GOP pressure on poll site, new RDU airline and Stanley Cup Final: Wednesday's top stories
From a contested early voting site in the mountains to a Stanley Cup Final loss in Raleigh, North Carolina made news on multiple fronts Wednesday.
Here’s a roundup of the top stories from The News & Observer on June 3, 2026.
GOP pressure on voting site: Republican election officials in Jackson County say they were pressured by their own party and the North Carolina State Auditor’s office to reject an early voting site at Western Carolina University. The dispute now heads to the State Board of Elections after the county board failed to reach the unanimous decision required by state law.
Veto override on tax bill: The North Carolina General Assembly overturned Gov. Josh Stein’s veto Wednesday in the first successful override of the 2026 session, with the Senate voting 30-19 along party lines. The new law allows taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit up to $1,700 for charitable contributions to scholarship-granting organizations.
Schools defy calendar law: A record 33 of North Carolina’s 115 school districts plan to start the 2026 school year before the state-mandated Aug. 26 date, three more than the previous year. School officials say earlier starts allow high school students to finish final exams before Christmas, though the tourism industry continues to oppose the practice.
BermudAir returns to RDU: BermudAir is coming back to Raleigh-Durham International Airport with twice-weekly seasonal flights to Belize and Turks and Caicos from Dec. 20 through May 2, 2027. The carrier will be the only airline offering nonstop service from RDU to those two Caribbean destinations and plans to resume Bermuda flights in summer 2027.
Outer Banks home collapses: A $550,000 beach home in Buxton collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean overnight, prompting the National Park Service to close about three miles of popular beaches due to hazardous debris. It’s the 32nd privately owned house to fall into the ocean at Cape Hatteras National Seashore since 2020, with five collapsing in just the past six months.
Chasing the Stanley Cup
Top line struggles in playoffs: The Carolina Hurricanes’ top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis has underperformed offensively throughout the playoffs, combining for just seven goals and 22 points. In Tuesday’s 5-4 Stanley Cup Final Game 1 loss to Vegas, Aho and Svechnikov managed just one shot each.
Gostisbehere accepts blame: Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored a tying goal with 11:19 remaining in Game 1 but took responsibility for the game-winning goal when Vegas’ Tomas Hertl slipped free in the slot with 3:24 left. Carolina dropped the Stanley Cup Final opener 5-4 to the Golden Knights at Lenovo Center.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.