WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1896, U.S. Post Office mail carrier J.B. Goodnight set out from China Grove to deliver mail to rural residents across Rowan County. His new route was part of a "rural free delivery" experiment in 29 states to reach farmers who were unable to go into town to pick up their mail more than once or twice a week. In 1897 the experiment was declared a success.

We're delivering email to all corners of North Carolina, and want to make sure it reaches your inbox, too. If you haven't subscribed, sign up here.

Today's sponsor is Hootie, the number one personal safety alarm for women.

Track Early Voting Wait Times and Text Scams

Boards of Elections in Wake, Durham, Orange, Forsyth, Guilford, Cabarrus, and Buncombe counties are operating online trackers that allow voters to check the wait time at various voting locations.

Wake County’s, for example, displays “No Wait” in green and “1-2 Hours” in red, with in-between wait-time increments in blue and orange.

In another early voting development, some North Carolinians who already voted are receiving unsolicited text messages stating, “A voter at [location] may not have voted. Vote here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/EVSite/." The link goes to the NCBOE website but does not allow someone to vote online.

A Brunswick County BOE spokesperson said boards of elections never send mass text messages like these and advised against responding to them.

As of Tuesday morning, 1,380,839 votes were accepted across North Carolina, with 1,279,232 cast in person.

Singers Step Up for Helene Relief

More singers are joining the cause to raise funds for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

In addition to Concert for Carolina on Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte—featuring Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, and Billy Strings—Grammy award winner Bonnie Raitt will host a benefit concert Nov. 20 at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte.

Music for the Mountains, featuring The Old Crow Medicine Show, Chatham County Line, BJ Barham, and Fancy Gap, is Oct. 27 at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, with all proceeds benefitting the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

Country music star Lainey Wilson delivered much-needed supplies to Chimney Rock Monday, and country music singer and actor Sturgill Simpson performed at Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary Tuesday to benefit the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.

NC Farm to Provide White House Christmas Tree

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland will supply this year’s White House Christmas tree. White House staff will select a Fraser fir from the farm on Monday, Oct. 28.

The Avery County farm was named the 2024 Grand Champion grower at the 2024 National Christmas Tree Contest, which has determined the official provider of the White House Christmas Tree since 1966.

The tree will be harvested Nov. 20, then presented to First Lady Jill Biden, who chooses the decorating theme for the tree. Last year, her theme was, “Magic, Wonder, and Joy.”

The decorated tree will be displayed in the White House’s Blue Room.

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

The #1 Personal Safety Alarm For Women

Hootie is designed to deter attackers and help prevent life-altering tragedies. Simply activate the strobe light and ultra-loud siren to attract attention and stop any would-be attacker.

Hootie is designed to stop attackers in their tracks.

➤ Statewide: Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will campaign in Durham, Greenville, and Wilmington Thursday. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was in Cary on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Central NC: FEMA expanded individual assistance to 12 additional counties impacted by Helene: Cabarrus, Cherokee, Forsyth, Graham, Iredell, Lee, Nash, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union, and Yadkin. (More)

➤ Raleigh: A state judge rejected an election integrity lawsuit Monday brought by Republicans. The suit charged that "Never Residents" shouldn't be allowed to vote in North Carolina. (See Details)

➤ Kannapolis: Ballots were stored in a secured bin within a voting machine after its tabulator stopped working. Once the tabulator was repaired, bipartisan poll workers inserted the ballots back into the tabulator. (Watch Report)

➤ Wake Forest: A hit-and-run driver crashed into an Acai Express on Capital Boulevard just days before its grand opening. (Watch Report)

➤ Fayetteville: Meanwhile, a car crashed into a Dollar General store Monday due, reportedly, to mechanical issues. Neither the driver nor anyone inside the store was injured. (See Photos)

➤ Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales reaffirmed his belief in starting quarterback Andy Dalton, despite many fans calling for former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young to return to the field. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets announced their 18-man roster Monday ahead of tonight’s NBA season-opening away game against the Houston Rockets. (See Roster)

➤ The ACC placed a six-day hold on the upcoming Week 10 football matchup between Duke and No. 5 Miami. This means the game time and TV channel will not be announced until Sunday to ensure maximum visibility for the premier matchup. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NHL | NBA | NCAAF

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ FlightPath is the tournament-legal tee with a revolutionary design that helps you effortlessly hit longer, straighter drives. Plus, it’s nearly unbreakable! (See It Here)

➤ Charlotte-based IperionX, which produces high-performance titanium alloys, expects to raise $67 million through commitments for the placement of 31.2 million shares. (More)

➤ Synply, Inc., a cloud-based loan syndication platform and spin-out of Wilmington’s Live Oak Bancshares, raised $4.8 million of capital to help finance the company’s next phase of growth. (See Details)

➤ Project Kitty Hawk, launched by the UNC System to better compete with other higher education online offerings, has enrolled 558 students, with another 100 expected to join this month. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Limited Time Offer for Flyover Readers! Invest in the background of life with Acorns, the mobile investment app, and get a $20 bonus investment! (See It Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

Hootie is like having a personal siren right in your pocket. Its brilliance lies in the ear-splitting 130db alarm — as loud as a jet plane at take off! The piercing sound immediately draws attention, making anyone think twice before posing a threat.

Beyond sound, Hootie offers a bright strobe light, acting like a distress beacon in the night. This combo of sound and light doesn't just alert others, it confuses and deters potential threats — ensuring your safety from multiple angles.

With Hootie, danger gets a loud and clear "stay away" signal.

➤ Recent drone footage shows Hurricane Helene's impact on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The storm caused three mudslides in the area and thousands of trees to fall across roads there. (See Video)

➤ Gubernatorial Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson amended his lawsuit against CNN from $50 million to $25,000. (See Details)

➤ Five North Carolina cities made the "Best Places for Halloween" top 100: Charlotte (57), Greensboro (75), Raleigh (78), Durham (87), and Winston-Salem (94). (See List)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The Lightbulb That Protects Your Home – Introducing Sight Bulb™, the revolutionary security camera that easily screws into any socket like a lightbulb! It's perfect for homeowners, parents, pet owners, and businesses. (See It Here)