’s 1971 construction. The university seeks remediation costs and damages related to the contamination cleanup. (More)

➤ Charlotte: A Delta jet arriving from Charlotte with 61 passengers on board was struck by another Delta jet’s wing on a taxiway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, injuring a flight attendant and damaging the cockpit and nose of the Charlotte flight. (More)

➤ Asheboro: The North Carolina Zoo responded to the death of Dr. Jane Goodall, noting she made several visits there during her 1980s “CHIMPANZOO” study. The zoo also named a baby chimp in her honor in 2023. (More)

➤ New Hanover County: Over 100 law enforcement officers from across the Cape Fear region carried out a large-scale drug bust resulting in 32 arrests, 200 criminal charges, and six property searches. (More)

➤ Buxton: Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported the collapse of a seventh house since Tuesday afternoon, occurring on Tower Circle Road Wednesday night. (See Photo)

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➤ North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill to protect the state’s racing industry by preventing new property owners from filing noise complaints against existing race tracks. (More)

➤ Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium was ranked the No. 2 college basketball arena in the country on a recent list. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets overhauled their medical staff for the upcoming season, including hiring a new vice president of medical and performance. The changes aim to improve player health heading into training camp. (More)

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➤ Blue Cross NC, citing rising healthcare costs and market volatility, offered voluntary separation packages Tuesday to eligible employees based on age and years of service. Further steps could be taken if not enough workers take the offer. (More)

➤ Duke Energy filed a new carbon reduction plan with the state’s utility commission that delays coal plant closures, boosts natural gas and nuclear capacity, scales back solar goals, and shelves wind energy. (More)

➤ BuildOps, a fast-growing Los Angeles-based software company receiving around $3 million in state and local growth incentives, opened a Raleigh office on Wednesday and is expected to exceed its 300-employee target ahead of schedule. (More)

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➤ Oriental’s 11th Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival kicks off tonight with country swing artist Sweet Megg headlining. The free event features 28 bands performing on 12 porches. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill announced that country star and Granite Falls native Eric Church will be the university’s 2026 commencement speaker on May 9. (More)

➤ Kratos Defense’s driverless 18-wheeler delivered NASCAR tires from Cornelius to Indiana using a leader-follower system, amid a nationwide shortage of drivers. (Watch Video)

➤ A ranking of foodie-friendly American cities—based on grocery costs, the affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants, and food festivals per capita—lists Raleigh at No. 43, Charlotte at No. 45, Greensboro at No. 71, and Durham at No. 99. (See Rankings)

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