Jan. 12, 2024

Not everyone gets a happier ending.

So we’ll take a moment this Friday to acknowledge Ronnie Long, a NC man who might have deserved it more than most.

If you’ve been with Cardinal & Pine since the beginning, you might remember our 2020 reporting on Long, who was wrongfully imprisoned in NC for 44 years for a crime he didn’t commit. 

At the time, Long had been released from prison, new evidence showing he couldn’t have committed the sexual assault he was charged with. But he was still waiting on Gov. Roy Cooper to formally pardon him. The pardon came hours after our story.

Now, multiple local news sources are reporting that Long has received a $25 million settlement from the city of Concord and the State Bureau of Investigation for their mishandling of his case. Read more about Ronnie’s good news here. 

Ronnie Long, after his release in 2020. (Photo via Ashleigh Long)

 Here’s what else you’ll find below: 

What an honor it is to write for you. Have a great weekend.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A tax loophole allowed the richest Americans to shield their investments and sit on $8.5 trillion in untaxed profits in 2022, according to a report released last week by American for Tax Fairness.

The report, which was based on an analysis of Federal Reserve data, found that although these Americans—who are each worth more than $100 million—made up just .05% of all American households in 2022, they held one-sixth of the “unrealized capital gains” in the United States that year. 

More NC news:

Well, this is a bummer. 

Storm damage forced the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival to close early, shutting its doors for the year on Thursday. 💔

If you missed it, live vicariously through Cardinal & Pine’s Leah Sherrell, who checked it out a few days ago. You can watch a video of her trip here. 

Shutterstock

The Fayetteville sisters behind a popular cupcake vending machine have their sights set on Crabtree Valley Mall.

This, and more swell news, in this week’s edition of Good News Friday!

Check these historical sites off of your NC bucket list!

One of our favorites is Flat Top Manor—aka the Cone Manor in Blowing Rock. It’s popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding, and even skiing in the winter! The 3,500 acre estate is one of the most popular areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with 25 miles of trails, two manmade lakes, and apple orchards.

For more historic NC sites to visit, check out our guide here. 

A voter fills out a ballot on November 8, 2022 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

The state’s 2024 primary election is on March 5, but there are several deadlines before then you’ll need to be aware of to make sure your vote is counted. 

The first is Feb. 27. That’s the last day to request an absentee ballot to vote in the primary. It’s a very safe, simple, and convenient way to vote. You can do that here. 

For more important primary dates to know, click here to read our guide. 

Timothée Chalamet smooching his boo, Kylie Jenner, at the Golden Globes this week = How we feel about barbecue all the time. 

Speaking of, for our guide to the best eastern NC barbecue joints, click here. 

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. Cardinal & Pine is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

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