A browser-based Epstein parody game has prompted Cleveland-area districts and Wake County to block access after students played it on school devices. Local leaders and experts say filters help, but conversations at home matter most.

Holly Springs Community Library will close late April for months-long renovations and is expected to reopen by year’s end. Nearby branches and digital services will cover holds and programs.

Richard Kee Jr. of Roanoke Rapids was publicly named as the holder of a $209.3M Powerball ticket; he took a lump‑sum payout that leaves him with roughly $68.6M after taxes.

A Waxhaw resident hit an $8 million top prize on a $50 scratch-off and walked away with about $3.46 million after choosing the lump sum. The ticket was bought at a Publix in Marvin.

A former Beast Industries executive says she was demoted after reporting harassment and fired shortly after returning from maternity leave in a federal lawsuit.

Duke has frozen its SJP chapter after an Instagram flyer using a 1970s Emory Douglas cartoon drew complaints and outside condemnation. The move is an interim step while the university reviews the matter.

A new Americans for Financial Reform study says Wells Fargo denied Black, Latino and Asian mortgage applicants in Charlotte at much higher rates than white applicants between 2020–2024.

Residents at Maria Parham Apartments say the elevator has been out for days; the N.C. Department of Labor confirmed a complaint and repairs are underway.

Dorothy Chester of Cedar Grove matched all five numbers in an April Cash 5 drawing and claimed a $212,371 jackpot, saying she picked the numbers with her eyes closed.

Students led a youth symposium at NCCU, pressing leaders to prioritize jobs, mental-health supports and youth-designed prevention strategies against gun violence.

Maehelen Gray won a $100,000 Cash Payday scratch-off; after taxes she took home $72,018. The ticket was bought at a Ramsey Street convenience store in Fayetteville.

A photoshopped, lewd Instagram image tied to a lacrosse account targeted Athens Drive and Broughton students and was deleted after parents and school officials condemned it. Schools say they will investigate and assign consequences.

Organizers say Fayetteville's Dogwood Festival will go on, but rising production costs have left the nonprofit asking city hall for bigger support. The spring weekend is still scheduled and general admission will remain free for now.