Below, we have a suspicious NC mailer and a tribute to an old friend, but first:

We begin with some big news on the coast. 

Local firefighters are fighting a huge wildfire in coastal Brunswick County. Brunswick County, of course, is home to some of our favorite beaches—places like Holden Beach and Oak Island. 

It’s also home to communities like Shallotte, Leland, and Southport. 

As of Monday, firefighters said the wildfire had burned nearly 300 acres, forcing evacuations. C&P contributor Ryan Pitkin has the latest. 

This week’s edition of “3 things happening in NC” also takes a gander at the returning NC Peach Festival and an actually meaningful race at historic Wilkesboro Speedway. 

Old Georgetown Road near Shallotte, N.C., on July 11, 2026, a day after a wildfire broke out in the area. (USA Today via Reuters)

Welcome back from the weekend, NC. I’m glad to see you. Here’s what’s in today’s C&P newsletter:

C&P reader Gloria Shirley snapped this moment along Burnt Mill Creek in Wilmington. Read about the Burnt Mill restoration here from Cape Fear River Watch. 

Got a photo from your part of NC? Share it with us!

(Video by Dylan Rhoney)

Voters in New Hanover County, North Carolina, reported receiving a suspicious mailer from an organization called Ready to Register, which has ties to Elon Musk’s America PAC.

The mailers reportedly included inaccurate information regarding elections in New Hanover County, and in some cases were addressed to people who are dead.

C&P’s Dylan Rhoney breaks it down here.

If you received one of these mailers, we’d like to hear from you. 

More from Cardinal & Pine:

1. Congressman Edwards, wife, sell their McDonald’s franchises. WLOS

“Edwards said the sale ends a five-decade-long chapter of his life, since he started as an employee at McDonald’s when he was 16 years old. He ended up purchasing that same McDonald’s years later, the release said.”

2. NC DMV ending license plate stickers and paper registration cards. Queen City News

“The change only affects the physical sticker and paper registration card. Annual registration renewals, fees, and vehicle inspections will still be required.”

3. A Raleigh neighborhood ditched its slave-owning namesake. Some are still fighting to keep it. The Assembly

“Many residents of the neighborhood formerly called Cameron Park say they’ve moved on under a new name, Forest Park. But some want a court to declare the name change invalid.”

Matt Ellinwood is a name North Carolinians should know. 

A moment of personal privilege:

I recently learned that an old friend, Matt Ellinwood, passed away after a five-year fight with glioblastoma, which is a dangerous form of brain cancer.

Matt was a behind-the-scenes guy in North Carolina politics, but he left a big mark advocating for public school children at the state legislature for the last 16 years. 

When I started working at NC Policy Watch (now NC Newsline) in 2016, Matt was one of the first people I met there.

At the time, Policy Watch was connected with the NC Justice Center, a left-leaning advocacy center. The Justice Center is a force for good in NC, but, as a longtime reporter, I was nervous about working at an organization connected to lobbyists.

Matt—who eventually became the director of the Justice Center’s Education & Law Project—made it really easy. He was very casual, charming, and friendly. I respected him a whole lot because when he was making a point about a thing he believed in, it was always facts first. He became my friend.

I remember him making fun of my water bottle because it looked like a Tommee Tippee bottle that toddlers drink out of. 

While some journalists treat the word “lobbyist” like it’s a dirty word, many lobbyists are just people who believe in something very much and work every day to advance it. Matt was one of those people. And he worked very hard to make the case for public school education, even on the hard days. 

He deserved 80-90 years, not 46. 

Here’s to you, Matt. You would have hated this much attention, but I had to get you back for that Tommee Tippee thing somehow.

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 Jessica F. Simmons, Ryan Pitkin, and Dylan Rhoney. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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