North Carolina
North Carolina Peaches are Abundant Despite Dry Weather – Perishable News
RALEIGH – Peak peach season in North Carolina is well underway, and many farms are expecting an extended season through October this year. “Due to the warmer winter, many farms didn’t get a freeze after peaches began budding this year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “That, combined with the sandy soil and good drainage where they grow best means our farmers have plenty of peaches at their farmstands, farmers markets and in the grocery store.”
Between 2017 and 2022, the number of peach farms and total peach acreage increased in North Carolina. As of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, North Carolina had 356 peach farms on a total of 1,273 acres. “North Carolina grows more than two dozen varieties of peaches. Growers are harvesting clingstone peaches now and will begin harvesting freestone varieties near the end of the month,” said Khaila Daye, marketing specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The Sandhills region is kicking it into high gear in celebration of all things ‘peachy’ with N.C. Peach Week, July 18-28. The North Carolina Peach Festival runs July 18-20, in Candor. Additional events through July 28, include: Princess Peach Night at Red’s Corner, Peach-A-Palooza at James Creek Cider House, a free peach wine tasting at Watering Can Wines in Carthage, food and drink competitions throughout the week and more. To see the full event schedule, visit https://homeofgolf.com/peach-week/.
The Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax will host Peach Day Thursday, Aug. 1. Visitors will be treated to free peach samples, face painting and more. The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. offering shoppers locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, wines and specialty foods, plus seasonal products from N.C. nurseries, greenhouses, Christmas tree farms, turf grass and sod. The market is located off Exit 208 on Interstate 40, west of Greensboro near the Piedmont Triad International Airport.
To find local peaches near you, download the Visit NC Farms app at https://visitncfarmstoday.com/.
North Carolina
USC Trojans Predicted to Flip Recruits from Utah, North Carolina Before Signing Day
The USC Trojans are in pursuit of flipping two class of 2025 recruits, Nela Tupou and Alex Payne. Can the Trojans flip one or both of these players before national signing day?
Nela Tupou Player Profile
Nela Tupou is a 6-4, 220 pound tight end/defensive end out of Folsom, California. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the 43rd-best ATH in the class of 2025 per 247Sports.
Tupou committed to the Utah Utes in February of 2024, but he just recently visited USC last weekend for the Trojans’ 28-20 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
On3 is now predicting that Tupou will likely flip this commitment from Utah to USC.
Alex Payne Player Profile
Alex Payne is a 6-5, 265 pound offensive tackle out of Gainesville, Florida. He is rated as four-star recruit and ranked as the 16th-best offensive tackle in the class of 2025.
Payne committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels in January of 2024, but he as well as Tupou, visited USC last weekend.
In 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy’s updated crystal ball prediction, he had Payne flipping his commitment from North Carolina to USC. Loy has a good track record of predicting where recruits will end up as his all-time hit rate for predicting recruits’ final destinations is 81.64 percent.
USC Bolstering Up Offensive Line to Go Along With Weapons
One of the glaring holes for the USC Trojans this season has been the offensive line. For USC to bounce back next season, they will have to get much better in the trenches. This has been exposed in their first season in the Big Ten. Landing Tupou, who can both be a factor in the run blocking scheme as a blocker, and Payne, one of the top tackle prospects in the country, would go a long way for next season and the future of the program.
Barring a flurry of transfer portal decisions, the Trojans will have an abundance of skill position talent coming back next season.
Freshman running back Quinten Joyner has been the second best back this season behind senior running back Woody marks.
Four of the Trojans five leading receivers are sophomores. Makai Lemon, Zachariah Branch, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Duce Robinson all have shown flashes of potentially being a number one wide receiver next season.
Add in the Trojans starting sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava and they have one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten. If USC continues to address the offensive line in the last days of the 2025 recruiting cycle and in the transfer portal this offseason, the Trojans could be a dangerous team next season.
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North Carolina
School closings, delays in Western North Carolina, Friday, Nov. 22
Sledding in Haw Creek Dec. 9, 2018
The Tracey family enjoys the snow in Haw Creek with some sledding.
Angeli Wright, Asheville Citizen Times
Some school systems in Western North Carolina are closed Friday, Nov. 21, due to winter weather.
- Avery County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
- Graham County Schools: Closed, workday for staff.
- Madison County Schools: Closed, optional teacher workday.
- Mitchell County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
- Watauga County Schools: Two-hour delay.
- Yancey County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
This story will be updated
North Carolina
North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, report says
NORTH CAROLINA (WBTV) – North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, according to a new study by the U.S. News & World Report.
The report analyzed the highest combined rates of three major sexually transmitted infections: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis.
As far as the 10 states with the highest STD rates, N.C. ranked No. 7.
The data
According to the report, the state’s total STD rate is 911.5 per 100,000. That has actually decreased by -0.3% since 2022.
Rates for the three major STDs are:
- Chlamydia: 607.9 per 100,000
- Gonorrhea: 243.2 per 100,000
- Syphilis (cumulative): 60.4 per 100,000
South Carolina
South Carolina also has some of the highest STD rates in America, according to the report.
Ranked at No. 8 for the 10 states with the highest STD rates, the state’s total STD rate is 882.8 per 100,000. That has decreased by 10.9% since 2022.
Rates for the three major STDs are:
- Chlamydia: 612.1 per 100,000
- Gonorrhea: 222.4 per 100,000
- Syphilis (cumulative): 48.3 per 100,000
WBTV Investigates: Syphilis Tsunami: NC health officials plan campaign to slow the spread
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