The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions once again.

Carolina capped off a dominant postseason run Sunday night, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to secure the franchise’s second championship.

Your 2025-26 Stanley Cup Champions pic.twitter.com/8FkvhlmaK1

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 15, 2026

The Hurricanes finished the playoffs with an impressive 16-3 record after years of regular-season success and postseason disappointment.

The victory was especially meaningful for head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Twenty years after captaining Carolina to its first Stanley Cup in 2006, Brind’Amour now joins an elite group of NHL figures to win championships with the same team as both a player and coach.

After the final horn sounded at T-Mobile Arena, Brind’Amour celebrated by tossing the Stanley Cup into the air before catching it and raising it above his head.

Known to fans as “Rod the Bod,” Brind’Amour has spent 26 years with the organization as a player, executive, assistant coach, and head coach. He has been part of all but two of the franchise’s 104 playoff victories since the Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina in 1997.

The championship validates a process the Hurricanes organization never stopped believing in despite years of playoff setbacks.

Following the victory, Governor Josh Stein announced plans for a championship parade on Saturday. Additional details about the route and festivities are expected soon.

To all those who’ve been up celebrating the @Canes – you’re officially excused from your duties this morning. pic.twitter.com/68GiLHHAPL

— Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) June 15, 2026

The celebration will be Carolina’s first Stanley Cup parade since 2006, when the Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win their first title.

Nearly two decades later, the Stanley Cup is headed back to North Carolina.

Another earthquake just struck the North Carolina rainforest late last night at 11:48 pm, 8 km SSW of Canton, NC.

Today’s quake had a magnitude of 2.1 and a 5.1 km depth, according to USGS.

Earthquakes have been increasing in frequency around the Charlotte region over the past few years. Last year, we experienced the largest earthquake in over 100 years when a 5.1 magnitude quake hit Sparta, NC, and since then, dozens of aftershocks have continued to rattle our state.

According to USGS.gov, “Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.”

Have you felt any of the quakes?

One of North Carolina’s most anticipated projects is finally moving forward. Construction has officially begun on the state’s first Buc-ee’s travel center in Mebane.

Local leaders joined Buc-ee’s executives this week to break ground on the massive facility at Exit 152 along Interstate 40 and Interstate 85.

We officially broke ground on the first-ever Buc-ee’s in North Carolina yesterday morning! 🦫🚧

A special thank you to everyone who attended the ceremony and to all of the partners and stakeholders who helped make this exciting project a reality for Mebane and Alamance County.… pic.twitter.com/BHG3ayIbwe

— City of Mebane (@CityMebane) June 11, 2026

The new location will be the largest Buc-ee’s in the Southeast, featuring a 75,000-square-foot store, 120 gas pumps, and approximately 600 parking spaces.

The travel center is being built within the 1,200-acre NC Commerce Park and is expected to open in November 2027.

Officials say the project will create between 200 and 300 full-time jobs, along with about 100 part-time positions. Hourly wages are expected to range from $18 to $33 depending on the role.

The Texas-based chain currently operates 54 locations nationwide and has developed a cult-like following for its Beaver Nuggets, brisket sandwiches, and massive convenience stores.

Traffic studies estimate the new location could generate more than 2,000 vehicle trips per hour during peak weekend periods. Unlike traditional truck stops, Buc-ee’s does not allow tractor-trailers.

For North Carolina residents, the groundbreaking marks the official start of a project that has generated years of excitement and will bring one of the country’s most popular travel destinations to the state for the first time.

A nationwide recall has just been issued for more than 250,000 dive sticks that could cause serious injuries to children.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 254,000 Sloosh dive sticks have been recalled because they pose an impalement hazard.

According to the official recall, “The Sloosh water toys package contains 30 pieces, including five dive sticks.  The recalled dive sticks are made of hard plastic and are cylinder-shaped. Each stick measures approximately 7-inches in length and about 1-inch or less in diameter. They come in various colors and are packaged in a box with other pool diving toys in the Sloosh water toys package.”

Federal officials say the hard plastic dive sticks violate federal safety standards because they exceed allowable compression limits. If a child falls onto one in shallow water, the toy could cause serious piercing injuries.

The CPSC also warned that children retrieving the dive sticks underwater could suffer facial or eye injuries.

They were available through Amazon, Temu, Wayfair, Target Plus, and SHEIN between February 2019 and October 2025 for roughly $17 to $22 per set.

Consumers can identify the recalled products by looking for model number 40041, which appears on the packaging near the barcode and on one end of each dive stick.

The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using the recalled dive sticks immediately and contact the manufacturer for a replacement.