Local search for North Carolina

54+ min ago (270+ words) The Wilmington Jaycees Christmas Parade is returning to Downtown Wilmington on Saturday, November 30th, bringing holiday cheer, community spirit, and several festive traditions to Market Street. The parade begins at 11 a.m. 2022 Wilmington Jaycees Christmas Parade This year marks the 59th annual celebration, and longtime favorites are set to return. Attendees can expect performances from marching and string bands, colorful floats, community organizations, and an appearance from Santa Claus. Local celebrities are also expected to attend, continuing a tradition that has included notable names in past years'such as actress and Ursuline Academy graduate Aubrey Plaza. Children will have the chance to hand their Christmas wish lists to Santa's elves along the parade route. JCI Wilmington says any child who includes their name and address will receive a letter back from Santa in December. Cab Calloway Marching Band Street parking will be free, and parking…...

1+ hour, 51+ min ago (122+ words) A new report detailed how much holiday food is wasted each year in the United States. According to the nonprofit ReFED, around 320 million pounds of food will be thrown away on Thanksgiving. That adds up to an estimated $550 million. The ReFED organization seeks solutions to reduce food waste. In total, they said about 35 million tons of food are wasted every year in the U.S. Half of that waste is from groceries that spoil in your kitchen or fridge, or forgotten half-eaten meals that go bad. How can we cut down on food waste? Terra McKenna, founder of the Zero Waste Collective, says the solution is to become a more conscious consumer by buying less, but more often....

2+ hour, 41+ min ago (327+ words) A pair of snowy owls spotted along a Lake Michigan beach has drawn curious crowds and sparked happy speculation about how long the Arctic birds of prey will call Chicago home. Word of the two owls has circulated on birder forums in the nation's third-largest city for about a week, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society. While snowy owls aren't rare in Chicago, their frequency varies widely each winter. Generally, a handful are reported around December, but sometimes there aren't any. "Their nomadic nature makes them hard to study or even figure out patterns," Edward Warden, the society's president, said Sunday. "Where they're going is anybody's guess." This year, two birds have been seen at a beach and pier near the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary on the city's North Side. A third one was briefly spotted at a beach a…...

3+ hour, 15+ min ago (456+ words) It's the perfect time of year to cozy up with a blanket and some hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies and holiday specials with those you love most. Here's what you can watch on WXII 12 this December. Watch the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony before being transported to Music City for a country-style Christmas. Sing along or just kick back and enjoy this Christmas classic double feature. Start the first weekend in December off right with Rudolph, Hermie, and the gang. In case you missed him the first time, Frosty is back on the air, followed by a holiday adventure in the Kingdom of Far Far Away. Join Shrek on a quest to discover the true meaning of Christmas in this half-hour short. Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey host while Motown legends perform holiday classics alongside today's biggest…...

3+ hour, 53+ min ago (349+ words) A Durham-based catering company is spreading holiday cheer by offering free Thanksgiving meals to those in need. This heartwarming initiative aims to support the community during tough times." According to Katie Featherstone, many people in the Durham area are struggling to recover financially following the government shutdown, and some are still scared to leave their homes amid Border Patrol Enforcement. That's why her company,"White Clover Catering, stepped in to provide free holiday meals for people in the area." "It's really important for us to give back to our communities whenever we can," said Featherstone. "We are fortunate enough to have been really well blessed this Thanksgiving and had some people who donated to help us do this." Featherstone, alongside her family, spent the evening cooking and packaging food for anyone who stopped by, no questions asked." "We had a…...

4+ hour, 11+ min ago (25+ words) First Christian Church, located at 1151 East 6th Street in Salem, held its annual free Thanksgiving dinner between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m....

5+ hour, 36+ min ago (338+ words) The United States Postal Service is preparing for an influx of holiday shipping and mail, expecting higher-than-usual volumes this season. This holiday season, the USPS is gearing up to handle as many as 88 million packages per day to millions of households and businesses nationwide. Philip Bogenberger, communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, said, "It's the busiest time of year for the Postal Service, but it's also the most exciting time of year." To keep up with the demand, the USPS has made improvements to its processing systems. "We've installed more than 600 high-speed package sorting machines across the country," Bogenberger said. "Many of those were installed in plants and post offices right here in North Carolina, so we are well prepared to handle the holiday volume." This holiday season, the postal service is recommending to pack your patience when you visit…...

5+ hour, 46+ min ago (669+ words) The most-played series in major college football history, the bitter border-state rivalry between Minnesota and Wisconsin, is punctuated each year with a postgame ritual by the winning team that could be described as jubilant yardwork. Video above: Taking a deeper dive in NIL rules and impact on college athletics There's hardly a richer " or quirkier " tradition in college football than rivalry trophies, one of the few elements of the game that remains the same in the new era of revenue sharing and the transfer portal. From the small schools to the powerhouse programs, nothing captures a sports fan's attention quite like a traveling trophy. Minnesota fared better at the beginning with Floyd of Rosedale, a 98-pound bronze pig named after the state's governor in 1935 who suggested the trophy to his Iowa counterpart as a way to deescalate tension between two…...

6+ hour, 18+ min ago (421+ words) Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. Short for "quick response" code, the small barcodes are ubiquitous, getting scanned using a phone's camera to link to restaurant menus, online payment systems or any other digital task. "We're all familiar with these things," said Jean-Paul Bergeaux, the federal chief technology officer for GuidePoint Security. "The concept is, 'How do we give people a way to get to a link, where they don't have to enter it, to simplify our life,' which it does very well." Unfortunately, like most things, scammers are finding ways to use QR codes as part of a scam that's known as "Quishing." "You're just scanning it and hitting it and saying go, and so you can go anywhere, and the bad guys can send you anywhere," Bergeaux said. "That's…...

6+ hour, 25+ min ago (315+ words) The Parigi family knew adoption was the answer. SURRY COUNTY, N.C. " The Parigi family has given 4-year-old Jasper his forever home. "We really wanted to be there and help kids, just to give them a stable home for however long they needed," Sarah Parigi said. The little boy is surrounded by love and a forever place to call home. He also gained three older brothers, 14-year-old JP, 11-year-old, Wade and 10-year-old Liam. "They have learned so much compassion, they've been open to any and every child that we've brought, and we always include them in the discussion," Sarah said. The Parigis recently adopted Jasper after a kinship placement turned into fostering and then guardianship. "After going through the court system and everything, a lot of it was determined upon the birth parents and set up for reunification. That's the main goal,…...