A transmission‑line problem left more than 7,000 Piedmont Electric customers in southern Orange County without power Friday morning. Crews worked to restore service while traffic signals remained out.

NCDOT will widen a one-mile stretch of Old Stage Road south of NC 540 to four lanes, realign the Rock Service Station intersection and add new traffic signals. The Fred Smith Company is the contractor and completion is targeted for fall 2027.

Lenoir Community College opened the Senator Jim Perry Aviation Center at the NC Global TransPark, creating a hands‑on pipeline to aviation and defense jobs for eastern North Carolina. The facility pairs degree tracks with a high‑school academy and university partnerships.

New data show North Carolina drivers are paying more for monthly payments, insurance and repairs — squeezing household budgets across the Triangle.

EPA proposes removing emissions testing from the federal clean‑air plan in 19 North Carolina counties, a change that could save drivers nearly $20 million a year while drawing environmental pushback.

Cary is weighing new e‑bike rules after hundreds of calls and a police operation that led to seizures and citations. Leaders are debating education versus enforcement.

The Navy's draft EA would station up to 11 E‑130J Phoenix II aircraft and about 1,000 military personnel at MCAS Cherry Point, and opens a public comment period through May 31, 2026.

Raleigh’s average gas price has jumped above $4 per gallon this week, with local stations showing wide price swings and drivers hunting for bargains. Experts urge shopping neighborhood pumps and using price apps.

A two-vehicle crash early Monday on I‑85 near the I‑885/US‑70 split in Durham left at least one person dead and closed the highway for hours.

A septic truck overturned on an I-40 on‑ramp from I-540 near RDU, spilling its tank and closing Exit 1B. Durham police said the driver was not injured.

A City of Durham video lays out proposed stops and next steps for the 5.1-mile Central BRT, moving the plan toward engineering and spring outreach.

NCDOT awarded a $25.7M contract to widen a mile of U.S. 401 in Garner to six lanes, add medians, signal changes and sidewalks. Construction runs into 2029.

Raleigh released a 500‑page Safe Streets plan naming crash hotspots and setting targets to cut fatal and serious-injury crashes toward zero by 2045. The report pairs quick engineering fixes with outreach.