Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1870, the new Cape Hatteras Lighthouse's first-order Fresnel lens was lit to mark the dangerous Diamond Shoals. Completed that year, it stood 208 feet tall—making it the tallest lighthouse in the world at the time—and it remains the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States.

Speaking of Diamond Shoals, try your luck at today's Trivia question to find out why it's so dangerous.

Today's edition focuses not only on the arctic weather but also on cold-stunned trout and turtles. Learn more in Around North Carolina and Et Cetera.

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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.

Durham Student Injured in Brown Shooting

Kendall Turner, a Durham Academy graduate from the class of 2025, was among nine people injured in a mass shooting at Brown University's Barus and Holley engineering building in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday. Two others died in the incident.

Seven other Durham Academy alumni at Brown are safe.

Turner, who attended Durham Academy from pre-kindergarten before briefly transferring for one semester to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, underwent surgery and is in critical but stable condition. Her parents are with her.

A man in his mid-20s from Wisconsin, who was identified as a person of interest and detained Sunday in connection with the shooting, was later released without charges as authorities continue investigating the incident.

Arctic Front Paralyzes NC, Cancels RDU Flights

An arctic front plunged North Carolina into its coldest weather since December 2022 on Monday, with morning lows dipping into the teens across much of the state.

The Raleigh-Durham area recorded temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees, while Charlotte hit 18 degrees. In Western North Carolina, wind chills fell below zero in the mountains and to single digits in the foothills.

The bitter cold prompted widespread disruptions, including two-hour school delays in Avery, Ashe, Watauga, Columbus, and Bladen counties due to dangerously low temperatures and safety concerns for students waiting at bus stops. A gradual warm-up is forecast midweek, but residents are urged to protect pipes, pets, and vulnerable populations from hypothermia risks.

Meanwhile, winter weather in the Northeast delivered heavy snow and triggered 52 flight cancellations and 140 delays at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in the past 24 hours.

Top Court Declines Sunday Hunting Case

The North Carolina Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to the state's Sunday hunting restrictions on Friday, leaving in place a unanimous Court of Appeals ruling in April that upheld the laws.

Plaintiff Tim Oates had argued that limits under the statute, including a ban on Sunday migratory bird hunting and a restriction on hunting between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., violate a voter-approved 2018 constitutional amendment supporting "the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife."

Lower courts used a basic legal standard and concluded that the restrictions were reasonable because they support wildlife management, public safety, and a balance between hunters' and non-hunters' interests.

The decision preserves partial Sunday hunting allowed since 2017, while maintaining prohibitions intended to protect religious observances and shared land access.

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➤ Durham County: Crime dropped 4% from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 in the county's top eight crimes—murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson—compared to the same period in 2024. (More)

➤ Stanfield: Sycamore Brewing co-owner Justin Brigham, 44, faces charges of statutory rape, burglary, and indecent liberties with a child after allegedly meeting a 13-year-old girl online and breaking into her Stanly County home. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Four male suspects, including three adults and a juvenile, were arrested near Northlake Mall Sunday for attempting to steal cars while armed with guns and theft tools. All four face conspiracy charges. (More)

➤ Buncombe County: Officials have selected new polling sites for the 2026 elections to replace locations that were damaged or made unavailable by Hurricane Helene. (See Locations)

➤ NC Coast: The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is urging the public to report sightings of cold-stunned speckled trout in coastal waters to monitor potential events that could trigger temporary harvest closures. (More)

➤ NC State: Researchers unveiled a prototype motorized prosthetic leg combining mechanical assistance with artificial intelligence that allowed Dr. Brendan Driscoll, researcher and amputee, to "feel" more natural motion. They're also working to integrate neuro-signals for thought-driven control. (More)

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➤ Men's Basketball AP Poll: Duke remained ranked No. 3 in this week's poll, while UNC climbed two spots to No. 12 in the country. (See Poll)

➤ NC State fell to Washington 3-2 in overtime last night in its first-ever NCAA men's soccer championship appearance. (More)

➤ Four Charlotte-area high schools won football state championships this weekend, including Crest High School's 31-14 victory over Hunt to capture the 5A state title. (More)

➤ Seventeen women's basketball superstars gathered in Durham this weekend for a three-day Team USA training camp on Duke's campus. The list of attendees included Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. (More)

➤ UNC women's basketball fell to No. 22 Louisville 76-66 in overtime on Sunday in their ACC opener. (More)

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➤ The RDU Airport Authority presented concepts for a recreation and wellness development near Lake Crabtree, featuring whitewater rafting, trails, and lodging. (See Concept Map)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets are partnering with Honeywell to deploy advanced artificial intelligence building automation at the renovated Spectrum Center and upcoming Novant Health Performance Center, aimed at enhancing security, energy efficiency, air quality, and fan experience. (More)

➤ Multiple North Carolina bars, restaurants, and grocery chains—including Lowes Foods, Publix, and Food Lion—are dropping Sycamore Brewing products following the arrest of co-owner Justin Brigham on statutory rape and related charges involving a 13 year old. (More)

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➤ At age 90, retired neurosurgeon Dr. David L. Kelly Jr. finally received his UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate degree in chemistry, 70 years after being one course short in 1955. (More)

➤ The Gastonia Police Department's annual Shop with a Cop event gave 28 families from low-income households a pancake breakfast with Santa, a motorcade to Target, and $250 per child for holiday shopping. The Grinch was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for trespassing. (See Photo)

➤ The Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is treating 32 cold-stunned sea turtles rescued from dangerously cold Outer Banks waters. (See Photos)

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