Sunday, February 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1945, pop singer William “Oliver” Swofford was born in North Wilkesboro. Known for his 1969 hits Jean (No. 2) and Good Morning Starshine (No. 3), Swofford started in bluegrass as a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, and enjoyed TV fame and touring before retiring. He passed away in 2000.

Five Guilford County Schools transportation employees are being hailed as heroes after their quick actions saved a coworker. See the details in today’s Et Cetera section.

In case you missed our breakdown of the best and worst states to retire in, tune in to The Flyover Podcast, where host Ayla Brown walks through the new ranking. You won’t be able to guess which state landed at the No.1 spot. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor is The Stonegate Firm, an attorney-powered team that helps timeshare owners cancel their contracts and eliminate costly, unwanted fees so they can finally move on financially.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Concord among Possible ICE Locations

Concord is among 21 U.S. cities where the Department of Homeland Security has purchased or plans to purchase warehouses to convert into ICE detention centers for illegal immigrants.

The proposed site is northeast of Charlotte and would have room for 1,500 beds.

The city of Concord said Friday it is aware of rumors but has not been contacted by ICE and is unaware of any plans for a facility.

The cost for the newly proposed detention facilities across the country is $38.3 billion and funded through an allocation from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Bed capacity would be expanded to 92,600 beds. ICE plans to activate all facilities by Nov. 30.

Fewer Men Enrolling in NC College Programs

A new policy brief shows a sharp and growing gap between the number of men and women enrolling in North Carolina colleges.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, data from 2023 show men make up 41% of the UNC System undergraduate student body and 39% of the North Carolina Community College System.

The explanation for the disparity in enrollment at North Carolina colleges today is that men aren’t applying at the same rates as women in the state.

N.C. State remains the only university to enroll more males than females as of 2024—by less than half a percentage point.

Task Force Examines How Schools are Graded

North Carolina’s public education leaders are exploring ways to overhaul the state’s school accountability model, which relies heavily on end-of-grade and end-of-course assessments.

The State Board of Education grades public schools on an A-F scale, with end-of-grade test results accounting for 80% of each school’s letter grade and student academic growth compared with prior years comprising the remaining 20%.

Participants questioned the effectiveness of “one-day testing” to capture a student’s entire year of learning, citing it as a source of “pressure and anxiety” for children and parents, rather than fostering public trust.

Education leaders have said for years that the calculation does not reflect the full scope of work taking place in the state’s public schools.

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➤ Gastonia: Investigators ruled the December 2025 house fire that killed NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s father and injured his mother accidental. (More)

➤Eden: Authorities said Michele Hundley Smith, who disappeared in December 2001 after leaving to go Christmas shopping, has been found alive and safe in North Carolina, and no charges are expected. (More)

➤ Cary: Fire engineer Marc Donald Soucy, 59, faces more than 20 charges, including second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, after investigators alleged he possessed images of girls ages 5 to 13. (More)

➤Durham: Rep. Valerie Foushee urged Amazon to hold retaliation-free town halls for workers seeking to unionize at three Triangle facilities, backing the Carolina Amazonians United campaign. (More)

➤ Wilkes County: The county sheriff’s office said Superintendent Mark Byrd died on Friday of a gunshot wound, and deputies found no evidence of foul play. (More)

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➤ Hornets guard LaMelo Ball walked out of a postgame news conference Thursday after briefly answering questions about crashing his custom camo-wrapped Hummer in Charlotte following a 105-101 loss to Houston. (More)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes stars Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin will go head-to-head today at 8 a.m. for the men’s hockey gold medal. Jarvis will represent Canada, while Slavin will represent the U.S. (More)

➤ No. 3 Duke took down No. 1 Michigan 68-63 yesterday, dealing the Wolverines their second loss of the season and making a strong case to be the new No. 1 in next week’s AP Poll. (More)

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➤ Eight businesses are working to rebuild and reopen by summer in Chimney Rock, where leaders report ongoing bridge and riverwalk construction nearly 18 months after Helene devastated the town. (More)

➤ Five Guilford County Schools transportation employees received safety awards on Thursday after performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator to save a coworker who went into cardiac arrest on Feb. 9. (More)

➤ A 5% auto insurance rate increase approved by the state insurance commissioner has taken effect, raising costs for drivers statewide. (More)

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