Dozens of NC school boards approved calendars starting earlier than law permits
WRAL | 06.03.2026 State education leaders reviewed a new state report Wednesday that showed 30 North Carolina public school systems have reported a calendar that starts earlier next year than state law allows. Those school districts are largely concentrated in central and western portions of the state, as business and tourism groups in the eastern part of…
Reacting to Supreme Court, NC House wants to limit tourism occupancy tax spending
WFDD | 06.02.2026 Legislation introduced and approved in the state House Tuesday would block counties from using occupancy taxes to fund public safety and other core services. The bill comes in response to a legal dispute between Currituck County and the hotel industry. The state Supreme Court ruled last month in favor of Currituck in a lawsuit…
NC Supreme Court rules Currituck County can use occupancy tax funds for public safety
Outer Banks Voice | 05.22.2026 On Friday, May 22, Currituck County announced that the North Carolina Supreme Court has unanimously ruled against the plaintiffs challenging how the county spent occupancy tax funds, overturning a 2024 NC Court of Appeals ruling. The decision allows Currituck County to use occupancy tax revenue to fund public safety services.…
Lawmakers give preliminary approval to updated ABC regulations
WRAL | 05.19.2026 A group of North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a proposal to allow grocery stores to sell premixed cocktails, which are currently only sold in state-run liquor stores. The House Committee on Alcoholic Beverage Control gave preliminary approval to House Bill 921, which would enact several revisions to the state’s liquor laws. Among…
NC Tourism Hits Record $37.2 Billion in 2025
05.07.2026 | Office of Governor Josh Stein Raleigh Today Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina set a record for tourist spending in 2025, with travelers spending more than $37.2 billion on trips to and within the state, surpassing the previous record of $36.7 billion set in 2024. “North Carolina remains a great place to…
Lake Lure will reopen more than 500 days after Helene
04.18.2026 | WFMY LAKE LURE, N.C. — 570 days after Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, a popular tourist spot will reopen! Lake Lure is launching a “soft opening” on Monday, April 20. The lake was closed since the storm so crews could clean up debris and make sure the area is safe. “We are forever grateful to…
New North Carolina ballpark is unlike any other baseball stadium in the U.S.
The new baseball stadium in Wilson will be unlike any other professional ballpark in the country. Kentucky real estate group Bryant Corp., working with NSV Development of Durham, is building a 116-room hotel that’s integrated into the Wilson Warbirds’ stadium downtown. The Warbirds, Wilson’s new Minor League team and an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, play their…
Outer Banks luxury rental market shows economic divide
Every January, reservations start pouring in for summer vacations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Outer Banks has roughly 10,000 rental homes, ranging from modest accommodations to massive homes with 10 bedrooms or more in places such as Duck. In January, Lee Nettles, the executive director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, starts to see the…
NC Lighthouse Challenge part of the US’ 250th celebration
Currituck County’s America 250 NC Task Force has launched a yearlong challenge to visit 10 of North Carolina’s lighthouses as part of the country’s celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Called the NC Lighthouse Challenge, participants must visit the 10 sites and submit their photos with the lighthouse visible to nc.lighthouse.visit@gmail.com by…