Your morning starts here.

The Red Cross says type O donors are especially needed as the holiday season approaches, and two blood drives are scheduled in November in Cabarrus County with a drive in Kannapolis where donors can sign up now.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has proposed a $60 million bond to add classrooms and workforce training space at South Campus after Cabarrus enrollment rose 27.7% since 2020, and college leaders are asking voters to approve the measure in an upcoming election.

China Grove's Center Stage Dance Company won a national honor at the 2026 Industry Dance Awards after 11 regional dancers competed, bringing recognition to the studio and its performance program.

Rowan-Cabarrus has earned national recognition for excellence in online education for its digital-learning approach and student outcomes (80% of curriculum students take at least one online course).

Concord will celebrate Extra Mile Day on Nov.

1 to honor neighbors who give back without seeking recognition, joining more than 500 cities expected to take part and encouraging residents to nominate local volunteers.

City leaders marked Arbor Day this fall by planting a seedless Happidaze Sweetgum at renovated Caldwell Park as part of planting 170 trees at Caldwell and 577 across city facilities this year.

Concord has been a Tree City USA for six years and won the Tree City USA Growth Award again.

A Mount Pleasant woman won a $1.9 million jackpot on her first try at an online lottery game, beating odds of about 1 in 150 million, the state lottery said.

Cabarrus County received a $357,851 state grant to place conservation easements that will protect more than 88 acres of local farmland from development and preserve the county’s agricultural open space.