tr?id=&ev=PageView&noscript=

Good News Friday: A big boost for eastern NC trails

By Maddie Policastro

July 25, 2025

This week’s edition of Good News Friday includes a huge boost for recreation on eastern NC trails, some swell news for job-hunters in the Triangle, and one Cary teen’s 100% perfect SAT score.

Is it just me, or has it been a long week? Some good news is sure to help with that!

This week’s addition of Good News Friday comes with a helpful insight for recent college grads looking to secure a job, along with an exciting refresh of North Carolina trails.

As always, if you are looking for even more joy in your life, you can always check out past editions of Good News Friday.

On the job hunt? Check out Raleigh!

Are you a recent college graduate? The best place to start your job hunt might be closer than you think! 

According to a new study from ADP, Raleigh remains the best city for recent grads to land a job. The Research Triangle, strong hiring, and relatively affordable cost of living (look, we said “relatively”) have made the area attractive for job prospects, the study said.

In a story from the Wall Street Journal, Kyle Touchstone, the director of Raleigh Economic Development, said the local universities have helped fuel this boom and supplied a pipeline of new workers.

Eastern NC trails refresh

Eastern North Carolina’s trails are about to get a makeover.

Gov. Josh Stein announced on Wednesday that the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources awarded over $2.6 million to trail development and restoration projects in eastern NC as a part of the Great Trails State Program. 

The funds will go toward 10 different projects, including reconstruction at Greenfield Park in Wilmington and designing the South Croatan Highway.

Stein said these funds will help eastern North Carolina increase tourism, improve quality of life and promote the state’s natural beauty to even more people.

Cary’s perfect ACT

A rising senior at Cary High School has aced the ACT.

According to a story from CBS 17, Sophie Laurenceau-Breton earned a perfect composite score of 36 on the exam. The score is determined by averaging the four sections of the ACT exam – English, math, reading and science.

A perfect composite score is rare, with less than 1% of students a year achieving the feat. 

READ MORE: 7 stunning North Carolina homes that were featured on HGTV

Author

  • Maddie Policastro

    Maddie Policastro is a summer intern for Cardinal & Pine and a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying journalism and political science. They have also worked for The Daily Tar Heel, Carolina Connection and North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC -- covering politics and other NC news.

CATEGORIES: LOCAL NEWS
Related Stories
Share This
BLOCKED
BLOCKED