Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1865, Jefferson Davis and his Confederate cabinet began their final government meetings at the Phifer House in Charlotte. These sessions followed gatherings at the Bank of North Carolina from April 19-22, as the Confederacy collapsed after Richmond’s fall.

A North Carolina state audit revealed what community colleges spent Hurricane Helene mental health relief funds on. Learn more in Top Stories.

Today’s sponsor, BiOptimizers, is tackling one of the most overlooked causes of digestive discomfort: declining enzyme levels with MassZymes, a powerful formula designed to help your body fully break down food and eliminate bloating, gas, and that sluggish post-meal feeling.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Helene Funds Paid for Stress Balls, Birdwatching

North Carolina community colleges used Hurricane Helene mental health relief funds for purchases ranging from rhinoceros-shaped stress balls to succulent plants, a state audit revealed on Monday.

The $1.25 million allocation for Expanded Mental Health Support at affected institutions also included spending on wellness journals, birdwatching, salt therapy, and foot detox sessions.

Blue Ridge Community College spent over $12,000 on journals, plants, and sensory tools. Gaston College purchased 2,000 rhino stress balls for $5,223, and Wilkes Community College funded guided birdwatching and a “Sobriety Bowl” event with pizza and gift cards. Colleges defended some items as wellness aids but agreed to reclassify many expenses to other funds.

As of Dec. 31, 37.12% of the allotted funds had been spent to support to 7,735 students and 2,298 staff members.

Leaders Probe Cooper-Era Prisoner Releases

North Carolina legislative leaders have launched a probe into early prisoner releases during former Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration, focusing on decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers say an oversight committee will examine transparency and public safety concerns tied to a 2021 settlement between Cooper and advocacy groups, including the ACLU and NAACP, that led to the early release of 4,200 prisoners that included what Republican House Speaker Destin Hall described as “violent, repeat offenders.”

At the time of the settlement, Cooper, who is the state’s Democrat nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat, said no violent offenders were among those released.

Republican leaders argue the investigation is necessary for accountability, with Hall calling the releases “a serious miscarriage of justice.”

Cybersecurity Urged in Election System Upgrade

Cybersecurity concerns dominated public feedback as North Carolina officials plan a major upgrade to the state’s aging election systems, with public comments frequently highlighting risks to voting infrastructure and data protection.

Roughly 30-35 of 80 public submissions to the Modernization of Election Data Systems Commission focused on cybersecurity, making it the most discussed issue. Commissioners are reviewing those concerns as they weigh improvements to data integrity, transparency, and resilience against potential cyber threats.

The 22-member commission, created to guide replacement of systems dating back to 1998, will help shape technology used for voter registration, election management, and results reporting statewide.

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➤ Statewide: An update to a January audit showed that as of Feb. 1, North Carolina agencies had eliminated 129 of 819 long-term vacancies, with the remaining 690 still generating $10.9 million in lapsed salary over four months. (More)

➤ NC Schools: Districts canceling classes on May 1 due to teachers requesting the day for a Raleigh protest include Asheville City Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Chatham County Schools, Durham Public Schools, and Guilford County Schools. (More)

➤ Winston-Salem: Erubey Romero Medina, 17, and Daniel Jimenez Millian, 16, were both pronounced dead from gunshot wounds at the scene of a prearranged fight at Leinbach Park on Monday. The names of five others who were shot are being withheld pending further investigation. (More)

➤ Raleigh: City leaders unveiled renderings of a redesigned downtown Lichtin Plaza featuring green space and accessibility upgrades on Tuesday, alongside a 600-room Omni hotel currently under construction and expected to open in 2028. (See Renderings)

➤ Asheville: Photos of the $40 million renovation of HomeTrust Park, where the Asheville Tourists play, show its new entrance and plaza, expanded concourse areas, modernized spaces, and outfield video board. (See Photos)

➤ Holden Beach: Travel + Leisure spotlighted the area’s wildlife, shelling opportunities, uncrowded shores, Calabash-style seafood, and laid-back atmosphere as a peaceful alternative to busier Carolina coastal destinations. (More)

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➤ Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook scored a game-winner in double overtime to beat the Senators 3-2. Carolina now holds a 2-0 lead over Ottawa in the series. (See Highlight)

➤ Tyler Reddick won at Kansas Speedway this weekend for Michael Jordan’s Huntersville-based 23XI Racing. It’s Reddick’s fifth win in nine races, a start-of-season pace not seen in NASCAR since 1987, when Dale Earnhardt was racing. (More)

➤ The “Keep Pounding Classic” returns to Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 29 with a high school doubleheader: Indian Land faces off against South Carolina’s Northwestern, then defending state champion Hough plays against Cardinal Gibbons. (More)

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➤ Federal regulators fined Durham-based American Efficient $722 million and ordered the company and its corporate parent, Modern Energy, to return $409.8 million plus interest to the PJM Interconnection and another power-grid operator, alleging that they carried out a decade-long market fraud scheme. (More)

➤ The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case filed by the owner of 360 Virtual Drone Services, who challenged North Carolina’s licensing restrictions as unconstitutional. (More)

➤ Summer Road, an activist investor, is fighting for a seat on the board of Black Mountain-based Ingles Markets, and is advocating that the company split off its real estate into a separate business. The wording by Summer Road implies that it may target the chain as a future merger or buyout target. (More)

➤ Jordon Hudson’s company is nearing ownership of “Chapel Bill” and related trademarks tied to Bill Belichick, as applications advance toward approval by early May. (More)

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➤ Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is one of 34 volunteer organizations that NASA selected to assist with mission planning for Artemis III by analyzing spacecraft tracking data of the Orion spacecraft gathered during the Artemis II mission. (More)

➤ The Bodie Island Lighthouse reopens for public climbing today, starting with a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule that will transition to seven days a week in mid-May. Tickets must be purchased in advance. (More)

➤ The Oak Ridge Boys will perform their country gospel hits at Wilmington’s Wilson Center on Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. as part of their Celebrating Route 66 tour. Tickets go on sale to the public April 23 at 10 a.m. (More)

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