Council of State Backs Prison Upgrades

North Carolina’s Council of State approved $18.85 million in financing Nov. 10 for energy upgrades centered on Central Prison in Raleigh.

The 10 statewide elected officials met at Tryon Palace in New Bern, where audio and Wi-Fi problems repeatedly cut off members joining remotely. “The Wi-Fi is just not perfect here,” Gov. Josh Stein said.

Contractor Schneider Electric will do the work over 17 months and must cover the difference if promised energy savings fall short. State Auditor Dave Boliek pressed officials on who would verify those savings and how.

That guarantee is already being tested. An earlier $38.7 million project at six prisons came up about $50,000 short in its first year, and David Mason of the state Department of Adult Correction said Schneider is “writing a check.”

The council approved the deal by voice vote with no opposition heard.

Merrick Wins District 20 by 77 Votes

Democrat Tim Merrick won the open North Carolina House District 20 seat by 77 votes after New Hanover County finished its canvass Friday.

Merrick, a New Hanover County school board member, finished with 22,156 votes to 22,079 for Republican Dane Scalise, a county commissioner. Republican Rep. Ted Davis Jr. had held the seat before asking Scalise to run in his place.

Merrick’s lead stood at 81 votes earlier in the week. Scalise told WECT he had no comment on whether he’ll seek a recount.

North Carolina allows a recount when a non-statewide race is decided by 1% or less, and this margin is under two-tenths of a percent. Requests for county-run races are due by 5 p.m. Monday.

Charlotte Airport Eyes $4B Buildout

Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s next wave of construction could top $4 billion and likely include a new international concourse, CEO Haley Gentry says.

Charlotte City Council voted 8-2 on Nov. 9 to approve a 10.5-year lease with American Airlines and other carriers. The deal locks in $2.1 billion for terminal and airfield work, more than four times the 2016 agreement.

That money pays to expand Concourse C and to plan, but not build, the international concourse. Gentry said hub growth makes it “highly likely” the concourse will be built too.

Business leaders backed the lease, citing the airport’s $40 billion yearly economic impact. Councilmember Renee Johnson voted no, saying airport leaders should meet with contract workers, some of whom say they earn $12.50 an hour.

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➤ Statewide: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded North Carolina $216.8 million in second-year Rural Health Transformation Program funding, bringing the state’s total to more than $429 million. The money goes toward rural health care staffing, technology, and new ways of delivering care. (See Details)

➤ Durham: County commissioners approved $49.5 million to replace Durham’s Emergency Operations Center, which dates to the 1940s, with a two-story building that will also house backup 911 and sheriff’s dispatch centers. Crews begin mobilizing at the site next week, with the first phase due in 2028. (See Details)

➤ Lincoln County: A Wake County grand jury indicted former state Rep. Jason Saine on four felonies tied to Greater Carolina, a political nonprofit whose credit card was used at strip club companies and an Armani store, SBI warrants show. Saine is accused of aiding embezzlement and denies wrongdoing. (See Details)

➤ Fort Bragg: British police arrested Army Lt. Col. Brandon Carroll Tyner, 41, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division from 2011 to 2013, on suspicion of spying for Russia. Tyner was assigned to a NATO headquarters garrison in England and is expected to face British and Army charges. (See Details)

➤ Buxton: Crews have started repainting the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s black-and-white spiral stripes, though the tower is still topless. Its lantern room was dismantled earlier this year after engineers found 116 cracks in the iron brackets holding it up, and rebuilding is targeted to begin in early 2027. (See Details)

➤ Hatteras Village: Dare County won a $383,000 state grant to buy the former Channel Bass restaurant site on Slash Creek for a public waterfront park. State officials say the 1.06-acre property will become Hatteras Island’s first estuarine access park, with a kayak launch and dock among the ideas floated. (See Details)

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➤ North Carolina’s Travis Burgess was intercepted with 58 seconds left in a 16-14 loss to Louisville, while NC State squandered a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in a 34-31 loss to Syracuse. (See Scores)

➤ No. 13 Wake Forest routed SMU 49-7 for its seventh straight win. At halftime, with Wake Forest ahead 42-0, coach Jake Dickert said, “We’re not finished with them yet. We came for 60 minutes and they’ve got nowhere to hide.” (More)

➤ Duke fell 36-25 to No. 7 Miami, dropping to 7-3 despite 240 total yards from Nate Sheppard, who broke the Blue Devils’ single-season rushing record. (More)

➤ Henry Hasselbeck’s 37-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter lifted Appalachian State past Marshall 20-16 in the Old Mountain Feud, while East Carolina edged Charlotte 17-16 on a mid-fourth-quarter field goal. (See Scores)

➤ The Carolina Panthers will travel to New Orleans to face the Saints today at 1:00 ET, with sole possession of first place in the NFC South on the line. The Panthers have lost three straight, while the Saints have won two of their last three. (More)

➤ UNC plays for both ACC soccer titles today. The No. 2 Tar Heel women chase a record 23rd tournament crown against No. 10 UVA at noon, then the No. 12 men will face undefeated No. 1 SMU at 4:00 p.m. Both finals will be broadcast on ESPNU. (More)

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

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➤ A Raleigh couple welcomed daughter Layla in the parking lot of the Dunkin’ at Durant Road and Capital Boulevard when labor moved too fast to reach the hospital. Dad Michael Holley delivered her minutes before paramedics arrived, and her nickname is now “Munchkin.” (Read Story)

➤ Wilmington author Amanda Olsen drew on her own childhood in an abusive home to write a three-novel series about trauma survivors who find healing through rescued cats. The books, Calming Melody, Slow Simmer, and Loving Hands, follow two sisters and the rescue owner who takes them in. (Read Story)

➤ Charlotte native and Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman will star in the 30th season of ABC’s The Bachelor, premiering March 21. Hartman finished his college career with an ACC-record 134 touchdown passes across five seasons at Wake Forest and one at Notre Dame. (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, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ A wiring upgrade mishap brought America’s air traffic system to a standstill and triggering thousands of cancellations. (Hear More)

➤ A $180 million Van Gogh auction was thrown into uncertainty when the painting’s dark World War II history resurfaced. (Listen Now)

➤ Forget cooking Thanksgiving dinner! These 13 restaurants offered holiday feasts with everything from prime rib to unlimited seafood. (Podcast Available)

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Yesterday’s Results:

Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?

1. Bah, wait till December: 70%
2. Lights are already glowing: 18%
3. Other thoughts: 10%
4. I don’t celebrate Christmas: 2%

What North Carolina-born R&B singer did Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant pay tribute to in 2015?

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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)