Friday, February 6, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1927, Forrest Harrill "Smoky" Burgess was born in Caroleen. He was a left-handed-hitting catcher and legendary pinch hitter from 1949 to 1967, and played for the Cubs, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, and White Sox, batting .295. He finished with 126 home runs and was a six-time All-Star.

Super Bowl parties are planned across the state this weekend. Find out where in Top Stories, then let us know if you'll be attending one by answering today's Poll.

This week, The Flyover team is in Colorado, meeting in person to plan how to make The Flyover even better in 2026. As a result, Friday and Saturday's editions will be intentionally abbreviated, and we'll be back to normal on Sunday.

Today's sponsor is Brad's Deals, the site that helps you uncover hidden perks and savings—like lesser-known Amazon Prime benefits you might not even realize you're missing.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Blue Counties Use More Opportunity Scholarships

A recent study finds that North Carolina's bluest counties—those that lean Democratic—lead in participation in the state's Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides funding for private school tuition.

Published in the Journal of School Choice by UNC Charlotte professors, the research shows higher program usage in these areas despite opposition from many Democratic lawmakers. The top five counties for program recipients are Democratic strongholds: Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Cumberland, and Forsyth.

Regression analysis indicates that counties with stronger support for President Trump in 2024 had lower voucher participation rates, with the effect strongest among high-income families. Participation surged after the program became universal in the 2024-25 school year, growing from about 32,549 students to over 104,599.

The findings point to a geographic and political divide in voucher usage, with urban Democratic areas driving demand.

Super Bowl Parties Planned Across NC

From Charlotte to Atlantic Beach, Super Bowl LX parties are planned Sunday across the state as Huntersville-born quarterback Drake Maye and the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in a showdown at Levi's Stadium.

Charlotte-area watch parties will be held at Angry Ale's, Midtown Tavern, Carolina Ale House locations, and Primal Brewery, while Triangle-area parties are also planned at Carolina Ale House, Dram & Draught, Sports & Social, and Abbey Road.

Winston-Salem's Millennium Center is hosting a Big Game watch party, while coastal spots like SeaWitch in Carolina Beach will offer multiple large screens and food specials. Tackle Box Tavern in Atlantic Beach will feature an oyster roast and raffle prizes.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m., with the game airing live on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order Thursday directing state agencies to improve behavioral health and criminal justice coordination, enhance crisis response, expand co-responder programs, and strengthen reentry support. (More)

➤ Statewide: TikTok and ByteDance on Wednesday urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to dismiss Attorney General Jeff Jackson's lawsuit alleging the platform addictively harms children and teens and misrepresented its safety, arguing the state lacks personal jurisdiction. (More)

➤ Charlotte: DeCarlos Brown, accused of fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte's light rail in August 2025, appeared on a 2021 COVID-19 early release list, but state officials say that he was released in 2020 after completing his mandatory minimum sentence and was not freed early under the settlement. (More)

➤ Cherokee County: Sheriff Dustin Smith announced his retirement effective Feb. 6 shortly after District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch accused him of negligence, erosion of trust, and other misconduct, including his handling of a 2022 shooting of an unarmed man. (More)

➤ Nags Head: The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $36.4 million contract with Weeks Marine on Wednesday for the town's 2026 beach nourishment project. Construction is slated for this summer to restore eroded beaches. (More)

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➤ The Cook Out Clash, NASCAR's season-opening exhibition race, finally wrapped up in Winston-Salem after two weather-related postponements. Ryan Preece took home first place. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets sent Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and draft picks to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guards Coby White and Mike Conley. (More)

➤ Former Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich was hired as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator. (More)

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