SBI Investigates Jail Takeover

State Bureau of Investigation agents are combing through surveillance video to determine how inmates seized control of the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail in Windsor on Monday.

The takeover began around 5 a.m., when 88 inmates overpowered three guards, holding two hostage while a third escaped. Local, state, and federal officers surrounded the eastern North Carolina facility as negotiators worked to free the hostages.

By early afternoon, the SBI and FBI had cleared the building, ending the roughly 10-hour standoff with no deaths and only minor injuries. All 88 inmates were transferred to state prisons.

Investigators say reviewing the large volume of footage and interviews will take time, and they haven’t said what triggered the uprising.

Gov. Josh Stein said “the perpetrators must be held accountable for this horrifying action,” and urged the state to do more to recruit, retain, and pay the officers who staff its jails and prisons.

House Passes Sweeping Elections Overhaul

The North Carolina House passed a wide-ranging elections bill Tuesday along party lines, sending it to the state Senate.

House Bill 958 bundles scores of changes, including a new photo ID requirement for overseas and military voters and tighter rules meant to keep non-citizens from being registered at the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Sponsor Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, has called the measure a “work in progress.”

Those talks dropped several contested provisions and extended the deadline for counting absentee ballots, a change Democrats supported. It wasn’t enough to win their votes, however. Rep. Phil Rubin, D-Wake, argued the bill would restrict the right to vote rather than protect it.

Because House Republicans sit one seat short of a veto-proof supermajority, defecting swing lawmakers could doom the bill if Gov. Josh Stein vetoes it. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

CMS Probes $512K in Contracts

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board is scrutinizing more than $512,000 in contracts awarded to firms owned by Superintendent Crystal Hill’s former colleagues.

Records show HayMag Consulting, owned by Hill’s former boss at Cabarrus County Schools, has won six CMS contracts since 2023 to coach principals and top staff. Two other former colleagues also landed consulting deals.

Former board member Lisa Cline, who chaired the finance committee, said she repeatedly questioned the payments and that the money “could have been redirected to teachers,” and that smaller contracts never reached the full board.

Hill has been on paid leave since June 17 pending a broader oversight investigation. She says she welcomes the review, will cooperate “fully and openly,” and was never told what prompted it.

Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight is running the district, which has churned through several leaders in recent years.

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➤ Statewide: State lawmakers planned votes yesterday and today on a $34 billion budget that adds $700 million for Hurricane Helene recovery and roughly 8% average teacher raises. (More)

➤ Statewide: A video display at North Carolina’s privately sponsored booth at the Great American State Fair in Washington, which showed the state flag merged with the Confederate battle emblem, has been taken down. (More)

➤ Coastal NC: The National Park Service is reminding visitors that fireworks are illegal on all Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches, from Rodanthe to Ocracoke, and rangers will patrol through the holiday. Two permitted shows are set for July 2 on Ocracoke and July 4 at Avon. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Rob Harrington, a former president of the North Carolina Bar Association, was sworn in on Wednesday as Charlotte’s new mayor, chosen by the city council to finish the term of Vi Lyles, who stepped down. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: Sheriff Sam Page has sued the county and Commissioner Kevin Berger in federal court, alleging retaliation for his state Senate campaign against Berger’s father, Phil Berger. Page, who narrowly unseated the longtime Senate leader in the March primary, says the county illegally froze his pay. (More)

➤ Surf City: A long-planned federal project to widen the beach and rebuild dunes along the city’s 6-mile shoreline has cleared its final funding hurdle. The Army Corps of Engineers expects construction to begin in late 2027 and take about 16 months. (More)

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➤ Pope Leo XIV received a custom Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup championship jersey at the Vatican this week, presented by North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley. The first American pope also received the Order of the Tar Heel, the highest honor awarded by the state’s labor commissioner. (More) 

➤ North Carolina placed eight courses on Golfweek’s annual ranking of the top 100 public-access courses in the country, led by Pinehurst No. 2 at No. 3 overall. Pinehurst No. 10, redesigned by Tom Doak, climbed four spots to No. 19. (More) 

➤ UNC finished No. 14 in a CBS Sports ranking of the best overall college athletics programs for the 2025-26 season, followed by Duke at No. 17, NC State at No. 40, and Wake Forest at No. 55. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB

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➤ Mt. Olive Pickle Company: The Mount Olive-based pickle maker withdrew from the Great American State Fair in Washington after a Confederate flag image appeared in a video at North Carolina’s booth. The company said it was unaware of the image. (More)

➤ Bargello, a Mediterranean restaurant inside downtown Asheville’s Kimpton Hotel Arras, earned Wine Spectator’s 2026 Award of Excellence for the second year running. The honor recognizes a thoughtfully curated wine list. (More)

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➤ NC State’s Wolfpack Outfitters is now selling swim trunks and cabana shirts from Coastal Cool, a beachwear brand founded by North Carolina teenager Holden Bierman. The gear is made from recycled plastic. (Watch Report)

➤ The Durham-Chapel Hill region ranks No. 2 among America’s most educated cities in a new analysis of 150 metro areas, thanks to its excellence in educational attainment and quality of education. Ann Arbor, Mich., took the No. 1 spot. (See Ranking)

➤ Lenoir will host its annual North Carolina Blackberry Festival July 10-11, featuring family fun, live music, vendors, blackberry cobbler, eating contests, and a parade. (See Details)

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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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Researchers highlighted five habits that are guaranteed to help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. (See Habits)

➤ The Justice Department and 17 states have accused three major egg producers of manipulating prices, inflating the market. (Hear Episode)

➤ A new report suggests everyday phone use may be quietly reshaping the body in ways few people realize. (Listen Now)

What’s your favorite way to eat blackberries?

1. Plain
2. Blackberry cobbler
3. Blackberry pie
4. Blackberry jam
5. Other (reply to share)
6. Not a fan of blackberries

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever collected stamps?

1. No: 51%
2. Yes: 34%
3. Not yet: 8%
4. Can’t remember: 7%

What Revolutionary War event involved patriots encamping in what is now downtown Lenoir?

Show me the answer