Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1960, inspired by the Greensboro sit-ins, as many as 75 high school students from Cleveland High School in Shelby staged a sit-in at Smith's Drug Store and a bus station lunch counter after being denied service.

In our Et Cetera section today, you can read about two remarkable young women—an astronaut and a golf athlete—who have both reached goals important to them. Is there an achievement you're proud of accomplishing as a youth? Click reply to let us know.

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Deal Reached on Voter Registration Records

The Republican National Committee, Democratic National Committee, and North Carolina State Board of Elections have settled a 2024 federal lawsuit over incomplete voter registration records.

The deal, filed on Monday, addresses violations of the Help America Vote Act affecting at least 70,000 voters missing driver's licenses or Social Security numbers.

The dispute originated from a decade-long use of flawed registration forms, which led to erroneous registrations for over 225,000 individuals and gained prominence during the contested 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election, where ballots from affected voters were challenged.

Under the settlement, the NCSBE must continue its Registration Repair Project, ensure future registrations comply with HAVA, and count ballots from impacted voters in federal races, even without the missing information.

NC SBI Busts Statewide Theft Ring

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and multiple police departments have dismantled a statewide theft ring responsible for stealing vehicles, dirt bikes, ATVs, UTVs, and heavy machinery.

The investigation began in October 2025 when the Randolph County Sheriff's Office sought NC SBI help after thefts of skid steers sparked broader links to a Triangle-area group operating across numerous counties, including commercial equipment thefts in Charlotte.

Four suspects were arrested and face felony charges related to burglary, larceny, and other offenses. More charges and arrests are expected.

Authorities seized eight firearms, numerous stolen items, drugs, and cash during the operation.

Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a renowned civil rights leader and North Carolina A&T State University alumnus, died early Tuesday at age 84, surrounded by family.

He had long managed health challenges, including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson's disease.

Jackson transferred from the University of Illinois to NC A&T in Greensboro, where he played quarterback for the Aggies, served as student body president, and engaged in early civil rights activism amid the city's sit-in movement.

He often returned to campus, crediting the school for fostering leadership and civic engagement that propelled his civil rights work. Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and his six children.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein appointed John Gajda, an NC State electrical engineering professor and utility expert in power systems and renewables, to the N.C. Utilities Commission. The appointment awaits General Assembly confirmation. (More)

➤ Western NC: Stein also announced $5.7 million in grants from the Department of Environmental Quality's Flood Resiliency Blueprint to fund projects in Canton, Black Mountain, Hendersonville, Clyde, and Woodfin, aimed at reducing flood risks in the French Broad River Basin. (More)

➤ Seagrove: A barn fire at Callicutt Stables on Sunday killed 36 of 43 boarded horses. The 15,000-square-foot structure was a total loss despite a five-hour battle by multiple fire departments. The cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Scotland's men's national football team will use Charlotte FC's training facility as its official camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, staying between group-stage matches in Boston and Miami. (More)

➤ Fort Bragg: Sanford resident William Tyler Underwood, 28, and two 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers—Romeo Mason Fleck, 22, and Charles Jackson, 21—were killed Saturday in a head-on collision on NC-87. A third soldier remains in critical condition. (More)

➤ Wilmington: The movie sequel to Amazon Prime's The Summer I Turned Pretty, starring Lola Tung and Christopher Briney, is reportedly set to return to the area in late April to begin filming. (More)

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➤ NC State men's basketball upset No. 16 UNC last night 82-58—their biggest win over the Tar Heels since 1962. (More)

➤ The Orange County district attorney said there's "zero evidence" that a Duke staffer was punched in the face or trampled after last week's UNC-Duke basketball game—a firm denial of the account described by Duke coach Jon Scheyer. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year contract extension with an annual value of $1.9 million. (More)

➤ UNC's athletic director said the school "dropped the ball" on communicating its plans for a new basketball arena, which caused fan and alumni outrage over the past few months. (More)

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➤ North Carolina's bipartisan Energy Policy Task Force warned that residential energy rates could rise without fair cost-sharing for grid infrastructure amid surging data center demand. (More)

➤ Lumbee Tribe Holdings paid $6.8 million in December to purchase 241 acres for potential development into a casino resort near I-95 Exit 10—more than double the $3.2 million Western Agricultural Holdings paid days earlier. (More)

➤ Raleigh-based Smiling Face Company operator Ebony Nicohole McBean faces three felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one misdemeanor for practicing medicine without a license after allegedly providing unlicensed orthodontic services. (More)

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➤ Duke University post-graduate degree holder Anna Menon, a member of NASA's 2025 astronaut candidate class who previously flew on SpaceX's Polaris Dawn in 2024, is undergoing training at Johnson Space Center in Houston to prepare for potential lunar missions. (More)

➤ Charlotte Catholic High student Elizabeth Guthrie, 15, is one of 80 players across all age groups who qualified for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals junior competition on April 5 at Augusta National Golf Club. (See Photos)

➤ North Carolina is the 14th highest among all U.S. states in percentage of median monthly household income devoted to the cost of groceries, at 2.11%, according to a new report. (See Map)

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