If you have lived in North Carolina for a time, you have probably heard of Tweetsie Railroad or maybe you have visited as a child. Tweetsie Railroad is a wild west themed adventure everyone should experience at least once in their life. They have fun for all ages, from Thomas the Tank Engine to a deer petting zoo to great food. If you are looking for a great vacation or an experience to sweep you away, head on over to Blowing Rock, North Carolina to visit this timeless fun.
Tucked away in Bryson City, North Carolina awaits a fun experience for all ages, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad! With trips all year round with different excursions for everyone to try from the Polar Express Train to the Tarzan Train, there is much to see. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has two different types of trains to enjoy, a vintage steam-powered locomotive and a more modern style.
Did you know that North Carolina houses the largest remaining Roundhouse in North America? That’s right! It is in Spencer, North Carolina and its was once the Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility in the southeast. There is so much history to be found here at the N.C. Transportation Museum just outside of Charlotte and you can take a ride on one of the trains. There is even an exhibit for the Piedmont Airlines’ Potomac Pacemaker DC-3, a beautiful aircraft.
If you are traveling to Asheville this summer, make sure you take a trip to the Craggy Mountian Line, a historical piece of time passed in North Carolina. The Craggy Mountain Line is a full volunteer operation to restore the locomotives and even the track of the last 3.45 miles of the original line. See the history and future plans that the volunteers have meticulously brought together for your enjoyment.
Photo by New Hope Valley Railroad / Jimmy Sumerell
If you live in the Triangle Area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) then you do not have to go very far to enjoy a great trip by rail. The New Hope Valley Railroad is just around the corner and full of great surprised in store for you and the whole family. With fun for the kids and adult alike there is much to see and do. There is even a garden scale railroad to visit and see. The New Hope Valley Railroad and Museum can even help you plan a wedding if you ever had that desire!
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins Recipe from Allrecipes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serving size: 12 servings
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plain smooth peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
2 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Icing (Optional)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more as needed
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease cups. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until light and fluffy. Add bananas and beat again until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time; stir in milk and vanilla.
Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until about 75% of flour is incorporated. Use a spatula to stir in chocolate chips, and to fully incorporate flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
Cool muffins in the tin for about 15 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes more.
For icing, combine peanut butter, milk, and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir until a thick icing is formed. Add more powdered sugar as needed for an icing thick enough to hold its shape when piped. Add icing to a piping bag and pipe in a zigzag pattern over cooled muffins.
By PATRICK WHITTLE and SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press
A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at a busy New Jersey airport on Saturday after a bird strike caused an engine fire that could be seen in the morning sky.
The plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport during the emergency, said Lenis Valens, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. There were no reported injuries, and fire on the cargo plane was contained to the engine, Valens said.
Audio recorded by LiveATC captured a person calmly saying the aircraft needed to “shut down for a possible bird strike” immediately. “We need to return to the airport.”
A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at a busy New Jersey airport on Saturday after a bird strike caused an engine fire. There were no reported injuries. (AP Video)
Moments later, another person is heard saying: “We believe we saw their engine fall off the right wing.” The audio indicates the strike happened when the plane was several hundred feet off the ground.
The emergency landing caused air traffic to be briefly halted as a precaution, and operations resumed shortly after, Valens said. The emergency landing happened just after 8 a.m. Three people were on board, and all got off the plane safely, Valens said.
A spokesperson for FedEx said the plane was headed for Indianapolis but due to the bird strike “declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark after dealing with the resulting engine damage,” which included an engine fire.
“The training, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by our FedEx pilots was exemplary. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders,” said the spokesperson, Austin Kemker.
Kenneth Hoffman, a pilot on another flight, said as his flight was pushing off, they heard from air traffic control that there was an emergency in progress. Hoffman posted a video on social media of a FedEx plane on the ground at the Newark airport with flames shooting from its side as it slowed to a stop with fire rescue equipment nearby.
While it sounded like everyone was OK, there was a lot of smoke and the airport was shut down for 15 to 20 minutes, Hoffman said.
The pilots’ response was great, Hoffman said.
“They handled it like champs,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what our training is all about.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident. The FAA said in a statement that the “strike damaged one of the Boeing 767’s engines.” The National Transportation Safety Board also said it would investigate.
Bird strikes are aviation hazards that sometimes cause major disruptions. Birds were blamed for bringing down a jetliner that “Sully” Sullenberger landed on the Hudson River in 2009.
The FAA has said bird strikes are increasing, with more than 19,000 wildlife strikes at 713 U.S. airports in 2023. Only rarely do they cause so much damage that jetliners are forced to make emergency landings.
The emergency landing comes at a time of heightened awareness of flight problems. In the past month, there have been four major aviation disasters in North America. They include the Feb. 6 crash of a commuter plane in Alaska that killed all 10 people on board and the Jan. 26 midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at National Airport that killed all 67 aboard the two aircraft.
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Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York. Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine. Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Ven-Allen Lubin scored 19 points, Jae’Lyn Withers had 11 points and 10 rebounds and North Carolina beat Miami 92-73 on Saturday for its fifth straight victory, the Tar Heels’ longest win streak this season.
Lubin was 9-of-10 from the floor and Withers collected his third double-double this season. Drake Powell added 16 points, RJ Davis 13, Ian Jackson 11 and Seth Trimble 10 for the Tar Heels (19-11, 12-6 ACC), who shot 59%, made 10 of 18 3-pointers and outrebounded the Hurricanes 38-26. Davis went over 2,600 career points, second all-time at UNC behind Tyler Hansbrough.
Matthew Cleveland was 12-of-21 shooting to finish with 25 points for Miami (6-23, 2-16), which lost its fifth straight. Brandon Johnson added 20 points. The Hurricanes shot 43% while putting up 30 3-pointers, making nine.
The Tar Heels took a double-digit lead for good late in the first half and cruised to the victory with two regular-season games left before the ACC Tournament. UNC stretched a 15-point halftime lead to as many as 21.
Led by Withers’ nine points and seven rebounds, nine UNC players scored in the first half in taking a 46-31 lead. The Tar Heels shot 52%, made 7 of 12 from the 3-point line and were plus-nine on the boards. Cleveland had 14 points for the Hurricanes, who led only at 3-0. Trimble hit a pair of 3-pointers to kick off a 12-2 run to end the half for UNC.
North Carolina plays at Virginia Tech on Tuesday and finishes the regular season at home against No. 2 Duke next Saturday.
Miami plays at Georgia Tech on Tuesday and at home against N.C. State next Saturday.
¼ cup less sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, or gluten-free hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
scallions and sesame seeds, optional for topping
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Wash the bok choy and cut in half.
In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients plus ½ tablespoon of sesame oil until mixed.
In a large bowl add the bok choy and the sauce and gently toss.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, add remaining sesame oil over medium high heat (depending on the size of your skillet you may have to cook them in two batches).
Place bok choy with the cut side up in a hot skillet. Cook for 3 minutes.
Turn the bok choys over and cook for another 4 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Top with scallions and sesame seeds if desired.
By WILL WEISSERT, ZEKE MILLER and JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia.
The astonishing turn of events could scramble international affairs in Europe and around the globe. During his visit with Trump, Zelenskyy had planned to sign the deal allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, then hold a joint news conference.
Instead, Ukraine’s leader left the White House shortly after Trump shouted at him, showing open disdain. Untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room, where the lunch between Trump and Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have taken place.
The White House said the Ukraine delegation was told to leave.
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump told Zelenskky.
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy, who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.
Zelenskyy’s main objective going into the sit-down had been to press Trump not to abandon his country and to warn against moving too closely to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead he got shouted at while Trump appeared to play up the drama for the cameras.
At one point, Zelenskyy said Putin had broken “his own signature” 25 times on ceasefires and other agreements and could not be trusted. Trump responded that Putin had not broken agreements with him and mostly ducked questions about offering security guarantees to Ukraine, saying he thought the minerals deal — which is now on-hold — would effectively end the fighting.
Things first got testy after Vance challenged Zelenskyy, telling him, “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.” Zelensky tried to object, prompting Trump to raise his voice and say, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.”
A short time later, Trump posted on his social media site that he had “determined” that Zelenskyy “is not ready for Peace.”
“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.
Trump also suggested that the heated exchange was productive: “Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion.”
Democrats immediately criticized the administration for the breakdown. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Trump and Vance “are doing Putin’s dirty work.”
The testy exchange was especially surprising since it came a day after Trump struck a more conciliatory tone toward Ukraine, calling America’s support for the country against Russia’s invasion “a very worthy thing to do” and disclaiming any memory that he had called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”
Trump and Zelenskyy spoke politely, even with admiration, of one of another for the first half hour of the meeting. But, when the Ukrainian leader raised alarm about trusting any promises from Putin to end the fighting, Vance offered his strong rebuke for airing disagreements with Trump in public.
That instantly shifted the tenor of the conversation as Zelenskyy grew defensive and Trump and his vice president blasted him as ungrateful and issued stark warnings about future American support.
“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump said to Zelenskyy as the two leaders talked over each other about past international support for Ukraine.
Vance then interjected, “Again, just say thank you,” blasting Zelenskyy for litigating “disagreements” in front of the press.
Trump seemed pleased that the scene was being recorded on camera. “I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on,” he added.
Trump also suggested that Zelenskyy should not be demanding concessions.
“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelenskyy. “With us you start having cards.”
Shortly before the meeting ended, Trump offered, “This is going to be great television.”
Before the blowup, Zelenskyy had been expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the U.S. aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would have closely tied the two countries together for years to come.
As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia’s larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv were pushing to ensure a potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country’s future security.
Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace — especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands — would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease.
Trump, a Republican, had framed the emerging agreement as a chance for Kyiv to compensate the U.S. for wartime aid sent under his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden. But Zelenskyy has remained firm that specific assurances for Ukraine’s security must accompany any agreement giving U.S. access to Ukraine’s resources.
It was Zelenskyy’s fifth White House visit, but his previous four came during the Biden administration. The Ukrainian president also was meeting with U.S. senators during his time in Washington.
Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration.
Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders — both dramatic breaks with previous U.S. policy to isolate Putin over his invasion.
Trump later seemed to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war and called Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding elections after the end of his regular term last year, though Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in place.
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Spike reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Aaamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — The tops of dried, bent cornstalks crunch underfoot. Jill Holtz’s gaze is fixed on the ground ahead.
She wanders into the nearby woods and weaves between twisted branches. Then, Holtz spots something and starts to riffle through the withered twigs. To the untrained eye, it’s easy to overlook. But for Holtz, it’s instantaneous recognition.
Scraggly, white lines give the appearance of shattered glass, but a name can still be made out at the top. It is a sonogram strip — crinkled, abused by the elements, but intact.
Jill Holtz went to western North Carolina with the Army National Guard to help survivors of Hurricane Helene. Five months later, she’s still there, but as a volunteer helping reunite residents with items they thought were gone forever. (AP Video/Allen G. Breed)
In early February, Holtz combed through parts of a flattened cornfield in Swannanoa, North Carolina — a rural area razed by fierce floodwaters from Hurricane Helene a few months earlier. The deluge swept away entire homes, and with it, people’s beloved photos, keepsakes and family heirlooms. Many have accepted that they are gone forever.
But lost items remain scattered across the region — tangled in gnarled trees, washed up in deep ravines and buried under mud. That’s why Holtz is on a mission: find and reunite those cherished possessions with storm victims who don’t have the time or energy to look themselves.
“It’s not just trash, and it’s not just trees and pieces of metal,” Holtz says. “It’s their lives. This is their hearts, their homes, the generations of history.”
Searching the cornfield
Over the past few months, Holtz has spent much of her free time making the nearly four-hour drive from Raleigh to Swannanoa to search for lost items. She balances her job as a North Carolina National Guard captain and being a mom to two sons — a 10-year-old and a 24-year-old. It’s difficult being away, Holtz says, but her kids support her efforts.
Holtz first visited western North Carolina after the storm on duty delivering aid. Then, while helping retrieve lost objects in Swannanoa for Violet Vardiman — a woman Holtz fondly calls “Miss Violet” — Holtz realized how many other missing belongings were out there. So she kept coming back. Holtz posts her finds to Facebook in hopes of finding their owners.
At first, searching for lost belongings was overwhelming because of the sheer volume of objects strewn about, Holtz says. Now, she looks a few feet ahead of her at a time to stay focused.
She’s learned other tips and tricks too. Use larger pieces of debris to store missing keepsakes while walking. Put on a hat or your hair will get caught in tree branches. Wear gloves and sturdy boots. And if you see a Dallas Cowboys mat, stomp on it first before picking it up — Holtz, after all, is a Buffalo Bills fan.
After exploring the cornfield and adjacent woods for about 20 minutes, Holtz already has a handful to bring back — an 8-track tape, a teddy bear with golden wings and plenty of photos. Despite some scratches and their sun-bleached tone, the photos are in decent shape for what they’ve been through.
As Holtz walks back to her truck, she squints and scours the cornstalks for anything she missed. Holtz views each valuable she finds as an opportunity for joy, and if it’s left behind, there’s no guarantee it will be there next time.
Holding onto belongings until the time is right
What Holtz found in the cornfield will join the collection of other lost possessions in her trailer as she tries to find their owners. The spread inside resembles a garage sale.
Photos make up a large chunk of Holtz’s collection. Pictures captured from weddings, school and simple slices of life. Just from collecting photos, Holtz says she feels like she knows some people’s entire life story without ever meeting them.
To restore photos, she’s developed her own cleaning routine: Use cool water and rubbing alcohol, then carefully scrub with a soft toothbrush. It’s time-consuming, yet therapeutic.
Holtz sets down a large mud-spattered canvas — a piece that will require the toothbrush treatment — and slowly pours water over it. The gentle stream crackles against the crisp canvas. Faces emerge from the splotchy, brown haze. It’s a family portrait, Holtz says.
“I hope I find the owner of that,” she says softly.
Since Holtz started posting pictures of the lost possessions on Facebook, she’s consistently in contact with about 15 families. She has returned belongings to some and is waiting to connect in-person with others. Some of the families have evacuated the state and haven’t returned — but Holtz doesn’t mind holding onto their things.
“I’m in no hurry, and I don’t expect them to be in a hurry,” she says. “They’re still getting their lives back together.”
‘Getting back history’
The next day, Holtz sets up her trailer by the cornfield. She had posted her location to social media and patiently waits to see if anyone comes. About a half hour later, a silver SUV pulls over. A woman from Swannanoa, Angie McGee, steps out.
McGee is looking for lost photos. The 42-year-old searched for her family’s belongings after Helene washed away her home, but she wasn’t successful. Wearing black latex gloves, she rubs caked dirt from the photos and notices familiar faces: her brother, her father and her son.
She even spots her ultrasound photos — the same scroll that Jill had picked up the day before.
She is stunned. McGee can’t believe the photos traveled nearly 2 miles downriver from her home — much less that Holtz had somehow found them. After months of anguish over what she had lost, McGee says she is finally “getting history back.”
“She done brought back a smile to me, she done brought back life to me. Not just me, my family,” McGee says. “Because, you know, there were things we lost that we thought maybe we never get back.”
At one point, McGee’s gaze settles on football shoulder pads with silver marker writing. The sight brings her to tears. They belong to her 12-year-old son, Link.
Holtz tries to not to cry. Later, the two women embrace before McGee leaves with her things. Giving people back their lost hope is why Holtz says she continues this work. But in these reunifying moments, it gives Holtz a little of her own hope, too.
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AP National Writer Allen G. Breed contributed to this report.
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A stretch of Interstate 40 through the western North Carolina mountains is reopening to traffic this weekend, months after Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding collapsed portions of the road, partially restoring the major travel connection with eastern Tennessee.
The state Department of Transportation said the 20-mile (32-kilometer) section on the North Carolina side of the border will officially reopen on Saturday. Flooding in the Pigeon River gorge in Haywood County washed away over 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of I-40’s eastbound lanes in late September.
Although usually a four-lane road, large portions of the section will operate for now with just one narrowed lane in each direction, with a 35 mph (56 kph) speed limit, according to the state Transportation Department. A concrete curb separates traffic, and periodic breaks provide access to emergency vehicles.
Gov. Josh Stein announced Feb. 10 that I-40 traffic would reopen by March 1.
“This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states and between locations far beyond Haywood County,” regional DOT engineer Wanda Payne said in a news release this week. The release said that travelers on the stretch of I-40 should expect delays, especially on holiday weekends and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and suggested they still consider alternate interstate routes.
While I-40 across the Tennessee line reopened months ago to traffic almost to the North Carolina border, one-lane-only sections also will extend into Tennessee to complete the connection, North Carolina DOT said.
North Carolina government had hoped to restore traffic on I-40 in early January, but that got delayed when more asphalt from eastbound lanes fell in mid-December. Contractors worked to stabilize what’s left of the road by driving long steel rods into bedrock below the road, filling them with grout and spraying concrete on the cliff face to hold them in place.
North Carolina government has already entered a contract for the road’s permanent reconstruction. Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins told state lawmakers this week it would be late 2026 before the section can resume fully to four lanes, provided that stone can be quarried from the adjoining Pisgah National Forest. Otherwise, he said, it could take two to three additional years longer, because trucks will have to ship stone in from Tennessee.
