State Cracks Down on Speeders

The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program and law enforcement agencies launched a weeklong initiative Monday called “Speeding Catches Up With You” to reduce traffic injuries and deaths. The campaign runs through Sunday. 

Drivers can expect to see more state troopers and other law enforcement vehicles on highways and roads this week, with a focus on stopping those who exceed speed limits or drive aggressively. 

Drivers are encouraged to obey all posted speed limits, allow extra time to reach destinations, stay alert, avoid distractions, drive sober, and buckle up. In 2024, there were nearly 400 deaths and thousands of preventable injuries due to speed-related crashes in North Carolina.

You can access information about traffic violation fines and potential license points here.

UNC ID Election Suit Dismissed

State and national Republican groups and the North Carolina State Board of Elections have settled a lawsuit over the use of UNC-Chapel Hill’s digital ID for voter identification.

The agreement, finalized with a joint voluntary dismissal on Monday in Wake County Superior Court, prevents the use of electronic IDs for voting unless the General Assembly passes new legislation explicitly allowing it.

The 2024 lawsuit challenged the Board of Elections’ decision to accept UNC’s Mobile One Card as a valid voter ID, but a September 2024 Court of Appeals ruling blocked its use. The board, now with a Republican majority, has agreed to resolve the dispute by adhering to a state law requiring physical photo IDs.

Duke Method Expedites Pediatric Transplants

Duke Health researchers have pioneered a technique called on-table heart reanimation that could expand the donor pool for pediatric heart transplants by up to 20%.

The process involves temporarily reanimating a donor heart on a surgical table using a heart-lung machine, allowing surgeons to evaluate the heart’s viability before transplanting it into the patient. The procedure was successfully performed earlier this year and saved the life of a three-month-old patient.

The more standard donation after circulatory death (DCD) technique can be used as long as the heart’s functionality can be assessed on a perfusion device, sometimes referred to as a “heart-in-a-box.” However, existing devices are too large to accommodate infant hearts.

Duke scientists believe on-table heart reanimation could become a new standard of care, as it has the potential to make use of viable pediatric donor hearts currently going unused.

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➤ Statewide: Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Monday that $36 million of $165 million in previously frozen federal education funding has been released to North Carolina for after-school and summer programs. (More)

➤ Wake and Cumberland Counties: Map Act plaintiffs are accusing NCDOT of misleading courts about unconstitutional property restrictions that delayed compensation to property owners. The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on Sept. 16. (See Details)

➤ Transylvania County: A child stranded on the far side of Looking Glass Falls in the Pisgah National Forest during Sunday’s flash floods was safely rescued by swift water technicians. (See Photos)

➤ Lake Norman: Deputies issued over 30 citations Saturday, seizing guns and drugs, during an event promoted as “Black Boat Weekend.” No medical or safety incidents were reported. (More)

➤ Eno River State Park remains closed with no clear reopening timeline after flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the suspension bridge and trails. (More)

➤ Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is inviting public review and comments through Aug. 20 on a draft plan to stabilize its shoreline, where erosion threatens archaeological sites and park facilities. (See Details)

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➤ UNC’s football program was valued at $572 million in a recent list by The Athletic, ranking 26th among all Power Four schools. (More)

➤ Three ECU football players have been suspended indefinitely after being charged with discharging a firearm in Greenville over the weekend. (More)

➤ A lawsuit from NC State’s 1983 “Cardiac Pack” national championship team against the NCAA over NIL compensation may face setbacks after a similar case from ex-Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor was dismissed on statute-of-limitations grounds. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | Tour de France

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➤ Launching your venture in North Carolina? LegalZoom simplifies LLC formation, so you can protect personal assets and give your business a professional edge. Start your NC LLC in minutes.

➤ The Lenovo Center will host a hiring event on July 30 to fill 300 part-time jobs ranging from concessions and food service to security and parking. (See Details)

➤ Grammy-nominated Deadmau5, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, will headline the 45Drives Creator Summit in Wilmington Sept. 8-12, an event that brings together tech creatives for discussions, livestreams, and demonstrations. (More)

➤ Duke Energy and state regulators presented arguments to the North Carolina Utilities Commission on Tuesday regarding the company’s proposal to build a natural gas plant in Person County on the same site as another one. (More)

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Google and Meta Partnered with This XR Startup

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Now, Immersed is shipping the first units of its productivity-designed Visor headset. Over 75,000 people are already waitlisted, representing $71 million in projected first-year sales. No wonder leaders at Intel and Meta have already invested.

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➤ ExploreFall, a website that forecasts fall foliage, predicts peak colors Oct. 20-28 for North Carolina’s mountains and Nov. 4-11 for the Piedmont. Coastal area foliage should peak in mid-November. (See Map)

➤ The Blue Ridge Parkway reopened a 12-mile corridor—previously closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene—between milepost 305.2 near Beacon Heights and U.S. 221, and milepost 317.5 at U.S. 221 near the Linville Falls community. (More)

➤ A rare agave americana bloom, which can take decades to mature, stunned onlookers Sunday at the corner of Central Avenue and Club Road in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood, with a towering 15- to 30-foot flower stalk. (See Photos and Video)

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Did you watch NC State win the 1983 men’s basketball national championship?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Too young to remember
4. Too old to remember

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you like to camp?

1. No: 38%
2. Yes: 36%
3. Only if it’s “glamping”: 26%

Who is considered the most famous baseball player from North Carolina?

Show me the answer