Below, we’ve got a list of Halloween-themed events in eastern NC, and a check-in from No Kings in the Triangle, but first:

We’ve covered the way data centers are firing up communities. Recently, leaders in Raleigh passed a 6-month moratorium on them. 

Data centers are so controversial because of their potential drain on the local water supply and the energy grid. 

But today, C&P contributor Ryan Pitkin broke down why our capital city could be forced into a data center project anyway.

A recent court ruling in Chatham County opens up the possibility that already pending projects can go forward. One such project in southeast Raleigh falls into that category.

Get the story by reading “3 things happening in NC.” 

Local leaders in Raleigh are considering how a recent court ruling could force them into allowing a new data center. (Shutterstock)

Thanks for reading and sharing the Cardinal & Pine newsletter. Below, look for the opportunity to win a $25 gift card on us. 

Here’s what else you’ll get today: 

What’s important to you about voting this year? Maybe it’s an issue affecting your family, something happening in your community, an experience you’ve had, or simply something you hope will change.

We want to hear your story. Send us a short selfie-style video telling us what’s inspiring your vote, or your perspective on voting. Submit your video by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 23, and if you are eligible, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card.*

Elizabeth Pinckney took this foggy view of the Bald Mountains. It was taken at the Tuckertown Reservoir in Rowan County. 

Do you have a View from NC that can beat this one? Send it in!

Forrest Parker, CEO of Great Smoky Cannabis Company, discusses cannabis plants growing under lights at the company’s cultivation operation in Cherokee on Oct. 14, 2026. (USA Today via Reuters)

North Carolina has been wrestling with cannabis and hemp regulation for years now. Mostly fruitlessly. 

However, in western NC, Asheville reporter Cory Vaillancourt went deep into the legal cannabis trade on Cherokee lands. 

“North Carolina is still debating whether to legalize marijuana,” Vaillancourt writes in this must-read story. “The Cherokee have already built an industry around it.”

Tap here to read.

More NC news:

The rain and chilly weather appeared to dampen some of the No Kings protests in North Carolina this weekend.

But in Durham, Cardinal & Pine’s Dylan Rhoney reported that folks were still enthusiastic. Check it out.  

1. Hundreds of complaints filed within days of gas tax suspension in North Carolina. WBTV

“North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed a bill on Oct. 9, which authorized suspension of the state’s 41-cent motor fuel tax. That temporary suspension took effect the next day, Oct. 10, and runs through Nov. 30.”

2. NC Democrats cast twice as many early ballots as Republicans. Axios

“North Carolina voter turnout is up 37% from the 2022 midterms, with high participation among Democrats, Black voters and women.”

3. North Carolina and Georgia Senate races look lost for the GOP. Why Trump is going anyway. Politico

“Republican super PACs are shifting their money to states like Kansas and South Carolina. Trump is heading to states they left behind.”

4. N.C. 12 stays open to Ocracoke as nor’easter drives overwash risk and erosion. WCTI

“N.C. 12 remains open and passable from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Ocracoke, but drivers are being urged to use caution as a nor’easter continues to bring strong winds and waves to the coast, according to the North Carolina Ferry System.”

Tristyn Murphy in the exorcism room at Aberdeen Fear Factory, which bills itself as the largest indoor haunt in the state. (USA Today via Reuters)

Halloween is for kids, theoretically. But some adults love a good scare or two this time of year. I’m one of them. 

Today, we published a look at 9 ways for adults to get their thrills in the Fayetteville area this Halloween. 

They include the Aberdeen Fear Factory, which touts itself as the largest indoor haunt in North Carolina, and the aptly-named Zombie Prom in Hope Mills. It’s exactly what it sounds like: tuxes and gowns and zombies. 

Check out the full guide here at Cardinal & Pine. 

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.

Cardinal & Pine is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOTING, REGISTERING TO VOTE, OR PROOF OF VOTING IS NOT REQUIRED. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., 18+. Entry Period: 12:00 a.m. ET 10/19/26 – 11:59 p.m. ET 10/23/26. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules. Sponsor: Courier Newsroom, Inc.