MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1999, Hurricane Floyd made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina as a Category 2 storm. Floyd caused unprecedented flooding across eastern sections of both Carolinas, with as many as 20 inches of rain in some parts, and a death toll of 36 in North Carolina alone.

As of Sunday evening, both Carolinas are under a tropical storm warning in the path of what the National Hurricane Center projects will become Tropical Storm Helene early this week. We'll keep an eye on it for you!

In today's edition, find out which North Carolina-based grocery store scored top marks in three recent rankings—and you can let us know if you like to shop there in our poll.

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Vance, Trump, and Walz Visit NC This Week

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made a surprise visit to Greenville Saturday for the ECU football game against Appalachian State University. He and his wife, Usha, enjoyed a beer and talked with fans at Sup Dogs, then made an entrance to the stadium.

Vance returns to the Tar Heel State Wednesday to deliver remarks at Union Hall in Raleigh. Doors open at noon and Vance will speak at 3 p.m.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will hold a rally at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Aero Center in Wilmington. It's unclear if the possible assassination attempt on Trump's life in Florida Sunday will impact his schedule this week.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will visit Asheville between 2 and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Rally details will be announced to confirmed guests only. An RSVP is required but does not guarantee admission.

New Dates Announced for Absentee Ballots

The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that military and overseas citizens will receive absentee ballots by Sept. 20, with all others who requested them receiving their ballots by Sept. 24.

The new dates comply with the State Supreme Court’s decision to uphold an appeals court ruling that all previously printed ballots would need to be reprinted without Robert F. Kennedy’s name on them.

The original deadline was Sept. 6, positioning North Carolina to be the first state in the nation to send out ballots for the Nov. 5 election. That date was based on a state law directing that absentee ballots be mailed out no later than 60 days prior to the election.

Enrollment Increases at UNC System Colleges

North Carolina’s public universities experienced an enrollment increase of 2.2% this academic year over the 2023-24 academic year, and a 3.5% increase over 2022-23.

Every public university in the state made gains, adding 5,400 more students overall.

Enrollment went up 7.7% at North Carolina Central University, 3.8% at Fayetteville State University, 3.1% at N.C. A&T, 3.1% at North Carolina State University, and 0.6% at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Nationally, enrollment for the 2023-24 academic year at colleges and universities increased by about 1.2%, while still remaining below pre-pandemic levels. National data for 2024-25 is not yet available.

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➤ Asheville: Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School created a “Serenity Room” with snacks, drinks, and music where teachers can relax and unwind. (See Photos)

➤ Charlotte: Radio personality Doug Maxwell, 62, was found dead in a car outside of his Davie County home last week. Rivera Aguero Jr., 29, who lived in the same home with Maxwell, has been arrested and charged with Maxwell’s murder. (More)

➤ Outer Banks: NCDOT will install off-season speed limit signs today in Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Corolla, Frisco, and several areas of Cape Hatteras National Seashore–returning the speed limit from 35 to 45 mph. (More)

➤ Wilkes County: The former executive director and former finance officer of the now-closed Bridges Academy plead guilty to embezzling more than $1,000 from a government office. (More)

➤ Wilmington: UNC-Wilmington will host the second annual Ocean Innovation Conference on Tuesday with a focus on economic opportunities in ocean trends and sustainability. (More)

➤ Wrightsville Beach: The Blockade Runner announced upgrades and a new name—“Trailborn Surf & Sound”—in recognition of its location between the sound and beach. (See Report)

➤ The Carolina Panthers fell to 0-2 after losing their home opener 26-3 to the Los Angeles Chargers, who limited the Panthers to just one field goal. (More)

➤ NCSU, UNC, and Duke all took home victories in Week 3 of college football play. NCSU defeated Louisiana Tech, UNC beat NC Central, and Duke took out UConn. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets will have their 2024 training camp hosted by Duke University at the Michael W. Krzyzewski Center Oct. 1-4. (More)

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➤ The N.C. Department of Commerce awarded a $4.4 million grant to the Town of Elizabethtown to build a 40,736-square-foot publicly owned facility for aerospace manufacturing. (More)

➤ Phase II of Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s $241 million Concourse A expansion will open Tuesday, adding 10 gates—most of which will be occupied by Delta Airlines. (More)

➤ Greensboro-based Fresh Market ranked No. 1 in three sets of US News grocery store rankings: best bakery, best deli, and best prepared food. (See Rankings)

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➤ A harvest moon will appear at 7:14 p.m. Tuesday, just before a partial lunar eclipse begins at 8:41 p.m. The eclipse will enter Earth’s full shadow at 10:13 p.m. and end at 12:47 a.m. Wednesday. (See Details)

➤ North Carolina State University placed seventh and UNC-Charlotte placed ninth among 157 colleges and universities for offering good free speech and thought experiences on campus. (See Rankings)

➤ Nine-year-old Tucker Rose of Sneads Ferry, assisted by his parents, hand-delivered 2,000 letters he wrote for deployed service members to Military Missions in Action so they could be included in care packages. (See Report)

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