July 18, 2025

Optimism, to me, is not about ignorance. Here's what I mean by that.

It's not closing your eyes to the bad things in the world. It is recognizing the bad and making a choice to search for the good too.

It isn't blindness. In fact, I think it's opening your eyes wider. 

That's the point of our weekly Good News Friday, to look for the good things happening in our state and give them the same space we give all the turmoil.

This week, we checked out a big blood drive out east, a one-of-a-kind camping experience for youth, and a popular NC bookstore's new twist on an old thing—book clubs. 

Astonishingly, we're midway through July. The dog days of summer beckon. Here's what's in today's newsletter: 

Elena Gallenberger sent us this blooming view from the Deer Park Trail at Biltmore Estate in Asheville. 

Incredible view, Elena. 

Wrightsville Beach Brewery, Facebook

It's a very 21st-century thing to shop thoughtfully. There are lots of folks these days who want to know if the business they're spending money at is doing good in their community.

The rise of craft brewing in NC has brought with it a number of local operations with a do-gooder mentality. So to make it easier for you to spend your beer money and feel good about doing it, we've created a new guide to NC breweries that do more than just make good beer. 

They include Wrightsville Beach Brewery (see above), Mother Earth in Kinston, Asheville brewing giant Wicked Weed, and many more. 

Make sure to share this guide with your friends and let us know if we missed any!

1. Broken A/C units are closing schools: How Wake schools ended up so far behind on HVAC repairs. WRAL

"About one-third of Wake County's 200 schools have dismissed early at least once since 2023 because of malfunctioning HVAC systems, forcing tens of thousands of students and their families to find another place for the students to be in the middle of what should have been a school day."

2. Gov. Stein, First Lady spend week in western NC. Transylvania Times

"The Governor and First Lady visited small businesses, explored towns, enjoyed adventures, and met with residents and small business owners across the mountains, showcasing so much of what the region has to offer travelers, according to a news release."

3. North Carolina Emergency Management explains next steps in Chantal recovery efforts. CBS 17

"With recovery efforts underway, state agencies are now working to assess the damage."

4. When Thom Tillis went rogue. The Assembly

"North Carolina’s senior senator tried to persuade President Trump and NC GOP leaders that the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would devastate health care in the state. Then all hell broke loose."

Lee Snider via Shutterstock

Y'all wrapped up last week's edition of "Where are we in NC?" within minutes. 

However, Cardinal & Pine reader Ted Mackall was the fastest to correctly identify the J.W. Brooks grocer building on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington. Let's hear it for Ted!

This week, same game, same rules. Today's should be a real challenge. Be the first to write me with the correct location of the photo above. 

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I'm a NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Cardinal & Pine is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

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