Two Bodies Found In Asheville Hotel
(Asheville, NC) -- An investigation is underway at an Asheville hotel where two bodies were found. Police were called to the Best Western on Tunnel Road around noon Sunday after reports of two unresponsive people. Investigators don't suspect substance abuse, but they're waiting on results from autopsy tests. The victims' identities have not been released.
Petition Circulating To Prevent New Yancey Co. Supervisor From Taking Office
(Burnsville, NC) -- There's a petition to prevent Yancey County Schools' new superintendent from taking office, and it already has close to two-thousand signatures. The school board chose Kathy Amos to fill the position, and some parents are not happy about it. Amos was the principal at a Burke County elementary school while a teacher was charged in a child sexual abuse case. Her first day is July 1st.
I-40 Closed After Rockslide
(Undated) -- Parts of I-40 near the Tennessee line are closed due to a rockslide. NC-DOT shut down the road yesterday near Cold Springs Creek Road. They reopened at least one lane during afternoon rush-hour to help alleviate traffic. The DOT hopes to have the rest of the road opened by 8 a.m. Motorists are advised to use caution in the area.
Two Brevard Firefighters Terminated Over Facebook Post
(Brevard, NC) -- Two Brevard firefighters are terminated after a post on Facebook that bashed the city's manager. Richard Travis and his wife, Summer, were part-time firefighters for the city. They both lost their jobs after sharing a picture of City Manager Jim Fatland at the Memorial Day Parade. The post was captioned "How disgraceful it looks to be the city manager from Brevard." Apparently Fatland was wearing a military uniform that was a mix of several branches.
Yancey Co. Men Facing Animal Cruelty Charges
(Yancey Co., NC) -- Two Yancey County men are accused of choking their family dog to death with a belt. The sheriff's department says Dallas Blevins and his brother-in-law, Anthony Elkins, confessed to choking the German shepherd dog for between 20-and-30 minutes after it bit Belvins' daughter on her ear. They were arrested on May 31st and charged with animal cruelty.
Mountain Island Flooding Causes Boats To Become Loose
(Charlotte, NC) -- Officials are assessing the damage at Mountain Island Lake where flooding caused a dock and about a dozen boats to become loose. The flooding sent the boats under the Highway 16 bridge, near the Mecklenburg and Gaston County line. Crews had to open the floodgates after heavy rain this past weekend caused Mountain Island Lake to quickly rise. They say the flooding was the worst they've seen since 1940.
Problems Reported After Severe Flooding In Catawba Co.
(Catawba Co., NC) -- Residents in Catawba County are dealing with the aftermath of flash flooding caused by days of rain. Problems include washed-out roads and flooded homes. The area along 13th Street in Conover was among the hardest hit. In Hickory, flood waters swept multiple vehicles into a ditch after the road gave way. Both Catawba County and Hickory have declared States of Emergency due to the significant damage.
Hickory Releases 340K Gallons Of Untreated Wastewater Into Creeks
(Hickory, NC) -- The city of Hickory says it's released over 340-thousand gallons of untreated wastewater into nearby creeks in recent days. City officials say 185-thousand gallons was discharged into Snow Creek and 78-thousand gallons was released into Falling Creek on Sunday. Yesterday, another 80-thousand gallons of untreated wastewater was let loose into Clark Creek. They say all three discharges equal about one percent of the wastewater they treat daily.
Teenage Surfer Injured In Shark Attack At Ocean Isle Beach
(Brunswick Co., NC) -- A teenage surfer is recovering from a shark bite at Ocean Isle Beach. The attack happened yesterday afternoon. Officials say the 19-year-old man was bit on his right foot. He was rushed to a hospital in Wilmington and is expected to be okay. An investigation is ongoing.
Ballantyne Community To Undergo Transformation
(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte's Ballantyne community is getting ready for some big changes. A developer recently announced its plans to build a 25-acre town center, complete with shops, restaurants, apartments and an amphitheater. The goal is to transform the space into a more urban setting and to boost the economy in that area. The developer says they hope to start construction by early 2020.
Some Flood-Damaged Roads Could Be Closed For Weeks Or Months
(Undated) -- Crews are getting a number of streets and roads repaired and re-opened after this past weekend's flooding in northern Wake and southern Franklin counties. But five roads won't open for weeks or months. WRAL reports U.S. 401 just south of NC-98 isn't expected to re-open until late August. Other roads that won't open for weeks or longer include NC-97 between Zebulon and Wendell, Moores Pond Road southeast of Youngsville, Billy Hopkins Road in eastern Wake County, and Mitchell Mill Road.
Flooding To Keep Parts Of Duke's Bryant Center Closed Indefinitely
(Durham, NC) -- Flooding and damage at Duke University's Bryant Center will keep parts of the building closed indefinitely. The underground Greenhouse, which houses offices for student media, religious life, event marketing, and more is closed and those services are temporarily set up in other parts of the Bryant Center. The bookstore, restaurants, ATMs, and other public areas are open.
Raleigh City Council Approves $1.04-Billion Budget
(Raleigh, NC) -- Raleigh has a new billion-dollar city budget and no increase in property taxes. The City Council approved the budget of just over a billion dollars on Monday. The budget is six-point-seven percent higher than the current spending plan but leaves the property tax rate unchanged. City officials say Raleigh has seen slight increases in property tax and sales tax revenue.
Wake County Urging Private Well Owners To Test For Contaminants
(Raleigh, NC) -- Wake County wants people with private wells to get them tested for possible contaminants. The county will send out notices later this month to thousands of private well owners to have testing done for uranium and other elements and chemicals. The county estimates there are about 20-thousand private wells in what experts call a vulnerable area. The county says about four-thousand wells might exceed the standard for uranium and another six-thousand could exceed the guidance level for radon.
Hillsborough Man Claims $1.7-Million Lottery Jackpot
(Hillsborough, NC) -- An Orange County man is turning a scratch-off lottery ticket into a lot of scratch. North Carolina Education Lottery officials say Rodney Emory of HIllsborough won the four-million dollar top price in the latest $150-Million Cash Explosion. Emory chose the lump sum payout and went home with just under one-point-seven million dollars after taxes. Lottery officials say two more four-million dollar prizes and four one-million dollar prizes are still unclaimed.
Piedmont Braces For Localized Flooding After Heavy Rainfall
(Greensboro, NC) -- Sunshine is on tap today after parts of North Carolina got hit with record-breaking rainfall this past weekend. Forecasters say the Piedmont saw another quarter-to-half-inch of rain yesterday, with some areas getting even more than that. They say the main risks now are gusty winds and localized flooding.
High Point Man Killed In Three-Car Wreck
(Greensboro, NC) -- A High Point man is dead after a three-car wreck on Business 85. It happened Friday afternoon near I-73. Troopers say Jonathan Entsminger crashed his vehicle into two parked work trucks. He died at the scene. Troopers say both speed and the weather appear to be factors in the wreck.
Teenage Surfer Injured In Shark Attack At Ocean Isle Beach
(Brunswick Co., NC) -- A teenage surfer is recovering from a shark bite at Ocean Isle Beach. The attack happened yesterday afternoon. Officials say the 19-year-old man was bit on his right foot. He was rushed to a hospital in Wilmington and is expected to be okay. An investigation is ongoing.
Mother Charged After Child Killed In DUI-Related Wreck
(Whitsett, NC) -- Another Triad mother is facing charges after her child was killed in a DUI-related wreck. Troopers believe Sara McGlynn was high on drugs Sunday night when she lost control of her minivan and crashed into a ditch. Four-year-old Madeline Fichack, who was not properly restrained, was killed. Another four-year-old girl was killed earlier this month when her mother crashed her vehicle in Yadkin County. The mother was also cited for driving impaired and for not properly restraining her child.
Man Accused Of Raping Multiple Women In High Point
(High Point, NC) -- A High Point man is in jail on a three-million-dollar bond after police say he raped multiple women in just 24 hours. Tavio Whitehead was taken into custody last Wednesday after police responded to a call on East Green Drive. They found a partially-clothed woman with obvious signs of assault. Whitehead was also linked to two other rape reports from the previous 24 hours. He is facing multiple sex offense and rape charges.