North Carolina
North Carolina urges schools to get on the AI train before students get left behind
For some educators, the prospect of cheating and laziness has led to bans on artificial intelligence (AI) in schools. That’s the situation in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. But North Carolina’s education technology officials now say that’s the wrong approach.
Instead, they say, teachers and students need to think of AI as a personal tutor, a time-saving assistant and a tool for future jobs.
“The most exciting part is when you can take this and customize the learning experience for individual students to make sure they stay engaged in their work,” said Vanessa Wrenn, chief information officer for the Department of Public Instruction. She’s one of the authors of a 34-page AI guidebook for schools released last week.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
“Children are always a step ahead of us in technology,” Wrenn said. “And if we don’t teach them how to understand it and use it well, then they will not have the appropriate guidance on how to use it.”
Wrenn and other North Carolina officials started thinking about an AI strategy shortly after ChatGPT debuted in November of 2022. The chatbot responds to queries and prompts submitted in plain English — no programming required — and generates essays, articles and other text. Other generative AI programs quickly followed, allowing users to create images, video and music.
Wrenn says some states quickly banned generative AI for fear of all the ways it could be misused. But she had the opposite reaction.
“There are so many good uses for generative AI to improve our students’ outcomes and improve our experience for teachers that I want to embrace it,” she said. “But let’s create guidance on how to use it safely, how to use it responsibly and how to use it well.”
Among the possibilities for using AI mentioned in the guide:
- Adjusting vocabulary used in classroom material to match students’ reading levels.
- Creating assignments or writing prompts tailored to students’ interests.
- Taking over routine administrative tasks to free more time for teaching and learning.
- Providing tutoring for students who need help outside school hours.
- Translating material for families who don’t speak English.
- Using voice-to-text and text-to-voice tools for students with disabilities.
- Helping students brainstorm ideas, explore topics and study for tests.
Student sees good and bad use
Nadia Sesay, a senior at Palisades High in southwest Charlotte, says she worries about AI based on the way she’s seen some classmates misuse it.
She says one student often won praise from the teacher for his essays. “And then behind closed doors he would always brag about how he got away with using AI,” she said.
Sesay says some students find that funny, but she worries about overreliance on the tool. “I’m hearing sophomores not even knowing how to write an essay without dependency of AI,” she said.
But as she applies to colleges, she has used AI to proofread essays and avoid repetitive phrasing.
“I went to AI and I was like, what is another way I can say ‘curated content for brands’ social media?’ And it provided 10 different ways I could say the same thing. So I was able to enhance my resume,” she said.
Sesay, whose family came from Sierra Leone and who will be a first-generation college student, says that helps “level the playing field” when she’s competing with students whose parents can afford college admission coaches.
AI skills are an equity issue
One of the state’s goals in pushing AI skills is about leveling the playing field for graduates, Wrenn said.
“The Future of Jobs report says that 40% of all of our jobs in five years are on an AI or machine learning trajectory. And AI will bring at least one million new jobs over the next five years,” she said.
According to the guide, “responsible implementation will prepare students for a future in which AI is sure to be integral to all aspects of their lives. However, ignoring generative AI, or not implementing it responsibly and equitably, can have the opposite effect, increasing the disparities that put many students at a disadvantage and increasing the digital divide.”
Ben Allred, chief innovation and technology officer for Cabarrus County schools, is an AI enthusiast — and an example of the kind of AI skills that can be useful on the job. When WFAE’s interview query landed in his inbox, he said he was using ChatGPT to write some formulas for Excel that he couldn’t figure out.
“It’s a thought partner. Like, ‘Hey, how do I do this?’ ” he said. “And it’ll say ‘Try this,’ and like, that didn’t work and it’s like, ‘Try this.’ And then, you know, you kind of learn something.”
He says he has used AI to prepare questions for job candidates — fully aware that savvy candidates are also using AI to prepare for job interviews — and to write difficult letters when employees fall short. Ironically, he says the computer even advises him on people skills.
“I can put things in like, ‘This is a person who’s going through some difficult personal struggles that is also struggling at work.’ And it coaches me to be kind to the person while I’m delivering the information! There’s just some really good stuff in there,” Allred said.
Plagiarism and cheating aren’t new
Virtually all schools already have policies in place related to plagiarism and cheating, which can happen whether someone misuses print-on-paper resources, online material or generative AI.
“As AI becomes more commonplace in all aspects of life, it is imperative that educators adapt to this new reality and rethink current attitudes about plagiarism and cheating. Teachers should educate students about the responsible use of generative AI, promoting the values of honesty, critical thinking, and originality in academic endeavors,” the guide says.
Wrenn says that means understanding that AI-generated material can be a starting point, but it can also produce material that looks authoritative but is just plain wrong. Teachers need to help students learn how to check facts and cite sources, she says.
Meanwhile, the guide advises teachers against relying on computers to catch students who might be tempted to rely on AI without attribution.
“The platforms that have come out there to detect if something is AI have already been found to have a high failure rate,” Wrenn said. She said teachers need to understand that such programs may incorrectly identify student work as computer-generated.
Support for making the transition
The state’s AI guide includes information about finding and choosing AI products that are tailored to education. It offers advice on writing good prompts, which can be the key to getting useful information. It even has graphics — generated with the help of AI — to drive home the point that if AI is used correctly it’s like an electric bike: The person remains in charge, but the device helps the rider move faster and farther.
Vera Cubero
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North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
The guide also acknowledges that even though the technology is advancing at lightning speed, school districts may need time to make sure staff are well trained and everyone — including students and parents — understands AI policies and guidelines.
Wrenn says DPI began training teachers over the summer and has regional consultants who can provide support for educators trying to figure out smart ways to use AI.
In the Charlotte region, districts are all at different starting points.
In Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, “Chat GPT and other AI are blocked from CMS devices for students and staff,” Communications Director Susan Vernon-Devlin reports.
After the state guidelines came out last week, CMS Chief Technology Officer Candace Salmon-Hosey said the district will create “a small working group” to look at AI, using the state’s material and national resources.
“We know that AI has a lot to offer. As with any new resource, we intend to be both cautious and courageous as we move forward,” she said in a written statement.
Iredell-Statesville Schools “has started to share some AI tools with our teachers and administrators … specifically focused on how AI can help teachers enhance their instruction and planning by creating assignments, assessments, and lesson plans,” according to Public Information Officer Jada Jonas. She says teachers have not been encouraged to use AI with students “since the majority of AI apps require the user to be 18 or older.” The state guide says the common age limit is 13.
Allred says Cabarrus County has never blocked use of generative AI, and to his knowledge has never encountered a serious problem with it. He cites the example of an English teacher who worked with a school technology coordinator to create a poetry lesson.
“So they had the AI, with prompts, write poetry. And then the students read it, analyzed it then compared it to what they would have written,” he said.
Allred says all new forms of technology, including the internet itself, go through a cycle that often starts with fear.
“They started with, ‘Oh no!’ And then it became, ‘This is neat!’ And then it became ubiquitous,” he said. “ We’re probably 12 to 18 months to ubiquity with this.”
North Carolina
North Carolina primary could mean Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley in pivotal fall Senate race
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s primary will be the official starting gun for one of the country’s most closely watched U.S. Senate campaigns, likely pitting former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.
Each candidate is the most high-profile contender for their party’s nomination, which should be sealed on Tuesday. Scores of other races also are on the ballot, including for the U.S. House, state legislature and judicial seats.
North Carolina, a traditional battleground where Democrats have been able to hold the governor’s seat even as voters helped send President Donald Trump to the White House, is one of three states kicking off this year’s midterm elections, along with Texas and Arkansas. Tuesday’s slate of primaries comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran.
The war, which began over the weekend, has killed at least six U.S. service members, spiraled into a regional confrontation as Iran retaliated and sent oil and natural gas prices soaring. The president, who campaigned on an isolationist “America First” agenda and went to war without authorization from Congress, faces mounting questions over its rationale and an exit strategy.
North Carolina’s election this year could be crucial for determining which party controls the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently have the majority. The seat is open because Sen. Thom Tillis decided to retire after clashing with President Donald Trump. Political experts say a typhoon of outside money could make the race the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history, perhaps reaching $1 billion.
Many Democrats see Cooper, who served two terms as governor and has been successful in state politics for decades, as the party’s best shot at victory. Democrats need to pick up four seats to take back control of the Senate, and they view the most likely path as winning in North Carolina, Maine, Alaska and Ohio.
Cooper faces five lesser-known rivals on Tuesday. Other Republicans on the Senate ballot include Navy officer Don Brown and Michele Morrow, who was the party’s nominee for state schools chief in 2024.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, arrives to an early voting site to cast his vote on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Gastonia, N.C. Credit: AP/Erik Verduzco
Cooper formally entered the race weeks after Tillis announced last summer he wouldn’t seek a third term, as did Whatley, who was buoyed by Trump’s backing when the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump declined to enter. The two candidates have been campaigning for months against each other with little focus on intraparty opposition.
Whatley promises to keep pushing Trump’s agenda if elected, one that he says has cut taxes and spending and restored U.S. military might.
“It’s very important for us to have a conservative champion and for President Trump to have an ally in the Senate,” he said while voting early in Gastonia. “We’re going to be fighting for every family and every community in North Carolina.”
Some primary voters say Congress needs Democratic control as a counterweight to Trump and what they consider disastrous policies.
President Donald Trump listens as Michael Whatley speaks to soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
“I think we need to send a message. And I think the more Democrats that show up, and the more independents that show up for this midterm election, and the more seats we can take from the Republicans, the more he might get the message,” said Lisa Frucht, 67, said as she cast a ballot for Cooper at an early voting site north of Raleigh.
Republican voter Gary Grimes, who chose Whatley, said Democratic control of Congress could lead to more impeachment efforts against Trump that ultimately won’t succeed.
“It’ll be a repeat of what they did to Trump in the first term,” said Grimes, 71, “And they can’t see anything except getting Trump, at any cost.”
A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Meanwhile, Cooper, 68, hasn’t lost a North Carolina election going back to first running for the state House in the mid-1980s, leading to 16 years as attorney general and eight as governor through 2024.
Whatley, 57, previously worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, for then-North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and as an energy lobbyist.
Cooper and his allies have centered campaign attacks on Whatley’s allegiance to the president and Trump policies, saying he backs higher tariffs and Medicaid spending reductions and must take blame for slow Hurricane Helene recovery aid.
Voting recently in Raleigh, Cooper said he wants to “make sure that I’m a strong, independent senator who can work with this president when I can, stand up to him when I need to and recognize that people are struggling right now.”
Whatley, Trump and other Republicans have blistered Cooper on criminal justice matters, accusing him of promoting soft-on-crime policies while governor. They’ve repeatedly highlighted last August’s fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. Trump identified Zarutska’s mother in attendance at last week’s State of the Union address.
Cooper told reporters recently that his career is about “prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars.”
Tuesday’s election also includes primary elections in all but one of North Carolina’s U.S. House districts. They include a five-candidate GOP primary in the northeastern 1st Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who faced no primary opposition.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly created last fall a more right-leaning 1st District to join Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections to retain the House. Davis won in 2024 by less than 2 percentage points.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Drivers in Asheville are paying slightly more at the pump this week, even as prices remain below where they were a year ago. Amid a rapidly escalating war in the Middle East, however, fuel prices are expected to rise even further.
Average gasoline prices in Asheville have risen 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week and are averaging $2.70 per gallon on Monday, March 2, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 259 stations in Asheville. Prices in Asheville are 2.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 10 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, per the GasBuddy report.
Neighboring areas also saw increases, according to new data. Spartanburg is averaging $2.66 per gallon, up 9.3 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.57 per gallon. Greenville is averaging $2.65 per gallon, up 8.9 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.57 per gallon.
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According to GasBuddy, gasoline prices nationwide have risen for four straight weeks.
Across the country, the national average price of gasoline has risen 5.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.94 per gallon on Monday. The national average is up 7.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and is 10.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data.
Diesel prices also moved higher. The national average price of diesel increased 5.4 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.740 per gallon.
“Looking ahead, markets will now begin reacting to this weekend’s U.S.–Iran attacks, which have elevated geopolitical risk premiums even in the absence of immediate supply disruption,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said via a press release. “In the week ahead, gasoline prices are likely to face heightened upward pressure as seasonal trends continue and markets navigate this evolving geopolitical landscape, with the national average poised to reach the $3-per-gallon mark for the first time this year.”
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In Asheville, GasBuddy price reports showed the cheapest station was priced at $2.47 per gallon. Meanwhile, the most expensive station was priced at $3.09 per gallon, a difference of 62.0 cents per gallon.
GasBuddy also provided a look at gas prices in Asheville on March 2 in the past five years:
- March 2, 2025: $2.80/g (U.S. Average: $3.04/g)
- March 2, 2024: $3.08/g (U.S. Average: $3.34/g)
- March 2, 2023: $3.14/g (U.S. Average: $3.35/g)
- March 2, 2022: $3.56/g (U.S. Average: $3.69/g)
- March 2, 2021: $2.56/g (U.S. Average: $2.74/g)
North Carolina
North Carolina father-to-be saved by quick-thinking pregnant wife after suffering sudden heart attack
A North Carolina man who unknowingly lived with a rare heart condition was saved by his pregnant wife after he suddenly went into cardiac arrest while lounging in bed.
Brandon Whitfield, 39, was already preparing for one drastic lifestyle change when his wife, Angela, became pregnant last spring.
Then, he suffered an unexpected heart attack when she was just nine weeks along.
“I was eating carrot cake in bed watching the hockey playoffs. And mid-conversation, I just started to slump over,” Brandon recounted to WSOC-TV.
Angela didn’t think anything of it for a few seconds, figuring Brandon might just be groggy or joking, but “jumped into action” when she realized “this was an emergency.”
Thankfully, Angela has worked as a physician assistant for more than a decade. She knew what to do instantly and, after calling 911, started to perform CPR on her prone husband.
Angela was shaken in the moments after, though, as she started to rationalize what she’d just had to do.
“You absolutely never ever think you are going to have to do CPR on your spouse,” she told the outlet.
“I thought I may be a widow,” she added.
Brandon was rushed to a nearby Novant Health medical center and, to his horror, diagnosed with a rare heart condition.
“Just because you’re young and you’re fit and you’re relatively healthy doesn’t mean that heart disease can’t happen to you,” Brandon told the outlet.
Brandon was quick to laud his wife with praise.
“It was nothing short of a miracle. Everything lined up for her to be there. It was not my time,” he said.
In the wake of his shocking diagnosis, Brandon had to adopt a Mediterranean diet and is trying to be “more mindful” about what he eats — which means no more carrot cake.
After his brush with death, the dad-to-be implored others who may be taking their lives for granted to make sure they don’t leave anything unsaid, just in case their final days are nearer than they think.
“If you can do something today, do it today. If you can tell your family you love them, do it,” he said.
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