Thursday, April 17, 2025

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1864, the Civil War Battle of Plymouth began began as Confederate forces launched an offensive to retake the Union-held port town of Plymouth—a strategic stronghold along the Roanoke River.

Are you ready to rock? One of North Carolina’s most historic speedways returns to action this weekend. Learn more in Top Stories.

Big Announcement: The Flyover Podcast is launching on April 28, and we need your help! Before we make episodes available to the public, we’re inviting our readers to join our focus group. You’ll get an exclusive first look (and listen) at episodes on YouTube starting this Monday, April 21, and you’ll have the chance to help shape the podcast by giving feedback to our hosts Ayla and Amy regarding content, format, delivery, and new ideas.

Your voice will be essential in helping shape the future of The Flyover Podcast. To help, just click HERE and click the subscribe button on the Flyover YouTube page (bottom left-hand corner.) We’ll shoot you an email with a private episode link starting Monday, April 21. Thanks for your help!

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New Wildfires Erupt, Prompt Evacuations

A lightning strike on April 12 sparked a 500-acre fire in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness section of Nantahala National Forest in Graham County.

The Haoe Fire, as it’s being called, was 0% contained as of Tuesday night. Fifty personnel are working to extinguish it, and more resources were expected to arrive yesterday. The U.S. Forest Service reports that the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Loop Trail 43 is closed due to the fire.

In McDowell County, a 175-acre fire near Little Switzerland, known as the Bee Rock Branch Fire, was at 0% containment Tuesday. Officials issued an evacuation order for residents on Wild Acres Road, including Wild Acres Retreat. The cause of the Bee Rock Branch Fire has not been released.

Elections Board Targets 1,675 Ballots for Review

The State Board of Elections responded to a federal court order Tuesday night, stating it would review no more than 1,675 ballots—including those from overseas voters and from voters flagged as “never residents”—in the November state Supreme Court race between Republican Jefferson Griffin and Democrat Allison Riggs.

The board stated it will review up to 1,409 overseas ballots in Guilford County because it was the only county Griffin protested in time for the state’s filing deadline.

The board will also look at 266 ballots cast by never residents—one fewer than the 267 cited by a federal judge in January—due to those voters “possibly” checking a box that read, “I am a U.S. citizen living outside the country, I have never lived in the United States.”

The board cited information indicating that some never residents may have previously resided in North Carolina.

NASCAR Returns to Rockingham Speedway

For the first time since 2013, Rockingham Speedway roars back into action this weekend, hosting the Craftsman Truck Series Friday and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Saturday. View the schedule here.

Known by many as “The Rock,” the track was built in 1965 and hosted NASCAR Cup Series events until 2004. It’s where Dale Earnhardt clinched his seventh title and Richard Petty claimed 11 victories.

Public and private contributions made the track’s revival possible. Former Gov. Roy Cooper approved $9 million in 2021 for improvements, and site owner Dan Lovenheim contributed $3.5 million in private funds for resurfacing and system updates.

Tourism officials estimate over 45,000 people will attend this weekend’s races—nearly five times the town of Rockingham’s population.

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➤ Statewide: A House bill banning social media for minors under age 14 and requiring parental consent for teens ages 14-15 to create a social media account cleared a House committee Tuesday. (More)

➤ Western NC: Republican North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards released a report he created for the White House and FEMA task force containing his recommendations for reforming FEMA and managing the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (See Details)

➤ Triad: President Trump appointed former North Carolina Republican representative and Triad pastor Mark Walker as the new ambassador-at-large for the Office of International Religious Freedom. (More)

➤ Raleigh: The Department of Homeland Security gave 25 Christian Afghan asylum seekers, who were allowed to temporarily live and work in the U.S. under the Biden administration, seven days to leave the country or face deportation. (More)

➤ Salisbury: Rowan County deputies deployed a robot into an apartment so they could view and negotiate with a possibly armed suicidal man. The man eventually came out without further incident and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. (More)

➤ Greensboro: The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the shining of a red laser on a Piedmont Triad International Airport flight. The person(s) responsible could be fined up to $11,000 per violation or $30,800 for multiple violations. (More)

➤ Charlotte: A woman whose car was stolen with her French Bulldog, Julio, inside, says that although her car was found, Julio was not, and now the dognapper is demanding a ransom. (See Details)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes recalled four players from the AHL, likely to help fill out the roster for the final two regular-season games as they prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (More)

➤ Wake Forest baseball got back on track Tuesday, rebounding from a sweep at the hands of No. 16 UNC to dominate No. 21 Coastal Carolina 16-5. (More)

➤ A new Senate budget proposal, if passed, would require NC State and UNC to schedule more in-state basketball games in the future. (More)

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➤ A federal judge ordered Charlotte-based Bank of America to pay more than $540 million to resolve litigation alleging the bank underpaid mandatory deposit insurance assessments. (More)

➤ Raleigh’s City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow rezoning around the Lenovo Center to enable construction of restaurants, offices, homes, and hotels near the arena. (More)

➤ The owner of Hillbilly’s Barbecue and Steaks in Gaston County must pay over $1.5 million after being accused of using $762,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for personal gain, including the purchase of a FedEx business. (More)

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➤ The Nash County Sheriff’s Office employed Waldo the Goldendoodle to sniff out drugs during I-95 traffic stops. Deputies also work with Maya the Pointer to help catch smugglers. (Watch Report)

➤ A dog from Charlotte named American Cheese has been nominated for Nationwide’s Wacky Pet Names contest, competing against names like Luke Skybarker and Schmeagle Vonsqueaklebits. Voting is open through Saturday. (More)

➤ NC State researchers’ 2025 Atlantic hurricane season forecast predicts 12-15 named storms, with six to eight becoming hurricanes, and two to three of those becoming major storms. (See Details)

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