Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1587, John White landed on Roanoke Island, where he was appointed governor of what was intended to be the first permanent English settlement in the New World. White arrived with 120 men, women, and children and sought to establish a peaceful coexistence with Native Americans, which he believed was necessary for their survival.

Sea turtles have started hatching along the North Carolina coast. Have you ever witnessed a sea turtle laying her eggs? Hit reply and let us know.

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Study: 43% of Flooded Homes Outside Zones

A peer-reviewed UNC-Chapel Hill study of 78 flood events revealed that 43% of North Carolina buildings that flooded between 1996 and 2020 were located outside FEMA's designated 100-year floodplain. During that time, more than 90,000 buildings flooded at least once, and over 20,000 flooded repeatedly—double the number recorded in federal insurance data.

Researchers trained machine-learning models to recreate the 78 flood events in North Carolina based on National Flood Insurance Program claims and high-resolution geospatial data to create the first address-level archive of the state's flood footprints.

"Places that have flooded before will flood again. It's just a matter of time, and those are risky places," said Antonia Sebastian, a UNC hydrologist who advised the project.

FEMA is currently redesigning its flood mapping system and provides monthly updates on the department's progress to Congress.

Raleigh-Cary No. 1 in New Home Building

A 2025 Construction Coverage study based on U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow data ranked the Raleigh-Cary area as No. 1 in large metro area new home construction, with 28.8 new units authorized per 1,000 existing homes.

Austin, Texas, and Dallas-Fort Worth took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively, with 28.6 and 22.2 units per 1,000 existing homes.

In the midsize metro category, Wilmington ranked No. 1 with 35.6 units per 1,000 existing homes, and Asheville ranked No. 10 with 25.5 units. Burlington took the No. 5 spot in the small metro rankings with 30.5 units.

At the state level, North Carolina ranked No. 2 overall, behind only Idaho. South Carolina took the No. 3 spot, Utah was No. 4, and Arizona was No. 5.

NC Campsites Named Among Country's Best

Hipcamp, a website and app designed to help campers find and book campsites, released its list of the best places to camp in America last week, with several Western North Carolina sites among those recognized.

The Oasis at Harmon Creek Farms in Yadkinville was chosen as North Carolina's best farm stay. Meanwhile, Barnhill Mountain in Fletcher was named one of the country's best tent sites, and Asheville Area Luxury Solo RV'ing—also in Fletcher—made the list of best RV and van spots.

If cabin camping is more your style, The Dancing Pig on Abbotts Creek in Lexington was selected as one of the country's best cabin experiences, and Waterfall in Bessemer City received a Hipcamp Legacy award, indicating it has received consistently high Hipcamp ratings for more than five years.

View a list of all winners here.

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➤ Statewide: Under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, North Carolinians may claim a federal tax credit up to $1,700 for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) to cover expenses such as tuition and books, if the state opts into the program. (More)

➤ Raleigh claimed the top spot in a ranking of 55 metros consistently attracting an influx of graduates thanks to a 4.2% hiring rate, job opportunities, and a comparatively affordable cost of living. (More)

➤ Plymouth/Kitty Hawk: The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is opening a new license plate agency today in Plymouth on U.S. 64, but the opening date for the planned DMV agency office in Kitty Hawk has been delayed until September. (More)

➤ Outer Banks: Best of the Beach business nominations opened Monday and will be accepted until Aug. 17. One participant will win a sweepstakes prize that includes an offshore fishing trip. (See Details)

➤ Tryon: The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy will host a spike-pulling ceremony July 31 at the Tryon Depot in celebration of the purchase of a 31.5-mile rail corridor that will run between Inman, South Carolina, and Zirconia, North Carolina. (More)

➤ Southport: Nicole Schmidt and her 18-year-old son, Jordan, skydived from 13,000 feet as a tribute to her husband and Jordan's father, U.S. Marine Corps Raider Brandon Schmidt, who died during a skydiving accident in Illinois last week. (Watch Video)

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➤ The Charlotte Hornets won the NBA Summer League championship Sunday night, beating the Sacramento Kings 83-78. No. 4 draft pick Kon Knueppel was named championship game MVP. (More)

➤ Former Duke guard Nolan Smith has been named head basketball coach at Tennessee State, and Mike Krzyzewski says he'll be an "exceptional" coach. (More)

➤ Greensboro will host thousands of middle and high school coaches this week for the 77th North Carolina Coaches Association coaching clinic, which is expected to generate approximately $10 million in economic impact. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: MLB | Soccer | Tour de France

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➤ Massachusetts-based Sarepta Therapeutics laid off 21 employees at its Durham office Friday, part of 493 global job cuts tied to restructuring prompted by safety concerns with its Elevidys gene therapy and another experimental treatment. (More)

➤ Guilford College in Greensboro raised $6 million to maintain accreditation but projects a 950-student enrollment, down 100 from last year. Leaders aim to cut costs and balance the budget by December to retain full accreditation. (More)

➤ Wilmington City Council's newly approved social district guidelines require the districts to be within city limits, have participation from at least 60% of businesses in the district, and include at least three ABC-permitted businesses and two food-oriented establishments. (More)

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➤ North Carolina's 2025 recreational flounder season will run Sept. 1-14 in coastal and joint waters, with a limit of one fish per person per day, and catches must be at least 15 inches from snout to tail. (See Details)

➤ Sea turtle hatchlings have emerged from nests at Cape Lookout and Holden Beach, while 162 nests have been counted between Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands, and 70 nests along North Topsail Beach, Surf City, and Topsail Beach are expected to hatch soon. (Watch Video)

➤ A North Carolina mother's Latin-language diploma confused state officials—even after an English translation—delaying her homeschool approval and prompting questions about how non-English credentials are reviewed. (More)

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