SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis began two days of cabinet meetings in Greensboro with Generals Joseph E. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard to determine if they should unite the remaining Confederate forces or authorize Johnston to negotiate peace with the Union.

See how NC State's campus reacted when fellow Wolfpacker Christina Koch became the first woman to travel around the moon—in today's Et Cetera section. 🚀

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, CEO Cole Strehlow unpacked the context and latest developments behind Tucker Carlson and President Trump’s public feud. This isn’t a minor disagreement, but a high-stakes clash between two of the most powerful voices in conservative media and politics. Cole breaks down what happened, what’s been said, and how it all unraveled. Listen here.

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Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Beach Music Performer Killed in I-95 Crash

Howard Winstead Jr., a member of the well-known Band of Oz, was killed early Saturday morning when his minivan struck a fuel tanker on I-95 near Dunn in Harnett County.

Winstead was returning home to Concord after a Friday night performance in Lexington, South Carolina, when the crash occurred around 2:16 a.m. He was also a former member of The Fantastic Shakers and The Blackwater Band.

Northbound lanes were closed for several hours before reopening around 5:47 a.m. The crash remains under investigation.

Pilot Airlifted After Plane Crash

A single-engine plane failed to gain altitude after takeoff at Lincolnton-Lincoln County Regional Airport on Friday and crashed in a field just past the runway, trapping one of the two pilots in the wreckage.

Crews freed the trapped pilot within five minutes. He was flown by medical helicopter to Atrium Health Main in Charlotte with a head injury and is awake and alert. The second pilot was uninjured.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol, FAA and NTSB are investigating.

Police Share Breakfast with Autism Community

The Raleigh Police Department hosted a breakfast on Friday with autistic residents and their families during Autism Awareness Month, part of a growing effort to build trust and improve how officers interact with the community.

RPD Chief Rico Boyce also distributed "Occupant with Autism" bumper stickers to families in attendance—an idea he brought back from Florida—so officers know to adjust their approach during traffic stops.

Over half of RPD's officers have already received autism awareness training, with the rest set to complete it this fall. About 1 in 31 children in the U.S. has autism, according to the CDC.

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➤ Statewide: Eight new businesses are opening across North Carolina this week, from a cigar lounge with an indoor golf simulator in Concord to a taproom nearing its debut in Boone. (More)

➤ Durham: Officials advanced the long-delayed Villages of Hayti project, clearing construction for an $85 million redevelopment that will deliver more than 250 affordable housing units and honor the neighborhood’s historic legacy. (More)

➤ Lake Wylie: Emergency crews responded after a person jumped from Buster Boyd Bridge into Lake Wylie, where a boater rescued the person before authorities arrived and EMS began treatment. (More)

➤ Durham: Police are investigating two Friday night break-ins that targeted at least 16 vehicles, stole cash and credit cards, and involved a previously reported stolen car later recovered unoccupied. (More)

➤ Triangle: Schools reported seven lockdowns across five campuses this week after repeated bomb and gun threats, reflecting a rise in school safety incidents despite most threats proving not credible. (More)

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➤ Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball showed some of his signature flashy play on Friday, passing up an open fast-break layup to instead run beyond the arc and drain a three-pointer during the Hornets' 118-100 loss to the Detroit Pistons. (Watch Video)

➤ German 7-footer Antonio Dorn announced his intention to transfer to Wake Forest men’s basketball on Friday. The 22-year-old played sparingly for Virginia Tech last season. (More)

➤ NC State baseball continued its hot streak with a huge 10-4 series-opening win over Duke, the team’s fifth straight victory. (More)

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➤ NC State students erupted in celebration on Friday when Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific, making alumna Christina Koch the first woman to travel around the moon. (More)

➤ Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith was back in his hometown of Wilmington on Saturday for a Kentucky Derby-style charity event benefiting his family foundation and a local reading academy. (More)

➤ A wildlife rescue group in Wilmington is asking boaters to help find a critically injured brown pelican swept into the Intracoastal Waterway near Masonboro Island. (More)

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