Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1872, North Carolina's 34th governor, Thomas Bragg, died at age 61. A states' rights Democrat, Bragg served two terms, promoting internal improvements and banking reform. He was also the older brother of General Braxton Bragg, for whom Fort Bragg was originally named.

The chances of a significant winter storm hitting North Carolina are looking more likely. Read more in Top Stories.

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Winter Storm Likely This Weekend

Meteorologists are warning of a potentially major winter storm this weekend as confidence grows that an Arctic blast will interact with an active storm track. This could bring rare winter hazards across the Carolinas and the broader South starting Friday night.

Though details remain fluid, a mix of freezing rain, sleet, snow, and cold rain is expected, with precipitation peaking Saturday and Sunday.

Snow chances are increasing in western and northern North Carolina, while coastal areas like the Outer Banks may see mostly rain with some potential for a wintry mix.

Some weather apps show predictions of 6 to 15 inches of snow in parts of North Carolina, but meteorologists say it's too soon to pin down exact amounts. They note that ice poses the greatest threat, potentially causing power outages, tree damage, and treacherous travel conditions.

ICE Arrests Exceed 3,300 Across NC

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested more than 3,300 people in North Carolina during the first nine months of President Trump's second term, nearly double the total ICE arrests across the state during all of 2024.

This data, drawn from the Deportation Data Project between Jan. 20 and Oct. 15, doesn't include arrests made during the Border Patrol's Operation Charlotte's Web in November, which resulted in 425 arrests as of Dec. 3.

More than two-thirds of the arrests—many concentrated in the Charlotte and Triangle areas—occurred in local jails, prisons, and other detention facilities, often through agreements with local law enforcement or immigration detainers.

Nearly 400 of those arrested were on the Department of Homeland Security's "Worst of the Worst" list.

UNC-Chapel Hill Receives $10M Civics Grant

UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The award includes a $10 million matching grant and $100,000 in direct funding to expand civic education, scholarship, and leadership development.

The grant, announced by SCiLL on Jan. 15, comes amid national concerns over declining civic knowledge, historical literacy, and civil discourse.

The funding will support the creation of eight endowed professorships in fields such as American political thought, constitutionalism, classical civic education, great books, and leadership.

It will also bolster graduate programs, including a planned doctorate in American thought and constitutionalism and a master's in military leadership. The funding will further enhance undergraduate teaching, public initiatives, and a Summer Civics Institute—already underway at the school—for K-12 educators and high school students.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina congressional map critics, including the NAACP, voluntarily dropped their federal lawsuits on Jan. 16, conceding after judges upheld the GOP-friendly redistricting for the 2026 midterms (More)

➤ Cherokee County: A large fire at Andrews Valley Poultry Farm killed approximately 86,000 chickens and caused $5 million in damage to an industrial coop on Jan. 17. No injuries were reported, and the cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ Catawba County: State troopers have charged Juan Aguilar, 37, with two counts of felony death by vehicle and DWI after a head-on crash that killed 20-year-old Catawba College soccer player Fletcher Harris and his 19-year-old girlfriend, Skylar Provenza. (More)

➤ Cary: Mayor Harold Weinbrecht has terminated his consulting contract with WithersRavenel to protect the engineering firm from fallout, citing a "negative environment created at town hall by the actions of former Town Manager [Sean] Stegall," who allegedly mismanaged funds. (More)

➤ Wake County: The Senate has dropped its request for $638 million for the proposed N.C. Children's Hospital in southern Wake and now seeks $103.5 million in previously authorized financing amid an ongoing budget impasse with the House. (More)

➤ Triangle: More than 50 North Carolina brides allege Holly Christina Photography took upfront payments totaling at least $160,000 collectively for wedding photos and services that were never delivered. The company attributes the delays to a medical emergency. (More)

➤ Asheville: A technical glitch with Transportation Security Administration equipment at Asheville Regional Airport on Monday caused security lines to stretch up to 1 hour and 45 minutes—beyond the usual 12 minutes—leading to flight delays and missed departures. (More)

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➤ Women's AP Poll: Duke was the only North Carolina team to make the Top 25 in this week's women's basketball AP poll, coming in at No. 21. (See Poll)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes winger Eric Robinson is expected to miss time with an upper-body injury after taking a hip-check from an opposing player this week. If it's a shoulder injury, which seems likely, he could be out for a while. (More)

➤ Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel scored his 800th career point in just 42 games—the fastest of any player in franchise history to hit the milestone. (More)

➤ Zero teams from the state made FOX Sports' Way-Too-Early college football rankings for the 2026 season. (See List)

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➤ Buried Hiroshima secret finally EXPOSED: If you thought history books taught you everything you needed to know about Hiroshima… you need to see this shocking video. The full story is finally coming out… and it's incredible. Watch Now.

➤ HendrickCars.com signed a multiyear agreement to become the official automotive retailer for the Truist Championship in a deal that includes player transportation, sponsored seating areas on the course, and community outreach programs. (More)

➤ Buc-ee's in Mebane is spurring development along Trollingwood-Hawfields Road, including a new 128,000-square-foot Target store and a three-story Duke Health clinic. Target will announce an opening date as the project nears completion. (More)

➤ GameStop is closing 470 stores across 43 states, including 17 stores in the following North Carolina cities: Albemarle, Burlington, Charlotte, Durham, Gastonia, Greensboro, Mocksville, Monroe, Murphy, Raleigh, and Wilmington. (See Locations)

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➤ North Carolina ranks No. 9 among the best states to drive in, thanks to low ownership and maintenance costs (No. 6), solid access to vehicle services (No. 10), fair safety performance (No. 28), and middling traffic and infrastructure (No. 31). (See Data)

➤ Fayetteville native Prince Purposed produced all the music for the Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired comedy King Blvd, which explores streets named after King across the U.S. and is now streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi. (More)

➤ The northern lights were expected to be visible in parts of North Carolina Monday night into early Tuesday due to a G4 geomagnetic storm watch prompted by a coronal mass ejection. (More)

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