Lumbee Culture Through Food: Chef Pyet DeSpain brought Native American and Mexican cooking to the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club for Lumbee Homecoming’s “Storytelling through Food,” with Gov. Josh Stein on hand and dishes like wild rice with poblano peppers and mushrooms. State Budget & Pay Raises: Gov. Josh Stein signed North Carolina’s $34.4B budget into law, including tax cuts, average 8% teacher pay raises, bonuses, and pay increases for law enforcement, plus $700M for Hurricane Helene recovery and PFAS research funding. Church-Led Medical Debt Relief: Trinity Moravian Church near Winston-Salem raised $17,000 to wipe out $2.2M in medical debt for 1,631 neighbors—an effort that helped bridge political divides. School Tech Limits Under Pressure: Parents and educators say kids are outsmarting school device rules, using Chromebooks for games and videos during class. Homeschool Sports Eligibility Fight: Brunswick County parents are pushing changes to athletic eligibility rules that require homeschooled and private students to take multiple community college courses. Community Calendar: Wake County’s school supply drive kicked off to stock classrooms for the new year. High Country Heritage Event: The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games return July 9–12 with Scottish athletics, music, dancing, and food.