Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in High Point, NC

High Point (N.C.) Christian junior kicker David Green is experiencing something new when he attends NC State games.

Green grew up being a season ticket holder to Wolfpack games at Carter-Finley Stadium. Now, he’s getting invited as a kicking prospect and has been three games in that capacity this fall.

“My family has lifetime rights for season tickets,” Green said. “I grew up in High Point, and my dad went to NC State. If we don’t have a [recruiting visit elsewhere], then we’ll be at NC State.”

Green's father was a talented soccer player, but elected to become a student at NC State, and Green’s grandfather is also a Wolfpack graduate. His mother was on the dance team at East Carolina. His grandmother got him a kicking tee for Christmas when he was around 14 years old, and the rest is history.

“Ever since, I just kept going and going,” Green said. “Then I hit my first 50-yarder about two months later.”

Through Dan Orner Kicking, he’s among the top kicking specialists in the class of 2026.

“Kickers go to rankings camp, and they go to Kohls or they go to Chris Sailor,” Green said. “Those are how we get our names out there. We also get coaches phone numbers and start sending them film. If they like our film, they’ll text us back most likely.”

Recruiting a punter or kicker is unique. NC State offered Christopher Dunn a scholarship early in his career at Lexington (N.C.) North Davidson High in the class of 2018. The Wolfpack then brought in graduate transfer Brayden Narverson for the 2023 season.

NC State took a different tactic by having redshirt sophomore Kanoah Vinesett take over the kicking duties. He arrived from Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern as a preferred walk-on, who has now earned a scholarship.

“It was amazing,” said Smith on watching Dunn kick. “In high school, he owns the North Carolina state record for a 58-yarder. With him going to NC State and winning the Lou Groza Award [in 2022] was great to watch for me.”

The state of North Carolina has produced some talented kickers in recent years. Dunn and Joshua Karty of Elon (N.C.) Western Alamance High dueled for the Groza Award, and he’s now with the Los Angeles Rams this season. Clemson freshman kicker Nolan Houser is from Cornelius (N.C.) Hough High and North Carolina senior kicker Noah Burnette attended Raleigh Leesville Road High.

“A lot of us work with Dan Orner and he produces all the great kickers in North Carolina and South Carolina,” Green said.

NC State running back coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel and quality control Jackson White zero in on the kickers in recruiting for the Wolfpack.

“It’s always been great,” Green said. “I’ve been to three specialists camps too [at NC State] since I was a freshman. They always tell us that we are welcome anytime for an unofficial game-day visit.”

The 5-foot-11 Green has gone 6 of 8 on field-goal attempts with a long of 40 this season, and has made all 43 extra points for the 8-0 Cougars. He made a 51-yarder last year for HPCA.

“The two misses are from 58 yard and 53,” Green said.

Green has been to NC State, Clemson, Texas, Georgia, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Charlotte. He’d like to see Tennessee and Virginia Tech in the future.

Charlotte was the first college to offer him a scholarship June 22, 2024.

“I always check to see who the starter is and who they have on the roster,” Green said. “If I wanted to go to Florida State, I know they have a great starter and just signed the No. 1-ranked kicker as their backup. I’d know I’d be sitting there for years.

“I want to start immediately as it isn’t much fun sitting on the bench. I just wouldn’t want to sit too long.”

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I’m Brian Gordon, tech reporter for The News & Observer, and this is Open Source, a weekly newsletter on business, labor and technology in North Carolina.

Twice a year, once in April and once in October, the North Carolina city of High Point rivals Milan, Italy, as host of the world’s most prestigious furniture trade show. High Point certainly has the largest.

Starting Saturday, the High Point Market will bring tens of thousands of designers, manufacturers, interior decorators, buyers, sellers, and influencers to the self-proclaimed “Home Furnishings Capital of the World.”

Anchored around two large, labyrinthine buildings, the market contains 11.5 million square feet of showrooms displaying beds, credenzas, linens, paintings, sculptures, tables, rugs, bookcases, wallpaper, recliners, love seats, ottomans, settees, swivel chairs, and at least one $36,000 leather sofa.

“This is a big deal,” said Jerry Epperson, a longtime furniture consultant and member of the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. “What these people are buying is for the remainder of the year and in October, for the following calendar year. It’s a lot of new merchandise completely new to consumers. I go to the smaller showrooms and see things I’ve never seen before.”

Epperson attended his first market fresh out of graduate school in 1971. Back then, only about 10% of furniture sold in the United States was imported. And North Carolina was the nation’s largest producer, with manufacturing centered around High Point, a city that straddles four different counties about 90 miles west of Raleigh.

Today, Epperson estimates 90% of our wood and metal furniture is imported while nearly half of upholstered furniture comes from abroad — mostly Asia. Many jobs were lost in this outsourcing. But the industry endures, and in areas of the Tar Heel State, thrives. For example, experts note North Carolina has retained its edge in high-end custom furniture.

“This is a product that China and other countries really don’t want to compete on,” said Andy Counts, CEO of the High Point-based American Home Furnishings Alliance.

“North Carolina is blessed with a lot of literally the world’s best manufacturers,” Epperson said.

And the state still has the Market. The first event was held in 1909. It is now managed by the High Point Market Authority, a nonprofit funded by both exhibitors and the public dollars. Though some worried an upstart Las Vegas furniture event that launched in 2005 would threaten its relevance, the multi-day Triad event remains the industry’s domestic crown jewel.

In April, I attended the multi-day market to glimpse the excitement. I missed the Goo Goo Dolls concert and exclusive night-time parties but did speak to plenty of furniture lovers. One notable conversation was with two women from Minnesota who have a business furnishing Saudi palaces.

During the day, shuttles dropped off attendees at a modern bus terminal downtown. On either side of the street were the market’s two main hubs — multi-story centers owned by the asset management firm Blackstone. Exhibitors rent out rooms in these buildings for 12-months just to present their furnishings for one week in the fall and another in the spring. Some spent weeks or even months arranging their spaces ahead of the market.

Several described the industry struggling with bloated inventories left over from the pandemic years when spikes in consumer demand prompted sellers to order more items. But challenges are par for the course in an industry where, if the builders do it right, customers won’t have to buy replacement furniture items for decades.

Perhaps that’s part of the reason that one sofa was listed for a retail price of $36,105. Then again, it was very comfortable:

Four weeks since Tropical Storm Helene hit Western North Carolina, 26 people remain missing.

That shouldn’t be phrased as only 26 people; not accounting for that many missing nearly a month after a natural disaster is tragic. But given the unsubstantiated rumors I saw on social media this week decryingthousands whose whereabouts remain unknown, I found myself arguing that it’s only, in fact, 26 verified missing people.

I also took a few hours to debunk a specific missing persons rumor spreading on TikTok and X. It centered on a spreadsheet called Hurricane Helene People Finder, which displayed hundreds of people as “missing.” In comment sections, people asked with understandable fury why no government or media outlet was telling this story.

But it wasn’t hard to confirm the unofficial Google Doc was outdated: Its creator made that possibility clear at the very top. I spoke to a “missing” person on the list who was never missing. Her concerned cousin in New York had entered her name after the storm. Cell service was down for days and loved ones couldn’t connect. It all made sense.

I also confirmed the safety of another “missing” person and feel confident I could account for more if I had endless time. But no one does. And the misinformation keeps coming.

Thanks for reading!

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This story was originally published October 25, 2024, 10:45 AM.

This month, the interior design community will make its way to High Point Market in North Carolina to preview industry manufacturers’ forthcoming debuts in furniture, lighting, decor, and more, and to scope out upcoming interiors trends. Here, AD PRO maps out the furniture industry’s largest trade show in North America and explains everything you need to know about this spring’s edition.

What, When, and Where It Is

High Point Market is a semiannual furniture design show, held in April and October, open exclusively to the trade. Located in downtown High Point, North Carolina, the show draws more than 75,000 interior designers, architects, and home furnishings buyers each season. Official show dates for the fall edition are October 26 through 30.

How to Buy a Ticket

Ticket lines at the fair will take away valuable product-viewing time, so we recommend registering for the fair ahead of time online. Passes can also be picked up on-site at any major market building, including the International Buyers Center, Market Square, and IHFC. For those looking to outsource the hassle, High Point Market Authority’s Market Concierge provides assistance for booking travel, shuttle transportation, hotels—and even offers a local’s suggestion on where to eat after a long day at the market.

How to Get to High Point Market

High Point Market spans more than 11 million square feet of showrooms in downtown High Point, North Carolina’s downtown district (though there are several can’t-miss showrooms in the great city limits too). Interstates 85 and 40 provide direct access for commuters, while airports in neighboring cities Greensboro (GSO), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), and Charlotte (CLT) offer free shuttles to Market multiple times a day. Luggage and coat checks are available at Showplace and the IHFC Commerce Wing.

What to Know About the Fair

Millions of square feet of show space calls for a well-planned schedule—and, of course, comfortable shoes. The fair’s 2,000-plus exhibitors span emerging makers to legacy furniture houses and the Antique & Design Center, a designer favorite for one-of-a-kind finds. For fair first-timers, Market’s official tours can be a great resource. Reserve a spot on the networking-focused Insider’s Tour or the various Style Spotters routes, which survey the trends in artisanal works, upholstery, lighting, and more.

The city’s downtown shuttles conveniently transport attendees from building to building free of charge during the market, but private shuttles or car services can be ordered in advance for those looking to be ultra-efficient.

Where to Eat at High Point Market

Come lunchtime, Market main streets like Commerce Avenue and South Elm Street host a bevy of take-to-go food trucks. Market Square and the IHFC Building host several eateries and coffeeshops, while select showrooms, such as Universal Furniture (101 S. Hamilton St.), offer dining options for visitors. And for those willing to go the extra few blocks, the Stock + Grain Food Hall is now open on North Elm Street (Shuttle Stop 26).

Design Collaborations Not to Miss

Students also delivered approximately 20,000 items to hurricane victims on Monday.

Donate Today!

HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 9, 2024 – High Point University students, faculty and staff have raised $22,000 to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts, led by a $10,000 donation from the Student Government Association.

In addition, a group of students spent their fall break pilgrimage on Monday delivering approximately 20,000 donated items to hurricane victims in Boone, North Carolina. The items included cases of bottled water, diapers, bags of dog food and boxes of canned goods. Several HPU staff members accompanied the students to Boone, which sustained significant damage from the Category 4 hurricane.

“It has been incredible to watch the student body of HPU come together to support their fellow neighbors,” said Sam Carr, HPU’s director of student leadership and university relations. “Most of our students do not live in this area, and this just further shows the selfless nature and the desire of our students to want to help others.”

The group of students initially planned to travel to Asheville, North Carolina, for their fall break pilgrimage. However, after the storm devasted the city, the students changed their plans and helped people in Boone.

On Monday morning, students and staff members loaded a moving truck parked outside the Slane Student Center with boxes of donations that they had been collecting since last week. City Transfer and Storage, a moving company in High Point, supplied the truck and then drove it to Harvest House Church in Boone, where students and staff members unloaded the supplies and sorted it for hurricane victims.

“I just think it’s a super important thing to give back to the people who live so close to us,” said Emma Higgins, an electrical engineering major from Yonkers, New York, and HPU’s senior class president. “All the students who are out here are into helping them as they go through this really hard time, and I think there’s no place we’d rather be on fall break than to help them.”

Last week, the SGA approved a $10,000 donation for two churches — Harvest House Church and Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville — that are assisting with the hurricane relief.

The SGA, in partnership with HPU’s Offices of Student Life and Chapel and Religious Life, launched a campus-wide initiative to assist those communities in western North Carolina that were hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Several schools and departments across campus have also collected donations, including the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law, the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and the Department of Psychology.

HPU students are continuing to collect donations for hurricane victims, including winter items such as coats, gloves and socks.

HPU has offered assistance since Hurricane Helene made landfall. The university provided food to the Presbyterian College women’s volleyball team and facilities for its players to practice at prior to their Oct. 4 match at HPU. Presbyterian College, based in Clinton, South Carolina, was forced to briefly close its campus and cancel classes after it sustained significant damage and lost power because of the hurricane.

HPU is also providing food, lodging, and practice facilities for UNC Asheville tennis players starting this week.

More than 3,000 bottles of water have been donated with more projects underway.

HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 3, 2024 – High Point University’s Student Government Association and other units across campus are leading efforts to provide much-needed support to those communities in western North Carolina that continue to be impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The SGA, in partnership with HPU’s Offices of Student Life and Chapel and Religious Life, is collecting monetary donations and items such as bottles of water and non-perishable food to deliver to people affected by last week’s Category 4 hurricane.

In addition, several schools and departments are collecting donations, including the Department of Psychology, the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law.

“People are excited to give back. We announced the initiative yesterday, and people were already showing up with bags and bags of stuff,” said SGA President Benjamin Niehaus, an honors scholar and finance major from Chattanooga, Tennessee. “Professors have come by and donated money. We’ve been on the phone with parents and other people tied to the university who are just excited to give, and I think it’s that excitement that is just really a breath of fresh air, especially during midterms. You would think everyone is focused on their classes and getting through these hard tests and papers and projects, but they’re running out to Walmart and Food Lion and filling up grocery carts full of supplies to donate to their neighbors in western North Carolina.”

HPU students and families are encouraged to support these campus-wide efforts, which run through Friday. All physical and monetary donations will be delivered to communities in western North Carolina in the hope of helping as many hurricane victims as possible.

Below is a list of ways the HPU community can contribute:

Below is a list of items that are needed for those affected by the hurricane:

The HPU community has already started providing resources to hurricane victims in other ways. Here is a glimpse of their efforts so far.

HPU Dining donated more than 3,000 bottles of water to hurricane victims in Morganton and Boone, two cities in western North Carolina.

To help with the effort, a group of HPU Dining staff members loaded a pallet of bottled water into a moving truck on Wednesday at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. The truck then transported the more than 1,500 bottles of water to a local organization that planned to deliver the water to Morganton.

“People are in need and actually in desperation, and it’s nice that we’re able to donate at all,” said Khara Mungo, HPU’s catering director. “I think it’s great and shows that we’re supporting the community.”