Oh happy day, it's Friday, NC. Below, we have our most-read story this week, and a special report on the two-year anniversary of Helene, but first:

We begin, as we often do, with the good news. 

Good News Friday returns with several feel-good stories from around the state. That includes country music star Eric Church's ongoing relief efforts out west. 

Fittingly, Church announced the expansion of his housing program to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Helene (more on that below). 

Church, who grew up in Granite Falls, is helping to house people rent-free and mortgage-free. The program is geared specifically toward “local community pillars—educators, healthcare workers, first responders, and others who selflessly serve Western North Carolina,” according to the website.

For this and more of Good News Friday, tap here. 

Eric Church performs during Concert for Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

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Here's what's in today's edition: 

This handsome but mottled resident of Vance County, NC, was photographed by C&P reader AP Kennedy. 

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Jennie Boyd Bull's home pressed against the car that saved her life. Oct. 7, 2024. (Dylan Rhoney/Cardinal & Pine)

In 2024, as the floodwaters rose in Yancey County, Jennie Boyd Bull decided to move her car. 

Bull was hoping to keep her car from floating away. Instead, the car saved her home. A mudslide nearly swept her home down the mountain. The car stopped it. 

 ”I am forever grateful for that impulse to protect my car, because it protected me,” Bull told Cardinal & Pine during a recent interview.

Bull is one of many in western NC that we've talked to since Helene barreled through the region two years ago. 

C&P's Dylan Rhoney has published a new story about how the storm, and its aftermath, changed this place. Forever. 

Read the story here.

More at Cardinal & Pine:

1. Wake County commissioners clear the way for Atrium-WakeMed combo at contentious meeting

"Wake County commissioners on Monday moved forward with the Atrium-WakeMed merger, one of the most contentious health care changes the county has faced in decades."

2. This NC restaurant was just named one of the best in the US by The New York Times

"Among 50 picks from the New York Times for the best U.S. restaurants of 2026, one North Carolina location stood out."

3. Why the small town of Ronda, North Carolina, appears headed for dissolution

"Town officials appeared at the latest Local Government Commission's meeting on Sept. 1 and pleaded with commissioners for enough time to hold a vote that would let their citizens, rather than a state panel, decide the fate of the town."

4. Talking about Palestine got this artist banned in North Carolina

"Recent reports indicate that ‪Carolina Panthers‬ owner David Tepper might have played a major role in silencing the rapper, who was scheduled to open for Ed Sheeran at an Oct. 17 show at the Panthers' Bank of America Stadium."

(J. Michael Jones via Shutterstock)

Last week in this space, we tested your knowledge of cute little general stores in NC—of which we have many.

You came through with flying colors. 

But the fastest to correctly ID the Walter Perry General Store in Zebulon was C&P reader Mimi Reid of Charlotte. Mimi,  you win-win. 🥳

Where are we this week, NC? Be the first to give us the right answer!

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I'm an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today's edition includes stories from Ryan Pitkin, Dylan Rhoney, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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