WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1997, North Carolina’s first major casino—Harrah’s Cherokee Casino—opened on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ reservation, signifying the culmination of nearly a decade of negotiation and compromise between tribal, state, and federal officials.

Speaking of betting, sports bettors in North Carolina achieved a record-setting October. Learn more in Et Cetera.

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Woman Dies After Vehicle Plunges Off I-40

Highway patrol officials have renewed calls for drivers to adhere to I-40 road signage after a woman’s vehicle plunged 100 feet into the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County.

Troopers say rescuers repelled down to where the 62-year-old Southern Pines woman’s car landed and extricated her body from the vehicle. They transported her to a local hospital, but she died the next morning from injuries related to the accident.

Officials say the woman properly took Exit 7 to leave the highway, but made a wrong turn and drove under I-40, then headed up the eastbound off-ramp toward the blockaded area, through a cable, and off the interstate.

Junaluska Fire Chief Charles Wood said there were no signs that she used her breaks: “No skid marks, no nothing.”

NC Supreme Court Race Still Not Called

A week after Election Day, the race for N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6 has still not been called, despite 99% of votes being counted.

As of Monday, Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin led Democratic incumbent Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs by 7,641 votes. Riggs may request a recount if she still trails after mail-in and provisional ballots are counted.

The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices elected to eight-year terms. Currently, five justices are Republicans and two are Democrats. If Griffin wins, there will be six Republicans and one Democrat on the high court.

NCSU Robot Could Automate Herbicide Spraying

An N.C. State University professor and PhD student are designing a hexapod robot that could automate herbicidal spraying to protect cucumbers, watermelons, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, and other cucurbit plants from downy mildew.

Lirong Xiang, an assistant professor in NCSU’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, has conducted research on developing robotic platforms and machine technologies that can automate hands-on agricultural labor. She is working with Zhengua Zhang, a PhD student in the department who previously built a six-legged ant robot designed to detect and extinguish fires.

Zhang is applying his robotic design expertise to Xiang’s initiative, which they hope will result in a robot that can not only automate herbicide spraying, but other agricultural practices as well, like weeding.

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➤ Statewide: General Assembly Republicans plan to bring House Bill 10 to the floor before losing their supermajority in January. If passed, the bill would provide nearly half a billion dollars in funding to the state’s private school voucher program. (More)

➤ Triangle: UNC Hospitals reported 40 positive cases for mycoplasma, or “a-typical pneumonia,” during the last week of October, with many involving children. During the same week of 2023, zero cases were reported. (More)

➤ Burke County: A local outreach organization called Project Your Home has partnered with Noble Built Adventures to construct insulated 8-foot-by-16-foot shelters for western North Carolinians displaced by Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Asheville: The Omni Grove Park Inn, which has been closed since Hurricane Helene hit the area, will reopen Friday, Nov. 15, just in time for the holiday season. (More)

➤ Fayetteville: NCDOT completed a lane-widening project for a 13-mile stretch of I-95 that runs from the I-295 South interchange in Cumberland County to Long Branch Road in Harnett County. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Grammy-nominated Marcus King will serve as the 2024 Raleigh Christmas Parade Grand Marshal on Nov. 23. The parade is celebrating its 80th year. (More)

➤ No. 6 Duke lost to No. 16 Kentucky last night, 77-72, in one of the most anticipated matchups of the non-conference college basketball season. Freshman Cooper Flagg lead the Blue Devils with 26 points and 12 rebounds. (More)

➤ Adam Thielen is set to return to the Carolina Panthers ahead of next week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Thielen was the team’s leading receiver in 2023 with 1,014 receiving yards. (More)

➤ Duke women’s soccer is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, with UNC right behind them at No. 2. Duke’s first tournament game is Friday at 6 p.m. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ Josh Dobson, who stepped down as N.C. Labor Commissioner last week, has been named president and CEO of the N.C. Healthcare Association. Dobson succeeds Stephen Lawler, who is retiring. (More)

➤ A cyberattack hit Food Lion stores over the weekend, causing outages and preventing customers from placing online orders or using debit cards to make purchases. Food Lion is headquartered in Salisbury. (More)

➤ North Carolina beach rental owners say Stellar Beach Realty and Rentals owner John Kozak owes them thousands of dollars in unpaid bookings. The State Attorney General’s office has received 20 complaints about Kozak’s company. (More)

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➤ North Carolina sports bettors wagered more than $612 million in October—the third-highest monthly total since the state launched sports betting last March. (More)

➤ Greensboro Parks and Recreation will open the Keeley Park Adaptive Mountain Bike Trail Sunday, Nov. 17—a first-of-its-kind trail that can handle wider, longer, and heavier bikes. (More)

➤ The nonprofit HBOT4HEROES is offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to help veterans combat PTSD. During HBOT, patients sit in a pressurized chamber while breathing medical-grade oxygen through a mask. (More)

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