NC Bucks Under-5 Decline

A new Economic Innovation Group report reveals Mecklenburg, Wake, Forsyth, and Durham counties are among the few urban counties nationwide to experience increases in their under-5 populations since the 2020 pandemic.

Mecklenburg’s under-5 population grew by 5.5% to 77,000, Wake’s by 3.1% to 69,000, Forsyth’s by 2.8% to 23,000, and Durham’s by 0.3% to 20,000. Live births also increased in Wake by 7.5% and in Mecklenburg by 8.6%, compared to a decade ago.

Nathan Dollar, director of Carolina Demography at UNC-Chapel Hill, credits the growth to North Carolina remaining one of the country’s fastest-growing states.

While births remain below the replacement rate, enough people in their prime working years—who are more likely to have children—are moving into the state to prevent the population from shrinking.

Report Ranks NC Worst State to Work In

A newly released Oxfam America report ranked North Carolina last—No. 52 out of all U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico—based on its worker protections, minimum wage ($7.25), and lack of paid sick or family leave policies.

The report also highlighted North Carolina’s right-to-work law, which bans mandatory union membership or dues, as a barrier to workers’ rights to organize.

Although North Carolina was named the best state for business by CNBC, Gov. Josh Stein acknowledged the need for improvements.

Oxfam America, which aims to “end poverty and injustice,” reported that North Carolina ranked last overall for the fifth consecutive year, with Mississippi (51), Alabama (50), Georgia (49), and Tennessee (48) rounding out the bottom five.

WoodMill Winery Destroyed in Fire

WoodMill Winery in Lincoln County was destroyed by a fire Sunday morning that required 40 firefighters from five fire departments across two counties to extinguish.

Crews said a large column of black smoke was visible when they arrived, and by 8:10 a.m., heavy fire was visible on all sides of the building. The blaze was brought under control by 10:30 a.m.

Enough wine to fill 350,000 bottles was lost inside the winery, which is known for its muscadine, scuppernong, and fruit-based wines in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

The winery pledged to rebuild in a Monday Facebook post. Watch a video of the fire here and see what remains of the winery here.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein announced appointments to 22 boards, commissions, and councils across North Carolina on Friday, covering health, education, and veterans affairs. (See Appointments)

➤ NC Schools: Parents and guardians of public school students statewide are being asked to create a Campus Parent account to access student information through the state’s new student data management system, Infinite Campus. (More)

➤ Surry County: The State Board of Elections announced the resignation of Chairman James Yokeley amid charges that he contaminated his granddaughters’ ice cream with MDMA and cocaine. Yokeley is also charged with felony child abuse and possession of narcotics. (More)

➤ Winston-Salem: Greater Winston-Salem Inc. and Visit Winston-Salem are developing a 12-16 month plan with Kimley-Horn to enhance the city’s economy and family-friendliness by addressing community assets, the public school system’s $46 million deficit, and other issues. (More)

➤ Charlotte: As of Monday, only 947 voters had cast ballots in the Charlotte City Council primary ahead of next week’s election. Critics blamed the low turnout on only one early voting location being open until yesterday, when nine more opened. (More)

➤ Greensboro College and the local theatre community are mourning the loss of popular theater professor and director of the college’s Music Theatre Program, William Perry Morgan, 64, who died in a car accident Friday evening. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Army football player and Enloe High graduate Larry Pickett Jr., 20, and his father acted quickly on Saturday to save a man from a burning car in Highland Falls, New York. (More)

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➤ Former Duke golfer Miranda Wang held off the No. 1 women’s golfer in the world to win her first LPGA event over the weekend. (More)

➤ The Carolina Mudcats minor league baseball team has officially played its last game in Zebulon. The team will now begin transitioning to its new stadium in Wilson, where it’ll be called the Warbirds. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes’ farm system ranked eighth out of every team in the NHL on a recent list, signaling a strong crop of prospects for the near future. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | U.S. Open

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➤ Asheville-based Givens Communities and Charlotte’s Aldersgate United Methodist Retirement Community finalized their affiliation to enhance services for nearly 600 residents. Givens assumes governance and management responsibilities, while Aldersgate remains a nonprofit. (More)

➤ Asheville Markets, a 120,000-square-foot shopping mall in East Asheville, sold for $45.7 million last month to InvenTrust Properties, marking Buncombe County’s largest real estate transaction of 2025. (More)

➤ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools signed a $180,000 contract with coaching and tutoring firm SYDKIMYL, despite past board concerns over a previous $500,000 contract. CMS said year-end test results, out today, will provide evidence of the firm’s efficacy. (More)

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➤ Woodfin-based Working Wheels is aiding Hurricane Helene recovery by providing affordable vehicles through purchase, repair, and replacement programs. The nonprofit has raised funds to replace 50 cars lost in Helene’s floods. (More)

➤ North Carolina’s Division of Marine Fisheries is collecting flounder carcasses from recreational anglers through Sept. 14 for research. Donors are entered to win one of two rod-and-reel combos. (More)

➤ A list of 75+ things to do in the Triangle during September includes Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Durham Performing Arts Center, the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, and a Whisky, Wine & Fire event in Cary. (See List)

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Have you been to a North Carolina winery?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not yet

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you still hang a printed calendar in your home?

1. Yes: 59%
2. No: 28%
3. If someone gives me one: 13%

What’s the largest structure fire in North Carolina history?

Show me the answer