The state budget lets the SBI place AI license‑plate readers on DOT land, expanding a pilot into an option for any agency and setting off privacy alarms. Lawmakers say it’s about public safety; advocates call it mass tracking.

A child was grazed by a bullet inside Rochelle Manor apartments in Durham on July 17 as police investigated the scene. Arrest status was unclear.

Lenovo's AI is stabilizing referee cams during the World Cup, and its Morrisville team helped build the 3D avatars and stadium replicas used in broadcasts.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management paid $18M for a fully leased industrial building in Durham, a sign that investor appetite for Triangle warehouse space remains strong.

Trailer‑mounted “beehive” solar microgrids and 24 permanent systems are headed to western North Carolina to keep libraries, food hubs and fire stations powered in storms. Officials say two mobile trailers will be deployable in 2027.

A Willow Spring man was killed when his SUV ran off Christian Light Road and struck a tree outside Fuquay‑Varina, authorities said.

Nike has closed its Fenton location in Cary, leaving a high‑profile vacancy at the mixed‑use center as the brand trims stores during a national turnaround. Local shoppers noticed the shutdown this week.

Greensboro-based Daly Seven bought the Four Points by Sheraton near RDU for more than $14 million. The purchase expands its cluster of airport hotels focused on meetings and corporate travel.

A fence post pierced an 8‑inch sewer main near Odie Street, releasing an estimated 38,400 gallons into a drainage ditch. Crews say the leak is stopped and the state was notified.

Families in the Triangle face $800-plus back-to-school bills — and North Carolina has no tax-free weekend to ease the pain. Community drives like Tools4Schools are stepping in.

Annexe, the basement cocktail bar beneath Bar Virgile, will close this week after six years. Owner Daniel Sartain says he plans to keep the space and debut a new concept later this year.

A three-year-old died after a pool drowning Tuesday night in Durham; emergency crews transported the child to Duke University Hospital but the child did not survive.

North Carolina will stop mailing registration cards and issuing plate stickers Oct. 1, 2026; the DMV will move records online and offer printed copies for a fee.