Woman Burned From Gasoline Dousing Dies (Henderson County, NC)
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office says a woman who was burned after being doused in gasoline is dead. Teresa Stallings was flown from Edneyville to a burn center in Winston-Salem last December. A 911 caller stated she caught on fire after igniting a lighter. A SWAT team arrested Anthony Harrison Moore, who is currently facing assault charges. Stallings died yesterday.
Lawmakers Pushing For Voter I.D. Initiative (Raleigh, NC)
Republicans are pushing to let the public decide whether or not to require voter identification in the state. House Speaker Tim Moore filed an amendment yesterday for the initiative. Moore says North Carolina is the only southeastern state that doesn't require some form of voter ID when casting a ballot. While some say it needs to be put in place to avoid fraud, Republican Representative Chaz Beasley doesn't feel fraud is a problem.
Company Says Lake Tahoma Dam In Great Shape (McDowell County, NC)
The company that operates the Lake Tahoma dam now says that it was never in imminent danger, despite the call for evacuations last week. Buck Creek Corp secretary Ralph Meekins told WLOS-TV that the decision to send out the alert was due to a mudslide in the area of the dam, but they don't know exactly where that happened. He says on the night of May 30th, the dam was in great shape. A mandatory evacuation went out that night to residents south of the dam in McDowell County amid heavy rains.
Congressman: ICE Detainee Incorrectly Detained (Asheville, NC)
Congressman David Price says one man was "incorrectly detained" during a recent ICE raid in Western North Carolina. An ICE spokesman confirmed to the "Charlotte Observer" that Juan Manuel Guardian-Romero did enter the country lawfully last December. He later reportedly went back to Mexico for a short visit before having no record of re-entering the U.S. Guardian-Romero has been held in Georgia following his April arrest in Spruce Pines.
Lawsuit Filed For Box Derby Race Crash Injuries (Brevard, NC)
One woman is filing a lawsuit against several parties for injuries she reportedly suffered from a box derby crash in Brevard. The driver lost control of the wooden car at the White Squirrel Festival and crashed into a crowd, injuring six people. Tanne Trawick is now seeking 25-thousand-dollars from the owners of the car, in addition to the Transylvania County Board of Education and Heart of Brevard Inc. for not providing adequate barriers or space. One man died as a result of his injuries
State's Largest Greenhouse Expected In Henderson County (Henderson County, NC)
The largest greenhouse operation in North Carolina is planned for Henderson County. Lakeside Produce says it will invest 23-million-dollars into the first phase of its project outside Mills River. That would include the hiring of 50 employees. The two remaining phases are expected to take six to eight years and bring in an additional 100 workers. The company had been searching for a location in several eastern U.S. states.