THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 2005, the U.S. Army commissioned 82nd Airborne Division troops from Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, North Carolina to assist in maintaining law and order as Category 3 Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana.

Did you know Fort Bragg was renamed Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023? Find out why in the answer to today’s trivia question.

Parts of North Carolina will experience temps reaching 100° today. (We’re looking at you, Cary!) Stay hydrated and hang out in the shade if you venture outdoors.

We hope you enjoy today's edition of Flyover North Carolina. Hit reply and let us know which story you found most interesting.

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RNC and NCGOP Sue Board of Elections, Again

The Republican National Committee and North Carolina Republican Party sued the State Board of Elections for failing to require identification to prove citizenship of approximately 225,000 voters.

The lawsuit is the Republicans’ second against the state BOE in five days, and it accuses the board of violating the Help America Vote Act.

The BOE says it changed the voter registration form to comply with HAVA, but Republicans charge that 225,000 people registered without the provisions required and were never contacted by the board.

Republicans have also opposed an Aug. 20 BOE party-line vote to approve the Mobile UNC One Card as an acceptable form of student voter identification, and they may bring litigation or draw up legislation to reverse that decision.

Report Released on Threatened Oceanfront Structures

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Coastal Management and Cape Hatteras National Seashore released a report this week offering ideas for how to manage threatened oceanfront structures.

The report represents a year-long collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies.

Ideas include acquiring, relocating, or removing imminently threatened structures, along with funding a new state program dedicated to addressing threatened structures.

A Rodanthe home that floated away after Tropical Storm Debby’s storm surge collapsed its foundation has increased attention to threatened structures in storm-prone areas.

NC Colleges Get High Marks

Niche has named Duke University North Carolina’s best overall college and the country’s 13th in its 2025 rankings.

UNC-Chapel Hill took the state’s No. 2 spot, with Davidson at No. 3, Wake Forest at No. 4, and North Carolina State at No. 5. See the nationwide rankings here.

The Princeton Review also released “The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition” and lists schools in alphabetical order, rather than as rankings.

North Carolina schools making the list include Duke, UNC-CH, Wake Forest, Elon, NCSU, Davidson, Appalachian State, UNC-Wilmington, East Carolina, High Point, and 33 others.

Read the full list here.

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➤ Raleigh: North Carolina’s gubernatorial race has moved from “toss-up” to “leans Democrat,” according to Larry Sabato’s latest Crystal Ball report. (More)

➤ Durham: Construction on the new Durham School of the Arts—scheduled to open in fall 2027—is underway 2 miles away from the school’s current location: a 102-year-old building that originally housed Durham High School. (See Rendering)

➤ Dare County: More than a dozen raccoons have tested positive for canine distemper virus, prompting warnings to keep pets leashed and away from wildlife. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Businessman Rami Mahmod Mhana was sentenced to five-plus years of prison this week for selling millions of dollars worth of stolen iPhones and other electronic devices overseas. (More)

➤ Granville County: Approximately 174 birds seized in a cockfighting bust had to be euthanized earlier this month after they were determined to be infected by a deadly and contagious disease. (More)

➤ Johnston County: A WRAL video shows a Johnston County School bus passing a vehicle in a no-passing zone and veering off the road Tuesday afternoon. (See Video)

➤ Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales called his wide receivers the strongest position group coming out of camp Monday. (More)

➤ UNC added “Tar Heel Patios” to Kenan Stadium that offer 14 seats, food and beverage service, a TV, and a prime view. Packages start at $6,000 per game. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets named DJ Bakker head coach of the team's G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. Bakker comes with 11 years of NBA experience. (More)

➤ CBS Sports, CBS Broadcasting, Turner Sports Interactive, and TNT Sports were added to the NCSU basketball team’s name, image, and likeness lawsuit against the NCAA. (More)

Yesterday's results: MLB | WNBA | US OPEN | PGA | LPGA

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➤ Red Lobster will close its Jacksonville location in addition to restaurants in Burlington, Cary, Durham, and Rocky Mount by Aug. 31, bringing the state’s total to five. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association announced its annual NCRLA Chef Showdown winners Monday, with Matthew Deering of Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte winning Chef of the Year. (See All Winners)

➤ Raleigh-based Atlas Stark is seeking approval to build up to 20 stories for an already-approved 12-story mixed-use building in North Hills. (More)

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➤ A man who slept while his Tesla drove along U.S. Highway 70 near Wilson’s Mill was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. Police were able to stop the Tesla by positioning their cars in front of it to engage its sensors. (See Mugshot)

➤ A new FDA-approved pill shown to successfully treat brain tumors in some patients resulted from a Duke neurosurgeon’s discovery 16 years ago. (See Details)

➤ The USS North Carolina released World War II documents from 80 years ago showing George the Cat, a feline given a service number and “enlisted” as an electrician’s mate on the ship. (See Photos)

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