Astronaut Christina Koch, an NC State grad, heads to the moon. Plus, hundreds of thousands of eggs donated for Easter and an owl returns home in Cardinal & Pine’s “Good News Friday.”
I’ve always loved a good prank, but as a journalist who has dedicated his life to parsing the truth from a sea of misinformation, I have to say that I hate April Fool’s Day.
I know, I know; I’m just a killjoy. Most April Fool’s jokes are easily identifiable as such, wholesome fun that shouldn’t be taken so seriously. Yet I’ve already seen multiple posts from businesses and brands over the last couple days who have had to apologize for their April Fool’s shenanigans.
Take the Washington Wizards, who tricked a fan into believing he made a $10,000 shot while blindfolded during a game on Wednesday, only to back-pedal and claim the entire thing was scripted after a viral video of the “prank” garnered criticism.
Is that where we are now? We’re doing fake pranks on people that are really just scripted skits, which amount to a prank on the crowd? Wrap it up, y’all are doing too much.
I’m here as your trusted Good News Friday columnist to bring three news stories that really did happen, I promise.
NC State grad makes history with moon trip
Artemis II took off from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, marking the launch of NASA’s first trip to the moon since 1972. Onboard was Christina Koch, who will make history as the first woman to go to the moon when the crew pulls off its lunar fly-by beginning Monday.
Though born in Michigan, we claim Koch as a North Carolinian. According to Jeremy Markovich of NC Rabbit Hole, who interviewed Koch for his Away Message podcast in 2019, the future astronaut grew up in Jacksonville, NC, and attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham before earning three degrees from NC State University.
“No one ever discouraged the girl from North Carolina that had a dream to become an astronaut,” she told Markovich in the episode, “and I think that was the most important thing.”
Stay updated on the Artemis II flight here.
NC farms take part in Great American Egg Drive
Simpson’s Eggs of Monroe and Braswell Family Farms of Nashville took part in one of the largest egg donation efforts ever this week, donating 259,600 eggs to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFBM) on Thursday as part of the Great American Egg Drive.
The nationwide effort brings egg farmers together to support communities ahead of Easter and Passover. Thursday’s donation — equal to approximately 21,633 dozen eggs — will be distributed through SHFBM’s network of more than 950 partner agencies including food pantries, community meal programs and shelters across 24 counties in North and South Carolina.
“We take pride not only in producing food, but also in giving back,” said Alex Simpson, executive vice president of Simpson’s Eggs and a fourth-generation egg farmer. “Being part of an effort that brings egg farmers together to support communities across the country means a great deal to us.”
Firefighters help return recovered owlet to home in Asheville
Members of the Asheville Fire Department lent a helping hand (and a ladder) to the team at the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Lees McRae College last weekend to ensure the safe return of an owlet to its family’s home in the trees.
Labeled Great-horned owlet 2026-0079 (read my piece on red wolves from 2025 to learn why preservationists stick to a scientific numbering system rather than give animals names), the owlet was injured when it fell from its nest in early March.
“After a blood transfusion, medications, and nearly 3 weeks of care and monitoring, this baby was reunited with their family yesterday!” read a Facebook post from the rehab center on Thursday.
Oftentimes when baby animals are severely injured, they need to be separated from their families forever, so the fact that this one was able to reunite with its parents is an especially happy ending.
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