TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1946, professional baseball player Jim "Catfish" Hunter was born in Hertford, North Carolina. Hunter pitched a perfect game in 1968 against the Minnesota Twins and won the American League Cy Young Award in 1974.

If you're expecting some mail that doesn't show up in the next few days, find out why you might not ever receive it in Et Cetera.

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Riggs Seeks to Block Appeals Court Ruling

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs was granted a stay Monday to block an Appeals Court ruling that could remove 65,000 ballots from her race against challenger Jefferson Griffin.

Late Monday, the Supreme Court allowed the stay, preventing a 15-day clock from going into effect while Riggs and the board appeal.

Riggs, a Democrat, currently holds a 734-vote lead over Griffin, a Republican. A majority of the ballots being challenged were cast by Democrats.

The challenged appeals court ruling requires county elections boards to contact challenged voters, then give them 15 business days to verify their identity and registration in order for their ballot to be counted.

Inmates Help Fight Blazes

As a record number of March wildfires burned nearly 18,000 acres across western North Carolina, 35 incarcerated firefighters helped emergency responders fight the blazes.

The inmates volunteered through North Carolina's BRIDGE program, a cooperative effort between the Department of Adult Correction and the Forest Service that targets non-violent young offenders and stands for Building, Rehabilitating, Instructing, Developing, Growing, and Employing.

Some BRIDGE crews were among the "initial attack" of the Deep Woods and Black Cove fires, working 30-hour shifts to help alleviate understaffing challenges. Currently, the North Carolina Forest Service averages 100 vacancies, with 25 of them in western North Carolina alone.

This map shows active fires across the state, along with their containment percentages. Most of the March fires have been extinguished.

NC Cities Among Best Places to Live

Niche's 2025 Best Places to Live in America rankings are out and include several North Carolina cities. Cary, a Raleigh suburb, made the comprehensive list at No. 28, earning an A+ overall and an A for public schools.

The "Best Cities" rankings include Raleigh at No. 22 and Charlotte at No. 44, with both scoring an A overall. Raleigh also scored an A on public schools, while Charlotte scored a B+.

Three Triangle towns top the Best Places to Live in North Carolina sub-category list. Cary is ranked No. 1, Morrisville is No. 2, and Apex is No. 3. Davidson, just north of Charlotte, came in at No. 4, and the Charlotte suburb of Dilworth took the No. 5 spot.

Access all of the listings here.

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➤ Statewide: The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles extended service hours at 42 additional offices on Monday, joining 50 other locations that were already opening an hour early. (See Locations)

➤ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police cracked a 29-year-old cold case using DNA evidence that helped identify remains discovered near Bank of America Stadium in 1996 as Betty Benton, who was reported missing in 1992. (More)

➤ Cataloochee Valley: Re-graveled roads helped partially reopen this section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that closed in September due to Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Fuquay-Varina: A family whose daughter died from a severe allergic reaction to peanuts met the organ transplant recipient of her heart. (Watch Video)

➤ Durham Police arrested nine people who participated in a car meetup and street takeover. Charges included a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, speed racing, no operator's license, hit and run, and a registration violation. (More)

➤ Granville County: Sheldon, a goat who eluded animal control for weeks, is currently staying at The Blind Spot Animal Sanctuary in Rougemont while he awaits a permanent home. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets lost their third consecutive game on Sunday, falling 131-117 against the Chicago Bulls after a disastrous second quarter during which they were outscored by 19 points. (More)

➤ Wake Forest baseball slammed No. 4 Florida State 17-2 on Sunday for their second consecutive win during a critical ACC series on the road. (More)

➤ Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Dean Wells passed away this week after a two-year battle with cancer. (More)

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➤ St. Augustine's University is being sued for a combined $18 million by wireless company SBA Connect and IT company Avaria for not paying its bills. (See Details)

➤ Blue Skies is the latest All in North Carolina campaign video created by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina to promote living, working, and doing business in the Tar Heel State. (Watch Video)

➤ New Charlotte suburb developments include a $200 million expansion of Birkdale Village in Huntersville, a rezoning for 324 apartments and 73 townhomes in University City, and a 200-unit age-restricted development in Indian Trail. (See Details)

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➤ A crate fell off a semi-truck and smashed into a car on I-40 in Durham, resulting in a flurry of U.S. mail blowing across the highway. (See Photo)

➤ Duke alum Keith Upchurch (1972) brings his dog, Gold, to campus almost daily to brighten students' days and relieve them of ongoing academic stress. (See Photos)

➤ Eight beagle puppies attended a sold-out puppy yoga fundraiser in Cary, where they were supposed to work as "helpers," but instead just ran haphazardly around and played with dog toys. (See Photos)

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