☀️ In Today’s Edition

1. Giving Downtown a Shot
2. Cheers to Our Team
3. All the Other News This Week
4. What We’re Reading
5. Our Recent Stories

The pandemic wreaked havoc on downtowns across North Carolina. Restaurant revenue dropped $2 billion from 2019 to 2020, and more than 60,000 jobs were lost.

In September 2021, lawmakers passed the “Bring Business Back to Downtown” bill, which created new social districts. These districts allowed the sale of alcohol in a particular area of a town or county, and let patrons take those drinks outside as they sipped and strolled. There are now registered social districts in 64 municipalities.

While they’re not a silver bullet for businesses, Janine Latus reports that places like Mebane and Kannapolis say they’ve breathed new life into downtown.

Raising a Glass to Downtown

With fewer patrons at downtown restaurants and shops after the pandemic, city leaders say social districts have provided a critical shot in the arm.

“You see this whole downtown core transformed,” said Annette Privette Keller, director of communications for Kannapolis. “I feel like we’re in a Hallmark movie, so many people out and about, socializing, hanging around outside.”

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

Not a subscriber yet? Good journalism is expensive–and we need your support to do more of it. For just $6 a month or $60 a year, you’ll unlock full access to our archives and help us grow in 2025.

Already a subscriber? Consider giving the gift of The Assembly to a friend.

Subscribe To The Assembly

The Assembly Network took home 38 awards at last night’s North Carolina Press Association annual event. That included a first place in General Excellence for the statewide Assembly team and third place for the Border Belt Independent.

We also won the Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting, while Cornell Watson won Photographer of the Year. Carli Brosseau and Sarah Nagem were recognized with the Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award.

Congrats to the whole team!

The Army is looking to consolidate its 41 museums down to just 12. Local leaders fear that the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum at Fort Bragg is on the chopping block. 

Two years after a campus shooting, is UNC-Chapel Hill safer? The school has upgraded its safety alert system and encouraged better emergency training, but some fear the campus is still vulnerable.

Elon and Queens universities announced this week that they are merging. What does the shift mean for the small Charlotte campus?

NBA star Chris Paul spent the first few moments of his appearance at Wake Forest University this week talking about his late grandfather. But he didn’t mention the recent exoneration of the five men who were convicted as teens in the killing.

With a month until the contract between Duke and Aetna expires, the health care titans don’t appear to be anywhere near the finish line. If they can’t agree, Duke will no longer be considered in-network for the 743,000 people on the State Health Plan. 

Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to get The Assembly’s statewide newsletter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

What We’re Reading

Expanded Allegations: Fourteen former N.C. State athletes have filed a civil lawsuit in state court alleging sexual abuse by the former director of sports medicine, per WUNC.

Healthy Debate: Axios reports that Republicans in the General Assembly are split on funding for Medicaid and the future N.C. Children’s hospital in Apex.

Story of a Hurricane: Internal documents that Bloomberg obtained show how online conspiracies and harassment disrupted FEMA’s ability to respond to Hurricane Helene.

Our Recent Stories

Reading, Writing, and Political Arithmetic

Fed up with low pay and a perceived lack of respect, educators are looking to increase their representation in the General Assembly.

Trump Cancels UNC Study on Health Impact of Hog Farms’ Biogas Output

The research would have provided data on the burgeoning industry’s impact on predominantly Black, Indigenous, and Latino North Carolinians.

The Play’s the Thing

At the 2025 National Pinochle Association’s annual tournament in Raleigh, aging players fight to keep their beloved game—and community—alive.

Want to see your message here? Contact advertise@theassemblync.com to learn how you can reach The Assembly’s 120,000 readers statewide.