MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Sheriff’s deputies are investigating an alleged break-in and theft last week at the North Carolina home of retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, one of seven people who died in a plane crash last month.

The alleged burglary and forcible entry into the Biffle home in Mooresville was reported Jan. 8, according to an incident report from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Darren Campbell said Wednesday that investigators believe someone entered a safe in the home. In addition to $30,000 in cash and a backpack identified in the incident report as stolen, Campbell said some guns and memorabilia also are gone.

Campbell said no arrests have been made and that no one else was in the home at the time of the alleged crimes. The incident report said the home was last known secure on the afternoon of Jan. 7.

“We’re working the case. We are waiting on some digital evidence,” Campbell said, and he added that interviews also were being conducted.

A business jet carrying Biffle, Biffle’s wife and two children and three others crashed Dec. 18 while trying to return to an airport in Statesville – located about 45 miles north of Charlotte – minutes after taking off from there.

Federal investigators said the Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground short of the runway. Everyone on board died.

No cause of the crash has been released. Biffle was one of three people on board with a pilot’s license. Investigators said during the crash’s immediate aftermath that they didn’t know who the lead pilot was on the flight.

A public memorial service for Biffle, who won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races during his career, and the six others killed is scheduled for Friday morning at a Charlotte arena.

The Associated Press contributed

Exciting changes are on the horizon at the North Carolina Aquarium
at Fort Fisher.

Officials said the aquarium is expected to undergo a new $75 million expansion and overhaul that Joanna Zazzali, the aquarium’s director, said will bring a
whole new meaning to the space.  

“This will be a ‘wow moment,’ but you’ll have plenty of other ‘wows’ as you continue your journey,” Zazzali said.

But the change comes at a cost. The aquarium
will temporarily close for three years, Zazzali said.

“We will have a minimum staff that will remain here to care
for the animals in the existing facility, and the other staff will be on site at
our pop-up aquarium at the mall,” she said.

While the aquarium is closed, a temporary location will open
in Independence Mall. Officials said the mall, located on a city bus route,
will offer a free opportunity for people who’ve never been to the aquarium
before.

“We are so excited for this new opportunity to connect in an
area of Wilmington that we don’t always reach,” an aquarium staff member said.

According to a video on the NC Aquarium Fort Fisher YouTube
page, this is the first renovation the aquarium has seen in 20 years.

A sneak peek at the new additions can be seen on the
aquarium’s social media. Zazzali said the expansion will include additional
classrooms and exhibits, a rooftop Skydeck, interactive habitats and even a new
tiger shark habitat.

Once completed, officials said the aquarium will be the largest in the state.

A hard closing date for the aquarium has not yet been
announced, officials said. Construction to transform the space the aquarium
will use at the mall is expected to take several weeks to complete before the process of moving some of the animals, equipment and staff.

Last season, Stanford basketball entered the Kyle Smith era, looking to take Stanford to the next level as a basketball program. The Cardinal had a successful first season under Smith, but it seemed like they couldn’t get their season-defining win. Then came their matchup with North Carolina.

In their first season in the ACC, Stanford hadn’t won a game on the East Coast. Having to go into an immensely tough environment against a blue blood program, it looked like they would lose another one.

Instead, Stanford’s stars rose to the occasion. Maxime Raynaud had a massive 25 points and 13 rebound performance, adding a poster dunk in the process. Duke transfer Jaylen Blakes hung 20 points on his former rivals, including the game-winning shot.

Going into Wednesday’s contest, the Cardinal have an opportunity to do it once again. After a solid start to the year, Stanford has gotten wins over No. 16 Louisville, Virginia Tech, St. Louis, Colorado, and Minnesota. Their losses have come to No. 23 Virginia, Notre Dame, Seattle, and UNLV. The Cardinal sit at 2-2 in ACC play, and have been hot in recent games.

North Carolina has had their own great start to the year. With wins over No. 19 Kansas, No. 18 Kentucky, Ohio State, Georgetown, Florida State, and Wake Forest, the Tar Heels look like a top team in the nation. However, losses against No. 11 Michigan State and SMU prove that they can be toppled.

An interesting point to make is about recent play. The last time Stanford was at home, the Cardinal took down Louisville in one of the best wins of the Kyle Smith era. The last time North Carolina had to go on the road, they got run out of the gym by SMU.

North Carolina still has a 64.8% chance to win, but it’s not as high as many would have expected, given UNC’s history. That’s because Stanford has a legit chance of taking down the Tar Heels, especially at home.

Last year, Stanford won due to a couple of things. First, their stars played at their best. They got a combined 45 points out of their two biggest stars, which helped to guide the Cardinal to victory. Second, their ability to make free throws.

Stanford went 13-of-14 from the line, which is key in a close game. Stanford dominated the blocking battle, winning it 7-2, and letting their defense come up with some big stops. They also got a lot out of Donavin Young, who stepped up in the big moment. Finally, they stopped North Carolina’s bigs, which was a big key to victory.

Stanford has to mimic those specific things to get a win on Wednesday. Stanford needs Ebuka Okorie to score the ball well, and have an overall good game. They need to make free throws, just like they did against Louisville.

Stanford needs Oskar Giltay to give good minutes, and block as many shots as possible. They are going to need a lot out of Donavin Young, just like last year. And finally, they will need Chisom Okpara to slow down Caleb Wilson from dominating the game for his own team.

If Stanford can achieve all these things, Stanford could be in position to come away with yet another huge win over UNC.

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