Hi, North Carolina. It’s your girl Brook coming to you live from Asheville. I’m covering for Billy for the next few days, and it’s lovely to be back with y’all. 

I don’t know about y’all, but I am chomping at the bit for some good news and extremely tickled to share some: Part of the iconic Appalachian Trail in WNC has reopened after being closed more than four months due to Hurricane Helene.

Forest service officials say they have cleared almost 140 miles of trails along the Appalachian Ranger District, including parts of the Mountains to Sea Trail in Buncombe County. 

Looks like it’s time to lace up your hiking boots and take in some lovely vistas and fresh air! Need some more hiking inspiration? Peep our guide to eight of the Tar Heel State’s best rails to trails hikes here. 

Here’s what else you’ll find in today’s newsletter: 

Raleigh rescue pup Tucker is pure perfection and should be given everything his heart desires.  (Photo via his mom, Ann Stenholm).

The real “big game” on Sunday is Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl,” which kicks off at 2 pm.

This year, no North Carolina dogs were included. So, with the help of Cardinal & Pine readers like you, we built our own roster of all-star K9s.

We asked folks to submit their pups and help us build our own NC team. Boy, did our readers show up. Take a look at our favorites using the link below.

Warning: May cause squealing or an irresistible urge to hit up an animal shelter for a deserving new addition. 

More NC news: 

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at the Executive Mansion on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. Photo by Kaitlin McKeown. 

Former NC Gov. Roy Cooper just landed a teaching role at Harvard University, but that’s not stopping the buzz about a 2026 US Senate run.

He’ll spend eight weeks teaching about government and public health starting March 24, but he’s still considering a challenge against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis—a race that could be one of the most expensive in history.

“I want to keep making a difference, and together with my family, we are considering all the options, including elected office,” Cooper said in a statement.

Tillis is known for working across the aisle but has also clashed with his own party. If Cooper jumps in, it would set up a high-stakes showdown that could flip a key Senate seat blue. So, is this Harvard gig a pause—or just the beginning of his next big move?

                                                                              Honestly, is anything better than pizza? (Photo via Shutterstock).

In celebration of National Pizza Day, several restaurant chains are rolling out special deals and discounts. Here are just some of them: 

Pizza Hut: Enjoy the return of the Big New Yorker Pizza for $13.99. Additionally, Pizza Hut’s Deal Lover’s Menu allows you to order two or more items for just $7 each.

Domino’s: Take advantage of the “Perfect Combo Deal,” which includes two medium one-topping pizzas, 16 Parmesan Bread Bites, 8 Cinnamon Bread Twists, and a two-liter soda for $19.89. Use coupon code 1387 when ordering.

Little Caesars: E-club members can enjoy any one-topping pizza for $5.99 on National Pizza Day. Additionally, there’s a Slices-N-Stix Super Bowl promotion where you could win a free Slices-N-Stix if a Pick 6 occurs during the game.

Papa Johns: Indulge in the Crispy Parm Pizza for $12.99. For members of the Papa Rewards loyalty program, there’s a chance to win a “Vegas $tyle Pizza.”

Marco’s Pizza: The Big Game Bundle offers a large one-topping pizza, an order of CheezyBread, and an order of CinnaSquares for $19.99. Use promo code MEGAMEAL at checkout. 

Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Choose between a regular deep dish or an extra-large thin crust cheese or pepperoni pizza for $10. Alternatively, bone-in chicken wings or boneless chicken bites are also available for $10.

                                                    A brown eastern hellbender, just cold straight chillin. (Photo via Shutterstock).

OK, so maybe hellbenders aren’t as cute and cuddly as dogs, but these  native, giant salamanders are vitally important indicators as to how clean area freshwaters are. The critters, also known as devil dogs, mud cats, and snot otters, are also predators who subsist on crayfish, small fish, insects, and worms, making them fundamental to maintaining freshwater ecosystems. 

Like nearly everything else in WNC, their populations have been negatively impacted by Hurricane Helene, which has led the US Fish and Wildlife Service to propose the hellbender be listed as an endangered species. 

Now, researchers with Great Smoky Mountains National Park are embarking on a new, two-year long study to determine to what extent hellbenders are reproducing in area waterways. 

The upcoming research project will use a combination of traditional survey techniques and technology to examine hellbender populations within the park and compare their results to baseline data from the early 2000s.

Want to learn more about this groundbreaking research? Check out details here.

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