The Herald Sun
NCSU honors astronaut with building – and something sweet
Pink hair, ripped jeans and an “inexplicable love of rockets.” That’s how astronaut Christina Koch remembers herself as an undergraduate at NC State University. Walking into those first classes, she said she felt like “everyone else in this room...
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Gov. Stein greets Wake students starting the new school year
Conn Elementary School had some unexpected greeters on Monday morning as Gov. Josh Stein welcomed students starting their first day of classes. Stein, State Superintendent Mo Green and Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor shook hands and posed for...
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Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander fights for survival
JJ Apodaca sent the drone up over the ridge because he had see for himself. It had been a month since the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought torrential rain to the mountains of Western North Carolina, and the only road into Hickory Nut Gorge was...
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Raleigh to shut entrance to downtown bus station
The city will soon close a pedestrian tunnel the connects Goraleigh’s Moore Square bus station with Wilmington Street and the heart of downtown as part of a broader effort to try to make people feel safer. City officials say they will block off both...
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Rehabbed Piedmont engine gets special America 250 paint job
North Carolina’s passenger rail service welcomed back one of its locomotives Tuesday with a traditional christening ceremony, a new number and a paint job that honors the country’s 250th birthday. The nearly 50-year-old engine, one of eight that move...
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Church’s free summer meals ease grocery burden for families
Kenya Lawrence walked into Redeeming Love Missionary Baptist Church one Wednesday this summer with two of her children to pick up lunch. That day, they had ground beef and cheese with tortilla chips, vegetables and chocolate milk. The meals provided...
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NASA astronaut Christina Koch to visit NC State
The first woman to leave low Earth orbit and take a trip around the moon is set to embark on a new expedition: a trip to N.C. State. The university is celebrating Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch — who earned her degrees from N.C. State — later...
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How gel from shark heads may inspire future antibiotics
the coast of Morehead City, the Capricorn rocks as the crew hauls in an Atlantic sharpson nose shark. Hands fly everywhere — measure, tag, release, all within minutes — a maneuver practiced hundreds of times before. In the controlled commotion,...
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NHTSA administrator sees Raleigh truck underride crash test
When the SUV crashed into the side of the truck trailer at 40 mph, Jonathan Morrison was among the first to move in for a closer look at the car’s crumpled hood. Morrison leads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency in...
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Lawsuits accuse Lyft of negligence after NC assaults and crash
After two incidents involving Lyft drivers this year left a Durham couple dead and a Raleigh woman assaulted, civil rights attorney Ben Crump is suing the rideshare company for what he says is “gross negligence” of their drivers. In February, two...
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In a Durham food desert, wastewater becomes a tool for advocacy
On a road downstream of Grant Street in Durham, a large gray cylinder sits atop a manhole cover, sucking up sewage water every hour — and potentially changing the fight against food insecurity for this historically Black neighborhood. Duke University...
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Raleigh appeals judge’s ruling on nightlife permit ordinance
Raleigh is challenging a judge’s ruling that struck down a city ordinance intended to regulate nightlife. The city is arguing that the suit brought against it by bar owners may be rendered “moot” by new developments and that the judge erred in his...
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How dogs are helping save North America’s smallest turtles
Noses down, tails up, two Labrador retrievers zigzag through a soggy mountain wetland in Western North Carolina, hunting for a prize humans would need a lot of luck to find: North America’s smallest turtle. This July, three conservation groups...
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James Comey filings reveal NC role in ‘86 47’ seashell case
The text arrived shortly after James Comey Jr. posted a photograph of seashells he said he had found on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. “I have held my tongue for a long time,” the writer, an estranged acquaintance, wrote Comey’s wife, Patrice. But...
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NC House declines to advance hemp regulation bill
Legislation dealing with hemp did not make it across the finish line in the House on Tuesday. The Republican-led North Carolina House declined Tuesday to take up a bill that would tighten regulations on hemp products, in a week that could be the last...
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Rep. Chuck Edwards faces censure after ethics finding
Rep. Chuck Edwards faces potential censure by his House colleagues after the House Committee on Ethics found “substantial reason to believe” he “violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces,” the committee said. Despite...
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Durham tackles landfill crisis with waste sorting study
Inside a cavernous warehouse at Durham’s waste and recycling center, a crew of sanitation workers in yellow vests sorted through loads of garbage, collected from homes across the city that Wednesday morning. They placed each item into one of nearly 30...
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Billionaire's fraud case leaves some victims wary of speaking out
Debbie Griffiths worked in healthcare her entire life, saving more than $600,000 for her retirement. Then she saw it all disappear. She is one of 100,000 people across 47 states who had their money misused by Durham billionaire Greg Lindberg. A...
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Wake County’s new school welcomes 430 students
FUQUAY-VARINA The golden carpet was rolled out Thursday for students at Wake County’s newest school. Buzzy the Bee greeted the 430 students arriving at Hilltop Needmore Elementary School in Fuquay-varina as the Middle Creek High School band...
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North Carolina tightens vape shop rules but gaps remain
North Carolina lawmakers included new vaping-enforcement and youth-access provisions in the state’s morethan-600-page budget passed in July. But an advocate says the changes fall short of what’s needed to keep vapes out of kids’ hands. On the...
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Wealthy neighborhoods breed insecticide-resistant mosquitoes
Mosquitoes in Wake County are rapidly evolving resistance to the insecticides most commonly used to kill them, according to two new studies from NC State University. The trend is strongest in wealthier neighborhoods where residents spray more...
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Vehicle collisions threaten urban deer, NC study finds
A study tracking hundreds of deer across Durham and Orange counties found vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death for urban deer, prompting researchers to look for new ways to reduce conflicts between deer and people. North Carolina is home to...
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Museum a living tribute to Shorty Lawson, hard-working tenant farmer
In his short life, Shorty Lawson owned the reputation as hardest-working man around Person County: first on the job, last off it, plowing tobacco by mule, hauling water by bucket, living off hogs he killed, fish he caught, axes with handles he carved...
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Historic Black-owned bank to be sold, renamed in merger
A historic Black-owned bank in Durham plans to take a new name as it merges with another majority minority-run financial institution. M&F Bank announced Wednesday it will become part of South Carolina’s Optus Bank in a deal that is expected to pay M&F...
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Durham nonprofits build benches for bus stops across the city
Erin Batten-hicks frequently rides the bus to work, school and other commitments. She often carries everything she needs for the day, including a computer, books, a lunch bag and sometimes a bike helmet or change of clothes for hot days. A bench at...
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State audit finds gaps in NC landfill oversight
An overwhelming majority of North Carolina landfill sites that operated prior to statewide regulations have not been adequately monitored of late, posing potential risks to public health and the environment, according to a new state audit. The Office...
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Where North Carolina’s $1.6B in state budget earmarks went
RALEIGH In addition to funding raises for state employees and tax cuts, North Carolina’s newly enacted budget directs nearly $1.6 billion toward a variety of projects in lawmakers’ districts. These one-time appropriations, also called “pork” or...
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NC’S Castle Mont Rouge at center of bitter legal battle
For nearly 30 years, one man has been building a castle by hand on a North Carolina mountaintop. Stone by stone, Robert Mihaly transformed the top of Red Mountain, raising a four-story fortress above a rolling forest of old oaks. He crowned its...
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NC state auditor’s new report on Cary finds ‘excessive’ spending
Following months of reports of mismanagement in the town of Cary, the State Auditor’s Office confirmed a lengthy list of “questionable expenses” and an “intimidating” work environment under former Town Manager Sean Stegall in a new report released...
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Jury deadlocks in murder trial of Durham’s ‘top Blood’
A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the case of a selfproclaimed “top Blood” charged with killing a Durham club promoter whose body was never found. Darrius Tyson, 34, was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in the March...
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Animal Center seeks adopters as shelter exceeds capacity
The Wake County Animal Center is asking people to adopt and look for lost pets after a post-independence Day surge has pushed the shelter beyond the number of animals it was meant to hold. The shelter is currently caring for about 630 animals. From...
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Appeals court limits police action on anonymous tips
A federal appeals court overturned a North Carolina man’s 30-month gun possession sentence, limiting the actions of officers responding to vague, anonymous tips in high-crime areas. In a 2-1 decision released Thursday, the majority of the U.S. Court...
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Loud, nighttime calls by tree frogs draw visitors to Downtown Cary Park
CARY Queenk, queenk, queenk. On summer nights, Downtown Cary Park comes alive with a wild chorus echoing from the ponds. It’s not a quirky new sound system — it’s the green tree frog, the headliner of Cary’s summer nights. Most easily heard late at...
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125 NC teens became surgeons, engineers for a day
Dom C. wants to be a sports commentator when he grows up. For one afternoon, though, he decided he’d give surgery a try. It pays well, after all. And when you’re a rising 10th grader trying to win a game designed to test how well you can manage your...
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Raleigh to draft juvenile curfew after ‘teen takeover’ shootings
Raleigh City Council unanimously backed the police chief’s request Tueday for a curfew following a weekend of violence sparked by “teen takeovers” in two different parts of the city. Police Chief Rico Boyce asked the council for a curfew for those 17...
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Opponents urge commissioners to block Wakemed merger with Atrium Health
Wake County commissioners on Monday heard two contrasting visions for what Wakemed’s proposed merger with Atrium Health would mean for the community. Supporters, including an ICU doctor and Wakemed executives, said joining with a larger nonprofit...
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Why Wakemed says it needs Atrium merger to fix Raleigh campus
When you walk out of the visitors parking deck at Wakemed’s Raleigh campus on New Bern Avenue, you stand before the sprawling medical center’s two newest buildings containing the heart center and the children’s hospital. But behind the modern glass...
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Raleigh marks America 250 celebration with heat and history
aas hundreds gathered at the North Carolina state Capitol to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Gov. Josh Stein thanked them for braving temperatures nearing triple digits Saturday. “Now every one of you who is here...
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Triangle drought creates contrasting landscapes
The Triangle’s persistent drought shows its cruelest impact near the west end of Falls Lake: a moonscape of cracked mud, where great blue herons wade in puddles. Take Little Lick Creek, where the Mountains-to-sea Trail carries hikers along a boardwalk...
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NC budget proposes raises for teachers, state workers
North Carolina’s state budget, a year overdue, gives raises to thousands of teachers and state employees. Republican House Speaker Destin Hall and Republican Senate leader Phil Berger reached a final deal this week on the budget, which is expected to...
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THE HEAT IS ON THE WAY
The sun sets over U.S. 70 on Monday in Clayton. A heat wave is expected to develop in the Triangle on Wednesday and stick around for the July Fourth weekend, according to the National Weather Service’s Hazardous Weather Outlook. Temperatures at their...
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Professed Bloods leader accused of killing NC man goes to trial
The trial of a Durham man accused of murdering a club promoter whose body has never been found began Monday with jury selection. Darrius Lavale Tyson, 34, is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree kidnapping in the March...
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Out! Raleigh Pride brings visibility to LGBTQ+ organizations in the area
Throughout the afternoon of Out! Raleigh Pride, a blondhaired street preacher stood atop the steps to the old Wake County Courthouse. He flipped through Bible pages with his left hand and warned through the mic in his right hand about a “gay...
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Duke scientist explores the universe with new telescope
Blinding sun, freezing temperatures, and mounds of dust whipping through the air. The air, thin and sharp, makes every breath an effort. In this otherworldly landscape in Chile’s Atacama Desert, Eve Vavagiakis, an assistant professor of physics at...
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The Stanley Cup visits NC’S State Legislative Building
Adding to its long list of destinations around North Carolina, the Stanley Cup visited a place it hasn’t seen in 20 years: the State Legislative Building. Carolina Hurricanes captain and Conn Smythe trophy winner Jordan Staal carried the Stanley Cup...
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Raleigh ups estimate of Hurricanes’ victory parade to 180,000 people
Raleigh now estimates 180,000 people flooded downtown for the Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup victory parade on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, following a parade and rally, Raleigh Police announced an estimated crowd of 150,000 people. That’s a...
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More than 250,000 in NC may lose Medicaid coverage
North Carolina has just six months to implement new Medicaid eligibility requirements after receiving final guidance this month. Implementing new federal work requirements and strict state mandates will be costly for the state and could lead to...
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Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win brings surge of fans to parade
If the Carolina Hurricanes’ victory over the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup was indeed a perfect storm, the storm surge arrived in downtown Raleigh Saturday, when an estimated 150,000 people gathered for a loud, boisterous...
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Durham man faces federal charges for illegal reentry
Weeks before a jury will determine whether a Durham man is guilty of murder in a 2025 shooting off Interstate 40 in Wake County, federal officials alleged the man twice entered the United States illegally. Special agents with U.S. Homeland Security...
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Raleigh is adding firefighters. Union says it’s not enough
Raleigh is adding a dozen firefighters, but the firefighters’ union says that’s not enough to respond to fires quickly as the city grows. “The city continues to grow and annex land and expand its footprint,” said Caleb Lewis, president of the...
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Hurricanes return home as Stanley Cup champions
Under an elegant spray of water cannons from two adjacent fire trucks, the Carolina Hurricanes landed back in the Triangle as Stanley Cup champions. The Canes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, cementing their place in history and securing...
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12 killed, dozens injured as Russia, Ukraine trade strikes
At least four people were killed and dozens injured in a Russian airborne attack on Kyiv overnight in which the capital’s 975-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Dormition Cathedral was badly damaged. A number of multistory apartment buildings in Kyiv were...
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SBI gains access to Lowe’s corporate camera network
using a network of cameras that capture detailed images of vehicles passing through. Since last September, the NC State Bureau of Investigation has had the ability to keep a watchful eye over customers at Lowe’s and possibly Home Depot stores across...
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Big changes at NC highway exit as Buc-ee’s breaks ground
Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin said he’s happy Alamance County officials reached out when they did about building the state’s first mega-size travel center in Mebane. He was just moving past Orange County’s decision to reject Buc-ee’s first...
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Trump cuts ocean monitoring amid hurricane season
The Trump Administration’s most recently wave of defundings directly affects North Carolinians at one of the most crucial times of the year: hurricane season. The National Science Foundation has begun descaling their Ocean Observatories Initiative...
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This year, Holly’s Nest will take in 150 orphaned baby deer
The collection of hard-luck critters relaxing around Holly’s Nest Animal Rescue already includes four beavers sleeping in the bathtub, a skunk nestled in the back bedroom and a one-legged duck nicknamed “Pogo Stick” hopping around the pond...
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NC law denies victim status in fentanyl death case
Winter brought Nicole Holliday’s mother back into her life, but spring took her just as quickly. A little over a year ago, Holliday was working from her Wake Forest home when her grandmother called with the news. “Nicole, they found your mom dead,”...
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Much has changed since 2006 Stanley Cup run
The last time the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Stanley Cup, 30,000 fans packed into the sizzling-hot parking lot of what was then called the RBC Center — a riotous celebration that drew Caniacs from Gov. Mike Easley to a 6-year-old girl. That...
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Canes season ticket holders had early access to Stanley Cup seats
Carolina Hurricanes season ticket holders had a three-hour window Saturday to purchase tickets to Stanley Cup Final games before everyone else could buy seats. Even with the early access, though, some season ticket holders weren’t able to buy tickets...
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Lawmakers propose cap on Triangle property taxes
homeowners are seeing property tax bills ranging from 60% higher to around double what they were a decade ago. And now, many local governments across the Triangle are considering tax-rate increases in their budgets for fiscal year 2027, which starts...
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Canes tickets come at a steep price
Being there for hockey history comes with a hefty price. Tickets to the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights went on sale Saturday and fans found steep prices for the opportunity to watch the Canes in the first...
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Wakemed merger documents won’t change before Wake decision
Wake County commissioners decided earlier this month to wait 90 days before voting on Wakemed’s planned merger with Charlotte-based Atrium Health to “allow ample time for public feedback.” But the public forums Wakemed finished this week have been...
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Raleigh’s $40M amphitheater move just hit a major milestone
The new Red Hat Amphitheater remains on track to open in the spring of 2027, with a sea of corporate and city officials gathering Tuesday to mark a construction milestone. The new amphitheater, across Lenoir Street from the existing Red Hat...
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Woman held without bail after courthouse shooting
The woman accused of shooting two attorneys outside the Wake County courthouse on Friday will be held without bail as she faces two counts of attempted murder, a judge said Tuesday. Gwendolyn White, 57, appeared in court Tuesday morning but did not...
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Crypto ATMS draw scams. Should machines be banned in NC?
At a 76 gas station in Cary on a sunny Tuesday in May, a shop cashier held a sign with the word “Caution” printed in large red letters. “Did someone send you to this crypto ATM? It’s likely a scam,” the sign read, followed by a translation in Spanish...
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‘Mature beyond his years’ teacher celebrated as Wake County’s best
Matin Maani was named the 2026 Wake County Teacher of the Year, but he didn’t get his crown until Thursday in front of hundreds of cheering students. Maani, a seventh-grade social studies teacher, strode through the halls of Apex Friendship Middle...
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Agave’s towering bloom captivates Raleigh neighbors
On a quiet Raleigh street, one humble agave plant has dazzled its neighbors with the final, glorious performance of its life — shooting up 25 feet in a single month. For 15 years, it sat quietly in Agata Slaczka’s yard, looking prickly and...
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NC insurance commissioner faces claims of improper texts
After 10 years as a state probation officer, a dangerous job with low pay and high turnover, April Taylor saw an opportunity to start a new career with the N.C. Department of Insurance. Taylor’s great-uncle was a big supporter of Mike Causey, who was...
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Church’s commencement speech at UNC goes viral
“I want to start with a sound.” That’s how country singer Eric Church began his commencement address at Uncchapel Hill. He compared six of his most treasured values to the six strings of the guitar, using the sounds to call up meditations on each. It...
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As Durham waits for final state reports, 5 parks stay closed
For two years, the orange mesh and metal, chain-link fences surrounding five Durham parks have kept children and families out of public space they used to enjoy. Once vibrant hubs remain padlocked “Keep Out” zones, warning people about toxins found...
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NC Museum of History display from World War I now an oddity
Down West Cabarrus Street, for reasons yet unclear, some mischief-maker propped up a life-sized World War I soldier — crisp in his olive-drab coat, off to face Hell in the trenches. Even more intriguing, this surprise installation on the sidewalk is...
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St. Augustine’s seeks $2M loan for campus security
A group of people broke into empty dorms at St. Augustine’s University and threw furniture out of the windows over the weekend, according to the university’s lawyer, Ciara Rogers. The crime comes after the 160-year-old historically Black university in...
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NC Republicans have a deal on the long-delayed state budget
Almost a year late, North Carolina is headed toward having a new state budget. House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger, both Republicans, outlined the deal to reporters late afternoon on Tuesday. They had been at a stalemate since the...
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Could AI make Duke business school students more human?
If an artificial intelligence agent informed you that you were talking over your peers too often in group discussion, would you heed its advice? Some Duke business school students do. It’s part of an experiment in which Duke professors and students...
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Downtown Raleigh campus to unite state education offices
The massive construction site in downtown Raleigh, covering a city block, is taking shape as the new North Carolina Education Campus. The News & Observer has the exclusive first look at all the images of the campus that will bring together the UNC...
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