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Michelin unveiled its updated guide for The American South this week, honoring restaurants in seven Southern states, including North Carolina. Food and dining reporter Drew Jackson breaks down what happened.

Alexis Evans, Faith Hedgepeth’s niece, says she’s thankful for the attention Faith's case received, acknowledging that it drew headlines because she was a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She spoke after jurors found Miguel Salguero Olivares guilty of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with Hedgepeth’s killing in 2012. But she wants to honor other families who are still seeking justice for their loved ones. 📹Ethan Hyman

Connie Hedgepeth, mother of murder victim Faith Hedgepeth, gives a victim's statement before Miguel Salguero Olivares is sentenced to life in prison without parole for raping and killing her daughter. Faith Hedgepeth was a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill when she was killed in 2012. Salguero Olivares was arrested in 2021, nine years later, after law enforcement was able to link DNA evidence to the crime scene. See the link in our bio for more. ✍️Virginia Bridges and Twumasi Duah-Mensah 📹Pool

Miguel Salguero Olivares listens as Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory sentences him to life in prison with no parole for the murder and rape of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 2012. Salguero Olivares was arrested nine years after the student’s death. ⠀ ✍️Virginia Bridges and Twumasi Duah-Mensah 📹Pool

More than 14 years after Faith Hedgepeth was killed on Sept. 7, 2012, many questions remain unanswered. And almost nine days of testimony in the trial of Miguel Salguero Olivares, who is accused of breaking into her apartment, raping and murdering her, have done little to answer them. Closing arguments are set to begin Thursday.

For two weeks, jurors in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial have heard about Miguel Salguero Olivares as a murder suspect. On Monday, they watched a video that showed him as a friend as he spoke with Katie Ellen, a UNC graduate who once worked with him at the same restaurant. But there’s more heartbreak in the video than most know. Ellen’s life, along with her infant daughter’s, ended in tragedy. Today, Katie’s mother has taken her daughter’s place in the courtroom supporting the man Katie believed was innocent. ✍️/📹Virginia Bridges 📷Pool

Having split the previous 10 games in their football rivalry, Duke and UNC came down to the wire once again on Saturday night.

A recent vigil highlighted seven people who disappeared from a rural North Carolina county, where relatives plead for more investigation.

North Carolina’s early voting period for the 2026 midterms starts Thursday, Oct. 15 and ends on Saturday, Oct. 31. Democracy reporter Kyle Ingram breaks down what to know.

This year the North Carolina State Fair unveiled 34 new fair foods, and they’re as over-the-top as ever. Drew Jackson and Twumasi Duah-Mensah tasted 34 of them at the State Fair media day. For more hot takes and their can’t-miss bites, see the link in our bio.

Every Halloween, thousands cram into the streets of Oakwood for Raleigh’s biggest, ghostliest party. At the center sits Jesse Jones’ house on the corner of Oakwood Avenue and East Street — a locally famous house that transforms into a sprawling haunted mansion. But this year, a bureaucratic tangle is threatening Oakwood’s spooky celebration. ✍️Josh Shaffer 📷Ethan Hyman 📹Josh Shaffer & Ethan Hyman

NC Central University mascots Eddie Eagle and Annie Eagle celebrated their newfound love with a wedding ceremony, just in time for the Durham HBCU's homecoming.

For 14 years, Karena Rosario’s account of the final hours of Faith Hedgepeth’s life has been picked apart by police, defense attorneys and the public. On Wednesday, Hedgepeth’s friend and UNC roommate publicly told her story for the first time. Rosario, now 34, was one of the last people known to have seen Hedgepeth alive early Sept. 7, 2012. 📹Pool

Fourteen years after UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth’s killing, prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing to deliver opening statements that could establish lasting impressions on the jury. Follow newsobserver.com as Virginia Bridges reports live updates from the courtroom. And see the link in our bio for more on what to expect.

The forward was the only women’s player to participate in the dunk contest, an impromptu moment encouraged by her teammates.

The ICE detention center is drawing mixed opinions among residents of a rural county in Eastern North Carolina.

Hotel Indigo Raleigh Downtown, formerly one of 25 round Holiday Inns ever built, is officially open after a $36 million renovation that upgrades the interior and keeps the history intact. Autumn Coleman and Ethan Hyman got a sneak peek inside Thursday of the 204-room hotel.

The owner of Dampf Good BBQ, an award-winning barbecue restaurant, said he is reconsidering plans for a Durham location following controversy over past political posts on social media. Food reporter Drew Jackson breaks down the situation.

Wake County commissioners voted 5-2 Monday evening to approve the merger of WakeMed and Charlotte-based Atrium Health, sending the proposal to state and federal officials for approval. Some opponents of the merger disrupted the meeting and the chairman had the room cleared. ✍️Nolan Wilkinson 📷Travis Long 📹Travis Long and Nolan Wilkinson

Hundreds demonstrated Wednesday on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus, where the G20 innovation ministerial event at the Carolina Inn drew tech billionaires and international leaders. They voiced their frustrations with various technological developments: Flock cameras on campus, data centers across the state, and above all, the unregulated rise and manifold applications of artificial intelligence. ✍🏼Jane Winik Sartwell 📸 Robert Willett

The town of Apex has sued 71-year-old homeowner Annie Mae Scott, who allows students park on Humie Olive Road as over 100 students wait for limited Apex Friendship High School spaces. More than 100 students are still waiting for school parking, but the town wants a judge to stop them from using Scott’s property.

The UNC-TCU football game in Dublin attracted (American) football fans to local pubs. But not all were familiar with the game they were about to watch. Here’s how it went down when UNC sports reporter Michael McCleary gave quizzed fans at the pub before the game. 📹Michael McCleary & Ethan Hyman

Ireland was a bit of a trek for Rameses, UNC’s live mascot, when the North Carolina football team flew to Dublin, Ireland to take on TCU. Enter Seamus, owned by Irish farmer Orla Hogan. She dressed Rameses in Carolina blue, horns included, to greet fans Saturday before the game. She describes the experience of engaging with fans, knowing how important Rameses is to the university. ✍️Michael McCleary 📹Michael McCleary & Jessica Banov

Today’s North Carolina matchup with TCU in Dublin is an opportunity for the Tar Heels’ redemption after a 48-14 shellacking at the hands of the same opponent on Sep. 1, 2025 — last year’s season opener. The News & Observer’s new UNC sports reporter Michael McCleary is in Dublin to cover the game. Follow newsobserver.com for coverage. ✍️Michael McCleary 📹Michael McCleary, Ethan Hyman

The recent hiring of a transgender teacher at Middle Creek Elementary School in Apex has sparked national headlines, with people both opposing and supporting the educator. At a Wake County school board meeting on Tuesday, some speakers demanded that the board provide alternatives to elementary school parents who don’t want their children educated by a transgender teacher. The board also heard calls from speakers to allow parents to opt their children out of the teacher’s class. But some speakers rallied behind the transgender educator, calling opponents “bigots.” Click the link in our bio to read more. ✍️T. Keung Hui 📹Livestream from Wake County Schools, edited by Kevin Keister

Mayor Janet Cowell has condemned accusations made against city leadership and staff after the weekend death of a Black man in downtown Raleigh. The man’s body was found Saturday afternoon, hanging from a tree off South McDowell Street near Nash Square. Police said Saturday night that the death was being investigated as a suicide. On Monday, Police Chief Rico Boyce said video evidence from nearby businesses showed he acted alone and that the man’s mother said her 32-year-old son struggled with mental health issues. Click the link in our bio for more. ✍️Nolan Wilkinson 📹Livestream from the City of Raleigh

Video evidence confirms that a Black man found hanging from a tree in downtown Raleigh on Saturday died by suicide, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said Monday. No evidence points toward a criminal incident, he said. For more from the news conference, see the link in our bio. ✍️Twumasi Duah-Mensah and Faith Wardwell 📹City of Raleigh

In July, the price of groceries was up 3% over the previous 12 months. And in one June survey of North Carolinians, 58% of respondents said groceries were “unaffordable.” Yet among us, there are smart shoppers who use coupons, discounts and loyalty programs to stretch their dollars and get the best deals at the grocery store. And I want to learn how they do it. Shoot me an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in sharing your tips and tricks. ✍️Renee Umsted 📹Kevin Keister #groceries #affordability #Raleigh #Triangle #NorthCarolina

Mary Esposito, a 23-year-old recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, posts content to educate Generation Z — particularly young women — about finance and investing. These are topics she certainly knows something about. Over the years, Esposito has grown an initial investment of $2,500, which came from profits from her small crafting business, into a six-figure portfolio. As of July 30, her individual brokerage account and Roth IRA were valued at $230,000, she said. That’s in addition to bonds and cryptocurrency investments, plus a simplified employee pension IRA and cash management account, together valued between $40,000 to $50,000. Read more of her story through the link in our bio. ✍️Renee Umsted 📹Kaitlin McKeown

Walter Johnson, aka Mr. Tendernism, stopped by the Triangle last week to visit three restaurants and offer his dance of approval for North Carolina soul food. Here's what he thought of Soul Forking Good in Durham. ✍️ Drew Jackson 📹 Alli Pardue #soulfood #tendernism #bbq #durham