Monday, August 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1937, the U.S. House authorized the nation’s first national seashore at Cape Hatteras, following years of lobbying by Outer Banks conservationist Frank Stick and a bill from Congressman Lindsay Warren.

Two North Carolina pizzerias just landed on a nationwide Top 50 list. See who made the cut in Et Cetera.

How does the military decide who’s tough enough to become a Navy SEAL? Why does it take a full year to train someone to fly a plane that never leaves the ground? And what exactly happens inside the school that teaches Americans how to survive being captured? The military doesn't advertise most of this, but the answers are out there, buried in Navy attrition reports, Army training records, and firsthand accounts from the people who made it through. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla digs into what that paper trail reveals about how America really forges its warfighters. Tune in here!

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AG Jackson Presses FAA on Drone Rules

Attorney General Jeff Jackson is urging the Federal Aviation Administration to revise proposed drone no-fly-zone rules so North Carolina’s first responders can still fly over protected sites during emergencies.

The FAA plan would allow prisons, large stadiums, and critical infrastructure to earn a federal designation barring drones overhead. Jackson backs the restrictions but warns the draft could force emergency crews to give advance notice before flying rescue drones, a delay he says could compromise search-and-rescue missions.

Jackson also wants the agency to publish a single master list of no-fly sites and to preserve existing state drone laws.

Attorneys general from nine other states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont—joined the request.

NC Lands 129 Companies on Inc. 5000

A Wilmington insurance adviser and a Charlotte veterinary chain topped the 129 North Carolina companies that made Inc.'s 2026 list of the country's 5,002 fastest-growing private firms.

Steel City Financial Services, a Wilmington firm that advises Medicare beneficiaries, led the state with a three-year revenue growth rate of 4,922%. Charlotte’s Petfolk, which runs veterinary clinics in the Queen City, Raleigh, and 14 other cities, ranked second at 2,016%.

Raleigh’s Charles Warren Presents, a seller of ginger-root pain-relief formulas, came in third at 1,440%. Charlotte placed three companies in the state’s top 10, and Cornelius, Greensboro, Durham, and Cary each landed a firm as well.

Altogether, the North Carolina honorees posted median growth of 115%, generated $9.4 billion in revenue, and employed 33,439 people. To qualify, companies had to be private, for-profit, and independent, with at least $2 million in 2025 revenue.

Safety Standards Vary at NC Beaches

North Carolina beach safety systems lack a statewide standard, with each coastal community setting its own rules for lifeguards and warning flags. After recent drownings, officials are urging visitors to understand local variations before swimming.

Beaches in the Wilmington area, such as Wrightsville Beach, Emerald Isle, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach, staff lifeguards and fly daily green, yellow, or red flags, while places like Holden Beach rely on QR codes linking to National Weather Service rip current data instead of physical flags or guards.

Dare County also staffs lifeguards and flies daily green, yellow, or red flags, but also added a text alert system in 2018 that delivers customized notifications on beach conditions, severe weather, and public safety via text, email, or phone.

Experts recommend choosing guarded beaches when possible and always checking conditions in advance.

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➤ Statewide: The North Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments Nov. 10 in a clash between Democrat Gov. Josh Stein and Republican legislative leaders over laws limiting the governor's power to appoint members of state boards and fill judicial vacancies. (More)

➤ Triad: The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday that a student’s lawsuit against the Alamance-Burlington school board can proceed over how the district handled a teacher’s alleged 2022 assault of the student and its effect on the student’s education. (More)

➤ Western NC: North Carolina Republicans chose Chelsea Walsh, a former Henderson County GOP chair, as their nominee for state House District 117, filling the seat Rep. Jennifer Balkcom is leaving for a congressional bid. (More)

➤ Apex: Sheremy Dillard, a girls basketball coach and teacher at Felton Grove High School, was found stabbed to death in her Raleigh home last week. Her boyfriend, Rickey Harper, was charged with first-degree murder and arrested in Pennsylvania after detectives tracked his vehicle with license-plate cameras. (More)

➤ Wilmington: The head of Riverfest is fighting the city’s plan to move the decades-old festival off Front Street to a parking lot near City Hall, citing safety and access problems. (More)

➤ UNC Charlotte is launching what it calls the nation’s first School of Energy, built around modernizing the electric grid. The school will be housed in the engineering college. (More)

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➤ Duke and UNC have both extended offers to five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, setting up what looks to be a heated in-state recruiting battle. (More)

➤ NASCAR will reportedly not host any events at North Carolina’s Rockingham Speedway during the 2027 season due to “uncertainty surrounding the facility.” (More)

➤ NC State men’s basketball standout Ven-Allen Lubin, who led the ACC in field goal percentage last season, will return to the team for the 2026-27 season after winning a court injunction that grants him a fifth season of eligibility. (More)

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➤ Mecklenburg County sued the developers of Brooklyn Village, the long-delayed mixed-use project planned near uptown, citing years of missed deadlines on land the county put toward the deal. (More)

➤ Houston-based developer Hines is planning 270 apartments on the former Sears site at Greensboro’s Friendly Center, according to city records. Greensboro’s Technical Review Committee signed off on the site plan July 2. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that Doug and Nicole Turpin can move forward with their lawsuit against Charlotte Latin School over their two children’s 2021 expulsion, reviving claims of breach of contract, fraud, unfair trade practices, and defamation. (More)

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➤ Two North Carolina pizzerias cracked the 50 Top Pizza USA 2026 guide: Winston-Salem's Mission Pizza Napoletana landed at No. 19, and Charlotte’s Pizza Baby came in at No. 42. (See List)

➤ Raleigh’s Angus Barn earned the No. 5 spot on Southern Living's 2026 list of the South’s most legendary restaurants. Open since 1960 off Glenwood Avenue, the steakhouse is known for aged beef, its cheese-and-crackers spread, and its annual holiday light display. (More)

➤ North Carolina ranks among the most affordable states for public higher education, with average in-state tuition and fees at four-year universities totaling $7,541 for the 2025-26 academic year. (See Map)

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

➤ Navy SEAL candidates cover more than 200 miles on roughly four hours of sleep, and most still don't finish. (Hear Toughest Training)

➤ Two million American raccoons have taken over Germany, and the Nazi commander blamed for it didn't do it. (Hear Real Culprit)

➤ Your beach read reveals which of four anxieties is quietly driving you. (Hear Your Type)