WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1915, anywhere from 4 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow fell on much of central North Carolina. It started falling on Good Friday and made for an interesting Easter weekend. See a historic photo of downed power lines from the storm here.

Have you gotten your REAL ID yet? Let us know by answering today's Poll, and find out why you may have trouble making an appointment to get one in our Top Stories.

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NCDMV Extends Hours to Mitigate Delays

The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday that by April 7, 80% of its offices will operate for 10 hours a day due to long wait lines created by staffing shortages and a backlog of appointments for REAL IDs and in-person license renewals.

Only around 50% of North Carolinians have a REAL ID, which will be required as of May 7 to enter federal buildings or board commercial flights if they don't have a passport or other federally approved form of ID.

North Carolinians won't need a REAL ID to drive, vote, or apply for or receive federal benefits.

If you haven't booked a REAL ID appointment yet, you may have to wait three months to get one since WRAL 5 On Your Side reports that all newly added appointments are booked, and the NCDMV website doesn't allow bookings beyond the three-month window.

ICE Persists Without Sheriff's Cooperation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is actively searching for at least a dozen illegal migrants accused of violent crimes in the Charlotte area without the cooperation of Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden—a factor ICE says makes their operations less efficient.

About half of the migrants were recently booked in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, according to a March 18 ICE press release.

Maria Somers, assistant field office director for Charlotte ICE, said McFadden has not complied with orders to alert the agency of targets within 48 hours of the person being processed and fingerprinted. Those alerts make ICE operations more efficient "because the alien is already arrested and located in a safe, secure environment."

McFadden accused ICE of holding migrants without a warrant, which he says uses up county resources.

57 Landslides Hinder Parkway Opening

Officials are working to reopen 200 miles of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway that remain closed due to damage from 57 landslides created by Hurricane Helene.

Three-quarters of the parkway remains closed. The National Park Service identified eight areas of focus in this next phase of repair work: Mileposts 224.9, 284, 306.8, 342-343, 375.6, 380.5, 401.6, and 421.8.

Crews are also working to repair culverts, historic and non-historic structures, vegetation, trails, and mill ponds along the parkway.

Officials said some areas could take years to repair, calling the recovery process "a marathon, not a sprint" and describing the damage as unprecedented in the parkway's 100-year history.

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➤ Statewide: The House filed legislation on Monday that enhances parental oversight in health and sex education, ensures age-appropriate instruction, and regulates access to materials in schools and libraries. (More)

➤ Triad: The House passed the first reading of a bill to make The Andy Griffith Show North Carolina's official TV show. (More)

➤ Cumberland County: The girlfriend of Green Beret Clint Bonnell told authorities he planned to tell his wife he was seeking a divorce the day before he was reported missing, revealing a possible motive for his murder. (See Details)

➤ Raleigh: An NC State senior was charged with four felonies related to embezzling nearly $15,000 from the African American Textile Society, of which she was president at the time of her arrest. (See Details)

➤ Kinston: The man accused of shooting three Amazon delivery vans and causing a head-on collision that injured two women was released from the ECU Medical Center and sent to jail last week. (More)

➤ Greensboro: Monopoly: Greensboro Edition was unveiled at the Greensboro Science Center on Monday, featuring the city's iconic cultural sites, historical landmarks, charitable organizations, and businesses. (More)

➤ Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests: Four environmental groups filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Forest Service is unnecessarily increasing logging operations in both forests, violating federal laws, and harming critical wildlife habitats. (More)

➤ Charlotte Hornets star Miles Bridges continued his strong stretch of play with 26 points in a 110-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday. (More)

➤ Duke men's basketball freshman Cooper Flagg added two more awards to his season trophy case yesterday after being named the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. (More)

➤ Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales strongly hinted at the team's plans to draft a defensive player in the first round of the NFL draft during a recent interview. "We're 32nd in the NFL on defense, and that's something where our focus has gone," Canales said. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: MLB | NBA | NHL | NIT | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Charlotte-based Falfurrias Management Partners, a private equity group, raised $1.35 billion in its latest fund, topping the $850 million it collected in 2021. (More)

➤ Wilmington's City Council reported positive feedback on its social district pilot program in the Brooklyn Arts District but noted a request for better boundary signage. (More)

➤ Duke University's regular decision acceptance rate hit an all-time low of 3.67%, down from 4.1% last year. Of 53,223 regular decision applications, Duke admitted only 1,953 to the Class of 2029, bringing its overall acceptance rate to 4.8%. (See Details)

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➤ The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is working to reintroduce critically endangered red wolves to their historic mountain habitat in western North Carolina, with officials urging visitors to stay alert but not alarmed, as sightings are rare. (More)

➤ Approximately 1,382 acres have been donated to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina thanks to the Open Space Institute and partners acquiring the Camp Island property near the state's southeastern border. (More)

➤ New equipment at Cheez-It's Cary plant helps churn out 14.5 million crackers per hour with what Plant Director Steve Surovec says must have "the right speck, the right moisture, the right thickness, the right crunch." (More)

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