Recalling that incredible outside hockey game and the casino plan that divided the GOP
Part 5 of a five-part package revisiting the 2023 stories that The News & Observer’s staff members will remember long after the year is over.
Outdoor hockey in a football stadium is a sight to behold
Growing up in northern New England as I did, regular winters — with far-too-regular snow and ice — were the norm. Playing hockey outdoors in those winters was part of life.
When we moved to the Triangle, we knew the region had embraced hockey since the Hurricanes’ arrival. The youth program here has continued to grow, and the NHL team, after a long period of futility, has become a title contender.
But to watch those worlds collide as perfectly as they did on Feb. 18 at Carter-Finley Stadium was truly a sight to behold. Tens of thousands of people packed an ACC football stadium — for hockey. The Canes rewarded their faithful with a win. The ancillary events — N.C. State vs. UNC hockey, youth hockey skaters taking the ice, a concert at PNC Arena next door — created a unique spectacle, one that positively showcased the region’s embrace of what was once a northern sport, and one that ensured more large-scale NHL events are in the Triangle’s future.
Justin Pelletier is deputy regional sports editor for McClatchy’s Southeast region.
The wonders of a Chapel Hill institution
Remember View-Masters? You slipped cardboard picture discs into the plastic toy, pulled the lever and peered inside to see 3D-pictures. I had one that showed the Seven Wonders of the World.
Jamil Kadoura’s deli case at Mediterranean Deli on Franklin Street was one of the Seven Wonders of Chapel Hill. The L-shaped glass case displayed dozens of mouth-watering selections — mujadara, curried cabbage, a carrot-walnut salad and oh the baklava — for the three- and, if you were really hungry, four-item platters. For a vegetarian it was heaven.
Med Deli was hit by a fire last summer and is down to catering and take-out right now. Tammy Grubb’s story, written a few days later with the smell of smoke still in the air, captured what makes the restaurant more than a business to fans like me, and its owner, more like a friend.
Mark Schultz is the deputy metro editor.
A concession over casinos was a surprise in the GOP-controlled legislature
An impromptu announcement by GOP leaders of the state House and Senate on a September evening was one of the most significant developments in the General Assembly this year.
After months of working behind closed doors on a controversial bill to approve four new casinos in North Carolina — and at a point when it appeared that the two GOP-controlled chambers were at an impasse — Republican leaders agreed to shelve the casino proposal for the time being.
A major concession to opponents of the plan within their own party who had refused to budge, the decision allowed the months-delayed state budget to finally move forward.
Beyond that, the decision to give up the push for casinos also highlighted the limits of the GOP’s power.
In a year defined by the otherwise prolific Republican supermajority, the lost battle over casinos was a reminder that even though it often seems like bills supported by legislative leaders are all but guaranteed to succeed, you can never rule anything out.
Avi Bajpai covers North Carolina state politics and government.
An SEC fan’s introduction to an ever-growing ACC
As an avid sports fan and someone who grew up in SEC country, I spent some time after moving to North Carolina earlier this year learning about the history of the ACC. Little did I know I would later work alongside our sports team as they reported the conference’s expansion.
It was a competitive national story, but Andrew Carter and Korie Dean showed the importance of local journalism, going through hundreds of pages of documents to give what’s still the most comprehensive look at how N.C. State changed its vote to allow expansion. And Luke DeCock was fearless in his columns, not only questioning the move to bring in Cal, Stanford and SMU, but also the role partial conference member Notre Dame played.
So much of college sports has changed with the transfer portal, conference moves and NIL, and we’ll have more to tell as this unravels over the next year.
Elizabeth Walters is assistant managing editor.
Keeping it real, and country, with Tyler Childers
It was hotter than fish grease on a Sunday night in August when singer-songwriter Tyler Childers, on the backside of a bad head cold, brought his authentic salvation to Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater.
Childers, who has called attention to issues of racism and injustice in the past, recently released a video for “In Your Love,” telling the story of two male coal miners in Appalachia who fall in love and support each other despite homophobic attacks in their rural small town. The country music community has had mixed reactions to the Kentucky native’s video.
There are a few good ones left in the music business, pure of heart, soul and sound.
Tyler Childers is one of them.
Scott Sharpe is the visuals editor.
GalaxyCon, where the real fans come together in camaraderie
I grew up as a “Star Wars” (not “Star Trek”) fan, eagerly accumulating the Kenner toys, records, books and VHS cassettes of the movies.
I thought I was a big fan. Then I attended Raleigh’s GalaxyCon. And I realized my fandom is, well, weak.
I spent three days wandering around the Raleigh Convention Center marveling at everything. It was a visual feast that no amount of images could truly capture.
In the end, what stuck with me the most was the fantastic sense of camaraderie among the attendees. People from all different walks of life welcoming one another without reservation.
Ethan Hyman is a staff photojournalist.
Amid grim news, Rini’s hopeful story — and smile — stand out
It’s impossible to forget a smile like Woody Rini’s. On a rainy summer morning, we met at the Cary Library, and they took me on an odyssey of gender exploration and self-love. Since the story published, Rini has kept me appraised of its impact.
“Just got another message from a trans person who moved here and saw the article and it made them feel safer,” Rini texted me.
As a crime reporter, my stories are often a reminder of the dangers of the world, so it warmed my heart to hear Rini say my work has a positive impact on the local LGBTQ+ community.
Last month, Rini came out as trans. Rini now goes by Whitney and uses she/they pronouns.
Colleen Hammond covers breaking news and public safety.
Following along as a top athlete makes a life-changing decision
I followed Jarin Stevenson, a highly recruited basketball player with a strong family pedigree, through his final year in high school before he enrolled early at the University of Alabama.
Living just minutes from the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, Stevenson was the target of many coaches from across the nation, including UNC’s Hubert Davis, who made several short trips to see him play.
Reporter Andrew Carter and I built a strong rapport with Jarin and his parents, Nicole and Jarod, who both coached his team at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro. That enabled us to get inside the locker room and the family home to illustrate what it was like to be one of the top recruits in the nation.
I was fortunate to document Stevenson and his journey navigating the ever-changing landscape of college basketball before making the right choice for him.
Robert Willett is a staff photojournalist.
A guilty plea and a rare glimpse into controversial police practices
In October, former Raleigh detective Omar Abdullah stood before a Wake County judge and was sentenced to 38 days in jail after pleading guilty to felony obstruction of justice.
“I worked as a team and I worked as I was trained,” Abdullah told the judge.
It was a key moment in the years-long saga that led to multiple federal civil rights lawsuits accusing Raleigh police of perpetuating a fake drug scheme that sent a dozen Black men to jail and executed improper raids on families.
The lawsuits, which resulted in two settlements totaling $2.35 million, have provided a rare glimpse into controversial police practices and given plenty of fodder for police critics.
Now, I can’t help but wonder what role this case will play in Raleigh’s future. Will it inspire self-reflection and significant change within Raleigh police? Or will it serve as evidence in future lawsuits claiming patterns of police misconduct?
Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice.
’The Jekyll and Hyde’ nature of Raleigh’s Glenwood South
It was an ambitious undertaking for our staff to show 24 hours in the life of Raleigh’s top entertainment district, Glenwood South.
Our journalists captured vignettes showing senior citizens, boutiques, eateries and many people partying into the early morning hours. As the video producer I got to weave the images into a visual story all its own.
The photos captured the “Jekyll and Hyde” nature of the district, as the quiet daytime vibe became raucous. A businessman walking his dog gave way to a couple trying to decipher parking. Friends gathering over cocktails became crowds spilling into the streets. A street preacher worked the crowd. An armed guard kept watch for a towing company.
In the end, empty streets gave way to the dawn of a new day.
Kevin Keister is a video producer on the visuals team.
A newfound love of summer swimming holes
As someone who has long harbored a fear of fish, I’ll admit that getting in an outdoor swim has never been high atop my to-do list. I’m grateful to report that, for a few weeks during the lovely haze of high summer, putting together the pieces of a visual story changed my mind.
My hiking boots received lots of love as I traipsed through woodsy trails and explored unfamiliar corners of our state in search of fresh water havens. Arriving at the water’s edge always felt as if I had unlocked a time-worn secret of summertime bliss, passed from one generation of North Carolinians to the next.
I was immediately smitten with the eccentricities each swimming hole had to offer — a caravan of bright inflatables slung over shoulders in descent, the wildflowers that dotted their entryways, a beckoning rope swing, a tractor-load of waiting rubber duckies, and turtles that lazed happily on nearby logs.
The experience encouraged me to be a keen observer of delight. And every bit of sand that found its way from the river banks into my boots was worth it. I’m already counting down the days until summer.
Kaitlin McKeown is a staff photojournalist.
Read the rest of the series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
