LELAND, NC (WWAY) — We want to hear your thoughts on the latest top news topics!

Click HERE to cast your vote and let your voice be heard.

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WASHINGTON, DC (WWAY) — The Smithsonian National Museum of American History wants copies of your trips to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.

The museum is looking for pictures for all decades to show how the parks has changed over time.

Candid photos, posed phots, and even blurry photos are all OK and the museum wants your story behind the photos too.

Not all photos will be used due to limited space and privacy and permissions rules will be in place, but a great number are expected to be catalogued and kept for posterity.

To send your photos click here.  Don’t forget to include contact information!

 

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Omicron variant is making an already challenging year even harder for restaurants across the Cape Fear. Even the most successful shops in Wilmington say supply shortages, staffing issues, and price increases are burning local eateries.

Molly Kurnyn, co-owner of Cheesesmith says they close the restaurant Mondays to give staff a break. Though crowds are back, prices for basic supplies like to-go containers and food have gone up 25 percent.

“Everything. Cheese, bread. All the things we use in our food,” Kurnyn said.

Supply chain shortages also pushed back the brick and mortar’s opening.

She continued, “We literally were waiting to open to get refrigerators because they’re not manufacturing them.”

Kurnyn and her husband applied to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which according to NC Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Lynn Minges quickly ran dry last year.

“During that time, we saw about 2,500 restaurants in North Carolina receive funds,” Minges said. “But essentially there were about 6,000 that were eligible, that have not yet received funding.”

Congress will consider renewing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) this February. In the meantime, Kurnyn and her husband take on multiple shifts to make up for labor shortages. They hope customers will support local businesses more and complain about cost less.

“A lot of people come in and think that it’s insane there’s a 13 dollar grilled cheese,” the business owner explained. “But we just take a number of what it costs for us to make it, add in labor, and come up with this little sliver that’s left. And that’s what we keep. And as soon as a pipe breaks or our heat breaks, or whatever, that profit margin gets chipped away.”

Without grants, she worries hundreds of local restaurants could shut down by winter’s end. According to the National Restaurant Association, replenishing the RRF could save 1.6 million jobs.

Kurnyn hopes in spite of COVID-19 and the typical slowdown that comes with winter, people will step up and help out.

“It’s time for a beer and a grilled cheese,” she grinned. “Right now.”

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington is kicking off the new year with a huge list of programming for children and adults.  The events include Martin Luther King holiday programming for kids, homeschooling help, painting classes, readings, yoga, and the return of Jazz@cam.

Here is the complete list:

January 2022

Saturday and Sunday January 15^th and 16^th

KIDS @ CAM – I Have A Dream Peace Flag weekend

In-Person: Saturday, January 15^th or Sunday, January 16^th

Cameron Art Museum honors the life and work of civil rights activist Martin Luther King with the “I Have a Dream” Peace Flag Project. We invite the community to take inspiration from King’s iconic speech from 1963 and think deeply about our own hopes and dreams for ourselves, our city, our nation, and the world. These dreams will be written on squares of cloth, emblematic of the peace prayer flags created for centuries in Tibet. Your peace flag will be included in a community installation that will be displayed around the CAM pond. Together, these flags represent our collective desire for racial unity, community healing, and peace.

Packages for classes will be available. Please check our website for registration and participation details, or email education@cameronartmuseum.org to find out ways to involve your students!

 

Sunday, January 16

2 pm

Members: $16 Nonmembers: $20 Students: $12

USCT Public Programs Series: Mary D. Williams

Join us as musician, educator, and historian Mary D. Williams explores the legacy of the USCT through song. Williams has performed and provided her voice to the soundtrack of Blood Done Sign My Name (February 2010). She has also performed at the North Carolina State Capitol and has been featured on Dick Gordon’s The Story, as well as on National Public Radio. Williams is both a scholar and a musician, whose breathtaking voice takes listeners on a journey through time.

Tuesdays, January 18 – February 8

10am – 12pm

 

Homeschool Tuesdays

Instructor: Renato Abbate

CAM member price: $108; non-member: $120

This clay class will cover all the basic hand building techniques:  pinch, coil, and slab. Students will also discuss 3-D design elements as well as bisque and glaze firing.

Tuesdays, January 18 – February 22

10am – 1pm

 

Principles of Drawing

Instructor: Todd Carignan

CAM member price: $234; non-member price: $260

The foundation of all representational art is drawing. This class covers how to start a drawing, measuring, mark-making, arranging your subject and lighting, creating texture and depth.

Tuesday, January 18 – February 8

4pm – 5:30pm

 

Create a Story

Instructor: Carolyn Faulkner

CAM member price: $85.50; non-member: $95

Draw an outline using your favorite bird, insect, animal or whatever you choose. Even an anime character that you create! Then draw a story inside using designs and/or memories. This can be make believe or something personal you wish to express. You will then color with markers or colored pencil. Your story can be hidden, by attaching another cutout layer (such as a wing on the bird). It will be like opening a book! We will continue to explore more pieces and movement on your art as time permits.

Wednesday, January 19

9 – 10 am

 

Gentle Yoga with Steve Unger

Donation $5

Wednesday, January 19

1:30 pm

 

Public Tour

Free with admission

Wednesday, January 19

 

Capturing our Colorful Coastal Skies

Instructor: Carolyn Faulkner

CAM member price: $153; non-member: $170

Living in coastal Carolina you most likely have witnessed the variety of skies; from brilliant sunrises/sunsets to threatening thunder skies and everything in between. This course will provide you with the basic concepts of achieving some of those classic features found in our colorful skies. In this class you will learn the balance between soft and hard edges while creating beautiful multi-colored sunrises, sunsets, and storm clouds, using acrylic paints. This course will provide you with the confidence to be bold with your brush and colors as you softly blend colors to achieve that memorable look. Some key features of this course are understanding that nothing is truly white in the sky and the use of a variety of colors becomes an asset. Both sky and clouds have some of the softest edges found in nature. A balance between soft and hard edges are important to the painter to describe the volume of the clouds and their translucency.

Thursday, January 20

All Day

 

Member Preview of Confluence

Member tours at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 7:00 pm

Friday, January 21

 

Public Opening of Confluence

11:00 am Gallery Talk with Artist Gene Felice

CAM Member $15/ NonMember $20

Thursday, January 20

10am – 4pm

 

Watercolor Fresh Market workshop

Instructor: Janice Castiglione

CAM member price: $171; non-member: $190

Spend two days painting still lives. There’s something to be said about painting from life and having it right in front of you. Each participant will be asked to bring in a fresh fruit or vegetable to add to existing backdrops. What fun! On Day Two, we will change places to work on new compositions, so bring a camera.

 

Educators Night

Thursday, January 20^th

4pm to 7pm

FREE for teachers

Spend a fun and relaxing evening at CAM with free admission during an exclusive event for educators and view our new exhibitions. Docents in the galleries will answer your questions and provide information about the exhibitions. Our Educators Night will provide information and materials about tours, workshops, and other free resources for area educators. All educators and administrators – from Pre-K to College – welcome and encouraged to attend and explore fun ways to bring art into your classroom and spark creativity in your students.

Thursdays, January 20 – February 24

6 – 9pm

 

Thursday Night Clay

Instructor: Renato Abbate

CAM member price: $225; nonmember: $250

A fun class for all skill levels. Make your own custom plates or mugs. Work on some wild sculpture. Explore how clay can work for you and gain a new appreciation for handmade pottery.

 

Gallery Talk: Antoinette Vogt

Saturday, January 22

1pm-2pm

Artist Toni Vogt will discuss the prints by Willy Cole in the Shadow We Create exhibition.  His printing process is akin to a collagraph, where found objects are used to create a printing plate.  By using ironing boards, Cole finds a new means to explore a familiar motif.

Antoinette Angela Vogt received a B.F.A. with a concentration in Drawing from the State University of New York at Purchase and a Master of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology. She worked in Architecture for several years while teaching drawing at night through Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC. After moving to Norman, Oklahoma in 2011, she began volunteering at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art assisting in the classroom for their educational programs. Antoinette also taught drawing at a small art school in Norman before moving on to teach Drawing and Art Appreciation at Oklahoma City Community College.

Sunday, January 23

2 pm

 

Reading: Jason Mott, Hell of a Book, winner of the 2021 National Book Award

CAM members $10/ Nonmembers: $15

Free for students

Admission includes entry to the galleries

***2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER***

Winner of the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction

Longlisted for the 2022 Carnegie Medal Fiction, the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize

A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

One of Washington Post‘s 50 Notable Works of Fiction | One of Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Best Books of 2021 | One of Shelf Awareness’s Top Ten Fiction Titles of the Year | One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books | One of NPR.org’s “Books We Love” | EW’s “Guide to the Biggest and Buzziest Books of 2021” | One of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Adults | One of Entertainment Weekly‘s 15 Books you Need to Read This June | On Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List” | One of The NY Post‘s Best Summer Reading books | One of GMA’s 27 Books for June | One of USA Today‘s 5 Books Not to Miss | One of Fortune‘s 21 Most Anticipated Books Coming out in the Second Half of 2021 | One of The Root‘s PageTurners: It’s Getting Hot in Here | One of Real Simple‘s Best New Books to Read in 2021 |One of The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Best of 2021

Join National Book Award Winner Jason Mott for a reading from Hell of a Book. Hell of a Book is an astounding work of fiction from a New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, always deeply honest, at times electrically funny, that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans, and America as a whole. Jason Mott has published four novels. His first novel, The Returned, was a New York Times bestseller and was turned into a TV series that ran for two seasons. He has a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry, both from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His poetry and fiction have appeared in various literary journals, and his most recent novel, Hell of a Book, was named the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, 2021.

Wednesday, January 26

9 – 10 am

 

Gentle Yoga with Steve Unger

Donation $5

Wednesday, January 26

1:30 pm

 

Public Tour

Free with admission

Thursday, January 27

10 am – 11 am

 

Art Explorers with Airlie Gardens

Thursday, January 27

10am – 1pm

 

The Power of Pastels Returns to CAM!

Instructor: Jerri Greenberg

CAM member price: $171; non-member: $190

Come along and explore the sheer joy of painting in pastels, learn to use different brands, softness, papers, and lighting to make the “ordinary EXTRAordinary”. Each week we will work from a still life setup or a model, to expand your repertoire and your comfort zones, working with this wonderful, immediate medium.

Thursday, January 27

6pm – 8:30pm

 

Art Buzz- Mixed Media Fashion Illustration

Instructor: Jennifer Gironda

CAM member price: $45; non-member: $50

Join us for a fashion sketching session featuring mixed media collage materials.  We will work from various images from fashion magazines (feel free to bring images from YOUR favorite runway looks!) and we will go over how to do a quick croquis and then add the garments using a variety of 2D collage materials.  An assortment of papers and adhesives will be available, but please feel free to bring any scrap papers, magazine pages or other materials for your looks!

Thursday, January 27

7 pm

 

Exhibitions After Dark: Gallery Talk with Zedrick Applin

Learn about Stephen Hayes’s exhibition Voices of Future’s Past from the unique perspective of community member Zedrick Applin, Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Involvement at nCino. Join Zedrick for this interaction conversation and grab dinner and a cocktail from CAM Café before or after. Free with admission.

Fridays, January 28 – March 4

10am – 12pm

 

Interactive color

Instructor: Lois DeWitt

CAM member price: $153; non-member: $170

Interaction of Color by Josef Albers was published by Yale University in 1963. A seminal study, it provided new perspectives on color and how it is perceived visually. Through a series of visual projects using Color-aid papers, students develop new cognitive and visual skills towards seeing and analyzing the perception of color. These skills can transfer easily to other artistic skills like painting, drawing and printmaking.  Keeping close to Alber’s instruction and projects, this six-week course leads students through a series of fascinating, unique and informative color theory using Color-aid and found papers.

Saturday, January 29

11– 4pm

 

Memory Jar – Capturing Your Past through Narrative and Assemblage

Instructor: Fritzi Huber and Dina Greenberg

CAM member price: $72; non-member: $80

Why is it so difficult to throw away all the “stuff” we accumulate? Perhaps these objects carry meaning beyond simple explanation. In this five-hour workshop: (1) We’ll first use (your chosen) objects to spark a brief work of creative writing: poetry, prose, or hybrid (2) create a three-dimensional “memory jar” to capture the meaning of your treasures.

  

February 2022

Wednesday, February 2 – 23

6pm – 8pm

 

VIRTUAL- Winter Words on Paper – Telling our Stories in Memoir

Instructor: Dina Greenberg

CAM member price: $108; non-member price: $120

You, dear writer, are uniquely qualified to tell the stories of your past, present, and perhaps even an imagined future.  This creative writing workshop in memoir for adult writers is open to community participants with varying degrees of writing expertise. The workshop follows a traditional format where group members critique one another’s work with the instructor’s guidance. Literature and craft articles will also be presented for discussion. The goal is to instill respect and compassion in the critique process while helping participants improve their writing and literary analysis.

Thursdays, February 3 – March 10

4:30 – 6:30pm

 

Foundations of Drawing: Teen and Young Adult

Instructor: Antoinette Vogt

CAM member price: $148.50; non-member: $165

Learn how to draw realistically through the study of still life. Students will develop drawing skills by understanding and improving ability to see objects in space to better represent them on the page. Learn how to see and draw objects in proportion and understand perspective. Topics covered will include working with line; blind and modified contour drawing; seeing and drawing negative space (the space around objects); visual perspective (perceiving angles using sighting technique); proportion (objects in relations to one another).

Friday, February 4^th

12pm

 

‘Resilience’ Community Screening

View the award-winning documentary ‘Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope’. The film screens in our spacious reception hall from 12 PM to 1 PM, followed by an optional brief discussion with other community members. Learn about the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force. https://www.nhcbouncesback.org/

The CAM offers free screenings of ‘Resilience’ on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holiday and then it moves to the second Friday). Feel free to grab lunch at the CAM café, or bring your own lunch!

No fee and no registration necessary.

Fridays, February 4 – 25

1pm – 3pm

 

Introduction to Ikebana

Instructor: Karen Chevrotee

CAM member price: $117; non-member: $130

IKEBANA, the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging. Originally used in Temples, simple, elegant, at once meditative. Following prescribed rules to create Beauty for your home or office with natural flowers, leaves and branches.

Friday, February 4

8-9am

 

All Levels Flow Yoga with Kim Gargiulo

Saturday & Sunday, February 5 – 6

10am – 4pm & noon – 4pm

 

Rock, Paper Stitches – Joomchi & Embroidery  – Virtual

CAM member price: $144; non-member: $160

‘Rock’ two slow-process crafts in one unique class! Day 1 will concentrate on learning an ancient Korean paper craft to create a ‘felted’ paper called joomchi. Joomchi utilizes layers of thin hanji papers that, through agitation and manipulation, create a sturdy piece that can be used alone or in other artistic endeavors. One such endeavor will be achieved on Day 2. Taking the previous day’s joomchi pieces, you’ll use simple hand stitches for mark making, to add found objects, or to stitch several joomchi together for a larger, dramatic piece of finished paper art. (This is not a paper making class.)

Thursday, February 10

7pm-8pm

 

Exhibitions After Dark: Gallery Talk with Cedric Harrison

Cedric Harrison, a Wilmington native, is the founder of both Support the Port and wilmingtoNColor. Harrison has dedicated his professional career to supporting and creating opportunities for economic growth and advancement for African Americans in the Wilmington area. He is a local historian (in his own right) and passionate about the rich history of African Americans in Wilmington, NC.

Due to his impactful efforts and work, Harrison has earned several accolades and much recognition in this space. Most recently, Harrison was a recipient of the 40 under 40 award presented by StarNews meds and Wilmington Chamber of Commerce – an award which recognizes professionals who are high performers in their field.

In 2019, Harrison was selected out of over 400 applicants to be part of the inaugural cohort of the All for NC Fellows. Since the fellowship, Harrison has seized the opportunity to continue his journey of bringing transformational change to his local community.

Cedric Harrison also had the opportunity to deliver his first TEDx talk in 2019 at the TEDx Airlie event in Wilmington, NC. His speech, Bridging the Racial Gap of Socio-Economics, provided viewers with a compelling history lesson on Wilmington in conversation with his personal experiences and journey.

Friday, February 11

8-9am

 

All Levels Flow Yoga with Kim Gargiulo

Saturday, February 12 & February 19

10 – 1pm

 

Collagraph Printmaking Workshop

Instructor: Antoinette Vogt

CAM member price: 81; non-member: $90

A two-day workshop to learn the art of collagraph printmaking using plates created by collage. In this workshop students will create printing plates by gluing elements onto the printing surface to create an image. Students are asked to gather collage supplies ahead of time and bring them to the first-class session. Collage items should not be more than 1/8″ thick and can include scraps of cardboard; textured item such as sandpaper, fabric, burlap or lace; string or twine, leaves. seeds, buttons, etc. Students will create their plates during the first session and print them during the second session.

 

Saturday, February 12

1pm – 2:30pm

CAM Members $20/ Nonmembers $25

 

Book Buzz- Women Who Misbehave

Instructor: Sayantani Dasgupta with Heather Wilson

Join author Sayantani Dasgupta for a discussion of her new novel, “Women Who Misbehave”. Dasgupta states, “Well-behaved or not, woman or not, each of our lives is made up of stories. How you tell it is where the art lies. Each of us lives through historic moments every day, and ends up with thousands of stories. Now who gets to tell stories, whose stories are valued and heard is another matter altogether.” Registration includes a glass of wine or sparkling water. Studio dinner and half-priced bottles of wine available from the CAM Cafe.

Sayantani Dasgupta has taught creative writing in the United States, India, Italy, and Mexico. She is an essayist, a short story writer, and the author of Fire Girl: Essays On India, America, & The In-Between- a finalist for the 2016 Foreword Indies Award for Essays- and the chapbook The House Of Nails: Memories Of A New Delhi Childhood. Born in Calcutta and raised in New Delhi, Sayantani received a BA in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, an MA in Medieval History from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho.

Saturday, February 12

11am – 2pm

 

Woven Hand built Ceramic Basket

Instructor: Shannon Gehen

CAM member price: $50; non-member: $55

Learn how to make a woven ceramic basket, combining the tradition of basket weaving with the ease of a glazed surface for your kitchen, coffee table, or special event.

Sunday, February 13

 

WSO Sunday Concert Series

2-3pm

Thursday, February 17

 

Jazz@ CAM

6:30-8:00pm

$25 for CAM and CFJS members, $30 for non-members, $15 for students and military

The John Brown Quintet

The multi-talented John Brown brings his quintet to the CAM on February 3. The performance is part of our ongoing concert series, which begins at 6:30 PM.

A successful bassist, composer, educator and actor, John currently serves as Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University. He has a long history of performance excellence. At the age of 13, he began performing with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. He was playing Principal Bass with that orchestra and performing with the Florence Symphony in South Carolina while still in high school.

John has performed in the United States and abroad with artists that include Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Diahann Carroll, Rosemary Clooney, Nell Carter, Lou Donaldson, Slide Hampton, Nicholas Payton, Frank Foster, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley and Mark Whitfield.  He also has a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free. His extensive experience includes performances at notable venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood Bowl and at major jazz festivals like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Free Jazz Festival (Brazil) and Jazz e Vienne (France).

For more information on any of these events click here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Musuem’s Floating Lantern Ceremony is Sunday, January 9 on the museum’s grounds.

This year it returns to an in-person event at the Reflection Pond.  It is called an expression of remembrance, reflection, and gratitude.

CAM admission lets you into all the indoor exhibitions, but the Lantern Ceremony is free.  There will be live music near the pond, hot chocolates, beverages, and light food service from the CAM Cafe.

Lantern sales are happening now for you to decorate for $12 at the CAM Museum Shop.  The ceremony is from 4 – 7pm.

Click here for more information.

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Country music megastars Shenandoah will bring ‘The Every Road Tour’ to Brunswick Community College’s Odell Williamson Auditorium on January 15.

Led by Marty Raybon’s distinctive vocals, the group is celebrated for hits like “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road,” and the Grammy winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart.”  The band’s latest album includes collaborations with Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, and Brad Paisley.

The stop in Bolivia comes just days before the band returns to the Grand Ole Opry stage on January 21.

Tickets are available by clicking here.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Two people including a state highway patrol trooper were killed in a traffic crash Monday night.

The accident occurred around 8:58 p.m. in Boiling Springs near the intersection of High Shoals Church Road and Goodes Grove Church Road.

Trooper John S. Horton had pulled over a driver and both of were standing alongside the road prior to the deadly crash.

The trooper’s brother, Trooper James N. Horton, also responded to the scene to assist. According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Horton collided with his brother’s patrol vehicle striking Trooper John Horton and the detained driver.

Trooper John Horton was taken to a hospital in Spartanburg, SC, where he later died from his injuries. He was a 15-year veteran assigned to Rutherford County.

The detained driver died at the scene and the highway patrol has not released that person’s identity at this time.

Trooper James Horton was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

“Our hearts are broken with the loss of our friend and our brother, Trooper John Horton” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “For all involved in this tragic event, the coming days will undoubtedly be difficult but we are committed to stand alongside with them with our thoughts, prayers and unwavering support.”

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the crash along with assistance from the NC State Highway Patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday morning, the league said. He was 85.

The NFL said he died unexpectedly and did not detail a cause.

Madden gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record, and his .759 winning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games.

But it was his work after prematurely retiring as coach at age 42 that made Madden truly a household name. He educated a football nation with his use of the telestrator on broadcasts; entertained millions with his interjections of “Boom!” and “Doink!” throughout games; was an omnipresent pitchman selling restaurants, hardware stores and beer; became the face of “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most successful sports video games of all-time; and was a best-selling author.

Most of all, he was the preeminent television sports analyst for most of his three decades calling games, winning an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, and covering 11 Super Bowls for four networks from 1979-2009.

“People always ask, are you a coach or a broadcaster or a video game guy?” he said when was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I’m a coach, always been a coach.”

He started his broadcasting career at CBS after leaving coaching in great part because of his fear of flying. He and Pat Summerall became the network’s top announcing duo. Madden then helped give Fox credibility as a major network when he moved there in 1994, and went on to call prime-time games at ABC and NBC before retiring following Pittsburgh’s thrilling 27-23 win over Arizona in the 2009 Super Bowl.

“I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden, and I know of no one who loved the game more,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.

Burly and a little unkempt, Madden earned a place in America’s heart with a likable, unpretentious style that was refreshing in a sports world of spiraling salaries and prima donna stars. He rode from game to game in his own bus because he suffered from claustrophobia and had stopped flying. For a time, Madden gave out a “turducken” — a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey — to the outstanding player in the Thanksgiving game that he called.

“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”

When he finally retired from the broadcast booth, leaving NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” colleagues universally praised Madden’s passion for the sport, his preparation, and his ability to explain an often-complicated game in down-to-earth terms.

“No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John,” play-by-play announcer Al Michaels said at the time.

For anyone who heard Madden exclaim “Boom!” while breaking down a play, his love of the game was obvious.

“For me, TV is really an extension of coaching,” Madden wrote in “Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!).”

“My knowledge of football has come from coaching. And on TV, all I’m trying to do is pass on some of that knowledge to viewers.”

Madden was raised in Daly City, California. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines for Cal Poly in 1957-58 and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the school.

Madden was chosen to the all-conference team and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, but a knee injury ended his hopes of a pro playing career. Instead, Madden got into coaching, first at Hancock Junior College and then as defensive coordinator at San Diego State.

Al Davis brought him to the Raiders as a linebackers coach in 1967, and Oakland went to the Super Bowl in his first year in the pros. He replaced John Rauch as head coach after the 1968 season at age 32, beginning a remarkable 10-year run.

With his demonstrative demeanor on the sideline and disheveled look, Madden was the ideal coach for the collection of castoffs and misfits that made up those Raiders teams.

“Sometimes guys were disciplinarians in things that didn’t make any difference. I was a disciplinarian in jumping offsides; I hated that,” Madden once said. “Being in bad position and missing tackles, those things. I wasn’t, ‘Your hair has to be combed.’”

The Raiders responded.

“I always thought his strong suit was his style of coaching,” quarterback Ken Stabler once said. “John just had a great knack for letting us be what we wanted to be, on the field and off the field. … How do you repay him for being that way? You win for him.”

And boy, did they ever. Many years, the only problem was the playoffs.

Madden went 12-1-1 in his first season, losing the AFL title game 17-7 to Kansas City. That pattern repeated itself during his tenure; the Raiders won the division title in seven of his first eight seasons, but went 1-6 in conference title games during that span.

Still, Madden’s Raiders played in some of the sport’s most memorable games of the 1970s, games that helped change rules in the NFL. There was the “Holy Roller” in 1978, when Stabler purposely fumbled forward before being sacked on the final play. The ball rolled and was batted to the end zone before Dave Casper recovered it for the winning touchdown against San Diego.

The most famous of those games went against the Raiders in the 1972 playoffs at Pittsburgh. With the Raiders leading 7-6 and 22 seconds left, the Steelers had a fourth-and-10 from their 40. Terry Bradshaw’s desperation pass deflected off either Oakland’s Jack Tatum or Pittsburgh’s Frenchy Fuqua to Franco Harris, who caught it at his shoe tops and ran in for a TD.

In those days, a pass that bounced off an offensive player directly to a teammate was illegal, and the debate continues to this day over which player it hit. The catch, of course, was dubbed the “Immaculate Reception.”

Oakland finally broke through with a loaded team in 1976 that had Stabler at quarterback; Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch at receiver; tight end Dave Casper; Hall of Fame offensive linemen Gene Upshaw and Art Shell; and a defense that included Willie Brown, Ted Hendricks, Tatum, John Matuszak, Otis Sistrunk and George Atkinson.

The Raiders went 13-1, losing only a blowout at New England in Week 4. They paid the Patriots back with a 24-21 win in their first playoff game and got over the AFC title game hump with a 24-7 win over the hated Steelers, who were crippled by injuries.

Oakland won it all with a 32-14 Super Bowl romp against Minnesota.

“Players loved playing for him,” Shell said. “He made it fun for us in camp and fun for us in the regular season. All he asked is that we be on time and play like hell when it was time to play.”

Madden battled an ulcer the following season, when the Raiders once again lost in the AFC title game. He retired from coaching at age 42 after a 9-7 season in 1978.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia, and two sons, Joseph and Michael. John and Virginia Madden’s 62nd wedding anniversary was two days before his death.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Public Utility Authority will be closed for New Year’s Eve on Friday, December 31.

The Customer Service Centers at 235 Government Center Drive and 305 Chestnut Street will reopen for regular business at 8am Monday, January 3.

Customers may manage their accounts using the Interactive Voice-Response system by calling 910-332-6550 or online via the Customer Self-Service portal by clicking here.

To report a water or sewer emergency during the holiday, call CFPUA’s emergency hotline at 910-332-6565.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Nobody won the Powerball or Mega Millions drawings this week, so there a lot of money on the line right now.

Tonight you have a chance to win more than 378 million dollars in the Powerball drawing. It has a cash value of nearly 276 million.

If you don’t win tonight you have another chance on Friday.  The Mega Millions Jackpot stands at 187 million dollars.  It has a cash value of more than 134 million.

Your chances of winning are estimated to be about 1 in nearly 14 million.

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The holidays can be difficult for military members, veterans, and military families.  Festive events can trigger feelings of loneliness, isolation, grief, survivor’s guilt, and sadness.  Large crowds and loud noises can bring on PTSD symptoms.

Coastal Horizons and the nonprofit Save A Vet Now (SAVN) are working to help veterans and military members get outpatient treatment services.  SAVN has a special account to cover any co-pay or self-pay costs for treatment at its Brunswick, New Hanover, or Pender outpatient locations.

Coastal Horizons offers services to promote healthier lives, stronger families and safer communities. Telemental Health Therapist and veteran Justin Gibson says “there is no need for them to ‘go it alone.’ Help is just a phone call away.”

If you need help reach out to Coastal Horizons at the following numbers:

•  New Hanover County        910-343-0145
•  Brunswick County              910-754-4515
•  Pender County                    910-259-0668

For immediate help call Mobile Crisis at 1-866-437-1821.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Saint Nicholas Foundation is spreading cheer near and far to make sure no child or elderly person is forgotten at the holidays.  The foundation gives toys and gifts to more than 500 people in six states.

Founder Nicholas Newell was born on Christmas day and is lovingly referred to as St. Nick.  The organization says it’s goal is to “Spread holiday cheer near and far.  Making sure no child or elder in need is forgotten.  Everyone makes our nice list.”

Newell says the pandemic changed how things were done the past two years but now he is “happy that we can at least bring them gifts.”  He adds that he “started this organization informally 8 years ago asking family and friends to donate so I could purchase stuffed animals for kids in hospitals. In 2018 we expanded to those in assisted living facilities.”

The foundation is accepting donations in various ways.  You can donate through Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Corning Credit Union as well as other options.

Learn all you options by visiting here.

 

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — It’s a candy cane Christmas in Southport!  The Southport Garden Club displaying dozens of handmade candy canes in Keziah Park as part of Winterfest and to support a more beautiful and green city.

The Candy Cane Garden Party kicks off at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Keziah Park in downtown Southport.  It features candy canes decorated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals.  The event is free and includes hot chocolate and entertainment.

Other Winterfest events this week:

•  Annual Cookie Contest, December 8, 3 – 5:30pm, Community Building
• Supper with Santa’s Elves, December 8, 5-7pm, 209 Atlantic Ave., beside Southport Gym
• Christmas movie ‘Polar Express,’ December 9, dusk, Garrison Lawn
• Costumed Holiday History Tour, December 10, 3pm, 204 E. Moore St.
• Caroling with The Sea Notes, December 10, 5:30pm, Franklin Square Park Stage
• Light Up the Night Christmas Parade, December 10, 6:30pm, Howe St.
• Winter Craft Festival, December 11, 9am – 4pm, Franklin Square Park
• Winterfest Performing Arts, December 11, 9am – 4pm, Franklin Square Park
• Book Sale, December 11, 9am – noon, 727 N. Howe St.
• Santa’s Workshop, December 11, 10 – 11am, 209 Atlantic Ave., beside Southport Gym
• Southport Christmas Flotilla, December 11, 7pm, Southport Waterfront

For more information click here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear looks to a world in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future.  It is celebrating 25 years of providing case management, transitional housing, and emergency shelter to families in need.

The 25th Anniversary Celebration Low Country Boil has a happy hour, dinner, and entertainment from comedian Orlando Jones.

Board member Karon Tunis says the event is about “educating people about Family Promise and letting them know that we have been active in the Lower Cape Fear for 25 years.”

The event is at Plaza on Princess in downtown Wilmington Tuesday, December 7, 2021, and kicks off at 6pm.

For tickets or more information click here.

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 2022 North Carolina Azalea Festival has a signature event before spring arrives.  The 2022 Chef’s Showcase will bring together five chefs from around the state to the Hotel Ballast in January.

The Showcase is a seated culinary adventure consisting of a 5-course meal with fine wine pairings, light entertainment, high-end silent auction items, and a luxury vacation raffle. Notable chefs from our region (and beyond!) work together to prepare the dishes.

The chefs this year are:

•  Sheri Castle, host of The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle, on PBS North Carolina
• Tiesha Lewis, the 2021 North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown Pastry Chef of the Year
• Saif Rahman, the 2021 North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown Chef of the Year
• Nathan Sims, Hotel Ballast Executive Chef
• Fabio Capparelli, Bluewater Grill Executive Chef

The event is Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 1 – 4pm at The Hotel Ballast in downtown Wilmington.

For more information and tickets click here.

WILLARD, NC (WWAY) — Easter weekend is bringing more than just holiday festivities to a longtime community destination in Pender County.

Tucked behind a fence in Willard, Tate Farm has become a local favorite, known for its scenic setting and family-friendly activities. Visitors can explore rescued farm animals, enjoy kayaking and fishing, and walk trails across the property.

Owner and manager Jimmy Tate says transforming his family’s land into a gathering place for the community has been especially meaningful.

“This is a place that people can come and relax, enjoy, and be renewed all at the same time,” said Tate.

He added that the farm has grown into a space where people from different backgrounds can connect.

“To be able to own this land to be able to bring people together who are various backgrounds together, and we come together and laugh, and celebrate, and rejoice together here on this farm,” said Tate.

The farm will kick off its season Saturday with an Easter celebration featuring egg hunts, live music, and a unique aerial event.

“At 4:00, we have an airplane helicopter drop where we’re dropping another thousand Easter eggs here. Just going to be a phenomenal weekend for children as well as for adults. Everyone can come to Tate Farm and enjoy music in the evening and enjoy an Easter egg, a one-of-a-kind Easter egg hunt, during the day,” said Tate.

Beyond seasonal events, Tate Farm also hosts summer camps and field trips, offering students a chance to engage with nature and hands-on learning.

“Every time we come to the farm, through the summer camp, through my Opportunity to Lead program, my girls’ leadership academy, they put their phones down, and that’s huge. The biggest thing is just getting them back to nature, getting them outside. It’s team building, they learn agriculture, they learn animals, kayaking, fishing, I mean, just a collaboration,” said Tara Cline, youth services director at Mt. Calvary.

New this season, the farm is expanding to include an event space designed for weddings, graduations, and other gatherings. An outdoor wedding garden is also in development.

The Den, a renovated tobacco barn, can accommodate more than 200 people and features an indoor bar and an outdoor patio overlooking the farm.

“It’s just going to be, it’s already beautiful, but it’s going to be breathtaking by the time we finish with everything we’re doing out there,” said Lisa Robinson, the farm’s event liaison.

Saturday’s Easter celebration begins at 2 p.m., with more than 1,000 eggs hidden across the grounds. An aerial egg drop is scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by live music at 6 p.m.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)–As Christians observe Holy Week leading up to Easter, members of the Jewish faith are preparing to mark Passover, which begins at sundown Wednesday.

The holiday commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt and will be observed through April 9. During the eight-day observance, many Jewish families follow traditions that include abstaining from leavened products and eating unleavened bread, known as matzah.

At the Chabad of Wilmington on Market Street, Rabbi Moshe Lieblich is preparing for the holiday.

Lieblich said Passover is not only about retelling an important story, but also about reflection and personal growth.

“The lesson of Passover is not just an ancient story, but also a way to personalize — by getting out of our own internal boxes and limitations, and trying something new and different,” said Lieblich.

A Passover Seder meal typically features other symbolic foods including shank bone, roasted egg, and bitter herbs.

GOLDSBORO, NC (WWAY)–Wednesday marks “Second Chance Day”, a time to help and recognize a shot of redemption to those who were previously incarcerated. One North Carolina man has turned a former prison into a place of opportunity.

Inside the former Wayne Correctional Center, signs of neglect remain visible: worn basketball hoops, barbed-wire fencing and a cafeteria with missing ceiling tiles. While some might overlook the deteriorating conditions, Kerwin Pittman sees opportunity.

“I am the first formerly incarcerated person in United States history to purchase a prison and now I will transform this into a workforce development campus the likes of which the world has never seen before,” Pittman said.

He is the founder of Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services, a North Carolina-based nonprofit focused on lowering recidivism rates. Through fundraisers, donations and grants, Pittman acquired the former prison with plans to provide housing, employment opportunities and access to medical care for individuals leaving incarceration.

“This is a campus that will help up to 500 people on a residential side a year alone,” he said. “When individuals come here, it is a workforce development center.”

Pittman’s path to this project began with his own experience in the criminal justice system. At age 18, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 11½ years in prison. During that time, he said, he began to rethink his future.

“I treated my incarceration like college,” Pittman said. “I began to read extensively, to study and to come up with a plan. I started to see systemic issues and how many of the pitfalls I experienced could have been avoided, and how there wasn’t different systems and programs in place in order for me to avoid those pitfalls, and so this is why I birthed my nonprofit once I came home.”

After his release, Pittman founded his nonprofit to address gaps in resources available to formerly incarcerated individuals. He later worked alongside former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on the Task Force for Racial Equity and Criminal Justice, which examined disparities in the system.

Now, with the purchase of the prison, Pittman said he hopes to expand those efforts. Within two years, he aims to provide newly released individuals with essential documents such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and identification — resources he said he struggled to obtain after his own release.

“When you come to the Recidivism Reduction Campus, you will automatically have access to employment if you so choose,” Pittman said. “You will have access to mental health services, substance use services, educational opportunities and training.”

Khalilah Olokunola, a Wilmington resident who works with organizations nationwide to expand job opportunities for people with criminal records, toured the facility this week and said the project could become a central hub for reentry services.

“It’s also an opportunity to bring all the services that you need to re-enter from re-entry recruitment to retention when it comes obtaining that quality job” Olokunola said.

In Wilmington, a local organization called “LINC”, or “Leading into New Communities”, also have a similar mission and this month they have several events to help those who were in prison to get them back into society.

Monday, April 13 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Empowerment Day & Community Exhibitors
Plaza on Princess, Harrelson Center
20 N 4th Street, Wilmington, NC

Program facilitated by:

• Sherwood Jackson, Mentor/Community Success Initiative & Reentry Coordinator

Attendees will have access to valuable resources and information from local organizations and service providers, including:

• Seeds of Healing

• Harm Reduction services

• Voting education: Know Your Rights

• BlueCross BlueShield

• NCWorks

• North Carolina Department of Transportation

Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday April 16 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

 LINC TALKS: Stories of Inspiration and Resilience from Justice-Involved Individuals

 LINC Local Reentry Council
Harrelson Center, Suite 430

 Wednesday speakers:

• Tiffany Walker (NHC/LINC STAR Center)

• Othello York (LINC MER Campus)

Thursday speakers:

• Katrina Brooks (LINC LRC)

• Joseph “Treetop” Jones (United Way and LINC LRC)

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Warmer temperatures, outdoor events and rising gas prices are expected to increase pedestrian traffic across the Cape Fear region on National Walking Day, but officials warn the trend could also lead to more crashes.

In connection with the Coastal Journalism Hub, WWAY dug into the recent uptick of pedestrian deaths in Wilmington.

Data from the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows Wilmington averages about 72 pedestrian crashes each year. Recent years have seen a steady increase, with 78 crashes reported in 2023, 86 in 2024 and 94 in 2025.

In the past three years, 32 pedestrians have been killed in crashes in the Wilmington area, according to state data.

Wilmington police say the issue is part of a broader national trend.

“It’s not just a Wilmington thing, it’s an anywhere in the United State thing,” said Lt. Greg Willett of the Wilmington Police Department.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A controversial learning program not listed on the agenda is taking center stage at Wednesday night’s New Hanover County Schools Board of Education meeting.

Dozens of community members showed up to speak during public comment about LifeWise, a program that offers Bible-based character education to public school students during the school day while off campus.

The program has gained support from some parents and community members, while others raised concerns about its impact on students and public education.

Molly Gaines, executive director of the Secular Education Association, voiced concerns about how the program could affect students.

“Our public schools are host to all children of all faiths. So we’re talking Christians, we’re talking Muslims, we’re talking Agnostic families, we’re talking Catholics, all of them right, that is literally the definition of our public schools is for all of these children to come together and learn at the same table and what we’re having with these RTRI programs, this LifeWise particularly, is that they are dividing the children and actually ranking them and dividing them by religion within the school and that causes huge problems.”

Allisa Sivils, with the New Hanover County LifeWise Steering Committee, previously told WWAY that participation in the program would be optional and ultimately up to parents.

“It comes down to it’s an opt-in opt-out and, you know, the choice for a parent and her or his, the parents to be able to choose for their children and their education and the things surrounding all of that because I think is very important here because I think both sides of this want clear choice for their children and so all we’re doing is taking the first step.”

The LifeWise program has not yet been approved for implementation in New Hanover County Schools. The meeting started at 5:00pm. WWAY will have more tonight on WWAY News.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Dan Mintz is coming to the Port City to perform a series of stand-up shows at Dead Crow Comedy Room.

The comedian is scheduled to perform May 1 and May 2, with two shows each night at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Mintz is best known as the voice of Tina Belcher, one of the main characters on “Bob’s Burgers.”

In addition to his role as Tina, Mintz has appeared in “Adventure Time,” “Silicon Valley” and “The Goldbergs.”

Ticket information can be found here.

 

MCDOWELL COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Marion woman has been charged in connection to a wildfire currently burning in McDowell County, according to the NC Forest Service.

Authorities say 38-year-old Hilary Brooke Inman, of Marion, was cited and charged under North Carolina law for starting a fire on grassland, brushland or woodland without properly extinguishing it. The fire was determined to have been caused by improperly discarded smoking material.

The Jumping Branch Fire, first reported Sunday, has grown to 185 acres and was 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.

The fire is burning about eight miles northwest of Marion in the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. Officials say 173 personnel are currently assigned to the fire.

Firefighters continue working to increase containment, using both ground crews and aerial support. Crews are conducting strategic firing operations to remove unburned fuels and slow the fire’s spread, with aircraft assisting through water or fire retardant drops.

Smoke from the fire may be visible in nearby communities, including Buck Creek and Marion. Officials say the fire is burning in an area heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, where downed trees are contributing to increased fire intensity.

Multiple agencies are involved in the response, including the U.S. Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Service, McDowell County Emergency Management, and local fire departments.

Meanwhile, crews continue to monitor the nearby Poplar Fire, which is 90% contained.

WASHINGTON (CBS) — Republican leaders in Congress and President Trump unveiled a plan Wednesday to end the partial government shutdown and fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, mirroring a framework that the Senate pursued last week before it was quickly batted down by House Republicans.

Read the full story here.

HAMPSTEAD, NC (WWAY) — Emergency crews responded to a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Hampstead.

According to the Pender County Fire Marshal’s Office, crews were called to a home on Estuary Drive around 1:15 p.m. after reports of a fire. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames coming from the attached two-car garage of a three-story residence.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further into the home.

The people inside the house were able to safely get out before emergency crews arrived. No injuries were reported.

Officials said the home was equipped with working smoke alarms, which activated and helped alert those inside. Fire officials say the incident highlights the importance of properly installed and maintained smoke detectors.

The fire is now under control and remains under investigation by the Pender County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Pender EMS & Fire, New Hanover County Fire & Rescue, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pender County Fire Marshal’s Office.

(WWAY) — North Carolina drivers are seeing a sharp increase in fuel costs this year, with new data showing prices at the pump have climbed significantly compared to 2025.

According to a SmartAsset analysis, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in North Carolina reached $3.90 as of April 1, marking a 35% increase year over year.

Premium gas in the state is averaging $4.73 per gallon, while diesel has surged to $5.65.

Diesel prices are rising even faster than regular gas. The report shows North Carolina experienced a 60.9% increase in diesel costs compared to last year, placing it among the states with the steepest spikes nationwide.

The rising fuel costs are part of a broader national trend. Across the U.S., the average price for a gallon of regular gas now stands at $4.06, while diesel averages $5.43 per gallon.

SmartAsset attributes the increase to global factors, including military operations in the Middle East and ongoing pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route.

While North Carolina’s average remains slightly below the national average, the year-over-year increase is still being felt by commuters, businesses and industries that rely heavily on fuel.

Other states are seeing even higher prices. California currently has the highest average gas price in the country at $5.89 per gallon, while Oklahoma has the lowest at $3.27.

by Ahmed Jallow, NC Newsline
March 31, 2026

A preliminary survey of 2,299 North Carolina middle schoolers found that most bring smartphones to school and many use them despite rules meant to prevent that, researchers told lawmakers Tuesday.

The study, led by Kaitlyn Burnell of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, surveyed students in 22 schools and teachers in 19 schools in December. Nearly 300 teachers responded.

These are early findings, with follow-up surveys planned in April and again in the fall to track changes over time. Every school in the sample required phones to be stored in backpacks, lockers or locked containers.

“Despite policies being in place in the schools that we sampled, many are continuing to use their phones, and existing policies are not necessarily always enforced or followed,” Burnell told the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee. According to the survey, 76% of student smartphone owners bring their device to school every day.

The findings come after lawmakers passed a law last year requiring school districts to adopt policies limiting student access to phones and other personal devices during the school day, leaving enforcement largely up to local school boards. Students described those rules as strict but unevenly enforced. While 62.9% of students say their school “always” enforces the policy, a notable minority reported that enforcement is inconsistent. Many said classmates use phones when they are not supposed to.

The survey also found that students often turn to their devices when they feel bored, lonely or stressed, and frequently use them to communicate with friends and parents during school hours.

Teachers reported that students are distracted by both their own devices and those of their peers. Over 54% of teachers reported experiencing at least some level of stress from managing student device usage during instructional time.

The preliminary survey also found that school-issued devices can be just as disruptive as phones, with 34% of students reporting bypassing school filters to access games and social media. Students also reported using school tools like shared documents to chat about off-task topics.

Rep. Heather Rhyne (Photo: NC General Assembly)

Lawmakers questioned how far to take the findings. While voicing concern for the use of technology in schools, Rep. Heather Rhyne (R-Lincoln) said the survey represents a small number of students statewide, and cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from early data.

Burnell acknowledged the sample represents a “very small fraction” of the state, but noted the group is demographically representative, including 51.6% white, 12% Hispanic, and 9.6% Black participants

“I think it’s crucial that we pause before we make decisions based on such a small sample size,” Rhyne said. “I’m just not sure that this gives us the information that we need.”

Rhyne also pointed to enforcement, not policy, as the central issue, saying local school boards — not the state — are responsible for carrying out device restrictions.

“If students don’t feel like their policy is being enforced, or parents don’t, those are the people they’ve got to turn to,” he said.

Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) asked whether students are using devices to bully classmates, noting that concerns about cyberbullying helped drive the legislation.

Burnell said the survey captured reports of both cyberbullying and in-school bullying, but said the preliminary data do not yet show how device policies are affecting those behaviors.

She said the next phases of the study will track whether stricter rules are linked to changes in bullying over time. Previous research, she added, suggests limiting phone use can reduce those incidents, though not eliminate them.

Some lawmakers suggested the state may need to go further.

Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee), who said he requested the presentation after hearing concerns from local school boards, floated the idea of a stricter, statewide approach — potentially banning phone use “bell to bell” during the school day.

Right now, he said, many schools allow phones at certain times, like lunch or homeroom, making enforcement inconsistent.

“They’re allowing them to use them at different times during the day. That’s very difficult to police,” Corbin said.

Researchers plan additional surveys this spring and fall to examine how device use relates to academics, behavior and bullying, including online harassment.

 

 

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Laura Leslie for questions: info@ncnewsline.com.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A business training program for veterans and their families is coming to Bladen Community College later this month.

The Small Business Center at the college will host the Boots to Business Reboot workshop on April 30 at its Dublin campus.

The program, offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is designed to help veterans, active-duty service members, including National Guard and Reserve, and their spouses transition into entrepreneurship.

According to organizers, the workshop will provide an overview of business ownership, including how to develop business ideas, create a business plan and access available SBA resources.

Participants will work with instructors and advisors connected to the SBA’s network of business professionals.

The workshop will be held in the Teaching Auditorium in Building 14 and is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch break included.

The class is free, but registration is required, according to the release.

HERSHEY, PA (AP) — Hershey said Wednesday it will use classic recipes for all Reese’s products starting next year, a change that comes after the grandson of Reese’s founder criticized the company for shifting to cheaper ingredients.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have always been made with real milk chocolate or dark chocolate and peanut butter. But a small portion of Hershey’s and Reese’s products, like mini Easter eggs, are now made with a coating that contains less chocolate.

Hershey said that in 2027, it will shift those products to “their classic milk chocolate and dark chocolate recipes.”

The Hershey, Pennsylvania-based company said it will also be making other changes to its sweets portfolio next year, including transitioning to natural colors and enhancing Kit-Kat’s recipe to make it creamier. The company said it plans to increase its research and development funding by 25% next year.

“Hershey is committed to making products consumers love and that means continually reviewing our recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences,” the company said in a statement.

Brad Reese, the grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, ignited the controversy in a public letter he sent to Hershey’s corporate brand manager on Valentine’s Day.

“How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?” Reese wrote in the letter, which he posted on his LinkedIn profile.

Hershey acknowledged some recipe changes but said it was trying to meet consumer demand for innovation. High cocoa prices also have led Hershey and other manufacturers to experiment with using less chocolate in recent years.

The Associated Press left a message with Brad Reese on Wednesday seeking comment.

Brad Reese is the grandson of H.B. Reese, who spent two years at Hershey before forming his own candy company in 1919. H.B. Reese invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928; his six sons eventually sold his company to Hershey in 1963.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington-area country band is gaining wider attention after being featured on a prominent YouTube music channel known for spotlighting independent artists.

Gage Saylor and the Creekside Boys, based in Brunswick County, were recently featured on Radiowv, a channel with approximately 600,000 subscribers that highlights unsigned Americana and country musicians.

The platform gained national attention in recent years for helping introduce artists to broader audiences, including country singer Oliver Anthony, whose music reached a wide audience after appearing on the channel.

The band shared the news on social media, calling the opportunity significant.

“We are so thrilled to finally announce we were featured on radiowv,” the group wrote in a Facebook post. “We are so beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to do this.”

The video was recorded during a visit to the Sunset Beach area, where the channel’s creator sought out local talent. Radiowv is known for featuring stripped-down performances, often recorded in outdoor or rural settings.

The band has upcoming shows in Surf City, Southport, and Wilmington.

Watch the video here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Children’s Museum of Wilmington is set to host a sensory-friendly event for families later this month.

Sensory Sunday will take place April 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the museum. The event is designed to provide a modified experience for children with sensory, developmental and physical needs.

According to organizers, the museum will adjust its normal operations to create a more comfortable environment. That includes limiting attendance, reducing lighting and sound levels and offering designated calming spaces.

“Events like this help families feel welcomed, understood, and empowered, and we’re grateful to be part of a community that values sensory‑friendly spaces,”  said Isaac Mass, Director of Operations for Magical Moments ABA in North Carolina.

Visitors will also have access to sensory tools available for checkout at the front desk, including headphones, power packs and sound maps.

The event is part of a bi-monthly series hosted by the museum throughout the year. The next Sensory Sunday is scheduled for June 7.

Tickets are $5 per person, and capacity will be monitored to maintain a comfortable setting, according to the release.

(AP)–Advocacy groups and experts condemned YouTube for serving up low-quality artificial intelligence-generated videos to its most vulnerable audience: children.

In a letter to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and Sundar Pichai, the CEO of YouTube’s parent company Google, children’s advocacy group Fairplay expresses “serious concern” about the spread of AI-generated videos on both YouTube and YouTube Kids. The letter, which was sent on Wednesday morning, was signed by more than 200 organizations and individual experts such as child psychiatrists and educators.

“This ’ AI slop ’ harms children’s development by distorting their sense of reality, overwhelming their learning processes and hijacking their attention, thereby extending time online and displacing offline activities necessary for their healthy development,” the letter reads. “These harms are particularly acute for young children.” The letter calls on YouTube to clearly label all AI-generated content and ban any AI-generated content on YouTube Kids. They also propose barring AI-generated videos from being recommended to users under 18 and implementing an option for parents to turn off AI-generated content even if their child searches for it.

The letter is signed by 135 organizations including the American Federation of Teachers and the American Counseling Association, and around 100 individual experts like “The Anxious Generation” author Jonathan Haidt. The letter is part of a larger campaign from Fairplay that also includes a petition.

Much of this AI-generated content is fast-paced with bright colors, lively music and clickbait titles that work to grab the attention of young viewers, the letter outlines. There has been a growing movement online against AI-generated content, particularly when it looks or feels low quality or leans into the meaninglessness of “ brainrot.”

Spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle said in a statement that YouTube has “high standards for the content in YouTube Kids, including limiting AI-generated content in the app to a small set of high-quality channels.”

“We also provide parents the option to block channels. Across YouTube, we prioritize transparency when it comes to AI content, labeling content from our own AI tools, and requiring creators to disclose realistic AI content,” Bullwinkle said. “We’re always evolving our approach to stay current as the ecosystem evolves.”

YouTube’s current policy regarding AI-generated content requires creators to disclose when content that’s “realistic” is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI. Creators are not required to disclose when generative AI is used to create content that is clearly unrealistic, including animated videos and those with special effects.

YouTube said it is actively working on developing labels for YouTube Kids.

In its letter, Fairplay argues that voluntary disclosure policy and what it sees as an “extremely limited” definition of altered and synthetic content mean kids still see a flood of AI-generated videos that are not labeled as such. They also argue that many children who watch YouTube videos are not yet able to read or to comprehend something like an AI disclosure. That leaves children “to fend for themselves or their parents to play whack-a-mole,” the letter reads.

Fairplay’s campaign comes shortly after Google’s AI Futures Fund invested $1 million into Animaj, an AI animation studio that makes videos for kids and draws in staggeringly high viewership numbers, according to Bloomberg.

The campaign follows a landmark verdict in a social media addiction trial in which a California jury found that YouTube designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Meta was also found liable on the same counts as YouTube in the same case.

“Pushing AI slop onto young children is just another testament to how YouTube and YouTube Kids are designed to maximize children’s time online — including babies. AI slop hypnotizes young children, making it hard for them to get off their screens and move onto essential activities like play, sleep and social interaction,” said Rachel Franz, the director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline program, in a statement. “What’s more, YouTube’s algorithm makes it impossible for kids to avoid AI slop.”

Earlier this year, YouTube head Mohan listed out “managing AI slop” as one of the company’s priorities for 2026. In a January blog post, he wrote that the company was “actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday while airstrikes battered Tehran — an unrelenting tempo hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war.

Trump, who is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, said he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks once he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon — even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.

That raised the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw without any guarantee from Iran that it would stop bombing its Gulf Arab neighbors or release its grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through the strait in peacetime and Tehran’s stranglehold, along with its strikes on energy infrastructure in the region, has caused oil prices to skyrocket, with far-reaching consequences for the global economy. Even if the strait were to reopen quickly, some effects like higher food prices could persist for months or longer.

It’s also not clear what Israel, which began bombing Iran alongside the U.S. on Feb. 28, would do if the U.S. pulls out without a deal. It also leaves open the question of what Iran might do with the highly enriched uranium still in its stockpiles.

No signs of Iran relinquishing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz

Trump’s comments offered another mixed signal from the American leader who has offered shifting objectives for the war and repeatedly said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about the purpose of their deployment.

Just days ago, Trump warned that the U.S. would attack Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not reopen the strait by April 6. He has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub and possibly desalination plants.

But on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” ensuring the security of ships passing through Hormuz.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting.

“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”

Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war as oil prices have skyrocketed, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was up more than 40% since the start of the war, trading at more than $103 a barrel on Wednesday.

It’s unclear where diplomatic efforts stand

The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a ceasefire, including a demand for the strait to be reopened and for is nuclear program to be rolled back.

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. Its own five-point response includes retaining sovereignty over the strait.

In the interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”

He warned against any U.S. attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying “we are waiting for them.”

Iran hits tanker off Qatar’s coast and attacks other Gulf states

A cruise missile slammed into an oil tanker off Qatar’s coast Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. The 21-member crew of the tanker, contracted by state-owned QatarEnergy, was evacuated and no casualties were reported.

A fully-loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker came under attack off Dubai the day before, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.

In the United Arab Emirates, a person was killed when he was hit by debris from an intercepted drone in Fujairah, one of the country’s seven emirates.

Bahrain sounded two alerts for incoming missiles, while Kuwait’s state-run KUNA news agency said a drone hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a large fire.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones fired from Iran in the last 24 hours. No casualties were reported. Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia, and air raid sirens sounded in Israel though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

An airstrike on Tehran, meanwhile, appeared to have hit the former U.S. Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since American diplomats were held hostage there in 1979.

Witnesses said buildings outside the massive compound had their windows blown out and that it appears the strike happened inside the walled facility.

Israel also said it hit a plant in Iran producing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Israel and the United States have alleged in recent years that Iran was experimenting with using fentanyl in chemical weapons.

Iran acknowledged a strike Tuesday on Tofigh Daru factory, but insisted it only supplied “hospital drugs.” Hospitals use fentanyl to treat severe pain but it can also be fatal.

Israel strikes Lebanon

In Lebanon, at least five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut neighborhood.

Israel invaded southern Lebanon after the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group began launching missiles into northern Israel days after the outbreak of the war. Many Lebanese fear another prolonged military occupation.

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million displaced, according to authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.

In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

___

Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

(AP)–U.S. crude fell below $100 a barrel and Wall Street pointed toward gains Wednesday after U.S. markets soared to their best day in almost a year on renewed hopes that the Iran war could soon end.

Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.8% before the opening bell, while Nasdaq futures jumped 1%.

The renewed optimism over a possible de-escalation of the Iran war, which is in its fifth week, came after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States will be done attacking Iran probably in two to three weeks, and that the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped about 2% to $98.83 a barrel. Brent crude for June delivery dipped 2.1% to $101.79 per barrel.

U.S. gas prices rose again overnight, however, to a national average of $4.06, according to the auto club AAA.

Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday while airstrikes battered Tehran — an unrelenting tempo hours after Trump said he was nearly ready to walk away from the war once he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon — even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.

That raised the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw without any guarantee from Iran that it would stop bombing its Gulf Arab neighbors or release its grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through the strait in peacetime and Tehran’s stranglehold, along with its strikes on energy infrastructure in the region, has caused oil prices to skyrocket, with far-reaching consequences for the global economy.

Even if the strait were to reopen quickly, some effects like higher food prices could persist for months or longer.

“De-escalation hopes have given markets a lift, but we think the effects of the war would, in many cases, persist even if the war did end soon,” wrote Thomas Mathews, head of markets, Asia Pacific at Capital Economics in a research note Wednesday.

“It’s worth thinking through how markets might fare if the war were to end ‘very soon,’” he wrote. “Do markets have further to recover if sentiment continues to improve? The answer is almost certainly yes.”

The White House said Trump will deliver a public address Wednesday evening on the Iran war.

In early equities trading, Nike fell more than 10% after it’s s third-quarter profit fell from a year ago as its margins shrunk due to tariffs. The company’s fourth-quarter outlook also disappointed investors.

Coming later Wednesday morning is the U.S. government’s latest retail sales report.

At midday in Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 were each up 2% while Germany’s DAX climbed 2.6%.

The big gains in European markets came even as German growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 were cut by experts on Wednesday as governments across Europe implement measures aimed at reducing the price impact of the Iran war.

A group of five economic institutes predict German gross domestic product will expand by 0.6% this year — less than half the 1.3% they forecast in September.

Inflation has sped up in the 21-nation euro bloc, driven by higher energy prices due to the Iran war and blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

Asian shares closed sharply higher. South Korea’s Kospi recovered its losses from earlier this week, surging 8.4% to 5,478.70, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 5.2% to 53,739.68. A survey by Japan’s central bank released Wednesday showed business sentiment for major Japanese manufacturers improved despite Iran war worries.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 2.2% to 25,339.45, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.5% higher at 3,948.55.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 2.2% to 8,671.80.

Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 4.6%, and India’s Sensex rose 1.7%

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA begun fueling its moon rocket Wednesday for humanity’s first lunar trip in more than half a century, aiming for an evening liftoff with four astronauts.

Tensions were high as hydrogen fuel started flowing into the rocket hours ahead of the planned launch. Dangerous hydrogen leaks erupted during a countdown test earlier this year, forcing a lengthy flight delay.

The launch team needs to load more than 700,000 gallons of fuel (2.6 million liters) into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket on the pad before the Artemis II crew can board.

“It is time to fly,” commander Reid Wiseman said on the eve of launch via X. Favorable weather was forecast.

Three Americans and one Canadian will fly around the moon without stopping or even orbiting — then head straight back for a Pacific splashdown. They will set a new distance record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth as they zoom some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) beyond the moon and then hang a U-turn.

Astronauts last flew to the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.

“The next era of exploration begins,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X.

Best wishes already have started to pour in, including from England’s King Charles III to Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Hansen will become the first non-U. S. citizen to launch to the moon. The crew also includes Christina Koch and Victor Glover, the first woman and first Black astronaut, respectively, destined for the moon.

“In this historic moment, you stand as a bridge between nations and generations,” the king wrote in a letter to Hansen, “and I commend you for your courage, discipline and vision that have brought you to this threshold.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — As more people head outside for National Walking Day, AAA is warning about an increased risk of pedestrian crashes as foot traffic rises this spring.

National Walking Day is observed April 1, and AAA says warmer weather, seasonal events and higher gas prices are expected to put more pedestrians on roads and sidewalks.

“Pedestrians face the greatest risk in traffic because they have no protection in a crash,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson for AAA, The Auto Club Group. “Even low-speed collisions can result in serious or fatal injuries.”

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, pedestrian deaths continue to outpace overall traffic fatalities. In 2024, 7,148 pedestrians were killed in crashes nationwide.

The data shows one in four of those deaths involved hit-and-run crashes, more than three-quarters occurred after dark and nearly two-thirds happened in areas without sidewalks.

AAA is urging both pedestrians and drivers to take precautions as activity increases.

For pedestrians, safety tips include using sidewalks and crosswalks, making eye contact with drivers before crossing, avoiding distractions such as phones and headphones and wearing bright or reflective clothing at night.

Drivers are encouraged to slow down in areas with heavy foot traffic, watch for pedestrians near schools, parks and events, eliminate distractions, yield at crosswalks and use extra caution at night.

(WWAY) — A new national survey finds concerns about the cost of cancer screenings are now as common as the fear of being diagnosed with cancer, potentially leading more people to delay or skip routine care.

According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2026 Early Detection Survey, 34 percent of U.S. adults who worry about cancer screenings say cost is a concern. That matches the percentage of people who say they fear finding out they have cancer.

The survey also found 73 percent of adults are behind on at least one routine cancer screening, an increase from the previous year. Participants cited cost as one of the top reasons for missing screenings, with 35 percent saying it played a role.

Other commonly reported reasons included not knowing they needed to be screened and believing they were not at risk due to no family history of cancer.

Researchers say confusion about what screenings cost may be contributing to the issue. Among those who cited cost, half said they were worried about paying for the screening or appointment itself. Others expressed concern about follow-up care or missing work to attend appointments.

The foundation notes many routine cancer screenings are fully covered by private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, meaning patients may not have out-of-pocket costs.

The survey also found nearly one in five adults behind on screenings cited mistrust of the health care system as a factor, with some saying they believe the system prioritizes profit over patient care.

“Cost concerns continue to be a major barrier—not because screenings are always expensive, but because people don’t have clear information about what’s covered,” said Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “When fear and confusion stop people from getting screened, we lose the chance to prevent cancer or catch it early.”

Health experts say early detection can improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs by identifying cancer at more treatable stages.

WILMINGTON, NG (WWAY) — Smart Start of New Hanover County has announced its 2026 Children’s Champion nominees, recognizing local individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact on young children and families.

The annual Children’s Champions event, now in its 25th year, honors those who go above and beyond to support early childhood development and ensure children have a strong start in life. This year’s nominees include educators, advocates, and community leaders dedicated to improving outcomes for families across the region.

The 2026 nominees are Craig Castrovinci, Cherelle Clemmons, Anita Adekoya, Clelia Tufts, Sean Perkins, Kate Groat, Benita Miller, Stacy Pullen, and the Wilmington Fire Department Child Passenger Safety Team.

“These nominees remind us that building a strong foundation for children takes all of us,” said Jennifer Gallo. “Their compassion, innovation, and dedication are shaping brighter futures for children and strengthening our entire community.”

Community members can celebrate the nominees at the Children’s Champions Awards and Fundraiser on Tuesday, April 14 at Plaza on Princess. The event includes nominee recognition, stories highlighting their impact, and the announcement of this year’s award recipients.

Organizers say the event also aims to raise awareness and support for early childhood initiatives in New Hanover County.

Tickets and additional information are available through Smart Start’s website.

WASHINGTON  (ABC NEWS) — U.S. job openings fell last month to 6.9 million and hiring was weak, more signs of sluggishness in the American labor market.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job vacancies slid from 7.2 million in January.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), showed that layoffs rose. Just 2.97 million people quit their jobs in February. Typically, people giving up their jobs is a sign of confidence in their prospects for finding better pay or working conditions elsewhere. The number of people leaving jobs last month was the fewest since August 2020.

A measure of hiring also deteriorated: The JOLTS report showed 4.85 million gross hires in February, fewest since April 2020. The hiring rate — the number of hires as a percentage of employment — dropped to 3.1%, also the lowest since April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down economic activity.

The numbers show the labor market before the Iran war drove up gasoline prices and increased uncertainty.

Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at the financial research firm fwdbonds, wrote in a commentary that the drop in openings “as the Iran war started is not a good omen for the health and vitality of the labor market. Companies have grown more cautious as the price of gasoline has risen over a dollar a gallon since the war began, and consumers have become much less confident.”

Employers added fewer than 10,000 net jobs a month in 2025 – weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002. This year started out with a decent 126,000 new jobs in January. But in February, the United States lost 92,000 jobs. When the Labor Department releases March jobs numbers Friday, they’re expected to show that hiring rebounded and that companies, nonprofits and government agencies added 60,000 jobs this month.

Despite sluggish hiring, the unemployment rate has stayed low – at 4.4%. Economists refer to a low-hire, low-fire job market in which companies are hesitant to add staff but don’t want to let go of the workers they have. There are growing worries that AI is taking over entry-level work and that companies are reluctant to make hiring decisions until they better understand how they are going to use AI.

(ABC) — A Tennessee library board has fired the county’s top librarian for refusing to comply with its vote to move more than 100 LGBTQ books from the children’s to the adult section over its claims that they promote “gender confusion.”

The Rutherford County Library Board voted 8-3 on Monday evening to fire library system director Luanne James. James has previously said that relocating the books would violate her and county residents’ First Amendment rights and compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination.

The case establishes the county southeast of Nashville as another focal point in the yearslong national fight over library content, often centering on racial and LGBTQ themes.

“Her story will echo from the Courthouse in Murfreesboro, TN, across the county, as emblematic of the fight against censorship and suppression,” said Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program for PEN America, which advocates for freedom of expression on behalf of writers.

Last fall, a former Wyoming library director won $700,000 to settle a lawsuit after her firing. Terri Lesley was removed during an uproar over books with sexual content and LGBTQ themes that some people sought their removal from youth shelves, though Campbell County officials contended that only her performance played a role in her firing.

Additionally, in December, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on a Texas free speech case that allowed local officials to remove books deemed objectionable from public libraries.

The Tennessee decision stems from a March 16 vote by the board to relocate the books to the adult section in county libraries. During that meeting, board Chairman Cody York said it is dangerous and inaccurate to tell children, particularly those going through puberty, that boys can be girls and girls can be boys.

Two days later, James emailed the board and said she would not move the books. The meeting Monday was peppered with cheers and boos from the audience. When it was James’ turn to speak, she said, “I stand by my decision and I will not change my mind.” After the board voted to fire her, James’ attorney read a statement from her in which she said she thought the firing was an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination.

“Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas,” the statement said. “I stood up for the right to read, standing for the citizens of Rutherford County.”

Rutherford County school board member Caleb Tidwell, meanwhile, spoke in favor of moving the books out of the section for youth readers.

“Follow the law,” said Tidwell, who started his public comments with a prayer. “Protect the children. Hold the line.”

Last year, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office sent letters to library systems across the state requesting immediate reviews of what was in their children’s sections. They say libraries that receive federal and state funding have to comply with applicable laws, and mentioned Trump’s executive order about gender ideology.

James was appointed as the county library director in July 2025. She has worked for more than 25 years in public library roles, including directorships in Texas and South Carolina.