It’s officially that time of year. College basketball is about to take over our lives for several weeks. 

Fittingly, Good News Friday leads with the march madness, and a new Cinderella out of North Carolina. 

In their first year of eligibility for the NCAA Tournament, Queens University of Charlotte punched their ticket. We can expect a few more NCAA tournament teams on the men’s and women’s sides, including the likely #1 overall seed. 

For this and more uplifting stories from Good News Friday, tap below. 

In their first year of Division I eligibility, Queens University of Charlotte won the Atlantic Sun conference tournament. That makes them bound for the NCAA Tournament. (Todd Drexler via Queens University)

Thank goodness it’s Friday. Here’s what’s in today’s email: 

I love a good bog. 

Cardinal & Pine reader Kathie Harris took this shot from the Greensboro Bog Garden at Benjamin Park. 

Tribal Council Representative Lavita Hill (second from left) joins hands in preparation for the Friendship Dance held in front of the mound following the deed signing. Local leaders in western North Carolina have returned a 1,000-year-old Cherokee mound to tribal leadership. (USA Today via Reuters)

In January, members of the Franklin Town Council in western NC took an extraordinary step.

They voted to return a 1,000-year-old mound that originally served as a meeting place for the Cherokee. Franklin Mayor Stacy Guffey put it this way: 

“If you ask me, ‘What’s the economic benefit to the Town of Franklin of returning the mound?’ the honest answer is, ‘I don’t know’ and my other answer is, ‘I don’t care.’ Because that was never the point. The reason this council here voted unanimously was to do the right thing, to acknowledge a truth older than our town, older than our state, older than our nation—that sometimes doing the right thing matters more than economics, that sometimes the soul of a place is worth more than the price of a parcel of land.”

Check out this powerful story about the official return of the land by tapping on the button below. 

1. Video: How Trump’s Medicaid cuts will impact your local ER. Cardinal & Pine

“When Donald Trump’s Medicaid cuts knock hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians off their health insurance, emergency rooms will become their only option for care.”

2. What are the closest potential nuclear targets to North Carolina? USA Today via Reuters

“Nuclear war fears are on the rise amid the United States-Israel bombing in Iran. Here’s a look at potential nuclear targets near North Carolina.”

3. Counties to report final ballot count in race that could upend power in NC Senate. WRAL

“Elections officials plan to finish counting ballots today in the Republican primary featuring Senate leader Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who leads by 23 votes.”

4. Western NC marks 33 years since the Blizzard of 1993 shut down the mountains. WLOS

“More than three decades after it struck the mountains, the Blizzard of 1993 remains one of the most significant winter storms in western North Carolina history.”

Local news is essential for democracy.

Our reporting cuts through false narratives, documents what’s actually happening in our communities, and provides voters with the clear, factual information they need—especially when the stakes are high.

Bob Pool via Shutterstock

Who said that “Where are we in NC?” always has to be from a pretty place? 

Last week, we took you to the Reynolds building in Winston-Salem. Lots of you got it correct because you clearly your history. RJ Reynolds Tobacco, the largest tobacco company in the US, has a deep history in our state, for better and for worse. 

The fastest Cardinal & Pine reader to get it right was Jenny Hobbs. Thanks for reading and for knowing your state, Jenny. 

This week’s edition has a totally different vibe. Be the first to tell us where we are and you’ll get a shout out in front of Cardinal & Pine’s 100,000+ readers next Friday. 

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 Ryan Pitkin, Michael McElroy, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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