SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1912, inventor Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was born in Monroe. She was a prolific black inventor who started her career at age 6 when she attempted to invent a self-oiling door hinge. She held five patents, most notably the sanitary belt, a walker tray attachment, and a toilet tissue holder.

Staff at the North Carolina Zoo are asking the public to vote on the names of their two new sand cat kittens. Learn more in Et Cetera.

Today’s sponsor, Splash Spotless Cleaning Products, is here to upgrade your spring cleaning routine with a hands-free foam toilet cleaner that tackles stains and odors without scrubbing—just pour, let it foam, and flush for a fresh, sparkling bathroom.

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NC Budget Gets $2.6B Revenue Windfall

North Carolina’s budget talks got a major lift Friday when a new nonpartisan revenue forecast showed the state will collect $2.6 billion more than originally projected.

State economists expect NC to pull in $71.2 billion across fiscal years 2025 and 2026, about $1.3 billion above a March estimate. Stronger income tax collections drove the gain, fueled by capital gains and corporate bonuses tied to three straight years of strong stock market returns.

Republican leaders Sen. Phil Berger and Rep. Destin Hall say the windfall backs their plan to cut the personal income tax rate from 3.99% to as low as 2.99% by 2033, alongside 3% raises for state workers and an average 8% bump for teachers.

Gov. Josh Stein wants to pause the tax cuts to protect funding for public services, setting up a standoff that could stretch into summer.

SBI Wants Eyes on Every Highway

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation wants a license plate reader watching every major highway entering and leaving the state.

In a report to the General Assembly, SBI Director Chip Hawley outlined an ambitious expansion of the state’s Automated License Plate Reader pilot program—blanketing all entry and exit points along North Carolina’s major interstates. The program has already captured more than 150 million plate scans, even though it’s still in its early stages.

Thirty-two agencies have opted in since 2024, including Raleigh Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, but only 17 have cameras running, with 140 readers on state rights-of-way. The SBI is asking lawmakers to fund grants and extend the program through 2028.

Privacy advocates say the cameras sweep up too much data on law-abiding citizens, and several local leaders have pulled out of vendor contracts after community blowback.

7,500 Boots Honor the Fallen

Seven thousand five hundred combat boots covered the field at Hedrick Stadium on Fort Bragg Friday—each bearing a photo and military ID of a service member killed in combat since Sept. 11, 2001.

Now in its 14th year, the Fallen Soldiers Boot Display brought 150 volunteers under Survivor Outreach Services Program Manager Tony Pugh, who added 20 new boots this year. “Freedom is not free,” Pugh said—a phrase that echoed across the stadium.

For Sgt. Brady Callahan, it was deeply personal. His father, Sgt. 1st Class Keith Callahan, was killed by an IED in Iraq in 2007 when Brady was 4 years old. Now serving in uniform, he placed a boot in his father’s honor and called it a chance to live up to a legacy.

Veterans described the memorial as therapeutic and as a place to feel the true cost of freedom.

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➤ Outer Banks: Estimated construction start dates were announced for the Avon and Buxton beach nourishment projects, with pumping and sand placement expected to start in Avon on May 24-26, depending on the weather. (Details)

➤ Wilmington: The city will hold an informal community meeting on Monday to discuss the South Third Street tree removal and replacement project near First Presbyterian Church. (More)

➤ Cameron: A girl was reportedly bitten on the chin by an exotic animal at Aloha Safari Park, according to a new report. (More)

➤ Cornelius: Town officials are pushing back on a proposed I-77 toll expansion near Charlotte, saying express lanes near Lake Norman should first prove they can ease congestion. (More)

➤ Beaufort County: Officials plan to auction off the Old Durham Creek Boat Landing property next month, putting the county-owned waterfront site up for public sale. (See Photo)

➤ Cary: Dr. Mariah Walker, principal of Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy, was named the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year at a ceremony Friday. (See Video)

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➤ No. 12 Duke softball racked up 14 hits to earn an 11-1 run-rule win over Marshall and stave off elimination at the Durham Regional yesterday. (More)

➤ UNC Greensboro softball was blown out 8-0 by No. 10 Georgia at the Athens regional yesterday, recording only one hit in the loss. (More)

➤ Wake Forest men's tennis led its NCAA tournament semifinal match against Virginia 3-1 yesterday, but a late rally from the Cavaliers led to a 4-3 defeat. (More)

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➤ The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro is asking fans to vote on names for two sand cat kittens born this spring, and the name options are inspired by languages and places from the regions where sand cats naturally live in the wild. (Details)

➤ An $80 million mega yacht named Q docked downtown this week, turning heads along the Cape Fear River waterfront in Wilmington. (See Yacht)

➤ A never-before-seen eyewitness sketch of North Carolina Continental Army soldiers marching through Philadelphia in 1777 has been donated to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The sketch is the first known wartime depiction of NC troops. (See Sketch)

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