North Carolina
Major Differences in 2026 Spring Camp For NC State
RALEIGH — Throughout March, NC State football returned to its practice fields and began its preparations for the 2026 season. Things were very different for Dave Doeren and his staff this spring compared to a year ago for several unique reasons, but most of them were positive ones.
The Wolfpack had many different newcomers to integrate this season, both from the transfer portal and the recruiting class, but it seemed to go seamlessly in spring camp for Doeren and the coordinators. Continuity and a veteran presence helped NC State feel as though it could be in for a very successful 2026 season, potentially cracking that 10-win mark for the first time under Doeren.
No new coordinators
During the 2025 offseason, Doeren embarked on a major overhaul of his coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson left the Wolfpack for a head coaching position at Marshall, with DJ Eliot replacing him during the offseason. Doeren elevated quarterback coach Kurt Roper to offensive coordinator to replace Robert Anae after a rough 2024 campaign.
The changes at both coordinator spots meant spring football was a bit of a mess, with two new schemes going in and the entire team learning the new systems. The complete defensive overhaul became even more difficult due to a surplus of injuries, which shortened the roster significantly. That forced Eliot and Doeren to explore the spring transfer portal for players like Cian Slone and Sabastian Harsh. With that window gone, NC State adjusted to its new reality in 2026.
Eliot, Roper and Doeren all explained how much easier things were with the schemes installed this offseason, as there were enough players around from the 2025 season to teach some of the tendencies and points of emphasis on the field where the coaches can’t always communicate.
Doeren still finds himself coaching more of the basics than he did before the transfer portal era, but it’s been an easier adjustment than anticipated for the veteran head coach. It also seems to be igniting a new fire as he heads into his 14th season, something that became particularly evident when he shot down retirement rumors during the 2025 campaign.
Experienced transfers
The other part of spring camp that made coaching easier for Doeren, Eliot and Roper was the fact that many of the transfers the team brought in had extensive experience already. JoJo Trader, Popo Aguirre and Chance Robinson all played for the Miami Hurricanes, contributing to varying degrees to a deep College Football Playoff run. Harvey Dyson also played in the CFP with Tulane.
Translating a playbook to players already accustomed to playing at a very high level is much easier than teaching it to an entirely new group, as the Wolfpack had a year ago. The hope is that those veteran players will help NC State take another step, rather than just maintaining the position they finished in at the end of the 2025 season.
Do you have a favorite grocery store? According to an online food magazine, one grocery store reigns supreme as the best in North Carolina. With almost a century’s worth of history in the state, this store has since become a household name.
The Wilmington area is home to dozens and dozens of grocery stores, including several major brands, and opinions can certainly widely on which is the best place to do your weekly shopping
Online food publication loveFOOD.com recently published a list of the best grocery store in each U.S. state, with stores ranging from big chain superstores to local markets. When it came to North Carolina, LoveFOOD said Harris Teeter was the best grocery store in the state.
Hot food and good rewards
While some states had specific locations on the list, loveFOOD put the entire Harris Teeter chain for North Carolina.
LoveFOOD cited a handful of qualities that put Harris Teeter over the top. For one, the article highlighted the selection of prepared foods offered at Harris Teeter. Alongside the traditional hot bar, Harris Teeter also has pizza, sushi, sandwiches and more. LoveFOOD also gave kudos to what the article called a “thoughtfully curated wine selection.”
Finally, Harris Teeter’s reward system got special attention. Alongside access to weekly sales on groceries, the reward system lets customers earn Fuel Points that can be used to get up to $1 off per gallon at Harris Teeter gas stations.
How to save money on groceries
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Problem Solved
A North Carolina store
According to Harris Teeter’s website, W.T. Harris originally founded Harris Food Store in Charlotte in 1936. A few years later, Willis and Paul Teeter opened Teeter’s Food Mart in Mooresville. In 1960, the two stores merged into Harris Teeter.
Today, Harris Teeter has over 250 stores across seven southern states and Washington, D.C, though the store is still based in North Carolina. Headquarters are located in the town of Matthews, and Harris Teeter operates distribution centers out of Greensboro and Indian Trail. The chain employees 35,000 employees across the country.
Charlie Kingree is the trending topics and Pender County reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Two proposed changes to North Carolina’s tax laws are now headed to voters in November after lawmakers approved both constitutional amendments this week.
Western North Carolina political science professor Dr. Chris Cooper says both amendments involve taxes, but in different ways.
“Part of the fight here is essentially about how much people should be taxed, but some of it is also about local government power and how much power should local governments have to be able to levy the higher property taxes to fulfill their needs,” Cooper said.
The first amendment seeks to permanently cap the state’s income tax rate at 3.5%, which Republican state leaders say is necessary.
“Now we’re at a point where we’ve proven that we are able to cut and we are still able to generate revenue by the business policies that we’ve had,” Rep. Mark Pless said.
NEW BILL COULD PUT CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION ON 2026 BALLOT IN NORTH CAROLINA
Democratic leaders, however, argue that the change would limit the state’s ability to raise revenue.
“If we’re saying that constitutionally the legislature can never raise the personal income tax above 3.5 percent, then we are necessarily limiting our ability to generate revenue to meet the needs of our growing state,” Senator Julie Mayfield said.
The second proposal focuses on property taxes and would limit how much local governments can increase them.
Democrats say the cap could reduce funding for schools, disaster response and local government services.
“Property taxes are the primary funder for local governments and the services they provide, and if we start limiting their ability to increase that revenue, again, to match their increasing needs, then communities are going to suffer, and public services are going to suffer,” Mayfield said.
ASHEVILLE PROPOSES PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE TO CLOSE $8.9M BUDGET GAP
Republicans counter that voters should have a direct say in how tax policy is set.
“Members on the other side of the aisle wanted to say that it was going to raise gas, it was going to raise groceries, it was going to cause rent to go up, and that’s just not feasible. Reducing the income tax is only going to reduce the amount they pay for government services,” Pless said.
Some political observers also say the amendments are part of a broader political strategy ahead of the election.
“These are tools to turn out more conservative voters in a midterm election where the Republicans are worried that their voters aren’t going to turn out. That is the motivation behind all of these,” Mayfield said.
Political experts say these likely won’t be the only amendments on the ballot, and more could be placed before voters in November.
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida could be visible from parts of Eastern North Carolina early Thursday morning.
The launch window is scheduled to open at 5:26 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. According to Space Coast Daily, the Falcon 9 rocket is set to carry 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
If the rocket launches near the start of the window, viewers in Eastern North Carolina should look toward the southeastern sky shortly after liftoff.
Because the launch is scheduled before sunrise, the rocket’s exhaust plume may catch sunlight high in the atmosphere while the ground remains dark. That can create a glowing, fan-shaped effect sometimes called a “space jellyfish.”
Visibility will depend on the launch time, weather conditions, cloud cover and having a clear view of the horizon.
Viewers along the coast may have the best chance to see the rocket trail if the launch happens on schedule.
Launch schedules can change because of weather, technical issues or mission needs. SpaceX lists upcoming missions and launch coverage on its official launches page.
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