Monday, February 3, 2025

The Roundup

Article Icon 1Hamas Hostage from Chapel Hill Released

Hamas forces released Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel and two other hostages in Gaza City Saturday morning. The 65-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen was the first U.S. citizen to be freed by the terror group as part of the hostage-for-prisoner swaps with Israel.

The release took place on a stage flanked by masked and armed Hamas forces. See a video of it here.

Siegel’s family issued a statement thanking President Donald Trump for “bringing our father back to us.”

Siegel, an occupational therapist, was taken hostage along with his wife, Aviva, on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas raided their home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Aviva was freed during the November ceasefire.

Article Icon 1Doomed Flight Manned by Charlotte Crew

Five Charlotte connections have been made to the deadly mid-air collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River Wednesday, killing 67 people.

Two flight attendants, Danasia Elder and Ian Epstein, were from the Charlotte area. Elder was married with two young children and Epstein was a father, stepfather, and husband.

Flight captain Jonathan Campos, 34, had worked for PSA Airlines—a subsidiary of American Airlines—for eight years. While based in Charlotte, his home was in Florida.

Samuel Lilley, 28, the flight’s first officer, was engaged to be married this fall. He was also from the Charlotte area. Coincidentally, his father is a former Black Hawk pilot who had flown the exact route the helicopter involved was flying that day.

Passenger Wendy Shaffer of Charlotte, wife and mother of two young boys, was also on board.

Article Icon 1Female Black Hawk Pilot a Durham Native

The U.S. Army identified Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach of Durham as the female pilot in the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 Wednesday.

Lobach, 28, was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Va., and had served in the U.S. Army since July 2019. She had logged over 450 hours of flight time when the collision occurred.

Lobach’s family released a statement saying they are “devastated” by her loss and called her “a bright star” in their lives.

Lobach graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2019, where she was in the ROTC program. She was also a distinguished military graduate in the top 20% of cadets nationwide.


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Around North Carolina

Charlotte: Pilots with experience flying into and out of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport have filed 23 wake turbulence reports and 13 near taxiing collisions since June 2021. (See Details)

Asheville: Newly appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr traveled to western North Carolina Friday to meet with 911 dispatchers who worked during Hurricane Helene, and technicians working to restore communications networks in Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. (More)

Western NC: Legendary UNC men’s basketball coach Roy Williams teamed up with Verizon to help erase $10 million in consumer debt for families impacted by Hurricane Helene by contacting them directly to let them know their debt would be relieved. (More)

Chapel Hill: Meanwhile, UNC football coach Bill Belichick had pizzas delivered to at least one UNC fraternity during the UNC-Duke men’s basketball game Saturday. Belichick is a former member of Chi Psi. (More)

Outer Banks: Officials have implemented a voluntary slow zone off the Northern Outer Banks to reduce the risk of vessel strikes after endangered North Atlantic right whales were spotted offshore on Thursday. (More)

Statewide: PowerSchool is currently notifying teachers and students whose data was breached during a December 2024 cyber attack. Social security numbers belonging to 312,000 teachers and 910 students were exposed during the hack. (More)

North Carolina Sports

No. 2 Duke men’s basketball dominated UNC 87-70 Saturday to remain undefeated in the ACC. Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel scored 21 and 22 points, respectively. (More)

NCSU men’s basketball fell to Clemson 68-58 Saturday, dropping to 2-8 in the ACC, despite Dontrez Styles scoring 24 points and banking six of eight 3-pointer attempts. (More)

NASCAR driver Chase Elliott laid down the quickest time in Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. (See Final Results)

The Upshot League, a new pro women’s basketball league, will launch in May 2026 with two of four planned teams based in Greensboro and Charlotte. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: PGA | LPGA | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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North Carolina Business

A judge approved the $39 million sale of Charlotte’s Northlake Mall by Spinoso Real Estate Group to Georgia-based Hull Properties Friday. (More)

Biltmore Estate donated furniture from at least 40 hotel rooms to Asheville’s Habitat for Humanity Restore to resell. The proceeds will be used to fund home builds. (More)

Ireland is North Carolina’s top import partner, providing 14% of the state’s total imports, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. (See Map)

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Et Cetera

Organizers of the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Plan are seeking input on the proposed 26-mile trail that would connect downtown Durham to Roxboro. (Take Survey)

Appalachia covers parts of 13 states, including North Carolina, and is the United States’ fourth-oldest surviving place with a European name. A new report investigates where its name came from and who explored it. (More)

North Carolina ranks 41st in a comparison of states whose residents have the healthiest teeth and gums. (See Rankings)

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The Poll

How often do you go to the dentist?

  1. At least twice a year
  2. No more than once a year
  3. I avoid it at all costs


Fridays Results:

Will Duke or UNC men’s basketball win Saturday?

  1. Duke: 40%
  2. UNC: 23%
  3. Don’t know, don’t care: 37%
North Carolina Trivia

What was the name of the most dominant town in western North Carolina during the 1500s?

Show me the answer

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