Thursday, October 24, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1911, Orville and Wilbur Wright returned to Kitty Hawk to test an experimental glider. Orville took off and quickly rose to an altitude of 50 feet, where he remained for 5½ minutes. His third glide lasted 9¾ minutes—setting a record that would stand for 10 years.

Speaking of gliding through the air, 44% of North Carolinians surveyed by AAA say they typically book holiday flights by the end of August. We are seriously impressed with how many of you plan ahead! Learn more in Top Stories.

Later today, you’ll receive an email from us showcasing an exciting investment opportunity from our partner, Infinity Fuel, a leader in cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell technology. These partnerships are essential to keeping Flyover North Carolina free for our readers. We appreciate your support and hope you find their message valuable.

Help us spread the word about Flyover North Carolina! Ask your friends to subscribe here.

Our sponsors help keep the lights on around here. Be sure to check out today’s sponsor, Claritox Pro.

Key NC Races to Watch

As early voting continues, here are some of North Carolina's key races to keep an eye on. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) is facing off against Attorney General Josh Stein (D), and Stein currently has a double-digit lead in most polls.

North Carolina's U.S. House District 4 incumbent Valerie Foushee (D) is predicted to reclaim her seat, despite challenges from Eric Blankenburg (R) and Guy Meilleur (L).

Jefferson Griffin (R) is challenging State Supreme Court incumbent Justice Allison Riggs (D). If Griffin wins, the 5-2 Republican majority becomes 6-1.

Stay tuned for more race previews in upcoming editions of Flyover North Carolina.

Early voting update: As of Wednesday evening, 1,705,686 votes had been accepted statewide, with 1,595,073 cast in person. Of those, Democrats and Republicans are now tied, with each accounting for 34.4% of the votes and unaffiliated voters accounting for 31.2%.

Hurricane Helene Deaths Overcounted

The Buncombe County sheriff's department lowered the county's Hurricane Helene death count from 72 to 42 on Tuesday.

Previously, all deaths in Buncombe County—which includes Asheville—were classified as storm-related, but the sheriff's office determined some of those deaths resulted from other causes.

Officials now defer to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's tally, which has been 42 since Oct. 10.

Last week, 92 people in western North Carolina were still unaccounted for, but since then, the number has come down to 26.

Holiday Spending and Travel Outlook

Holiday spending is set to jingle up by 4% this season, according to a newly released holiday shopping survey conducted by KPMG. That's $948 per person, compared to $911 in 2023.

KPMG's projection is just slightly higher than the National Retail Federation, which expects holiday spending to grow by 2.5-3.5% over last year.

When it comes to holiday travel, 61% of North Carolinians plan to take an overnight vacation between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, according to a recent AAA survey, with 24% of those booking flights before August, and another 20% booking flights before September.

Just don't wait too long, advises Debbie Haas, AAA vice president of travel: "If you want to have choice in holiday plans, it would be best to book before October."

Do you have any friends or family who would like to receive Flyover North Carolina? Feel free to refer us to them!

Flying together with our sponsor

No one can deny the lab test results...

Every single person who lacked these two nutrients got Vertigo...

That quickly affected their brains...

Causing massive organ failure.

Take the quick test here to see if you're at risk!

➤ Linville: Grandfather Mountain reopened Wednesday, with daily entry hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., trails closing at 5 p.m., and the park closing at 6 p.m. (More)

➤ Blowing Rock: A 20-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway also reopened to traffic Wednesday, from milepost 285.5 at Bamboo Gap to milepost 205 near Beacon Heights. (More)

➤ Asheville: Several hundred people attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday to honor those who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. (See Photos)

➤ Garren Creek: Firefighters from around the country were also in Asheville Tuesday to honor fallen Garren County Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Garrison, 52, who died Sept. 27 from a landslide caused by Helene. (More)

➤ Cary: A woman found two sealed ballots, tracked down the owners, and—with their permission—took the ballots to the Wake County Board of Elections where an official told her the ballots must be recast to establish a chain of custody. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: According to State Bureau of Investigation data, violent crime increased by 13% between 2022 and 2023 in North Carolina's largest cities. (See Details)

➤ Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident on Tuesday. The Panthers say his injuries aren't serious, but they haven't provided an update on his availability for Sunday. (More)

➤ UNC football lost two three-star commits in the span of 24 hours after tight ends Logan Farrell and Marshall Pritchett flipped their commitments to Illinois and Alabama, respectively. (More)

➤ Duke basketball landed four-star power forward Nikolas Khamenia, elevating Duke's 2025 basketball recruiting class to No. 1 in the country. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NHL | NBA | NCAAF

➤ Want to stay up-to-date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports? NIL Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Never lose your wallet again. SmartCard is the world's first tracker designed specifically for your wallet or purse. Even though it recently launched, it's already going viral across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. More than 70,000+ people use it already to track their wallets, earning an incredible 97.2% satisfaction rating. (See It Here)

➤ The N.C. Military Business Center will host the Defense Industrial Supply Chain Summit Oct. 29-30 in Charlotte for companies that work in the aerospace, maritime, armaments, or ground vehicle supply chain. (More)

➤ Southport leaders raised concerns about a new emergency services contract that allows deployment of units far from town, delaying response to Southport residents. (More)

➤ Former Disney executive John Formica—known as the "Ex-Disney Guy"—will host a leadership workshop for the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 7. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Prevent $1,000s in unnecessary car repairs. FIXD Car Diagnostic tool instantly tells you why your 'Check Engine Light' is on, how severe it is, and how much the repair should cost—all in simple and easy-to-understand terms so you never get ripped off by a mechanic again!

Flying together with our sponsor

Even brain doctors were left in complete awe...

They just couldn't believe what a Vertigo attack does to your brain...

And how dizziness episodes are in fact, a symptom of another hidden condition.

Find everything about this here:

Why You Should Never Ignore A Vertigo Attack

➤ Two new red wolves named Oka and Martha arrived at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham on Monday as part of an exchange with the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. (See Photos)

➤ Prospective first-year and transfer college students have until midnight on Oct. 27 to take advantage of waived application fees as part of College Application Week. (More)

➤ A Halloween candy map of the U.S. reveals each state's most popular brands. The top three in North Carolina, respectively, are M&Ms, Reese's Cups, and Hershey's Mini Bars. (See Map)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Simply by holding it in your hand, The Chill Pill quickly relieves anxiety and insomnia. This revolutionary new drug-free method is safe, has zero side effects, and is proven to be effective for people of all ages. (See It Here)