FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1983, NC State pulled off the upset to win the NCAA men's basketball championship under head coach Jim Valvano in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a buzzer-beater 54-52 win over the Houston Cougars.

Houston has a chance for redemption this year, but they'll have to go through Duke first! Which two teams will advance to this year's NCAA men's basketball championship after Final Four play on Saturday? Let us know by answering today's Poll.

Did you know that the team that makes Flyover North Carolina also produces a national publication called The Flyover? Click here to subscribe and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

Today's sponsor is HeartSciences, offering an investment opportunity in the future of healthcare.

Men's Final Four Games Tip Off Saturday

The Duke men's basketball team—one of four No. 1 seeds facing off this weekend in the 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four games in San Antonio—will take on Houston at 8:49 p.m. Saturday, following the Auburn–Florida semifinal at 6:09 p.m. CBS will broadcast both games and the championship on Monday at 7:50 p.m.

Duke, led by Cooper Flagg and three other starters considered to be among the 10 best in the Final Four, is favored to win the championship.

This is just the second time all No. 1 seeds have made it to the Final Four, the only other time being in 2008.

The women's Final Four teams tip off tonight in Tampa with No. 1 seed South Carolina vs. No. 1 seed Texas at 7 p.m., and No. 1 seed UCLA vs. No. 2 seed UCONN at 9:30 p.m. Both games are on ESPN, and the championship is Sunday at 3 p.m. on ABC.

Two NC State Students' Visas Revoked

Two Saudi Arabian students attending NC State decided to return to their home country after the U.S. government terminated their visas through the Student Exchange and Visitor Program.

NC State officials said the university was not notified of the visa changes, nor did it initiate the terminations, which followed Senator Marco Rubio's announcement Thursday that the State Department had revoked over 300 student visas as part of a clampdown on pro-Palestinian protestors deemed "adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests" of the U.S.

NC State's Muslim Student Association issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the students' visas were "unjustly terminated" and that the students were "contributors to the vibrant diversity that defines our NC State community."

Misconduct Alleged at Battleship NC

A terminated employee of the U.S.S. Battleship North Carolina is suing its executive director, Jay Martin, the Battleship Commission, and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the commission.

Christopher Vargo, who worked for the Battleship Memorial for 12 years, claims he was wrongfully terminated in January after raising concerns about Martin's conduct. Vargo said Martin asked him several times to record that he (Martin) had worked 60-70 hours per week, even though Martin wasn't on site during those weeks.

In addition, Vargo said Martin violated state and federal wiretapping laws when he planted a recording device in a conference room to capture conversations about a renovation project between Vargo and contractors.

Vargo also alleges that Martin violated the federal Whistleblower Protection Act. He seeks $25,000 in compensatory damages and the removal of Martin from his position as executive director.

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➤ Statewide: A House committee approved a bill that, if passed, will permit anyone with a valid concealed handgun permit to possess or carry a handgun on private school property. (More)

➤ Ocracoke Island: A local fishing captain reeled in and released a great white shark measuring over 15 feet, saying it was "very much a real-life Jaws moment." (Watch Video)

➤ Raleigh: The fifth and final Dreamville Festival is this weekend at Dorothea Dix Park. Last year, the event brought in over $10 million each day in economic impact. (More and See Lineup)

➤ Hoke County: Authorities are urging residents to keep doors locked as the search continues for Jonathan Daniel Oxendine, who fled after law enforcement discovered a possible bomb near his home. (More)

➤ Asheville: Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.'s restaurant is one of five finalists for the James Beard Best Chef: Southeast award. The winner will be announced on June 16. (See Details)

➤ Greensboro: A Senate bill proposes spending $1 million on Blandwood Mansion, the former home of Gov. John Motley Morehead, with funds split between reopening operations and needed repairs. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth on Wednesday after putting together an impressive 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. This is the seventh consecutive year the Hurricanes have qualified for the postseason. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets lost for the sixth time in seven games on Wednesday night, falling 119-105 to the Indiana Pacers. Miles Bridges led the team in points on the night with 18. (More)

➤ The ACC is moving its women's basketball conference tournament from Greensboro to the Atlanta area for the 2026 season. (More)

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

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➤ Former UNC basketball player Baden Jaxen launched the Pup Park Shuttle, a miniature school bus decorated with turf grass and a painted sky on the ceiling that transports up to 20 dogs to three or four parks in Raleigh or Cary each day. (Watch Video)

➤ North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, which filed for bankruptcy and suspended productions earlier in 2024, announced it will shut down operations in early May. A representative said the restructuring "is a necessary step toward rebuilding and revitalizing" the theater for the future. (More)

➤ Charlotte-based Maya Hotels purchased the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Gastonia for $10.2 million. The family-owned company now owns three hotels in Gaston County and 11 total across the Carolinas. (More)

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Fighting the Leading Cause of Death with AI

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide because it's so hard to detect until it's too late. HeartSciences is working to make early frontline detection easier with AI.

Traditional electrocardiograms (ECGs) are decades-old technology and generally only detect rhythm-related issues, like arrhythmia or AFib. By then, a patient often has late-stage heart disease. With HeartSciences' AI and cloud-based ECG platform, healthcare providers will be able to unlock hidden signs of heart disease earlier.

Not only does this have the potential to save countless lives, but over 100 million ECGs are performed annually in the U.S. alone (~1B worldwide), creating a huge market opportunity for HeartSciences.

Learn how you can participate in a $30B ECG market opportunity and invest in HeartSciences as they drive the future of healthcare.

Disclaimer: This is a paid advertisement for HeartSciences Regulation A+ offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.heartsciences.com/.

➤ Evangelist Franklin Graham weighed in on the Greenville Camping World flag controversy, saying he hopes President Trump and the Republicans "will pass a law stating that you can fly an American flag any size you want as long as it's on your own property!" (More)

➤ A Chatham County animal resource officer rescued an owl with an injured eye that was trapped in a barbed wire fence and transported it to a Sanford rescue for rehabilitation. (Watch Report)

➤ Winston-Salem's John Champlin has crisscrossed the country in search of America's best hot dogs and calls his adventures Weiner World: Tour de Frank. (More)

➤ The World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee retired the Atlantic hurricane names Helene, Beryl, Milton, and John, and released the 2025 storm names. (See Names)

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