A Libertarian state Senate candidate was arrested Monday after an hours-long standoff with Cary police that began as a welfare check prompted by alarming social media posts.

Jonathan D. Miller, the Libertarian nominee in North Carolina Senate District 16, was taken into custody around 3 p.m. near Cary’s Lochmere neighborhood. Police said no shots were fired and nobody was injured.

Officers went to Miller’s home on Glen Echo Lane around 8:26 a.m. after monitoring posts in which he described suicidal thoughts and appeared to reference an armed confrontation. Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said an officer encountered Miller carrying a firearm, ordered him not to touch it and watched him run into nearby woods.

Miller continued posting during the search and called WRAL several times. He told the station he had been depressed the previous night and ran because he feared being hospitalized. Sult said police monitored the calls with WRAL’s permission and that the conversations gave officers useful insight during negotiations.

Police charged Miller with communicating threats, resisting officers and going armed to the terror of the people. He was being held at the Wake County Detention Center and was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. The charges are allegations, and Miller is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The response temporarily closed nearby roads and placed Resurrection Lutheran School under a code yellow lockdown. Cary police later announced that the crisis had ended peacefully and normal traffic could resume.

Miller is challenging Democratic Sen. Gale Adcock and Republican Philip Hensley in the Nov. 3 election. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina thanked police for resolving the incident without violence but declined to address Miller’s campaign status.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts can call or text 988 for free, confidential assistance.

Vice President JD Vance used a Hendersonville rally to highlight $858 million in federal highway aid for Hurricane Helene repairs, tying the recovery award to Republicans’ closing pitch in western North Carolina.

The figure Vance cited represents the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s share. A separate Federal Highway Administration breakdown assigns another $13.25 million to U.S. Forest Service roads and about $2.21 million to Bureau of Indian Affairs transportation sites, bringing the state’s Helene-related total to roughly $873.5 million.

Vance said the money would support eight major damaged corridors, including Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge. Helene destroyed or severely damaged about five miles of the interstate near Tennessee. NCDOT estimates permanent reconstruction will cost roughly $2.8 billion, with four lanes expected to reopen in late 2029, though unstable ground could change the timetable.

The money comes through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which reimburses eligible road, bridge and emergency-access costs rather than providing direct aid to homeowners. Federal officials say Helene created more than 9,000 transportation damage sites and over 1,400 road closures statewide. The allocation brings the federal highway commitment for Helene repairs in North Carolina to about $2.9 billion.

Vance made the announcement while campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley and House candidates Jennifer Balkcom and Laurie Buckhout. He credited President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Whatley attacked former Gov. Roy Cooper’s recovery record, while Cooper’s campaign said his administration activated emergency resources and secured major state and federal assistance.

Nearly 99% of storm-affected state roads have reopened, but NCDOT estimates the full transportation recovery will cost about $5 billion. The new allocation is a reimbursement milestone, not the end of a rebuilding effort expected to continue for years.

UNC-Chapel Hill has agreed to federal requirements addressing antisemitism, admissions and race-based programs, resolving 18 Education Department investigations and a Justice Department review without paying a fine or admitting wrongdoing.

The voluntary university-wide settlement will remain in effect through Dec. 31, 2028, and preserves UNC’s eligibility for federal grants, contracts and awards. The investigations arose under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race, color and national-origin discrimination in federally funded programs.

Under the 10-page agreement, UNC must create a Title VI coordinator, ensure Jewish and Israeli students are covered by its nondiscrimination policy and promptly investigate complaints. The university must provide mandatory antisemitism training, add law enforcement resources when warranted and enforce a ban on face coverings used to conceal identity, with limited exceptions. Student groups may face defunding, suspension or loss of recognition for antisemitic discriminatory conduct.

UNC agreed to maintain “color-blind” admissions across undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Admissions officers may not use race, racial proxies or protected characteristics in recruitment and pipeline programs. The deal still permits consideration of personal adversity, poverty or family educational background when applied consistently and not used to disguise racial preferences.

Scholarships, financial aid, student benefits and programming must operate without unlawful racial preferences. Within 30 days, UNC must designate a Merit & Civil Rights Administrator. The university said Associate Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Hall will fill that role and oversee reporting.

UNC must submit quarterly reports covering antisemitism and racial discrimination complaints, beginning with allegations received since Oct. 7, 2023. Chancellor Lee Roberts must certify compliance under penalty of perjury.

Roberts called the agreement a responsible resolution that protects UNC’s mission and affirms civil rights. The university emphasized that the deal protects academic freedom and does not authorize federal officials to dictate curricula or academic speech.