FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1961, North Carolina’s first ski resort, Cataloochee Ski Slopes, was incorporated. It opened Dec. 22 of that year and was the first ski resort to open south of Virginia. Owner Tom Alexander pioneered it to employ staff year-round at his ranch, boosting southern winter tourism.

As our nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today, the Flyover North Carolina family remembers the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the families forever changed. Their courage and sacrifice continue to inspire us.

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UNC System Leads Free Speech Rankings

All seven UNC System schools examined by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ranked among the nation’s top 58 in its 2027 College Free Speech Rankings.

Appalachian State led the state at No. 8 overall, followed by UNC-Greensboro at No. 11, UNC-Charlotte at No. 12, East Carolina at No. 15, NC State at No. 18, UNC-Chapel Hill at No. 31, and North Carolina A&T at No. 58. The rankings drew on 63,000 student responses across 261 colleges.

Three private schools outside of the system—Duke, Davidson and Wake Forest—were also analyzed. Duke ranked No. 50, Davidson ranked No. 63, and Wake Forest ranked No. 159.

FIRE credited the UNC System’s Board of Governors for adopting the Chicago Statement on free expression and a policy of institutional neutrality across its campuses.

DHHS Faults Duke Medical Admissions

The federal government found that Duke University School of Medicine intentionally discriminated against white and Asian applicants by using race and race-revealing proxies in admissions.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights said Tuesday that Duke’s practices violate the Civil Rights Act and part of the Affordable Care Act. It gave the school 10 business days to respond or risk referral to the Department of Justice.

Civil-rights office director Paula Stannard said Duke is breaking “federal anti-discrimination laws” by granting and denying admission based on race. The finding follows President Trump’s 2025 order directing agencies to root out race-based preferences.

Duke maintains that race and ethnicity play no part in its admissions since the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against affirmative action. The government said the school failed to explain gaps in test scores and grades among admitted students of different races.

McCrory Tours Wake Elections Office

Former Gov. Pat McCrory toured the Wake County Board of Elections on Tuesday to show how ballots are counted and secured, part of a push to build voter confidence before November.

McCrory, a Republican now leading the North Carolina chapter of the election-integrity group RightCount, was joined by former Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison. He said learning the process before Election Day is the best way to counter suspicion about results.

Education and transparency, McCrory said, are “very much needed to regain and gain the confidence of voters.” Wake County has the most registered voters in the state.

Elections Director Olivia McCall walked through the safeguards: a five-member bipartisan board, logic-and-accuracy testing by bipartisan teams, and a ballot cage that stays locked. Wake is training 3,226 officials before the vote.

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➤ Statewide: Communities across North Carolina will mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks today with ceremonies, stair climbs, flag displays, moments of silence, and service projects packing meals and cleaning parks in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, Wilmington, Hickory, and beyond. (See Charlotte, Triangle, Triad, and Cape Fear Events)

➤ Also Statewide: All five living former North Carolina governors—Republicans Jim Martin and Pat McCrory, and Democrats Mike Easley, Bev Perdue, and Roy Cooper—filed a friend-of-the-court brief backing Democrat Gov. Josh Stein in his fight with Republican lawmakers over the governor’s powers. (More)

➤ Western NC: FEMA is sending nearly $33 million to North Carolina for disaster recovery, including almost $10 million to repair roads, bridges, and embankments damaged by Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal. (More)

➤ Asheville: The city and contractors agreed to pay a combined $12 million to settle a lawsuit over a January 2020 crash on Riverside Drive, where an icy patch from an unrepaired drainage problem killed Guido Ernst Roth. (More)

➤ Cumberland County: State Highway Patrol Sgt. Nekime Oxendine, 44, was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the March shooting death of sheriff’s Capt. Adam Bean at a Hope Mills home. Search warrants describe a domestic dispute over the woman who lived there. (More)

➤ Newton: Former police Lt. Carlos Uribe was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 2025 shooting of 21-year-old Camden Childers, whom prosecutors say was unarmed and trying to surrender when he was shot. (More)

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➤ NC State looks to rebound from a 34-8 season-opening loss at Virginia when it hosts Richmond tonight. The Wolfpack enters the matchup as a 30.5-point favorite. (Preview)

➤ Reigning ACC champion Duke (1-0) plays its first road game Saturday at Illinois (1-0), kicking off at 3:30 p.m. at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on FS1. The Blue Devils, coming off a 17-3 win over Tulane, are out to avenge last year's 45-19 loss to the Illini. (More)

➤ Appalachian State (1-0), fresh off a 647-yard, 55-3 win over Maine, travels to longtime in-state rival East Carolina on Saturday for a noon kickoff in Greenville on ESPNU. (More)

➤ Wake Forest (1-0), fresh off a 38-16 win over Akron, hits the road to face Purdue (1-0) at noon Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, on FS1. (More)

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➤ The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the state can pursue its lawsuit accusing TikTok and parent ByteDance of designing addictive features for minors. ByteDance says its nationwide service doesn’t target North Carolina. (More)

➤ Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva agreed to pay $455 million over 15 years to settle PFAS “forever chemicals” claims brought by North Carolina and 11 Cape Fear-area communities over contamination from the Fayetteville Works plant. (More)

➤ North Carolina ranks ninth in the nation for “worker freedom” in a new report, which cites the state’s low union membership. North Carolina has the lowest public-sector union rate in the country at 5.72% and the third-lowest private-sector rate at 1.92%. (More)

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➤ ACCESS of Wilmington holds its second annual Sounds of Freedom benefit concert on Sept. 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Brooklyn Arts Center. Proceeds support Project SOAR, which serves veterans and first responders. (More)

➤ The Brunswick County Botanical Garden will host a free open house on Saturday, Oct. 3, where visitors can wander the grounds and pick up tips from NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences throws the 30th edition of BugFest on Saturday, Sept. 19, in downtown Raleigh, with 100-plus exhibits, edible-insect fare at Café Insecta, and games like the Roachingham 500. This year's theme focuses on “hoppers.” (Watch Report)

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