☀️ In Today’s Edition

1. Good Cop, Bad Cop
2. Detention Expansion in N.C.
3. The Heart of the Mountains
4. What We’re Reading
5. Our Recent Stories

Freddie Wayne Huff had been one of the finest drug interdiction officers not just in North Carolina, but in the country. During a 12-year career as a Lexington police officer and later as a North Carolina state trooper, he seized millions of dollars in drug and cash from dealers and traffickers.

Then, to the bewilderment of many who knew him, Huff used the knowledge gained from busting drug runners to become one. From 2016 until his arrest in 2021, Huff ran a sprawling drug empire, stretching 1,400 miles from the Mexican border to North Carolina and fueled by a network of unlikely accomplices: a former cell tower technician, U.S. Army veterans, a former Marine Corps sergeant.

Ahmed Jallow has the story of how Huff exploited law enforcement procedures to catapult himself to the top of the drug trade.  

From ‘Superstar’ Cop to Drug Kingpin

A talented police officer busted drug rings along Interstate 85. Then he bewildered everyone who knew him by becoming a drug trafficker himself.

Rivers Correctional Institution, a private prison in rural Hertford County, closed in 2021 when the Biden administration ended federal contracts with the private prison industry, citing dangerous conditions at those facilities.

Now the GEO Group, one of the largest private prison companies in the country, says it’s looking to reopen Rivers and five other idled prisons as part of a $45 billion expansion in immigration detention.

Private Prison in Eastern N.C. May Reopen for Immigration Detention

Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton closed in 2021. Now its owners are in talks about reopening it to hold more than 1,000 immigrants awaiting deportation.

This story, by Phoebe Zerwick, was published in collaboration with the newsletter Down from DC.

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

The Heart of the Mountains

In the days after Hurricane Helene, neighbors became lifelines. Communities across the mountains came together, rebuilding piece by piece. One year later, we invite you to gather for an evening of stories that honor that courage, kindness, and community.

We’re partnering with NC Local, Buncombe County Special Collections, UNC Asheville, and more than a dozen other news organizations on The Heart of the Mountains, a live storytelling event. 

📅 Wednesday, September 24, 2025
📍 UNC Asheville – Blue Ridge Room
🕠 Reception: 5:30–6:30 p.m. | Meet journalists & community partners, enjoy light refreshments.
🗣 Storytelling: 6:30–8:00 p.m. | Hear from unsung heroes who made a difference in the days, weeks, and months after Helene.

This free public event is part of UNC Asheville’s Post-Helene Symposium: Remembering, Rebuilding, and Reimagining.

Space is limited—please register today!

Register Here

What We’re Reading

Capital Case: Federal prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for the man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee on the Charlotte light rail, per WBTV.

Irreparable Difference: Asheville Watchdog reports that the DOJ sent a letter to Buncombe County threatening to take enforcement action if officials approve recommendations from the Community Reparations Commission.

Copyrights and Wrongs: UNC-Chapel Hill denied a conservative think tank’s request for course materials from 74 classes, arguing that fulfilling the public records request was at odds with faculty’s intellectual property rights. WUNC has more.

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Our Recent Stories

Thom Tillis Says He Doesn’t Want a White House Crackdown on Charlotte

The Trump administration has taken a particular interest in the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee.

Duke Health Sets Its Sights on Statewide Expansion

With a new hospital and a partnership deal, Duke moves into the Charlotte region. For patients, it could mean more choice—and maybe lower prices.

Odor in the Court

Police still use odor to justify searches, even though legal hemp and illegal marijuana smell the same. The state Supreme Court now weighs in.

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