NOAA Director Pledges to Restaff NWS

President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Neil Jacobs of Durham, pledged during his Senate confirmation hearing on July 9 to prioritize restaffing the National Weather Service (NWS) after recent deadly floods in Texas exposed staffing shortages.

Jacobs supports Trump’s proposal to cut NOAA’s budget by 27% in 2026 but said the department is refocusing funding from research to operations so “mission-essential functions” can continue.

Senators noted that one employee who took a Trump administration buyout was the warning coordination meteorologist for the Austin/San Antonio NWS office, whose job is to ensure the public is aware of forecasts.

Jacobs, who led NOAA in an acting capacity during Trump’s first term and has a doctorate from NC State in numerical weather prediction, plans to modernize warning systems but opposes consolidating NWS offices, favoring instead that forecasters remain embedded in local communities.

Fishing Protection Coalition Gains Support

Five North Carolina counties have responded to a July 3 letter from Dare County Board of Commissioners Chair Bob Woodard proposing the formation of a North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition.

Craven and Currituck counties have appointed a representative to the coalition, which seeks to defend commercial fishing along the North Carolina coast in the wake of a defeated shrimp trawling ban.

Brunswick, Carteret, and Tyrrell counties will discuss the coalition request at their boards’ next meetings, and additional counties are expected to add the request to their agendas as well.

Woodard hopes to hold the coalition’s initial meeting the first week of August, likely in Carteret County.

Parkway Maps Diagram Helene Recovery

The Blue Ridge Parkway published a series of maps on the National Park Service’s website that track road improvement and recovery projects linked to Hurricane Helene.

Users can download maps of the Highlands and Asheville/Pisgah regions to see the locations of road closures and bridge construction sites in PDF, Illustrator, or Photoshop format via the NPS’s cartography site.

The “Helene Recovery Projects—At a Glance” page displays the locations of repairs being made and offers an overview of project statuses and timelines.

Officials expect some areas to open in the next few weeks. View photos of recovery progress via the Parkway’s Instagram page.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Monday he is suing the Trump administration for withholding $165 million in education funds, warning the cuts could eliminate about 1,000 jobs statewide. (More)

➤ Durham: David Gergen, adviser to four U.S. presidents and a former Duke professor who taught at the Sanford School of Public Policy and served on the Duke Board of Trustees, died July 10 at the age of 83 from Lewy body dementia. (More)

➤ Ocean Isle Beach residents are placing sandbags on their property to combat escalating beach erosion caused by a delayed Army Corps of Engineers dredging project, which a town administrator hopes will be completed this year. (More)

➤ Avery County: The U.S. Forest Service reopened Elk River Falls Area in the Pisgah National Forest—home to the 65-foot Big Falls waterfall—on July 11, following several months of clearing debris from Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Polk County officials are urging hikers to use caution on local trails and natural areas after a 20-year-old woman died Sunday from a 75 to 100-foot fall at Big Bradley Falls in Saluda. (More)

➤ Wilmington: Jason Thomas Gurganus, 53, died Thursday at UNC-Chapel Hill Medical Center after being struck by lightning while idling in a boat near Marsh Creek at Scott’s Hill Marina. (More)

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➤ Former Tar Heels running back Willie Parker hosted a free football camp at St. David’s School in Raleigh last weekend, with help from former NC State receiver and new St. David’s coach T.J. Graham. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes were interested in retaining veteran defenseman Brent Burns before he signed with the Colorado Avalanche, but told him they could only do so if he accepted a reduced role. (More)

➤ Multiple North Carolinians continued to come off the board in yesterday’s MLB Draft action. See the landing spots for Davie High School’s Coy James, NC State’s CJ Gray, and other players. (See Picks)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: Soccer | WNBA | MLB Draft

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➤ Three North Carolina bed and breakfasts are in the running for USA Today’s 10 best: the C.W. Worth House Bed & Breakfast in Wilmington, Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast in Durham, and The Historic Magnolia House in Greensboro. Voting is open through Aug. 4 at noon, with winners announced Aug. 13. (See Nominations)

➤ The Rosendin Foundation’s Camp Build in Huntersville teaches sixth through eighth graders hands-on construction and electrical skills, addressing industry shortages and helping teens explore new career paths. (More)

➤ Avelo Airlines extended its East Coast flight schedule through mid-February 2026, with fares starting at $37 at the following North Carolina airports: Raleigh-Durham International, Concord-Padgett Regional, and Wilmington International. (See List)

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➤ A ring appeared on Raleigh weather radar Sunday, displaying what meteorologists describe as “storms breathing”—an outflow boundary created by cooler air spreading outward, which can both shut down storms inside the ring and spark new ones along its edge. (See Radar)

➤ Saluda held its 62nd annual Coon Dog Day festival Saturday, featuring a Coon Dog Day parade and the Coon Hound Dog show. (See Photos)

➤ A Bridgerton-themed bus tour showcases Charlotte’s history with games, royal photo opportunities, a throne backdrop, a curtsy tutorial, and Queen Charlotte crowning one passenger the “diamond of the season.” (See Photos)

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Have you ever stayed at a bed and breakfast?

1. Yes, loved it
2. Yes, didn’t love it
3. No, too intimate
4. Not yet

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you clone a beloved pet if given the opportunity?

1. Absolutely not: 52%
2. Tempting … I’ll ponder it: 27%
3. Heck yeah: 21%

What was the first completed section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to open to the public?

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