North Carolina
'Smoking-Gun' Data on North Carolina ACT Scores — Minding The Campus
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from an article originally published by The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal on June 6, 2024. It is crossposted here with permission.
Earlier this year, the UNC Board of Governors approved a new system-wide admissions policy requiring standardized tests only for students whose high school GPAs are less than 2.8. This comes after years of testing waivers that began in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited availability of tests.
The new policy provides an important additional metric for many schools in the UNC System. But it is meaningless at the two most competitive public institutions. I wrote at the time:
[T]he new policy would make the System’s most competitive schools—UNC-Chapel Hill and [NC State]—effectively test optional. This would make it harder for admissions officers to make distinctions between the thousands of students whose GPAs qualify them for admission. At UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, 95 percent of freshmen admitted in fall 2022 had a GPA of 4.0 or higher. None had a GPA of less than 2.99. Admissions officers would be forced to rely on more subjective and less reliable admission criteria such as personal essays and letters of recommendation.
New data confirm that the policy is indeed inadequate.
During the pandemic-era test-optional period, many students who attended public high schools in North Carolina still took the ACT during their junior years, as required by North Carolina law. This set up an interesting natural experiment since the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction collected these ACT scores from high schools and shared them with the UNC System. Therefore, we know the ACT scores of all public university students who applied to UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State during the test-waiver period, regardless of whether they submitted those scores for use in the admissions process.
Photo by lexiconimages — Adobe Stock — Asset ID#: 308563662
North Carolina
Damaged Flock camera in North Carolina town sparks online debate over surveillance tech
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (WLOS) — A damaged Flock Safety camera in Rutherfordton has reignited debate over the use of license plate reader technology, with thousands weighing in online after police shared a photo of the vandalized device.
The Rutherfordton Police Department posted an image of the damaged camera on social media, where the post quickly gained more than 20,000 comments. While some users condemned the vandalism, others praised the person responsible, with comments including “Not all heroes wear capes” and “Give them a medal.”
Local law enforcement officials said there is too much misinformation online about the cameras.
FLOCK CAMERA DAMAGED IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWN, PROMPTING POLICE STATEMENT
“We’re seeing a lot of misconceptions that these cameras collect more data than they actually do,” said Capt. Ryan Bailey with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. “The camera itself is only capturing the vehicle traveling down the road.”
Bailey said Flock cameras do not record video. Instead, they take still images of passing vehicles and capture license plate information. According to the sheriff’s office, those images are automatically deleted after 30 days.
The department also says safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the system. Deputies are required to enter a case number before searching the database, allowing administrators to audit searches and ensure the technology is being used appropriately.
JULY 8, 2026 – A Flock camera in Rutherford County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Despite those protections, opinions among residents remain divided.
“I don’t like that idea at all because of the over-abundance of electronics and interference in our privacy,” Rutherfordton resident Rachel Alexander said.
Others believe the cameras are a valuable investigative tool.
“I have no really negative opinion with them. I think they’re really helpful, especially with criminals and children abductions,” said local homeowner Phyllis Irvine.
POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS?
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says the cameras have also proven useful in locating vulnerable people, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disabilities who may have gone missing while driving.
Officials say the technology has become an important resource for investigations and emergency response across the county.
Flock cameras cost about $3,500 each. Law enforcement officials say anyone caught intentionally damaging one could face charges.
North Carolina
North Carolina Republican operative shaping the state’s early voting plans is reassigned
North Carolina state Auditor Dave Boliek has reassigned a staffer working on state election preparations following reporting illustrating how the longtime Republican operative was using his position to shape county’s early voting plans.
North Carolina
North Carolina man accused of shooting and killing another tourist inside of a Broward Airbnb, police say
A Fourth of July trip to South Florida ended in tragedy after a 21-year-old North Carolina man was shot and killed inside a Hollywood Airbnb, according to police.
Investigators say Jaydon Williams, 21, was shot multiple times early Saturday morning at a vacation rental in the 1900 block of Funston Street. Hollywood police have arrested 21-year-old Devian Blount, also of North Carolina, and charged him with first-degree murder.
Officers responded to the home around 1 a.m. Saturday, following reports of a shooting. They arrived to find Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died.
According to the arrest report, Williams was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. She told investigators she heard someone accuse Williams of stealing, followed by a verbal argument and several gunshots.
The incident has left neighbors shaken in the typically quiet Hollywood community. While some residents noted they were aware that the home operated as a short-term rental, others expressed concerns about the property’s transient nature.
“That’s a bad idea to me to have an Airbnb in this neighborhood where so many people and kids live,” said neighbor Dorell Green. “Different types of people come and go. You don’t know who is coming or leaving.”
Ivette Santana, another resident, said her primary concern is the violence. “I don’t care about the Airbnb,” Santana said. “My problem is the shooting over there.”
Blount is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail.
CBS News Miami has contacted Airbnb to determine if the property remains in operation. We are also working to contact the property’s owners.
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