MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1950, Charles R. Frazier, author of the 1997 best-selling novel Cold Mountain, was born in Asheville. While Frazier and his wife, Katherine, were teaching at N.C. State University, Katherine convinced him to work full-time on his novel—a persuasion that paid off since, in 2003, it was turned into an Oscar-winning movie.

Election Day is tomorrow! Whether you voted early or are voting tomorrow, be sure to check out our Top Story. Also, if you've always wanted to own an heirloom oak tree from Airlie Gardens, don't miss Et Cetera.

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NC House 1 Race, Polls, and Voter Turnout

Shifting political coalitions, population changes, and President Joe Biden's unpopularity in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District have turned what was once a sure Democratic win into a tossup race.

An upset in the rural district could shift control of the U.S. House to Republicans.

Air Force veteran and incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Davis (D) faces Army veteran and Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout (R). Statewide polls show immigration as a top concern across the district's 22 counties, which could favor Buckhout.

North Carolina polls also show Former President Donald Trump with an average 1.4% lead over Vice President Kamala Harris, and Attorney General Josh Stein has a 14.3% average lead over Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Early voting ended Saturday with a total of 4,465,548 in-person and mail-in ballots accepted across North Carolina, accounting for nearly 57% of the state's 7.8 million registered voters and exceeding the 3.63 million who voted early in person in 2020. View voting percentages in each county here.

Look up your voter registration information, voting location, sample ballot, and ballot acceptance status here.

FEMA Call Centers Overwhelmed, Flood Maps Outdated

A FEMA report reveals that agents failed to answer nearly half of the calls for assistance they received during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and of calls that were answered, it took at least an hour for agents to pick them up.

A North Carolina man whose home was flooded got a recording stating he was 675th in line. FEMA admitted it was understaffed a month after the hurricanes hit.

In another FEMA-related matter, a recent study reveals that North Carolina's flood risk is three times greater than FEMA's maps show, resulting in flood insurance not being required in some areas that would have qualified for flood insurance had the maps been updated.

Raleigh Claims 2nd-Largest Share of Remote Workers

New research ranks Raleigh as the second-most popular place to work from home, with 25% of residents working remotely. Austin, Texas ranked first, and Denver, Colorado ranked third. Durham came in at ninth place.

The trend is creating office space vacancies statewide. In the Triangle, commercial real estate vacancy hovered around 25% during the third quarter of 2024 and is expected to climb in 2025.

In the Triad, commercial real estate vacancies have doubled since 2019 due to the combined effects of COVID and remote working. Winston-Salem currently has a 22% vacancy rate and Greensboro's is 19%.

Charlotte's outlook has improved, with a recent report showing office vacancies going from 24.7% earlier this year to 22.5% during the third quarter.

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Never Eat These 3 Condiments

Many folks are walking around with a "clogged" liver without even realizing it…

According to research, the culprit could be 3 common condiments most consider healthy.

Liver Clogging Condiments #1: Ketchup

Liver Clogging Condiments #2: XXXXXXXXX

Liver Clogging Condiments #3: XXXXX

The combination of unhealthy fats and added sugars in these condiments has been found to block the liver from doing its job…

Which effectively "clogs" your liver—and makes it impossible for the body to process out harmful toxins.

⇒ Click here to discover the other 2 liver-clogging condiments to avoid

➤ Statewide: Weather forecasters predict a La Niña winter, which pushes the jet stream farther north, resulting in fewer storms across the Southeast. (More)

➤ Fayetteville: A Fort Liberty paratrooper division will be the country's first to receive special directed-energy weapons capable of shooting down small drones that target troop squads and divisions. (More)

➤ Bat Cave: NCDOT says an access road built by West Virginia coal minors between Bat Cave into Chimney Rock is unsafe for vehicular traffic. (More)

➤ Asheville: Biltmore's attractions, shops, restaurants, winery, and hotel are open but the estate's trails are closed until further notice, and the Outdoor Adventure Center is offering limited activities. (See Details)

➤ Avery County: The school board voted unanimously to end Superintendent Dan Brigman's contract via a $300,000 buyout. Schools, which have been closed since Hurricane Helene hit, reopen Nov. 6 on a two-hour delay. (More)

➤ Wilmington: Progressive nonprofit Carolina Forward submitted a complaint that Tide Turners NC, a conservative nonprofit, violated federal and state campaign finance and nonprofit laws. (See Details)

➤ The Carolina Panthers ended a five-game losing streak with a narrow 23-22 win at home over the New Orleans Saints Sunday. (More)

➤ UNC football got back over .500 with a dominant 35-11 win over Florida State on Saturday, and NCSU took care of business against Stanford, winning 59-28. Duke started strong against No. 5 Miami, but fell to the Hurricanes 53-31. (More)

➤ Four-star guard Isaiah Denis has committed to UNC over other finalists Wake Forest, Ohio State, Pitt, Tennessee, and Miami. Denis, a Davidson Day School senior, is ranked the No. 2 player in North Carolina. (More)

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➤ The Only Device Stand You'll Ever Need. GoDonut is a clever and convenient stand for phones, tablets, and e-readers that makes it easy to enjoy your mobile devices anywhere, hands-free. (See It Here)

➤ Microsoft purchased the 1,350-acre Person County Mega Park Thursday for $27 million, but has not yet finalized plans, capital investment, or the number of employees it expects to hire. (See Details)

➤ Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler kicked off the Christmas tree harvesting season with a ceremonial tree lighting. He also accepted a check for $577,467 from the NC Tobacco Trust Fund to help purchase seed center equipment for the state. (More)

➤ Duke Health and UnitedHealthcare reached a multiyear agreement to maintain the in-network status of 172,000 Duke Health patients and expand access to UnitedHealthcare's Medicaid-insured patients. (More)

➤ Duke Energy Carolinas announced that customers' home energy bills will decrease by 12.7% in November as part of an annual adjustment for the cost of fuel used at its power plants. (More)

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Eat THIS to "unclog" your liver

Sluggishness, cravings, and weight gain—especially around the abdomen—are signs of high levels of free radicals in your liver.

Luckily, scientists discovered a special kind of "master antioxidant" that draws out free radicals from your liver.

⇒ Eat this master antioxidant to "unclog" your liver

➤ Airlie Gardens and Penderlea Farms are selling rare Airlie live oaks—grown from handpicked acorns—as part of an initiative to preserve the heirloom lineage. (See Details)

➤ The Alligator River, Greenfield Lake, and Orton Pond are three of the seven most alligator-filled places in North Carolina, according to WorldAtlas. (See List)

➤ The Outer Banks Annual Candy Drop returns Dec. 15 at 12:30 p.m. after a two-year hiatus. The same C-54 cargo plane that has been dropping down Christmas candy to local children via parachutes since 1999 will return to do the job. (More)

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