Today in the Cardinal & Pine newsletter, we’ll take you to the Western NC State Fair and check out a stunning story about private firms buying up mobile home parks in NC, but first:

Did you know North Carolina politicians played a huge part in bringing Bill Belichick to UNC? 

That might sound weird, but I promise you that by the end of our new Billy Ball Explains NC, you’ll understand how deep political influence goes in a supposedly apolitical thing like college football. 

You don’t want to miss this episode. Make sure to hit “like” and “subscribe” to help us spread good info! 

If MAGA had a football team, it would be playing at UNC. (Graphic by Desirée Tapia)

And so we go boldly into Wednesday. 

Thanks for reading Cardinal & Pine, NC. Here’s what is in today’s newsletter:

My wife is going to kill for me today’s View from NC, but it was too cool to resist. 

C&P reader Eva May photographed this praying mantis near the Tobacco Trail in Cary. Eva says it’s “cute.” Some folks find them terrifying, Eva, even if they are harmless to people. But you be you. 💪

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

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Carol DeAngelis talks about a significant increase in the rent for her mobile home while sitting in her home on Aug. 12, 2026. DeAngelis, who has cancer, is concerned about being able to afford the increase. (USA Today via Reuters)

Today, we published a must-read report on a private equity firm’s purchase of an Asheville trailer park.

On its website, the buyer—COARE Communities—boasts that it is “focused on solving the challenges of affordable housing through the acquisition and preservation of the most affordable type of housing in America – Manufactured Housing Communities.”

But when COARE bought Wedgefield Mobile Home Park, they told tenants that their rent would be going up. One tenant was told it would go from $350 to $850 monthly, which tracks with what others were told. 

What’s happening at Wedgefield isn’t happening in a bubble. As the Asheville Citizen Times wrote, investment companies buying up trailer parks and hiking the rent isn’t just a western NC thing. It’s happening all over the country.

Read the story here. 

More from Cardinal & Pine:

1. Trump heads to North Carolina as Republican faces tight race. USA Today

“Trump will speak in Gastonia, and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Michael Whatley said in a Facebook post he is eager to welcome the president at the event.”

2. Report points to ‘most likely’ source of brain-eating amoeba that killed North Carolina teen. WBTV

“In a report released Tuesday, state health officials identified an outdoor water feature at El Futuro in Durham County as the most likely source of the infection. Investigators said the garden feature was the only tested location to yield Naegleria fowleri DNA, which was found inside a storage tank.”

3. Politically divided NC court panel upholds GOP takeover of state elections board. WRAL

“The 2-1 decision by the North Court Court of Appeals, with Republicans in the majority, allows a GOP-backed effort to seize control of elections from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to stay in place.”

4. The knives are out for Bill Belichick. The Atlantic

“The celebrated coach’s football program at the University of North Carolina is under investigation. It’s hard to know what is of substance—and what is noise.”

The NC Mountain State Fair in 2017. The event kicked off Sept. 16 and lasts through this weekend in Fletcher. (Rica van Manen via Shutterstock)

This time of year, there’s always something going on over the weekend. 

This weekend, the official last weekend of summer, the NC Mountain State Fair in Fletcher hits its peak. 

This western NC version of the fair kicked off Sept. 16 and lasts through Sunday, Sept. 20. 

Look for all the fair favorites—fried foods, all the agriculture, and plenty of rides for the kids and the adrenaline junkies alike.

For the folks who live in central NC or eastern NC, the NC State Fair in Raleigh returns Oct. 15-25. 

For more, check out Cardinal & Pine’s guide to fall festivals in North Carolina. 

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 Dylan Rhoney, Brook Bolen, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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