Friday, October 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1961, the battleship USS North Carolina completed her journey up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington, saved from the scrapyard by a statewide campaign to bring the “Showboat” home.

The annual Ava Gardner Festival takes place in Smithfield this weekend. Learn more in Et Cetera, then try your luck at our Ava Gardner Trivia question.

Today’s sponsor is Aerless Vacuum Travel Bags, helping fall travelers pack bulky sweaters, jackets, and layers while saving up to 60% of valuable luggage space.

Four State Agencies Sign ICE Agreement

Four North Carolina state agencies required by Senate Bill 153 to enter 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did so ahead of Thursday’s legislative deadline.

The Republican-backed law, enacted in June after lawmakers overrode Democrat Gov. Josh Stein’s veto, mandates the partnerships so officers can perform limited immigration enforcement.

The State Highway Patrol signed a Task Force Model agreement on Sept. 27, according to ICE’s website, allowing troopers to exercise immigration authority during routine duties such as traffic stops.

The Department of Adult Correction signed a narrower Warrant Service Officer agreement, while the Department of Public Safety’s deal covers only its Alcohol Law Enforcement division. The State Bureau of Investigation also confirmed it signed on.

The measure builds on a 2024 law requiring all county sheriffs to honor ICE detainers.

Caterpillar Plans $1 Billion Plant in Sanford

Caterpillar will invest about $1 billion in a new Sanford factory to build compact track loaders and telehandlers, the company announced Wednesday.

To receive the full incentive package, the Lee County plant must maintain at least 1,950 full-time jobs paying an average of about $65,500 a year. Caterpillar already had about 2,000 employees in Sanford before hiring 600 more starting this spring.

To land the project, known as Project Paragon, the Lee County commissioners and Sanford City Council approved incentives worth up to $85.5 million, tied to the investment and job targets.

Caterpillar, in the Sanford area for more than 25 years, said it chose North Carolina for the local workforce and its existing operations. At a public hearing, the state AFL-CIO urged enforceable wage and job commitments with clawbacks if targets are missed.

Buxton Beach Project Resumes

Crews have resumed pumping sand onto Buxton’s beaches after a late-September nor’easter forced a pause, with the project now expected to finish in the first week of October.

Dare County said the dredge Liberty Island returned this week to place the remaining 250,000 cubic yards of sand. Work should take about seven days once pumping is fully underway, weather permitting.

The storm battered the Outer Banks, splitting the Avon Fishing Pier, flooding villages, and washing out a 1,000-foot stretch of N.C. 12 on Pea Island. Dare County declared a state of emergency and barred nonresident travel to Hatteras Island until Thursday morning.

When finished, the project will have placed about 2 million cubic yards of sand from the Haulover Day Use Area to just south of the Buxton Beach Access. Repairs to the Buxton terminal groin have also restarted.

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina school districts reported 2,009 teacher vacancies this fall, down 6.8% from last year and the fewest in at least six years. It's the first count since the state budget’s 8% raise, though bus driver and classified staff openings rose. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: The N.C. Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday on whether to revive Prisha Mosley’s malpractice and fraud lawsuit against eight health care defendants. As a teenager, she received testosterone and a double mastectomy. (More)

➤ New Bern: U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited her alma mater, New Bern High School, on Sept. 25 as part of her nationwide “Returning Education to the States” tour ahead of the midterms, stressing local control and teacher resources. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill: A judge dismissed a potential juror Thursday in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial after the man said the case “has nothing to do with him” and preferred contempt of court over jury service. (More)

➤ NC State: Eight of the university’s engineering programs ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s top 20 nationally, led by biological and agricultural engineering at No. 7. NC State also placed No. 22 for best value among public schools for in-state students. (More)

➤ North Carolina A&T: The university expects more than 200,000 visitors for its 100th Greatest Homecoming on Earth celebration, which takes place Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 and has sold out partner hotels. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Panthers placed starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on injured reserve ahead of Sunday night’s home game against the Detroit Lions. Horn reportedly has a torn quad, and Jackson has a groin injury. Both will miss at least four games. (More)

➤ UNC (2-1) hosts No. 3 Notre Dame (4-0) Saturday at noon on ESPN. It’s the first meeting between the programs since the Irish won 45-32 in Chapel Hill in 2022. (More)

➤ Gastonia has lost its pro baseball team for the second time in five years. Zawyer Sports & Entertainment pulled the Ghost Peppers out of the Atlantic League after three seasons (two under the Ghost Peppers name), leaving the city’s $28 million CaroMont Health Park without a tenant. (More)

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➤ Marine Corps Col. Christopher McDonald II assumed command of Fleet Readiness Center East at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point from Navy Capt. Randy Berti, becoming the new leader of eastern North Carolina’s largest industrial employer. (More)

➤ Federal regulators issued the first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor that was designed by Wilmington-based GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, clearing the Tennessee Valley Authority to build one at its Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (More)

➤ Gov. Josh Stein launched the Rural Health Innovation Fund, which will distribute about $20 million a year for up to five years to help rural health providers upgrade technology. Applications are due Nov. 16. (More)

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➤ A new guide rounds up Asheville rooftop bars and restaurants with the best views of the fall color, from the ninth-floor Rooftop Caffé at the Flat Iron Hotel to the Montford Rooftop Bar and Soprana Rooftop Cucina. (View Guide)

➤ The Ava Gardner Festival returns to downtown Smithfield today through Sunday, with this year’s theme spotlighting the Johnston County native’s years in Spain. The weekend opens with a black-tie “A Night in Madrid” gala, flamenco, and screenings from her filmography. (See Photos)

➤ NC State’s Howling Cow creamery has launched the MooMobile, a 2018 Ford ice cream truck that can carry more than 3,000 servings and brings dairy education to campus events. It has already appeared at Packapalooza and other campus gatherings. (See Photo)

Flying together with our sponsor

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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.

➤ Congress has passed a bill renaming Social Security terms that lawmakers say confuse the millions who retire every year. (Hear Details)

➤ New reporting reveals why body fat is so essential, raising the question of what the right amount is. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal health officials are putting $10 million on the line to revive the Presidential Fitness Test, which researchers say could backfire. (Full Story)