TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 2004, lifestyle innovator Martha Stewart reported to a federal prison in West Virginia to begin a five-month sentence for insider trading. A year and a half later, she reported to a Cary neighborhood to promote new homes she helped design, saying they were similar to her homes in New York and Maine (but nothing like her “home” in West Virginia).

Today we provide an update on how western North Carolinians can vote in November, and which companies won “The Coolest Thing in NC” contest. Check out Top Stories and Business to learn more.

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Today's edition is brought to you by NativePath.

State Modifies Voting Rules for Western NC

The North Carolina Board of Elections unanimously passed an emergency resolution Monday that modifies voting rules to ensure residents of Helene-damaged western North Carolina counties can cast ballots in the November election.

The resolution focuses on 13 counties with “severely disrupted” mailing services or polling places, and it includes 10 early voting sites. The state board is working with emergency management officials to bring in temporary voting facilities.

Another change allows voters to turn in absentee ballots by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to polling places operated by their county’s BOE—or, if they are displaced voters, to another county’s BOE by the same deadline.

Near relatives or guardians of a voter can pick up and deliver a ballot to that voter, as well as drop off completed ballots to county BOEs.

The resolution also expands opportunities for voters to pickup absentee ballots in-person from a county elections office up until the day before the election.

Helene Impacts Fall Tourism Revenue

Fall colors are expected to peak in western North Carolina the week of October 23, but damage from Hurricane Helene will likely prevent tourists from visiting the area until after fall foliage season has ended.

Western North Carolina stands to lose as much as $1.8 billion in tourism revenue this fall—that's one-fifth of North Carolina's annual $7.7 billion tourism industry.

Biltmore Estate, which alone attracts 1.7 million visitors per year, remains closed while repairs are being made. See photos of the damage here.

VisitNC has issued a travel advisory cautioning travelers to “generally” avoid the mountains in Western North Carolina, but consider visiting the state's far western section, which is ready to welcome visitors.

Interactions With Bees and Black Bears Increase

Hurricane Helene’s aftermath has triggered a surge in bees, yellow jackets, and black bears across western North Carolina.

The storm’s massive flooding uprooted underground nests of yellow jackets, bees, and other insects that are swarming and stinging people, prompting the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to pay for Benadryl and epinephrine injections being requested by emergency medical personnel and doctors.

Humanitarian aid group Direct Relief has already delivered more than 2,000 EpiPens across the region.

Meanwhile the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is receiving reports of increased black bear interactions in Buncombe County due to food left unattended at donation drop-off areas, and in places where trash and rotting food is located.

The commission published tips and guidelines for how to handle an encounter with a black bear.

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➤ Statewide: Hurricane Milton, which has reached Category 5 status, is expected to make landfall in Florida this week, but will likely track too far south to impact North Carolina. (See Forecast)

➤ Western NC: BISSELL Pet Foundation is working with western North Carolina pet rescue organizations to transport shelter pets, horses, and other animals affected by Helene. (See Photos)

➤ Raleigh: The North Carolina Museum of History has closed for a major renovation expected to last at least two years. The museum shop will remain open until Dec. 29. (More)

➤ Black Mountain: A curfew is in effect from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice, and the town is warning residents to be wary of scammers in the area. (More)

➤ Marshall: The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is looking into reports of potentially toxic mud on the banks of the French Broad River in Madison County. (See Details)

➤ Charlotte: The fourth annual Pink Cupcake Walk and Breast Cancer Lap in Uptown on Saturday involved nearly 2,000 people and raised almost $30,000. (Watch Video)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets lost to the New York Knicks 109-111 in the team’s first preseason game of 2024. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Carolina Panthers star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury, crippling a defense that is already missing two of its best players—Shaq Thompson and Derrick Brown. (More)

➤ Projected NBA No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg scored 13 points in his debut for Duke basketball. (More)

Yesterday's Results: NFL | MLB | NBA | NHL

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➤ GoDonut is a clever and convenient stand for phones, tablets, and e-readers that make it easy to enjoy your mobile devices anywhere, hands-free. (See It Here)

➤ The 2024 “Coolest Thing Made in NC” winners are HondaJet Elite II in the large businesses category and Piedmont Pennies Original Sharp Cheddar Biscuit Bites in the small business category. (See Details)

➤ Dogwood Health Trust, a nonprofit created by the sale of Mission Health, is donating more than $30 million in Hurricane Helene relief funding. (More)

➤ United Health Centers in Winston-Salem is working with Arts for Everybody, a national initiative to incorporate art into health care treatment. (More)

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➤The World Skydiving Competition is underway in Beaufort this week, with skydivers from over 15 countries in attendance. Competition ends Oct. 11. (See Details)

➤ Nature at Work, a new coastal North Carolina initiative, launched a campaign to encourage the incorporation of more native plants into the region’s landscape. (More)

➤ Birdwatchers report lower psychological distress than people who don't engage in birdwatching, according to an N.C. State University study of students and staff members. (See Details)

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