SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1956, Agnes Morton and Donald F. MacDonald launched the first Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina, recreating Scottish traditions of strength contests, dancing, and piping after MacDonald visited the Braemar Gathering.

A sinkhole in Greensboro has been traced to a water line that hadn't been disconnected. Get the scoop in Around North Carolina.

Have you cracked your knuckles today? Most chronic knuckle crackers have been told that the habit would come back to haunt them in the form of arthritis. That old warning has echoed across dinner tables for generations, and it turns out science has been putting it to the test the entire time. One doctor was so determined to settle the argument that he cracked the knuckles on just one hand, every single day, for 50 years, then compared the results. What he found earned him a prize and might change how you feel about that satisfying little pop. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Amy cracks the case on one of America's most nagging health questions. Tune in here!

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State Won't Change Childhood Vaccine Rules

North Carolina won't change its childhood immunization guidance following President Trump's Aug. 10 executive order on vaccines, state health officials said this week.

The order recommends cutting the routine childhood schedule from 18 diseases to 11 and calls for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella shot to be split into three single-disease doses once those are made in the United States. It also urges states to review their school vaccination requirements.

The order says federal programs and funding should support "maximal parental choice over childhood vaccines." Standalone measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines aren't currently licensed in the United States, so the split isn't available yet.

School vaccine requirements are set by the state, not Washington. State Health Director Dr. Larry Greenblatt said the evidence behind current recommendations hasn't changed, and state epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore noted the order cited no new science.

Coastal Tourism Spending Keeps Climbing

Tourists spent $203.08 million in Pender County last year, up 0.4% from 2024.

The figures come from Visit North Carolina's annual county-level study. Tourism supports 1,051 direct jobs in Pender County and $44.11 million in payroll, and visitor spending generated $6.64 million in state taxes and $9.48 million in local taxes—enough to save each resident an average of $230.46.

Next door in New Hanover County, spending hit a record $1.2 billion, up 5.8% and the fourth straight year above $1 billion. That ranks seventh among the state's 100 counties.

Statewide, travelers spent a record $37.2 billion in 2025. Gov. Josh Stein said the state saw record spending even amid Helene recovery in the west.

State Wins $299 Million for Rail

North Carolina's transportation department won nearly $300 million Friday to upgrade the rail corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte.

The Federal Railroad Administration grant pays to eliminate nine grade crossings, add stretches of double track, and fund trespassing prevention along the Piedmont Corridor. That's the line Amtrak's Piedmont and Carolinian trains run on.

North Carolina's award is part of a $5.3 billion national package that includes $2.05 billion for Amtrak to buy 43 new American-built trainsets. The Piedmont and Carolinian are both on the list of routes in line for them.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said roughly $2 billion of the package came from money freed up when the administration canceled federal funding for California's high-speed rail project. Ridership on the two North Carolina routes is the highest in 35 years, up 59% since 2019.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina has logged nearly 600 venomous snakebites so far in 2026, a pace in line with recent years. The state already holds the rank for the highest rate of venomous snakebites per person in the country. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The 2027 Military World Games landed $25 million in state money when Gov. Josh Stein signed the budget corrections bill Tuesday. UNC Charlotte gets $7.5 million to ready its venues; the other $17.5 million hinges on organizers signing up 50 nations and 7,500 competitors. (See Details)

➤ Greensboro: A sinkhole that shut down the intersection of South Benbow Road and Perkins Street traces to a water line the city's records listed as disconnected in 1972. It was never actually cut off and had been leaking into the soil for more than 50 years. (See Details)

➤ Western North Carolina: Three of four small-business owners in the mountains are still earning at or below their pre-Helene revenues, according to a new survey of more than 700 owners. Lake Lure reopened in November 2024, but Grafton Lodge owners Kim and Richard Sayles say the visitors haven't returned. (See Details)

➤ Buxton: Crews should finish the new dune fronting the village within days, and the dredge Amelia Island arrives early next week to join the Liberty Island on Hatteras. The 2-million-cubic-yard project remains on track to wrap by Sept. 30. (More)

➤ Raleigh: NCDOT distributed hundreds of laptops and portable hotspots on Thursday to students and small businesses statewide who completed its online trade courses, helping remove barriers to internet access, particularly in rural communities. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Panthers open their preseason today at the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. on NFL Network. Undrafted quarterback Haynes King scored Carolina’s game-winning touchdown in the Hall of Fame Game last week, but he is reportedly expected to miss the Bills game with a hamstring injury. (How to Watch)

➤ NC State football will debut a black camo "Wolfpack Warriors" uniform on Sept. 11 against Richmond, honoring the university's military heritage on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets released their 2026-27 schedule this week with six nationally televised games, highlighted by Kon Knueppel's Jan. 19 matchup against his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in Dallas. (More)

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➤ Adventure Landing, Raleigh's Capital Boulevard mini-golf, go-kart, and arcade complex closes for good Sunday after 38 years. Owner Hank Woodburn announced it Thursday on Facebook, thanking the schools, churches, and families who spent birthdays there since 1988. (Read Story)

➤ Christina Koch, the NC State graduate who became the first woman to fly around the moon, visits the North Carolina Department of Labor on Aug. 26. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley is pairing her Artemis II flight with a pitch to students on skilled trades and workplace safety. (See Details)

➤ The 41st Stellar Awards, gospel music's answer to the Grammys, tapes Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Spectrum Center with Kirk Franklin hosting. Charlotte-area nominees include Pastor John P. Kee, Melvin Crispell III, and the North Carolina A&T Gospel Choir. (See Details)

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➤ Elevated blood pressure can be influenced by constricted blood vessels and excess fluid in the bloodstream, making the heart work harder. Surprisingly, one common everyday food may contribute to both issues—and it might not be the food you expect. Knowing what to watch for could make a difference.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ One doctor cracked only the knuckles on his left hand for 50 years to settle the infamous medical argument. (Hear More)

➤ American shoppers cut back sharply in July, raising fresh doubts about the strength of the economy. (Listen Now)

➤ Police have recovered more than $10 million in masterworks stripped from an Italian museum in a three-minute heist. (Podcast Available)