MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1998, a major ice storm hit much of the state. Accumulations of up to an inch of ice brought down trees and power lines, and created outages on Christmas Eve that impacted nearly 500,000 customers. The storm lasted through Christmas morning.

Christmas and Hanukkah are only a few days away, and Flyover North Carolina will be adjusting its coverage a bit so our team members can spend time with their families. Beginning Christmas Day, we'll be publishing shorter editions until the weekend, and then we'll be back on Monday with our regular publication.

What's your favorite Christmas dessert? Let us know by answering today's poll, and check out Top Stories for a rundown of the South's most popular holiday desserts.

Today's sponsor is The Voice of the Martyrs, who are helping provide aid to Christians in hostile territories.

Biden Approves $100B for Disaster Relief

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Saturday that delivers more than $100 billion in disaster relief funds for damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The funds help cover reimbursements to state governments for debris removal and first responders' overtime compensation, as well as provide payments from $750 per survivor to $42,500 for uninsured homeowners who need to rebuild.

Additional allocations include $21 billion for farmers, $8 billion for rebuilding damaged roads and highways, $12 billion for Housing and Urban Development grants, and $2.2 billion for low-interest loans for businesses, nonprofits, and homeowners who need to rebuild.

More disaster relief funds will likely be granted after Congress plans out a full-year appropriation.

New Section of I-40 Collapses

A 60-foot section of I-40 in Haywood County collapsed Thursday within a 4-mile stretch that NCDOT had hoped to reopen by Jan. 1.

A spokesperson confirmed that the damage will delay the reopening, calling it an "unfortunate situation" and "a new hurdle NCDOT and its contract partners have to overcome."

Officials attribute the slide that created the new collapse to wet weather and freeze-thaw conditions.

This section of I-40—the primary connector between western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee—has been closed since late September after sustaining catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. View photos of the collapse here.

The South's Most Popular Holiday Desserts

While planning your Christmas dinner menu, you may have contributed to "Mama's German Chocolate Cake" becoming the South's most searched-for winter dessert, according to Southern Living magazine.

Another dessert you can't go wrong with is pumpkin pie, mapped here as the Tar Heel State's most popular holiday dessert.

These holiday pie recipes offer new twists on classic favorites—from pecan cheesecake to peppermint pie.

According to Allrecipes.com's list of the most popular holiday recipes from each state, North Carolina's is "Aileen's Punch," a nonalcoholic pineapple lime concoction. Check it out here.

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Be Inspired by Bold Believers

For 25 years, Todd Nettleton, the host of VOM Radio, has ventured into some of the world's most hostile and restricted nations.

His mission? To meet the courageous men and women who have faced persecution for their unwavering faith in Christ. Todd has traveled far and wide to hear their powerful stories firsthand and to bring their voices to the world, sharing their extraordinary testimonies of faith and resilience.

In his new book, When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians, Todd invites you to meet these bold believers.

Each stop on this journey will challenge you to reflect on your own walk with Christ along the sometimes-difficult path toward our heavenly home.

Through their incredible stories of courageous faith, we pray you will be inspired to a deeper, bolder walk with Christ.

This compelling book is free for you with any gift—simply request your copy today!

➤ Blue Ridge Mountains: Snow closed several sections of the parkway over the weekend: from Green Hill Road to U.S. 321/221 at Blowing Rock, from Holloway Mountain Road to U.S. 221, and a 40-mile section south of mile 418. (More)

➤ Statewide: A federal judge denied Republican State Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin's request for a temporary restraining order blocking the State Board of Elections from certifying Democrat Allison Riggs as the race's winner. (More)

➤ Oxford: The Campbell Christmas lights display on Bob Daniel Road, a 26-year tradition, is open from Sunday through Thursday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. (See Photos)

➤ Corolla: The Corolla Christmas House on Ocean Trail features 100,000 LED lights and is carrying on a tradition the owner's father started. (See Photos)

➤ Raleigh: The Bar Ber Shop hosted its second annual "Free Cuts for Christmas" gift-away Saturday, offering hundreds of free haircuts to community members. (More)

➤ Cary: An employee of the security company for the Fenton shopping and entertainment district turned himself in after a man he knew was found dead in his vehicle in the Green Parking Deck. (More)

➤ Winston-Salem: A woman's car containing Christmas gifts for her five children was stolen in broad daylight while her boyfriend left the car running as he unloaded supplies. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers defeated Arizona 36-30 in overtime Sunday, eliminating the Cardinals from the playoffs. (More)

➤ North Carolina's 2024 high school football champions are Grimsley (4A), West Charlotte (3A), Monroe (2A), and Tarboro (1A). (See Details)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes were held scoreless for nearly three periods Saturday and ultimately lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals. (More)

Yesterday's results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA

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➤ Party City, which has stores in 16 North Carolina cities, will close its doors after 40 years in business. Exact closing dates were not reported. (More)

➤ Mechanical issues with aging Ocracoke ferries have caused an increasing number of Pamlico Sound route cancellations. (More)

➤ Fayetteville and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton are among 59 of the nation's 400 largest housing markets with active inventory where power has shifted to buyers. (See Details)

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Flying together with our sponsor

Be Inspired by Bold Believers

For 25 years, Todd Nettleton, the host of VOM Radio, has ventured into some of the world's most hostile and restricted nations.

In his new book, When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians, Todd invites you to meet these bold believers.

Each stop on this journey will challenge you to reflect on your own walk with Christ along the sometimes-difficult path toward our heavenly home.

Through their incredible stories of courageous faith, we pray you will be inspired to a deeper, bolder walk with Christ.

This compelling book is free for you with any gift—simply request your copy today!

➤ NCDOT will receive a $25 million grant to build 11 wildlife underpasses through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge section of U.S. 64 to help save critically endangered red wolves. (More)

➤ The average cost of raising a child per year for two working parents in North Carolina is $22,000, compared to the national average of $23,000. (See Map)

➤ Oranges, toiletries, lottery tickets, socks, and chocolate-covered cherry cordials are among a list of eight stocking stuffers that Southerners love. (More)

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