FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1771, North Carolina Assembly member Samuel Johnston introduced the Riot Bill, which was signed into law by Gov. William Tryon on Jan. 15. The act's purpose was to prevent "tumultuous and riotous assemblies," speed up the punishing of rioters, and restore and preserve the public peace.

Are you ready for winter weather? Ready or not, it's coming to a town near you. Check out the expected precipitation timeline in Top Stories.

Do you love North Carolina? So do our 100,000 readers. Advertise in Flyover North Carolina and connect your business with passionate locals. Learn more.

Unlock the key to lasting weight loss success with today's sponsor GetThin MD.

Winter Storm Timeline Sharpens

A winter storm will impact most areas of North Carolina today, with western North Carolina expecting precipitation from 10 a.m. to noon. Accumulations between 3 and 8 inches are possible, depending on the area.

The Foothills and I-40 corridor should get 2-4 inches of snow between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

One model shows that areas along and north of the I-85 corridor will get 1-2 inches of snow between noon and 2 p.m., while another shows it could get up to 3 inches.

Areas south and east of I-85 are likely to get a wintry mix consisting of an inch or less of snow and .1 to .25 inches of ice. Roads will be slick in all impacted areas Friday night and Saturday morning.

FEMA Housing Assistance Ends for Some

Today marks the final night of FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program for 3,500 households displaced by Hurricane Helene that no longer meet the program's eligibility requirements.

On Jan. 3, FEMA officials began notifying the ineligible families that they must check out of their accommodations tomorrow, Jan. 11. The original deadline was Dec. 3 before FEMA extended it to Dec. 12 and then again to Jan. 11.

Families are deemed ineligible if an inspection found that their home is now habitable, if they declined an inspection, or if FEMA made multiple attempts to contact the applicant to update their housing needs, but were unsuccessful in reaching them.

As of Monday, 5,600 households were staying in a hotel or motel room paid for by FEMA. Of those, 2,100 families still meet the TSA eligibility criteria.

Best of the Blue Ridge Awards Announced

Blue Ridge Outdoors released its Best of the Blue Ridge 2025 awards this week but unlike most years, the winners aren't based on "readers' choice" votes.

Due to Hurricane Helene's impact on the region, editors decided not to seek votes this year. Instead, they compiled past results to provide a long-range look at the top trails, rivers, races, brews, and outdoor-friendly businesses.

North Carolina destination winners include the Blue Ridge Parkway for Best Public Lands, the Art Loeb Trail in Pisgah National Park for Best Hiking Trail, Sliding Rock in Cashiers for Best Swimming Hole, and Asheville for Best Place for Singles to Live.

Other North Carolina winners include Pilot Cove Forest Lodging in Pisgah Forest for Best Inn, Bed & Breakfast; Trail Sisters, which has multiple North Carolina locations, for Best Educational Outdoor Program; and Eagles Nest Outfitters in Asheville for Best Local Gear Brand.

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 easiest weight loss method ever—delivered to your door.

Join 10,000+ weight loss patients. Get Semaglutide from U.S.-based pharmacies with no insurance, no waitlist, and no hidden fees. Check out GetThin MD today!

➤ Raleigh: The General Assembly's 2025-26 biennium began Wednesday. All 170 state legislators were sworn in, Republican Sen. Phil Berger was reelected Senate president pro tempore, and Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, was elected House Speaker. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Gov. Josh Stein's inauguration ceremony, block party, and open house have been canceled due to the incoming winter storm. The inaugural committee may reschedule the block party. (More)

➤ Statewide: PowerSchool, North Carolina's student and teacher information system, waited 10 days to notify the N.C. Department of Public Instruction of a data breach that occurred last month. (More)

➤ Wake County: The school board voted that principals must notify parents and guardians if their child's class(es) will have a substitute teacher for at least two weeks. Previously, there were no requirements for when families should be notified. (More)

➤ Tryon: A landowner filed a lawsuit demanding compensation after the federal government converted 1.28 acres of her property into a section of the Saluda Grade rail trail. Hundreds more could join the suit. (See Details)

➤ Robeson County: The county's population shrunk by 12.4% between 2014 and 2023, ranking it among the largest counties nationwide to experience a sizeable population decrease during that timeframe. (See Map)

➤ The Carolina Panthers are among four teams that could be forced to appear on HBO's Hard Knocks, a popular documentary series that follows NFL teams through offseason training camp. (More)

➤ The NC State men's basketball team put together a strong 66-65 comeback win over conference rival Notre Dame Wednesday night to improve to 9-6 on the season. (More)

➤ NASCAR fans expressed frustration after Fox's Jamie Little shared that remote race broadcasts are "here to stay and only going to grow" during a Q&A with fans on X. (See Details and Q&A)

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

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Say Goodbye To "Storage Full" Errors FOREVER! Instantly back up your priceless memories WITHOUT the frustration of searching and organizing them yourself with the new PhotoStick Mobile!

- Easy To Use - Plug it in, then click Backup Now!
- Works on Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
- Easily Transfer Files To Your Computer
- Don't Risk Losing Your Memories In The Cloud!

Get yours here today!

➤ Ally Financial, which operates its corporate center in Charlotte, will cut hundreds of jobs companywide; however, the layoffs will impact less than 5% of the company's workforce. (More)

➤ Reliance US, a unit of biomanufacturer National Resilience, will eliminate 120 positions in its Research Triangle Park office beginning in early March. (More)

➤ Allegiant Air pilots picketed for higher wages outside Asheville Regional Airport Tuesday, claiming current wage proposals are 24% lower than other pilots' wages. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Clear Your Mind… Fall Asleep 2.5x Faster! Dodow is a light metronome scientifically designed to block out overactive thought patterns and quickly lull you into a deep peaceful sleep.

Over 1 million former insomniacs now sleep peacefully with Dodow— are you next?

Flying together with our sponsor

Lose weight and stop overeating with a prescription to Semaglutide or Tirzepatide.

Lose up to 1.5% of your body fat per week.

FDA Approved Ozempic® and Mounjaro® also available.

No insurance, blood work, or doctor appointments needed.

Find out if you're approved in about 90 seconds today!

➤ North Carolina ranks 26th in gun ownership nationwide, with 45.8% of its adult citizens owning at least one firearm. Montana ranked first with 66.3% ownership, followed by Wyoming at 66.2%, and Alaska at 64.5%. (See Map)

➤ A new list of North Carolina's best downtowns includes Davidson, Blowing Rock, Seagrove, and Bryson City. (See Full List)

➤ Asheville's River Arts community is searching for a stolen, 9-foot-tall, antique fiberglass clown known as Mr. Pickles that served as a beacon of resilience after Hurricane Helene hit. (See Photos)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Look no further for the perfect gift. Bril is a portable toothbrush case that uses natural UV-C light to kill 99.9% of the unwanted viruses and bacteria living on your toothbrush—protecting you and your family from potential medical issues. (See It Here)