Committee Says Every Public School Needs Armed Officer
(Raleigh, NC) -- A school safety committee is recommending that armed officers be placed in every North Carolina public school. The group gave Governor Roy Cooper its report yesterday, which addresses over 30 ways to improve safety. The News & Observer says there are 12-hundred school resource officers in around 24-hundred North Carolina schools. The committee also suggested more money for mental health staffing.
State Rep Ordered To Stay Away From Wife
(Brevard, NC) -- A Western North Carolina lawmaker is being ordered to stay away from his wife. Kelsey Henson has been granted a temporary protective order against Republican State Representative Cody Henson until a court date on February 19th. She reportedly requested the order to keep her and her children safe. Henson represents District 113, which covers Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties.
Missing Avery County Father And Son Safe In Alabama
(Avery County, NC) -- A father and son who went missing from Avery County yesterday are safe. Daniel Bledsoe was supposed to be driving his seven-year-old son to the bus stop before school when they disappeared. The Avery County Sheriff's Office says they were found safe last night in Alabama.
Six More Die From Flu-Related Illnesses
(Raleigh, NC) -- Flu-related deaths continue to climb in North Carolina. Health officials say six people died last week in the state, which brings the number to 35 this season. The CDC is still recommending that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccination. The number of deaths in the flu season doesn't appear as heavy as last year when nearly 400 North Carolinians died.
Buncombe Couple Accused Of Abusing Adoptive Child
(Buncombe County, NC) -- A Buncombe County couple is accused of abusing their adoptive child. Sheriff's investigators said the girl was denied food when she misbehaved and sometimes forced to sleep on a table. Crystal and Ralph Bullard were arrested yesterday.
Judge Accepts Contractor's Plea Deal
(Buncombe County, NC) -- A judge is agreeing to a plea deal for a contractor who bribed Buncombe County administrators for work. Joe Wiseman entered a guilty plea yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He has been ordered to avoid drinking alcohol and is prohibited from doing business with any governments on his release. Sentencing comes later.
BB&T And SunTrust To Merge, Headquarters In Charlotte
(Charlotte, NC) -- A large bank merger is going to have a big effect in the Queen City. BB&T is buying SunTrust Bank in a 66-billion-dollar all stock deal, which creates the sixth largest bank in the United States. Corporate headquarters for the combined company will be in Charlotte. It's the biggest bank deal since the financial crisis from 2007-to-2009.
More Hospitals Add Visitor Restrictions
(Charlotte, NC) -- More visitor restrictions are in place at local hospitals due to an increase in flu cases. Atrium and Novant Health Hospitals are restricting children 12 and under from visiting effective today. A medical director at Atrium told WBTV that they're trying to minimize the number of sick people. Health officials just announced yesterday that six people died from flu-related illnesses in North Carolina last week.
Landis Town Manager And Finance Officer Resign
(Landis, NC) -- The town manager and finance officer in Landis are out. The two resigned this week as the SBI continues an investigation into the town's finances. Mayor Mike Mahaley says that town manager Reed Lin had previously announced plans to resign next month to spend time with family. Mahaley and the town attorney believe Lin's decision had nothing to do with the financial investigation.
Board Of Elections Briefed On Congressional Race Investigation
(Raleigh, NC) -- The state's new Board of Elections is preparing for a hearing into ballot fraud allegations in the ninth district congressional race. Board staff briefed the members behind closed doors yesterday over investigation findings. Election results haven't been certified in the race between Republican Mark Harris and Dan McCready. A public hearing is set for February 18th.
Walker To Start For Team Giannis In All-Star Game
(Charlotte, NC) -- Kemba Walker will represent the hometown team on Team Giannis [[ YAH-niss ]] in next weekend's NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte. Team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo [[ ahn-TEN-toh-coom-poh ]] selected the Hornets' star with his fourth pick as starter. It is Walker's third All-Star game. He'll join Charlotte-native Steph Curry of Golden State on Team Giannis.
Winning Powerball Ticket Sold In Kings Mountain
(Kings Mountain, NC) -- Someone in the Charlotte area could have a lottery ticket worth two-million-dollars. The state Education Lottery says the winning Powerball ticket for Wednesday night was sold at Three Point Market and Grill on Goforth Road in Kings Mountain. The ticket matched the five white balls and doubled the million-dollar prize by adding the Power Play feature. A two-million-dollar ticket from last weekend's drawing was sold in Hendersonville.
The Johnston County Man Who Killed Three People Is Sentenced To Life In Prison
(Johnston Co., NC) -- A Johnston County man who killed three people will spend the rest of his life in prison. Last year, 40-year-old Armando Martinez shot and killed two of his wife's daughters and one of their fiancées over an argument about drinking wine at a home in Dunn. Four children under the age of eleven were in the house at the time. Yesterday Martinez signed a plea agreement admitting to the crime to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Body Found In Edgecomb County Is Determined A Homicide
(Edgecomb Co., NC) -- Deputies in Edgecomb County are investigating a homicide. They say they found a man's body yesterday in the woods off of Jenkins Farm Road while they were investigating a missing persons case. A tip led to the discovery. He hasn't been identified, but deputies say this case is complicated and they will release more information soon.
Immaculata Catholic Cancels School Over Protest Fears About Gay Alum's Speech
(Durham, NC) -- A Durham Catholic school is going to be closed today because of the backlash over a gay alumni being asked to speak. Durham Councilman Vernetta Alston was set to speak at Immaculata Catholic School today, but protesters planning to demonstrate outside the school today scared the administration. Father Christopher VanHaight sent a letter apologizing to parents about the inconvenience their decision to cancel school today may have caused. Councilman Alston says he's deeply disappointed that he's been uninvited to speak.
UNC Chapel-Hill Apologizes For A Racist Picture In Their 1979 Yearbook
(Chapel-Hill, NC) -- UNC is apologizing for the 1979 Chapel-Hill yearbook that shows students wearing white hoods and pretending to hang a student in blackface. The apology was made yesterday during a news conference to introduce Kevin Guskiewicz as the university's interim chancellor. Guskiewicz said he was disheartened by the photo, but he doesn't think it represents the school today, or back in 1979 either. Other school officials condemned the picture saying students then and now are entirely responsible for the yearbook.
Durham Police Investigate A Deadly Shooting
(Durham, NC) -- Police in Durham are investigating a deadly shooting. They say they found a man shot inside a car on North Roxboro Road near the Captain D's restaurant. The unidentified man was taken to a hospital where he died. No suspects have been arrested and police ask anyone with information to call them.
Virginia Genealogist Shares How She Helped Catch A Fayetteville Serial Rapist
(Fayetteville, NC) -- A Northern Virginia genealogist is being credited with helping to crack Fayetteville's Ramsey Street Rapist case. CBS 17 reports that Cece Moore of Parabon Labs was able to use old DNA from rape cases to link Darold Bowden to the crimes. She says she used the suspect's DNA against a database from companies like Ancestry, and 23 and me, much like the method used to catch the Golden State Killer. Investigators then got his DNA through a series of sting operations to be sure before they arrested him. Moore is continuing her work with cold cases, and trying to stop other serial killers and rapists before they strike again.
Winston-Salem-Based BB&T, SunTrust Banks Merging
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Winston-Salem-based BB&T is buying SunTrust Banks in an all-stock deal for 28-billion dollars. The company announced the merger yesterday and is expected to operate under a new name. Operations will still be located in Winston-Salem and Atlanta, which are the current homes of both companies. This is the biggest bank deal since the financial crisis from 2007-to-2009.
UDC Makes New Push To Keep Statue Downtown
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- The United Daughters of the Confederacy are, once again, asking a Forsyth County Superior Court judge to halt the move of its controversial statue. The group had until January 31st to relocate the Confederate statue from downtown Winston-Salem. Instead, it filed a lawsuit against the city and the county, asking for an injunction to stops the move. A previous request was denied. The court will hear the new request on February 14th.
Pregnant Woman Killed In High Point ID'd
(High Point, NC) -- Police are identifying a pregnant woman shot and killed in High Point. It happened early Thursday morning at Deep River Point Apartments. Police say 20-year-old Tontoria York of South Carolina was nine-months pregnant. They say she was gunned down by her boyfriend, 20-year-old William Hayes the Third, who initially made up a story about how she died. Hayes was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Greensboro Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Child Abuse
(Greensboro, NC) -- A Greensboro woman is under arrest on suspicion of child abuse. Police say 25-year-old Ashlun Godfrey is charged with child abuse inflicting serious physical injury and assault by strangulation. The victim's family tells police she is four-years-old and suffered bleeding on the brain, a blood clot behind her eye and liver damage. She's currently in ICU in serious condition. Godfrey's next court date is March 7th.
Pentatonix Coming To Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- The world-renowned acappella group Pentatonix is coming to the Triad. The quintet will perform at the Greensboro Coliseum on May 30th and is brining along special guest Rachel Platten. Tickets go on sale to the general public next Friday.