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UNC lands Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum

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UNC lands Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum


Simply mere hours earlier than North Carolina takes on the No. 15 Oregon Geese within the Vacation Bowl, the Tar Heels acquired some optimistic information relating to the 2023 season.

Georgia Tech switch and vast receiver Nate McCollum dedicated to the Tar Heels after spending three seasons in Atlanta.

McCollum, who handled accidents on the quarterback place and the firing of head coach Geoff Collins, managed to place up stable numbers for the Yellow Jackets in 2022.

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In 11 video games, he tallied 60 receptions for 655 yards and three touchdowns, main the crew in all three classes.

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The McDonough, Georgia native didn’t play in Georgia Tech’s upset win over the Tar Heels, however he did tally 50 or extra receiving yards in seven video games.

McCollum entered the switch portal on Nov. twenty eighth and likewise visited Cincinnati earlier than making the choice to go to Chapel Hill.

With Kent State switch Devontez Walker committing to North Carolina, the Tar Heel offense has now added two portal pledges to the receiver room, as McCollum is predicted to make an impression out of the slot place.

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As All-ACC performer Josh Downs heads to the NFL, the additions of Walker and McCollum together with the expansion of the younger wideouts will as soon as once more assist North Carolina change into one of the crucial dynamic offenses in all of school soccer.

McCollum could have two years of eligibility remaining as he continues his profession within the ACC.



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North Carolina

Aftermath of Helene making western NC survivors sick

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Aftermath of Helene making western NC survivors sick


by Jane Winik Sartwell

Carolina Public Press

One week after Tropical Storm Helene hit western North Carolina, Asheville resident Sonya Lynn woke up with stomach cramps that she could only compare to going into labor.

“The cramps woke me out of a dead sleep,” Lynn told Carolina Public Press. “I started noticing severe bloating, constant diarrhea and nausea.”

Lynn went to Mercy Urgent Care, where she was diagnosed with E. coli. The facility put her on antibiotics, but a few days later she was in the emergency room with extreme dehydration.

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Lynn is just one of thousands of western North Carolinians who have experienced — or will experience — adverse health effects brought about by the damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene. Contaminated drinking water caused by flooded private wells, damaged municipal water systems, and compromised septic systems is one of the chief public health concerns. 

Lynn isn’t sure how she contracted E. coli. Did she rinse her dentures under the tap in her bathroom sink? Did she use ice from her freezer in a drink? Did she wash her dishes in the kitchen sink out of habit? Did she eat some bad food that had been donated to Homeward Bound, the homeless shelter where she works? 

“We’re seeing unprecedented issues in terms of the very prolonged disruption to basic services like water and sewer,” North Carolina state epidemiologist Zack Moore told Carolina Public Press.

“That raises a lot of concerns around gastrointestinal infections, things that come from contact with sewage, eating food that hasn’t been maintained properly, or not having the same access to hand hygiene that you normally would. We’re worried about Legionnaires’ disease, hepatitis A, campylobacter and other infections.”

Most people who experience gastrointestinal illness don’t immediately head to the doctor or emergency room, making the actual rate of these illnesses in western North Carolina difficult to track, Moore said. 

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Lynn is now healthy and back at work. But even so, she and all western North Carolina residents will have to look out for additional public health issues as the region continues to recover from Helene.

Myriad health concerns

Weeks of dry weather following the storm turned flood mud, chock full of raw sewage and industrial contaminants, into airborne dust, raising concerns about respiratory diseases. 

Flooded basements and homes are rife with dangerous mold. 

Moore recommends people wear N-95 masks when doing any cleanup project. FEMA offers to remove water-damaged material for free under the agency’s individual assistance programs.

Plus, flu, COVID and RSV seasons are upon us, and public health professionals are encouraging western North Carolinians to make time to get fall vaccinations, despite the chaos of the storm’s aftermath.

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“Unfortunately, there are many still in shelters and campsites living in close quarters where they’re more likely to be exposed to respiratory viruses,” Moore said. 

Asheville nurse Elle Kruta told CPP that in addition to an increase in communicable respiratory illnesses, GI issues and dehydration at Mission Hospital in Asheville, she has noticed that those with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are struggling due to the dust in the air.

The number of patients at the hospital is lower than average, according to Kruta, but more patients are staying longer than usual.

“There are a lot of people who cannot be discharged from the hospital into a nursing facility, because those rehabs don’t have potable water or space,” Kruta said. 

“And some patients may not have homes to go back to. With shelters starting to close, people are staying in the hospital longer.”

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UNC Asheville health sciences professor Fabrice Julien is teaching a course called “Public Health in Disasters” this semester. He and his students had just gotten through their unit on Hurricane Katrina when Helene struck Asheville. 

One health concern he has is injuries. 

“Driving by the River Arts District (in Asheville), I saw a lot of folks among the rubble doing construction, extraction and cleaning,” Julien told CPP. “A lot of them are up on ladders.”

“When you’re up on a ladder, leaning up against a foundation or structure that could cave in and collapse at any time, your risk of serious injury is very high.”

It is important to consider social determinants of health in an emergency like this one, according to Adam Hege, director of Appalachian State University’s public health program.

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“The most immediate impacts are on those facing financial challenges, or those with access to less resources for their health,” Hege told CPP. “They may not be able to afford the care they need, or rebuild their lives in a way that sets them up for optimal health.

“When you look at disadvantaged communities, you start to see that how their houses are built and where they are built make them the most susceptible to the worst outcomes.”

Local public health departments

On the frontlines of the fight to keep Helene survivors healthy long term are local public health departments. 

Officials are having disparate experiences of the threat: Henderson County’s health director Dave Jenkins says he has minimal concerns, while Joshua Kennedy, the health director in adjacent Polk County, is anxious about the county’s ability to serve vulnerable populations. 

One of those vulnerable populations on Kennedy’s mind is the elderly. 

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“We’ve seen an increase in the number of senior citizens needing home-delivered meals through our nutrition programs,” Kennedy told CPP. 

“We’re working to get those folks fed, but the cost of food is high right now. We see that as a budgetary concern long-term.”

The North Carolina legislature’s Helene relief bill allocated $12 million to local health departments to deal with these myriad issues, including helping residents with testing, decontaminating, and repairing their flooded wells.

Thirty percent of water samples from wells in Ashe and Watauga counties have tested positive for dangerous bacteria, AppHealthCare director Jen Greene told CPP.

“Even if your water smells fine and looks fine, it is very possible that it is not fine,” Greene said. 

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“If you have any concerns that your well may have flooded, we encourage you to come in and get your water tested.”

County governments are providing tests and well decontamination kits at no charge. 

“Well decontamination is pretty quick and easy,” Kennedy said. 

“We have kits provided by the state, so after folks come pick those up, it generally doesn’t take much time before their well is back in order.”

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No. 1 Kansas blows big lead, holds off No. 9 North Carolina in tussle of hoops heavyweights

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No. 1 Kansas blows big lead, holds off No. 9 North Carolina in tussle of hoops heavyweights


LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Only a dozen times in their storied histories had North Carolina and Kansas met on the hardwood.

They made sure No. 13 would be memorable.

The top-ranked Jayhawks raced to a 20-point first-half lead Friday night, led by All-America center Hunter Dickinson and a highly touted class of transfers. And the ninth-ranked Tar Heels mounted a big second-half comeback, led by All-America guard R.J. Davis and the rest of their elite backcourt, eventually pulling ahead as time was winding down at Allen Fieldhouse.

But just as they have so often at the Phog, the Jayhawks made the plays that mattered in the end.

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Dickinson scored the go-ahead basket with 1:15 to go, added a foul shot with 12 seconds left, and watched as North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau missed a 3-pointer as time expired that allowed the Jayhawks to escape with a 92-89 victory.

“Total class on both sides. It was cheer your team but don’t get after the other team,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who matched building namesake Phog Allen for the most wins at the school with his 590th. “Even though we didn’t play our best, we found a way to win. I think it was a good game for both programs.”

The stars certainly shined in the latest showdown of two schools with a combined 10 national titles.

South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo had 21 points for Kansas. Dickinson scored 20 and KJ Adams Jr. finished with 14 as the Jayhawks (2-0) narrowly avoided matching the biggest blown-lead loss in school history.

Seth Trimble had 19 points, Davis scored 16 and Cadeau finished with 12 points and seven assists for the Tar Heels (1-1), who were able to come back from their 49-29 deficit in part because of a 28-for-31 performance at the foul line.

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“I mean, any time you bring two unbelievable programs that have terrific kids and talented kids — competitive kids — it doesn’t matter whether it’s March or November. It’s going to be competitive,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said.

“You run through that tunnel and you see that crowd, and you see Kansas across the court,” Davis added. “If you can’t be fired up to play and compete in this type of atmosphere, against that type of team, something must be wrong with you.”

It is the shared history of North Carolina and Kansas — the quality of their matchups, including five Final Four tussles and two national title games, along with the Hall of Fame coaches that bind them together — that has made their series a rivalry.

In fact, this was only the second game on campus, and came more than six decades after eventual Kansas coach Larry Brown led the Tar Heels to victory in the Phog. And despite the rarity of home-and-home series in an era of enlarged conference schedules, in-season tournaments and interleague showdowns, the 14th game between Kansas and North Carolina is due to take place Nov. 14, 2025, when the Jayhawks visit Chapel Hill for the first time.

Until then, the bragging rights in a series deadlocked at six wins apiece before Friday night remain with Kansas.

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The Jayhawks, who rallied from 16 down to beat North Carolina in their last matchup for the 2022 national title, seized control with an early 15-3 run, and eventually stretched the lead to 20 with just under two minutes to go in the first half.

The Tar Heels, led by their exceptional backcourt but weaker in the post, struggled to contain Dickinson and Adams when their big men got into foul trouble. Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers and Ven-Allen Lubin sat for stretches in the first half with two fouls apiece, and Tyzhaun Claude picked up three for North Carolina in just 3 1/2 minutes.

Once the big men got back, though, the Tar Heels started to come back. And it didn’t take long to make it a game.

Davis, Cadeau and Trimble did most of the work, just as they are expected to do all season. But the big guys also played a part in the comeback, and it was back-to-back baskets by Withers that gave North Carolina an 80-79 lead with 7:06 to go.

The teams jockeyed for the lead from there, the Tar Heels pulling ahead 89-87 on Washington’s basket with 2 minutes left. But Mayo answered for Kansas at the other end, and after getting a stop, Dickinson provided the go-ahead bucket. He added the first of two free throws with 12 seconds left, setting up North Carolina’s last-chance 3-pointer.

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When the shot from Cadeau bounced away, the Jayhawks spilled onto the court in a celebration fit for March.

After all, they had won a game fit for the NCAA Tournament.

“I wanted to play this game because I love playing basketball. I love competing,” said Davis, his voice hoarse from yelling over the din. “They got to come to our place next year. The game is the game, you know? I just love competing.”

___

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“Light the Legacy”: New lights highlight USS Battleship North Carolina

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“Light the Legacy”: New lights highlight USS Battleship North Carolina


WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The USS Battleship North Carolina will look a little brighter this Veterans Day Weekend.

The USS North Carolina Battleship Commission lit up the ship Friday night as part of their “Light the Legacy” program.

Leaders are lighting up the ship to kick off Veteran’s Day Weekend and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Battleship team has worked over the past year to design and install a series of lights to illuminate the superstructure of the ship.

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The lights are patriotic colors that reflect the Navy, Marine Corps, and other elements of the armed forces.

The entire project is funded by the Friends of the Battleship.

“The ship is not only an icon in our community in a time where people work together, Americans pulled together in a common cause, but for the roughly 11,000 North Carolinians that were killed in World War Two,” Dr. Jay Martin, Executive Director of the NC Battleship, said.

The lights will illuminate the Battleship throughout Veterans Day Weekend.

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