North Carolina stories that captured your attention in 2024

In 2024, the stories that consumed many North Carolinians were about a polarizing election and a devastating hurricane.

People in the Tar Heel State went to the polls this year not only to cast their ballots in a back-to-back presidential race, but also to elect a new governor. and others to offices across the country. Much of the attention has focused on the governor’s race between Josh Stein and Mark Robinsonbut the attorney general’s race drew a pair of candidates who previously served in the US House. from The mayor from March through General since November, the election has remained something from which North Carolinians — from Oxford TO Cary TO Pembroke — they concentrated from the top of the ticket in congressional races, to the Commissioner of Agriculture. A close race for a seat on the state Supreme Court is still under debate.

Helene hit Florida for the first time as a hurricane in late September and was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached North Carolina. But lower wind speeds did not mean less damage. The storm dumped about 40 trillion gallons of rain, or about the same amount of water in Lake Tahoe. The ensuing floods tore homes off their foundations and washed away large stretches of hundreds of roads. Some people were isolated and could only be reached by helicopter. Helene was disastrous for western North Carolina and claimed more than 100 lives. It affected every area of ​​life in that part of the state, from music to sports at schools. Recovery efforts remains ongoing, as does a the fight against disinformation. Our colleagues at Blue Ridge Public Radio continue to cover all stories related to the historic storm.

In the world of education, there have been changes in leadership. Lee Roberts became the permanent longtime chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson announced her retirement, Karrie Dixon became the new chancellor at NC Central and State Superintendent Catherine Truitt was defeated in the GOP primary. Meanwhile, University of St. Augustine continued to fight accreditation issues, a the pro-Palestinian protest put in the spotlight at UNC-Chapel Hill, job cuts worried people at UNC-Greensboro, and questions of accountability have been raised as North Carolina has reached its 10th year of private school vouchers.

We also brought our readers and listeners stories about a secret unit believed to have saved thousands of American lives during World War II, an amputee who inspired many while playing baseball at East Carolina University, North Carolina the first Latin mayor, cicadas invading the state, such as video games helping break down barriers in NASCARTHE fight to save a shrinking barrier islandUS Open returning to Pinehurstand how a climate of warming and extreme heat affects outdoor workers all over the state.

As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at the WUNC-produced stories that captured your attention, according to our data. Here is a selection of the stories that were read by you, our readers, the most in 2024.

Mark Robinson’s scandalous gubernatorial campaign

In the middle of September, days after a CNN report about racist and sexist comments posted on a pornography forum, all but a few of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s campaign staff have quit their jobs, leaving Robinson with only three people working on his campaign.

A nonprofit run by the wife of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was found to be “severely deficient“, following a review by the NC Department of Health and Human Servicesaccording to documents published in July. The agency found a long list of missing documents needed to administer a federally funded food program for child care centers, as well as payment claims submitted for centers that apparently hadn’t applied for or received money.

While the governor’s race has been dominated this year by Robinson’s incendiary statements in speeches and old social media posts, less attention has been focused on how he handled the lieutenant governorship.

A WUNC review of the photos used on his official campaign website shows that many of the images on the site are being used without permission. The images of a smiling Robinson — dressed in a blue suit, red tie and appearing before a crowd of supporters — were taken by freelance photographer Lynn Hey at the candidate’s April 2023 announcement event at Ace Speedway in Alamance County.

A compelling election season and politics in a purple state

In addition to the president, governor and a bunch of state and local racesNorth Carolina voters saw something else on their ballots on Election Day: an amendment that would change language in the state constitution regarding noncitizen voting. Despite several advocacy groups reaching out to North Carolina voters to vote against the amendment, it was carried.

In addition to cutting some power from the attorney general, lieutenant governor and supervisor of public instruction, the bill provides state auditor to appoint members of the State Board of Elections starting next year, effectively creating a GOP majority on the board that currently has a majority from the governor’s party.

Among the down-ballot races in North Carolina that drew national attention this year was the contest for state superintendent. The position leads one of the largest state agencies, manages a multi-billion dollar budget and supports all North Carolina public schools.

Protests, money, DEI take center stage in education

In May, the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted to divert $2.3 million from diversity, equity and inclusion programs and to “public safety.” Later in May UNC System Board of Governors removed its policy requiring diversity, equity and inclusion offices at all public universities in the state.

That the demonstrators protesting against warring Israel-Hamas clashed with law enforcement, community members and others near Polk Place on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, members of a fraternity appeared to be taking matters into their own hands. For these members of the brotherhood, a GoFundMe was launched and a staggering $485,000 was poured into it, raising questions.

The pay dispute has rocked Durham Public Schools after the district announced it would lay off recently amounts to approximately 1,300 classified employees. These staff include cafeteria workers, custodians, instructional assistants, school nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and some maintenance and transportation staff.

Impact on North Carolina

The Floridian’s arrival comes as North Carolina continues to invest in intercity passenger rail. More than 342,000 people rode the state-supported Raleigh-to-Charlotte service in the first half of 2024 — a 20 percent increase over the same period a year earlier, according to NC By Train.

North Carolina has lost one of its most beloved and influential musicians. Dex Romweber has died at the age of 57, leaving behind a legacy that has affected countless musicians in North Carolina and beyond. As the founder of the Flat Duo Jets, Dex attracted the attention of musicians from Cat Power to Jack White.

The Buckhorn Flea Market — known in Spanish to many as “La Pulga de Mebane” — has been an economic stronghold and lifeline for a largely Latino immigrant community, but also for American, Asian and African vendors.

Non-stop, a strange sound emanates from a cluster of metal containers behind a fence in what was once a cornfield. The constant hum drowns out the birds and other sounds you’d expect to hear in a rural area surrounded by mountains.