RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As plants and flowers bloom this Spring, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission warns residents of the bees burrowing underground who have begun to emerge to pollinate.

The wildlife officials said they have received numerous calls from panicked landowners who have “a bunch of little bees hovering over the ground.”

This is because, according to wildlife officials, little burrows full of solitary bees reside across small, cool areas such as a front or back yard. The National Wildlife Federation said solitary bees make up about 98 percent of native bee species in the United States, and more than 500 of those species nest underground in North Carolina.

The burrowing bees nest in masses, according to wildlife officials. They have no hive or colony to defend, so they are more inclined to fly away from danger than feel the need to attack. Wildlife officials said only female solitary bees have the anatomy to be able to sting.

“Some people believe the solution is to pour gasoline into their burrows or spray them with insecticides to rid them of an area. But bees provide a crucial pollinator role to our ecosystem.”

According to wildlife officials, the wild bees provide pollination services for over 80 percent of flowers in NC.

“Furthermore,” officials added, “they contribute billions of dollars to our economy by pollinating crops.”

Wildlife officials said the ground-nesting bees hover above the surface for a very short time. They said after spending two to three weeks above ground, the bees won’t emerge again until next spring.

Before I came back to NJ 101.5 last August, I had a few months where things were quiet on the radio front in New Jersey and over in Philly. Quiet enough that my phone started ringing from other places.

Charlotte. Raleigh. Two separate conversations with two separate radio stations in North Carolina. I did the interviews. I listened to their stations carefully and gave their managers honest thoughts on how to improve their programming. I went far enough down the road that I had to actually think about it — not as a hypothetical, but as a real decision Linda and I would have to make about our lives.

I did not take either job. I came home to NJ 101.5 instead, which is exactly where I belong. But I spent enough time with those numbers — housing, taxes, cost of living — that they are still sitting in my head. And every time I read about another wave of New Jersey residents heading south, I think about what I saw.

What $500,000 buys you there

The median home price in Charlotte right now is around $415,000. In Raleigh it is around $426,000. That means $500,000 is not the ceiling — it is well above the median. It buys you a serious house. A newer construction home in a desirable suburb. Four bedrooms, three baths, a two-car garage, a backyard worth using. In some neighborhoods, a finished basement and a covered porch on top of that.

In and around New Jersey, $500,000 is a starting point for a conversation. In many parts of the state it gets you something modest. In Bergen, Morris or Essex County it barely qualifies as entry-level. The median home price in New Jersey sits around $584,000 — and that is the middle. Half the homes in the state cost more than that.

What $500,000 buys you here

The house math is only the beginning. The part that really stings is what comes after you buy it.

New Jersey’s effective property tax rate is 1.77 percent — the highest in the country. On a $500,000 home that is roughly $8,850 a year, and the statewide average bill has already pushed past $9,800. North Carolina’s effective property tax rate is 0.62 percent. On the same $500,000 home — the better house you bought for less money — that is about $3,100 a year.

The difference is more than $5,700 annually. Every single year. That is before you factor in that North Carolina has a flat income tax rate of 3.99 percent — dropping further — while New Jersey’s top rate hits 10.75 percent. That is before you factor in car insurance, which costs the average NJ driver about $3,400 a year compared to roughly $1,600 in North Carolina. That is before the tolls.

Add it up and the gap between living in New Jersey and living in Charlotte or Raleigh is not a number. It is a lifestyle.

What I found out about those cities

I want to be fair here, because during those months I paid real attention to both places. Charlotte feels like a city — South End, NoDa, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth. Real neighborhoods with restaurants and music and a downtown that works. Raleigh has the Research Triangle, Apple, Google, a university ecosystem that brings in young energy and jobs. The weather is genuinely good — not Florida humid, not the frozen tundra —this past winter fresh in our minds. 

Both cities are growing fast because people from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania keep arriving and discovering what the math already told them.

I have my own South Carolina data point too. In May of 2020, at the peak of COVID, Linda and I drove down to Charleston for over a week. Our reason was straightforward — South Carolina was still largely open when New Jersey was not. Open restaurants. Open bars. Folly Beach was packed and alive while the Jersey Shore sat empty. I liked it there. I liked the pace, the vibe, the waterfront. I remember thinking, I could live here. And what your money buys you in Charleston versus here is its own kind of revelation.

SEE ALSO: 192,00 have left NJ since 2020 — Is your town next on the list 

So why didn’t I go

Because of thirty-three years in the same house. Because of raising two kids here. Because of the friends we have known since before any of this happened. Because holiday and summer weekend gatherings are not a flight away.

When I thought about it honestly — really honestly — I realized I would rather leave the business I love than leave the home, the family, and the community we have spent a lifetime building. That is what kept me here. Not the taxes. Not the property values. Not the math — which, as I have just laid out, loses badly.

I made peace with that. I am genuinely glad I stayed. I am exactly where I want to be.

People leaving New Jersey are not leaving because they want to. They are leaving because the math eventually wins. I just happened to be one of the ones for whom it did not.

At least not yet.

RALEIGH — As NC State head coach Justin Gainey begins making noise in the transfer portal, one major retention question looms large over the program: What will Paul McNeil do? The sharpshooter reportedly intends to enter the transfer portal, although he hasn’t made things official yet. However, he left things open for a return to the Pack after spending the first two seasons of his career there.

McNeil could be a key bridge player for Gainey as he tries to rebuild NC State following a mass exodus in the final days of the Will Wade era, which lasted just one season. The sophomore guard established a close relationship with Wade during their lone year together and also potentially played himself into the NBA Draft conversation. Still, he might benefit most from sticking it out in Raleigh.

Gainey could add another element to McNeil

NC State’s new coach established a reputation over his 20 years as an assistant as one of the best defensive coaches in the country. Most recently at Tennessee, Gainey helped the Volunteers become one of the most consistent and stingy defenses in the country in all five seasons he spent there, something many around Raleigh hope travels with Gainey.

At 6-foot-5, McNeil has the athleticism and wingspan to develop into a much stronger defender. He had several chase-down blocks and incredibly bouncy defensive highlights during the 2025-26 season under Wade. Gainey might see the potential in the talented guard and tap into it even further if he can convince him to stay, turning McNeil into a 3-and-D weapon.

An opportunity to leave a legacy

McNeil, like Gainey, is a native of North Carolina, hailing from nearby Rockingham. As a high schooler, the guard made a name for himself when he shattered the state record for most points in a game, scoring 71 points. He ultimately decided to stay close to home and chose NC State, joining then-coach Kevin Keatts. He stuck it out through one coaching change.

When he earned a starting role under Wade with his work ethic and incredible 3-point shooting, McNeil became a fan favorite at NC State. His confident personality and love for the area and school only helped with that. Now, he has a chance to take that love to another level if he chooses to stay in Raleigh for one more season.

Buying time for the pros

There are completely reasonable financial reasons for McNeil to make a move, as some of the reported offers for other high-profile transfers are truly life-changing numbers for college athletes. However, if the decision comes down to NC State and the NBA Draft process, it’s probably in McNeil’s best interest to stay put for one more season.

After averaging 13.8 points on 42.7% from 3-point range in his sophomore year, McNeil’s usage and role would be even bigger should he choose to return to NC State. Another season with even gaudier numbers, coupled with potential defensive improvements under Gainey’s watch, could vault the guard from second-round pick into first-round conversations.