Thursday, March 27, 2025

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1951, a court ruled in McKissick v. Carmichael that four black students seeking admission to the University of North Carolina’s law school could be admitted, effectively desegregating the school and setting a precedent for other higher education programs and schools to desegregate.

Duke men’s basketball takes on Arizona tonight at 9:39 p.m. as Sweet 16 games tip off. Hit reply and let us know if you’re staying up to watch it.

Also, UNC men’s basketball fans are not happy about the potential destruction of a building displaying a mural of legendary coach Dean Smith. Learn more in Around North Carolina.

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New Wildfires, More Evacuations

New wildfires are raging in multiple counties, including Haywood, Buncombe, and Jackson. Existing fires in Polk County, including the 3,046-acre Black Cove and 2,923-acre Deep Woods fires were both at 0% containment as of Wednesday evening. The 199-acre Fish Hook fire in Polk County was 72% contained at that time.

Emergency management officials expanded evacuation orders to Holbert Cove Road, Coyote Ridge, and Sam’s Gap Lane in Polk County, and to Summer Haven in Henderson County, which borders Polk County, in preparation for the potential spread of fires to that area. This map shows which areas are under evacuation orders.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital Tuesday after being trapped under a fallen tree, but the North Carolina Forest Service stated he was expected to be OK. Oregon’s Department of Forestry flew in 28 firefighters Wednesday, with 10 more on the way.

Meanwhile, a 343-acre wildfire on the other side of the state near Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County was fully contained as of Wednesday.

Senate Files Women’s Safety and Protection Act

Senate Republicans filed what some are calling “Bathroom Bill 2.0” Tuesday.

The Women’s Safety and Protection Act mandates that public facilities be used only by individuals of the same biological sex, with exceptions for family use or emergencies. It also restricts transgender people from changing the gender on their birth certificate and driver’s license.

While not exactly like 2016’s House Bill 2—which banned transgender people from using bathrooms with the gender they identified as in all city, county, and state buildings—Senate Bill 516 wouldn’t apply to all government buildings, but would apply to public schools, prisons, and some institutions that receive government funding.

The bill also allows transgender people to use bathrooms, changing rooms, or sleeping quarters of the gender they identify as only if no one else is present.

RDU Introduces 15 Nonstop Flights

Just in time for spring and summer vacations, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) will launch 15 nonstop flights between April and June, starting with Bermuda and Pensacola, Fla., in April.

May nonstop flight launches include Kansas City, Mo.; Baltimore, Md.; Detroit, Mich.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Newark, N.J.; New Orleans, La.; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Wilmington, Del.

In June, nonstop flights to Albany, N.Y.; Nassau, Bahamas; and Vancouver, Canada take off. That same month, a new airline at RDU, WestJet, will launch a flight to Calgary, Canada, although it’s unclear whether that flight will be nonstop.

In February, RDU introduced nonstop flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

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➤ Statewide: A House committee approved a bipartisan bill on Tuesday that would ban tobacco and hemp-derived products and their synthetic counterparts on public school property. (More)

➤ Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari announced that he will take a position with the Trump administration as deputy administrator for the Federal Transit Administration. (More)

➤ Raleigh’s new police chief, Rico Boyce, is reintroducing Cops on the Block, an initiative that sends officers to knock on doors, check in with neighbors, and listen to concerns. (More)

➤ Chapel Hill: A beloved mural of legendary UNC men’s basketball coach Dean Smith, painted by artist Scott Nurkin in 2015, may be demolished to make way for a Refuel convenience store. (Watch Report)

➤ Wilmington—the last North Carolina city to offer a red-light camera program—did not include a contract renewal for the program in its recommended budget for the next fiscal year. The current contract ends June 30. (More)

➤ Wake County: The new 300-acre Beech Bluff County Park recently opened near Willow Spring with 4 miles of trails, a canopy walk, community gardens, a wildlife viewing deck, a playground with a climbing wall, and other features. (More)

➤ Franklin County: The body of a 7-year-old boy who went missing on March 17 was recovered from the Tar River on Tuesday. Authorities said the river had been in a minor flood stage when the boy fell in. (More)

➤ No. 1 seed Duke men’s basketball will face No. 4 seed Arizona tonight at 9:39 p.m. in its March Madness Sweet 16 matchup. Duke defeated Arizona 69-55 back in November and enters the game as the comfortable 8.5-point favorite. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets put up a strong fight against the Orlando Magic Tuesday night but struggled to score against the league’s third-toughest defense, resulting in a 111-104 home loss. (More)

➤ Wake Forest was once again the top-ranked North Carolina team on this week’s D1 baseball rankings, though both the Demon Deacons and UNC dropped from their rankings last week. (See Poll)

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➤ RTI International, a Research Triangle Park-based nonprofit, announced 177 layoffs in North Carolina as part of 340 layoffs nationwide due to market shifts and changes in federal funding. (More)

➤ The Economic Security Act proposes raising North Carolina’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $22 an hour and eliminating the tipped minimum wage, which is currently $2.13 an hour. (More)

➤ Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis responded further to the controversy surrounding the size of the American flag at his company’s Greenville location, stating: “Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down.” (More)

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➤ North Carolina is one of 23 states that have reduced their income tax since 2000, going from 7.8% to 4.3%—a 3.5% reduction. (See Map)

➤ The Food Network is filming The Great Food Truck Race in downtown Wilmington this week at Wilmington Brewery, Waterman’s Brewery, Slice of Life, and the Wilmington Convention Center. (More)

➤ North Carolina Sen. Natalie Murdock, D-Chatham/Durham, filed a bill Tuesday to make Greenville-native Petey Pablo’s censored version of Raise Up the state’s official hip-hop song. (See Details)

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