Local and State Headlines for Monday, October 22nd, 2018

Fallen North Carolina Trooper Laid To Rest (Columbus County, NC)

Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to a fallen highway patrol trooper in Columbus County yesterday.  Kevin Conner died in the line of duty last week when he was fatally shot during a traffic stop.  Troopers from multiple states and Governor Roy Cooper were among those who paid respects to Conner at South Columbus High School.  A state highway patrol helicopter flew over his state flag-draped casket after a 21-gun salute and playing of Taps. 

Senator Tillis Says Government Needs To Make Tough Budget Choices (Charlotte, NC)

A North Carolina U.S. senator says the government needs to make "tough choices so that we can balance our books."  Republican Thom Tillis made the comments on NBC's Meet the Press when asked about a record-breaking deficit that may surpass a trillion-dollars.  Tillis says he voted against the most recent spending deal because "it's too much spending."  He says, "We've got to get the American people to recognize that we have a powder keg of dynamite in a debt that's continuing to grow."

High Winds Knock Out Power, Cancel Festival (Banner Elk, NC)

Some Western North Carolina residents are still without power after windy conditions hit the region on Saturday night.  Duke Energy reported that several hundred customers in Buncombe and Jackson counties were in the dark late last night.  The wind was enough to destroy tents at Banner Elk's annual Woolly Worm Festival and forced the cancellation of Sunday's events.  Three-thousand new power outages were reported in Rutherford County early this morning.  

Freeze Warning In WNC This Morning (Asheville, NC)

A chill is still in the air this morning across Western North Carolina.  A freeze warning is in effect for the foothills and the mountains until 10 a.m.  Overnight lows will be a little warmer this week after the first freeze of the season.  Expect lows to hover in the upper 30s to low 40s for the remainder of the week.      

Armory Named After Buncombe County Soldier (Henderson County, NC)

The National Guard Armory in Henderson County is now named after a soldier from Buncombe County.  Sergeant Thomas Ray died in Iraq more than ten years ago when a bomb hit his vehicle.  WLOS-TV says a crowd of soldiers, legislative leaders and friends gathered at the East Flat Rock Readiness Center to honor him on Saturday.  It's part of an initiative across the state to name all armories after Army National Guard soldiers who have been killed in the line of duty since 9-11.        

Public Input Needed On Greenway Plan (Henderson County, NC)

Henderson County officials are looking for the public's thoughts on a proposed 30-year greenway plan.  An input session is coming up tomorrow morning from ten to noon at the King Street meeting room.  The plan will act as a guide to develop a network of greenways in the county that are expected to promote healthy living, aid in tourism and conserve habitats.  The Hendersonville Times-News says nearly eight miles of greenways have been constructed since 1999.      

Former Panther Leaves Prison Today (Sampson County, NC)

Former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth is expected to walk away from the Sampson Correctional Institution as a free man today.   He was convicted in 2001 in the murder-for-hire killing of his pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams.  It's unknown if he has any plans to return to Charlotte following his release, which is scheduled sometime after eight this morning.  The minimum security prison is around three hours east from the Queen City in Clinton. 

President Trump Plans Friday Rally In Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

President Trump is making a return to Charlotte this week.  A Make America Great Again rally takes place on Friday at Bojangles Coliseum on East Independence Boulevard.  Trump is reportedly campaigning for Republican Mark Harris in the 9th District congressional race.  Democratic candidate Dan McCready was in Charlotte over the weekend to campaign door-to-door.


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