Writing

In mid-September, my coworker Allison Winters saw a construction permit application from a cryptocurrency company in my coverage area. I wrote a report on it using public government files and what I could find about the company online.

When it ran, the community was shocked and outraged, concerned that a crypto mine and data center would harm nearby residents. My article was the first anyone had heard of it — even the local government.

This article, linked above, is my follow-up about the backlash. I saw online that misinformation was flourishing; despite my attempt to anticipate the community’s questions in my initial article, I wasn’t working with a lot of details, and things were still murky. I spoke with locals, the county mayor and the company’s CEO to clear things up.

I wrote this in one hectic workday, and while it isn’t my best prose, it provided essential information for my readers. I’m proud of that.

A few days after this article was published, I covered a county commission meeting where the government banned crypto mines and data centers. That ban happened due to the passion of Bulls Gap citizens and the urgency their government felt to address their concerns. But, it was surreal to sit in that courtroom knowing I had a hand in toppling the first domino.

Alina Briednieva fled the Russian invasion of her home in 2022, becoming an au pair for her brother’s family. Getting to America was fairly easy — the challenges began when she arrived.

In 1925, department store mogul J.C. Penney bought 120,000 acres in Clay County, Florida. He envisioned an experimental farming project and a final home for retired ministers.

When Tina Sauvage saw that the clock could no longer tell time, illuminate or chime, she set out to repair Jacksonville’s century-old fixture.

Gary is a longtime Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master, someone who writes and leads campaigns in the fantasy game.

‘Rekindling my childlike joys’: College students throw fake wedding parties

Amid the trend of elaborately themed house parties and play-acted nuptials, one spring wedding takes the element of pretend a step further.

Caeleb Lewis is Hawkins County Rescue Squad’s ‘Rising Star’

Sgt. Caeleb Lewis is one of the most experienced, trained members of the Hawkins County Rescue Squad — and he’s only 19 years old.

Local festival celebrates Southern tradition of ‘loving people through pimento cheese’

The seventh annual Pimento Cheese Festival in Cary, NC, honors the Carolina caviar and draws thousands of attendees with its vendors, food trucks, cheese sculpting competition and more.

Jacksonville community observes National Gun Violence Awareness Day, shares sobering stories

Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization that advocates for gun reform, hosted a memorial to honor victims of gun violence and support their loved ones.

Safe to go back in the water? What we’ve learned about sharks 50 years after ‘Jaws’

Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbuster popularized the image of the man-eating shark. Jacksonville shark biologists set the record straight on misconceptions and little-known facts about these creatures.

The Ritz Chamber Players uplifts Black musicians, composers with Juneteenth concert series

Terrance Patterson said that less than 2% of American orchestra members are Black. With the Ritz Chamber Players, he seeks to change that and attract new audiences to the symphony.

Ranking declares Jacksonville the ‘most boring city in America.’ Is it true?

Jacksonville, Fla., scored a mere 14.3 out of 100 points in FinanceBuzz’s study, which evaluated over a dozen data points across five categories.

Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers expands literacy campaign thanks to $1 million donation

The Mayor’s Book Club, a revival of former Mayor John Peyton’s program, will mail a monthly free book to every 4-year-old in Jacksonville.

Audience interest in superhero movies wanes, but the genre isn’t dead

“While audiences were tidying up after the party, Marvel continued to linger in the doorway, hoping for an invitation to stay.”

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ disappoints with flat characters, weird politics

“This movie has three excellent predecessors to build off of, and yet I walked out of the theater wondering if its creators had ever seen a movie before, much less a Marvel flick.”

‘An extreme year’: Scientists weigh in on North Carolina’s pollen boom

“For several days in March, yellow pollen clung to seemingly every outdoor surface: sidewalks, cars, benches. While that initial blast of yellow pollen is gone from view, washed away by rain, pollen season is far from done. And the factors that potentially caused this boom — warmer weather, milder winters — are here to stay.”

Column: Anti-transgender rhetoric doesn’t protect women. It harms them.

“It emboldens people to shame women — even cisgender ones — who fall short of feminine perfection. Because despite the argument that being a woman is purely biological and therefore inarguable, somehow, we are still doing it wrong.”

Chabad House co-director provides Jewish home for Chapel Hill, Durham community

Yehudis Bluming helps host weekly Shabbat dinners, cooking two dinners for around 100 guests of college students and young professionals.

Nonprofit Chelsea Theater’s revenue grows in post-pandemic, streaming world

Tucked into the end of a strip mall off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Chelsea Theater continues to be a staple of Chapel Hill’s film scene since the 1990s.

‘The Marvels’ performs low at box office, reflects ‘superhero fatigue’

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated the box office and pop culture throughout its 15-year existence, but its grip on audiences may be slipping, as indicated by the performance of “The Marvels,” its latest release.

Farewell Column: The Daily Tar Heel was my defining college experience — thank God!

“I’m 21 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of writing headlines, editing stories, designing pages and more for my favorite publication. How many people are lucky enough to say that?”

Column: Don’t be afraid to make the first move in a friendship

“Until college, I had the same group of friends almost my whole life, with little variation in that roster. I love them dearly, but our group’s dynamic and long history left me badly socialized — like a pandemic-era puppy who didn’t know there was a world of people outside the walls of their house.”

Office DJ: The best of Jake McKelvie, the greatest artist you’ve never heard of

“Most of my music taste comes from my mom’s Pandora or my friends’ suggestions or my brother’s ‘Chill’ playlist with Pepe the Frog on the cover. McKelvie, however, is someone I discovered wholly on my own — and with fate’s guiding hand, if that’s something you believe in.”

Been there, bun that: Two girls try 10 Franklin Street burgers

We collectively tried 10 burgers, vegetarian and classic, restricting ourselves to Franklin Street spots during The Daily Tar Heel hours of operation.

Television, film is suffering from corporate control

“There comes a point where companies play such a large part in the cultural zeitgeist that there must be some accountability.”

‘The Batman’ film keeps its 80-year-old icon fresh

“Through its reimagining of classic supporting characters, the city of Gotham and the eponymous hero himself, ‘The Batman’ proves that heroes from long ago can continue to captivate audiences.”