If you receive seeds in the mail that you did not order, please do not plant them.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has just issued a statement warning North Carolinians about a new internet scam known as “brushing”.

The statement notes that “international shipment of plant material is unlawful and NCDA&CS asks anyone who received one of these unsolicited foreign shipments to save the contents along with all shipping labels and contact the Plant Industry Division toll free at 800-206-9333”.

Officials say that planting unsolicited seeds could cause the introduction of an invasive species, or an unknown diseases that could kill local plants, harm livestock or threaten our environment.

Update July 31st, 8:15am: 

Tropical Storm Isaias was upgraded to Hurricane Isaias last night after max sustained winds of 80+ mph were recorded.

The storm is now expected to continue to strengthen as it sweeps just outside the Eastern coast of Florida:

It’s now expected to make initial landfall near the North Carolina/South Carolina boarder Monday just after noon:

Update July 30th, 11:55am: 

Tropical Storm Isaias has shifted its course slightly east as it plows through the Caribbean waters.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm will sweep across the Eastern seaboard over the next 6 days, with the possibility of landfall in South Carolina or North Carolina this coming Monday:

Original Article July 28th, 11:55am:

A massive tropical disturbance has now been given an 80% chance of strengthening into Tropical Storm Isaias within the next 48 hours.

If the disturbance becomes Isaias, it will be the earliest storm on record to start with an I, with Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, and Hanna already having rocked the Atlantic so far this year.

Earlier this morning, the National Hurricane Center has just issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the Leeward Islands:

Potential Tropical Cyclone #Nine Advisory 1: Disturbance Forecast to Become a Tropical Storm Before Reaching The Leeward Islands. Tropical Storm Warnings Issued. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 28, 2020

Most models agree the depression will become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours and some even predict the storm to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by this weekend:

The storm is predicted to sweep through the Caribbean and make landfall in either Florida, South Carolina, or North Carolina:

Whether or not we feel any effects from Isaias, we are now officially in hurricane season for 2020, which runs from June 1st through November 30th.

NWS officials are reminding all residents in Atlantic Coast states to prepare.

In case of a power outage, make sure to have the following emergency items stocked in your home;

• Car charger for cell phones and other devices
• Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
• Flashlights 
• Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
• Weather radio/clock
• Non-perishable food
• First aid kit

We will continue to update this article as this storm develops. 

With in-person learning this fall hinging on how well states handle the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s States with the Best & Worst School Systems.

In order to determine the best school systems in America, the site compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 key measures of quality and safety. The data set ranges from pupil-teacher ratio and dropout rate to median standardized-test scores and school closures due to COVID-19.

South Carolina ranked among the worst 10 states in the nation, coming in at #43 and North Carolina ranked in the bottom half at #30 – a significant factor hurting both states is their low ACT scores:

Here is the complete ranking:

Public School Ranking by State

Continuing its expansion of solar energy to deliver cleaner energy for customers, Duke Energy today announced it has begun construction on two major solar projects in North Carolina. The projects:

• The 69-megawatt (MW) Maiden Creek solar facility, located on Didley Dadburn Road in the Catawba County town of Maiden.
• The 25-MW Gaston solar facility located on Neal Road in the Gaston County town of Bessemer City.

The projects were selected as part of a competitive bidding process that was established from 2017’s landmark solar legislation in North Carolina. The projects were among the most cost-effective and will deliver clean solar energy at the lowest possible cost.

“Catawba County applauds Duke Energy’s efforts in partnering with the private sector to increase the use of cost-effective renewable energy,” said Randy Isenhower, chair, Catawba County Board of Commissioners. “This project will bring jobs to our community during construction and generate clean energy for years to come.”

Together, the projects will feature about 400,000 solar panels and generate enough energy to power approximately 20,000 homes and businesses. Both projects are scheduled to come online by the end of this year. At peak construction, a combined 380 workers will be employed at the two sites.

“Building more solar supports Duke Energy’s strategy of lowering carbon emissions as we strive to meet our 2050 net-zero carbon goal,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “We participated in a rigorous bidding process – competing with other companies to bring more renewable energy to the state.”

Duke Energy maintains more than 3,300 MW of solar power on its energy grid in North Carolina, which could power about 700,000 homes and businesses at peak output. The company also operates 40 solar facilities in the state. North Carolina currently ranks No. 2 in the nation for overall solar power.

With nuclear, hydro and renewable energy, more than half of North Carolina’s energy mix is carbon free.