Durham Rescue Mission activated Operation Cool Shelter as heat advisories blanket the Triangle, offering air-conditioned space, meals, showers and outreach to people at risk.

A 35‑page roadmap lays out 17 goals to protect residents, upskill workers and modernize state services as North Carolina positions itself for an AI era.

Durham fire inspectors visited roadside fireworks tents ahead of July Fourth, warning that aerials like bottle rockets and Roman candles are illegal and dangerous. Officials point to state law and injury data as reasons to stick with pro displays.

Prosecutors told jurors surveillance video, phone records and DNA tie Darrius Tyson to the disappearance of club promoter Shawn Burton, whose truck was later found on railroad tracks.

A taxiway collision at Raleigh‑Durham International briefly halted flights and forced diversions during the July 1 travel rush. The airport reopened and officials reported no injuries.

At 50, SAS is publicly mapping an AI-first strategy while executives say they've prepped systems for a potential IPO — but founder Jim Goodnight still calls the timing.

Apex-based LiveSwitch says it will hire 100 workers through a new second‑chance initiative that will include applicants with criminal records. The hires would roughly double local headcount.

House Bill 1083 would let hiring parties — including app platforms — contribute to portable benefit accounts owned by independent contractors, allowing them to buy health and retirement coverage without reclassification.

Duke Energy says it spent nearly $1 billion with North Carolina suppliers in 2025 and could expand that to nearly $5 billion over five years to shore up grid equipment and jobs.

FEMA has cleared another major package — roughly $179M in public‑assistance and $18M in mitigation grants — to accelerate Helene recovery across western North Carolina.

Chapel Hill will replace its traditional Fourth of July fireworks with a 300‑drone light show at Chapel Hill High School, a move tied to resident feedback and climate goals.

Postino is coming to University Place in Chapel Hill with indoor dining, a large patio and a rotating wine-and-shared-plates menu; no opening date yet.

NC wildlife officials rolled out early-season hunts and new carcass-disposal rules aimed at slowing chronic wasting disease in affected counties. Hunters are being asked to test and to change how they handle deer remains.