Stein Declares State of Emergency

Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency Tuesday ahead of a winter storm arriving this morning that promises snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a majority of North Carolina.

He activated the state’s emergency response team and more than 180 National Guardsmen and stated that road safety and power outages are the biggest concerns.

Most areas will get 2-6 inches of snow, while some northern counties could receive up to 9 inches. Black ice will remain a threat into Friday.

NCDOT treated roads earlier this week and Duke Energy crews can be deployed within a couple of hours to areas experiencing widespread outages.

Duke Energy customers can report an outage or check their outage status here or by using the Duke Energy app. Customers can also text “OUT” to 57801 to report an outage.

Appeals Court Hears Appointments Challenge

North Carolina’s Court of Appeals listened Monday as attorneys for Gov. Josh Stein disputed lawmakers’ ability to limit the governor’s appointment-making power over seven state boards and commissions.

A year ago, a unanimous three-judge Superior Court panel upheld changes to five boards but struck down two others after then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, had filed suit against the appointment changes.

Stein, also a Democrat, recently called the restructured boards “partisan power grabs” and wants the Court of Appeals to strike down changes to all seven boards because he believes they violate the state constitution’s separation of government powers.

A deadline for the Appeals Court’s decision has not yet been established.

Loggerheads Dance for Food

UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have learned how to make captive loggerhead turtles dance for food using replicated magnetic fields from along the Atlantic Coast.

Researchers exposed 2-month-old loggerheads to two different fields. One was associated with a food reward and the other offered no reward. Eventually, the turtles exhibited a “turtle dance” when exposed to the magnetic field associated with food.

Watch for yourself. This video shows the turtles dancing when exposed to the food-reward field and slowly swimming when exposed to the non-reward field.

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➤ Statewide: A signature verification voting pilot program that cost over $450,000 to conduct in 10 counties revealed mixed results, including false alarms on mismatched signatures and rejections of valid signatures. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Around 112,000 gallons of untreated wastewater spilled into Sugar Creek Sunday due to a wastewater treatment plant pipe failure. Operators were able to stop the spill in three minutes. (More)

➤ Chatham County: The apparent leader of a cultlike group that prompted an FBI search in rural Chapel Hill earlier this month was arrested for multiple charges in Maryland on Sunday. (More)

➤ Person County: A bobcat charged and attacked a man Sunday, leaving him with bites, scrapes, and claw marks from the waist up. Wildlife control officials put the bobcat down due to rabies concerns. (Watch Report)

➤ Forsyth County: Republican Rep. Donnie Lambeth co-sponsored a bill that would make the Moravian cookie North Carolina’s official state cookie, paying homage to the Moravians’ 1700s settlement in the Winston-Salem area. (More)

➤ Raleigh: A driver plowed into the historic Lincoln Theatre after experiencing a medical emergency that caused him to accidentally hit the gas pedal. (See Photos)

➤ UNC and NC State men’s basketball teams square off tonight at 7 p.m. as both teams look for a strong regular-season finish heading into the ACC tournament. UNC needs to win six of its final seven games to secure an at-large NCAA tournament bid, while NC State must win the ACC to participate. (More)

➤ No. 3 Duke men’s basketball’s 80-62 win over Virginia Monday came at a cost, as key contributor Maliq Brown dislocated his shoulder during the game and will be sidelined while it heals. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers are bringing back quarterback Andy Dalton on a two-year $8 million contract. Dalton started five games for the Panthers last year when former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was temporarily benched. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Around 45% of North Carolina imports come from the European Union due to the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry’s foothold here. Ireland is the state’s top EU import partner. (See Details)

➤ Pennsylvania Transformer Technology will invest $102.5 million and add 217 jobs in an expansion of its Raeford operation. (More) 

➤ Charlotte-based IperionX Limited secured a $47.1 million U.S. Department of Defense contract to create a resilient, low-cost integrated mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain. (More)

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➤ A North Carolina A&T assistant professor’s Jan. 20 TikTok video created a movement known as “HillmanTok,” named after “Hillman University” from the 1980s TV series A Different World. (Watch Video)

➤ North Carolina—the country’s ninth-largest state in population but 28th in square miles—appears bigger than some states that cover more land when resized based on population. (See Resizes and Actual Sizes)

➤ NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon said Sunday he is talking with Tom Cruise about making a Days of Thunder sequel. The news follows a November report that Cruise talked to Paramount about making a sequel. (More)

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Do you think the Moravian cookie should become North Carolina’s state cookie?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I need to try one first

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever used a genuine outhouse?

1. Yes: 63%
2. No: 19%
3. Only counting Porta Potties: 18%

What two North Carolina speedways were featured in Days of Thunder?

Show me the answer