Hey, it’s Billy.

In today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter, we have a dramatic flip in two Congressional races, and a beautiful view from Morrow Mountain, but first:

I’m going to be honest. I did a double-take when I saw Gov. Josh Stein pardon two turkeys this week—named, hilariously, Lord and Lady Stanley Gobblesworth.

How can we be there already?

In that spirit, if you, like me, need help transitioning to the holiday spirit, we’ve published a guide with your name on it. In it, we take a look at a beloved North Carolina tradition—holiday train rides.

From Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock to Meadow Lights in Benson, you’ve got options. The kids and grandkids will love it!

Read our guide to NC’s holiday train rides here.

The Tweetsie Railroad during Christmas, with its rainbow cars, is a sight to behold. (Explore Boone)

Happy Friday, North Carolina. We’re grateful you’re reading this newsletter.

Here’s what you’ll get below:

The view from Morrow Mountain State Park
As the counting wrapped up, two elections flipped
An election-denier in defeat was our top story this week
Name this swampy preserve

Billy Ball

Senior Newsletter Editor, Cardinal & Pine

This election season, Cardinal & Pine journalists were on the ground across North Carolina. We knocked on doors, attended town halls, tracked down candidates, and worked late nights to keep you informed. From social media and newsletters to live blogs, we brought you the latest wherever you followed the news.

The election is over, but our work isn’t. We’ll keep covering the issues that matter to North Carolinians and holding elected leaders accountable.

That work is possible because of you. Can you chip in $25, or any amount, to support the journalists behind our reporting?

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Joyce Newman took this photo from beautiful Morrow Mountain State Park in Albemarle.

Do you have a View from NC to share? Send it to us!

Send us your view from NC

Two more Congressional seats flip in NC as vote counting wraps up

Raymond Smith Jr., a veteran from Goldsboro, appears to have won a seat in Congress in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, following additional vote counting. (Photo via Raymond Smith Jr. for Congress on Facebook)

Good News Friday is back. And it leads, fittingly, with a show of appreciation for the nonpartisan election workers who made North Carolina a pretty easy place to vote.

This week offered little suspense over the process, which went smoothly, but plenty of suspense about the winners and losers. The counting of absentee and provisional ballots flipped a couple of Congressional seats this week, which is a testament to how close they were.

Today’s Good News Friday also includes the delivery of Wheels on Meals’ 8 millionth meal in Forsyth County. Gov. Josh Stein helped deliver it to a 105-year-old former educator.

We also have the story of a Wake County runner who’s participating in a globe-trotting marathon for charity.

Read Good News Friday here.

More from Cardinal & Pine:

Graphic by Kelly Lennon

Watch here

1. A North Carolina election denier, facing defeat, demands ‘election observers’

The congresswoman has been known to repeat false or unsourced election claims made by President Trump and his supporters.

2. Why North Carolina’s midterm turnout was so astonishing

Including mail-in ballots, more than 2.8 million people (36% of registered voters) cast their ballots early this year, shattering the record set for North Carolina midterms in 2022 when about 2 million votes were cast early, as reported by NC Newsline.

3. Wilmington play ‘Hysteria!’ skewers the patriarchy, with laughs

Two local comedians make their point with a time-traveling play about women being dismissed throughout history.

4. NC lawmakers, veterans groups call for accountability from Hegseth after impeachment fails

Pete Hegseth survived an impeachment effort this week, but Democrats and veteran groups still want to hold the secretary of defense accountable.

Wileydoc via Shutterstock

In this space last week, we took you out east. And Cardinal & Pine readers delivered.

Yes, that photo was from Whalehead Club in Corolla, a spot with a fascinating history on the Currituck Sound. Many of you got it right, but Ragan Kearns was the fastest. Ragan, you’re tops. 👏

Where are we this week, NC?

Where are we?

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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 Nicole Letts, Ryan Pitkin, Dylan Rhoney, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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