Coronavirus Hospitalizations Hit High In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are at a high in North Carolina. Public health officials reported hospitalizations rose to over 700 for the first time yesterday. The number of total cases statewide is growing closer to 25-thousand, with an average of more than 630 new cases a day for the past week. Nearly 800 deaths have been reported.
Gym Owners Sue Over Governor's Order
(Raleigh, NC) -- Some North Carolina gym owners are taking the fight to reopen to court. A group of five filed a lawsuit yesterday, which argues that Governor Cooper's order to keep gyms shuttered is unconstitutional. They claim the state's Constitution guarantees an absolute right to work. The owners represent nearly 20 gym locations, which all plan to reopen on Monday despite the governor's restrictions.
Suspects Wanted In Spindale Motel Murder
(Spindale, NC) -- Investigators are looking for several suspects in a killing outside a western North Carolina motel. Officers say a man was shot to death outside a Town and Country Inn and Suites in Spindale Tuesday night. Two men charged with murder and two women accused of being accessories to the crime are on the run. The shooting allegedly stemmed from a disagreement that broke out at the motel. Police are reviewing surveillance footage.
Hendersonville's Main Street To Close To Cars This Weekend
(Hendersonville, NC) -- Main Street in downtown Hendersonville will look a bit different this weekend. Cars won't be allowed from Friday through Sunday as part of a new initiative called Open Streets Weekend. City leaders approved the closing of Main Street as a way for restaurants to expand outdoor seating and to allow businesses to set up displays. Business owners will still be enforcing social distancing measures when setting up tables.
Two Arrested After Asheville Stabbing
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville police are investigating a stabbing that led to hours of negotiating with the suspect. Officers found the victim at an apartment on Woodfin Street early Wednesday morning. A 54-year-old man barricaded himself inside the unit for six hours until finally surrendering to police. A woman was also arrested for obstruction and other charges. The victim was in critical condition at last word.
Harrah's Reopening Casinos
(Cherokee, NC) -- The public is being welcomed back to Harrah's Cherokee Casinos today. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is implementing strict health and safety precautions at both Cherokee Valley River and the casino resort in Cherokee. Occupancy will be limited on gaming floors to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The casinos have been open to invited guests only since May 18th.
Novant Health To Use Drones For Equipment Delivery
(Charlotte, NC) -- Novant Health is using new technology to deliver emergency gear to its hospitals. The FAA recently gave the healthcare system the thumbs up to use drones to drop off personal protective equipment. The first route to be used soon will be from Novant's fulfillment center in Kannapolis to its hospital in Huntersville. The drone can carry up to four pounds.
Charlotte Firefighter Arrested For Larcenies
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte firefighter is being accused in a series of thefts from a local Target. Investigators say 41-year-old Timothy Ireland allegedly stole a collective 500-dollars-worth of merchandise in seven thefts at the store on Metropolitan Avenue dating from late April through last weekend. Ireland began working with the CFD more than a decade ago, and has since been reassigned during the investigation. He was arrested this week for misdemeanor larceny.
Coronavirus Hospitalizations Hit High In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are at a high in North Carolina. Public health officials reported hospitalizations rose to over 700 for the first time yesterday. The number of total cases statewide is growing closer to 25-thousand, with an average of more than 630 new cases a day for the past week. More than 34-hundred cases have been identified in Mecklenburg County.
Transit Bus Driver Charged In Deadly Hit-And-Run
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte transit bus driver is facing charges in a deadly hit-and-run. The CMPD says a CATS bus struck a pedestrian on North Tryon Street late Tuesday morning. The victim was allegedly trying to wave the bus down. The bus driver left, while the pedestrian died at the scene. Officers have since charged the driver with felony hit and run.
High School Senior Injured In Cramerton Shooting
(Cramerton, NC) -- A high school senior in Gaston County is suffering from injuries in a shooting. Officers found 17-year-old Nasani Riley in the parking lot of a Burger King in Cramerton Tuesday night. They say it appears she was shot in the back while taking out the trash during her shift at the restaurant. No one has been arrested, but investigators are looking through surveillance footage to try and identify a suspect.
Bertha Drops Flooding Rain
(Charlotte, NC) -- The remnants of Tropical Storm Bertha are moving out of the Piedmont. The now-Tropical Depression dropped a couple of inches of rain in Charlotte last night, which caused some creek flooding in already saturated areas. The area was under a flood warning early this morning. There's still a decent chance for thunderstorms through at least Friday.
Man Killed By Minnesota Police Has Sister Who Lives In North Carolina
(Raeford, NC) -- The sister of a Minnesota man who died at the hands of police earlier this week, is a resident of North Carolina. Bridgette Floyd lives in the Hoke County town of Raeford. She said she is heartbroken at the death of her brother and the way in which he died. George Floyd died Monday after being pinned down for several minutes by a Minneapolis police officer who had his knee in the back of Floyd's neck. A viral video records Floyd voice saying multiple times that he couldn't breathe. The video has sparked violent protests in the streets of Minneapolis and in Los Angeles, demanding that the officers involved be charged with murder.
New Leader Appointed To Head Up State Unemployment Office
(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina Division of Employment Security has a new leader. Governor Roy Cooper making the surprise announcement Wednesday that Pryor Gibson, who was the Department's Assistant Secretary, will replace Lockhart Taylor. The state unemployment office has come under strong criticism from thousands of people who have been unable to file claims online or by phone. The agency says more claims have been filed over the past two months than in the previous six years.
Gym Owners Make Good On Promise To Sue Governor Cooper
(Raleigh, NC) -- Attorneys representing a group of gym owners filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Governor Roy Cooper, requesting that a judge issue a temporary restraining order to block a ban that keeps their businesses closed. The lawsuit also argues that the governor's ban on gymnasiums is unconstitutional. Some gym owners have threatened to reopen on Monday, regardless of the judge's decision.
Johnston County School Board Votes Unanimously To Appoint Bracy As New Superintendent
(Johnston County, NC) -- The Johnston County School District has announced the selection of a new school superintendent. Dr. Eric Bracy was chosen unanimously by the Board of Education out of a field of more than 31-candidates who interviewed for the job. Bracy brings more than 20-years of public education experience to the District, including 12-combined years as superintendent of Northampton and Sampson County Schools. Bracy is set to begin on July 1st.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations In North Carolina Highest On Record
(Raleigh, NC) -- New figures released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services show a record number of COVID-19 patients being treated at hospitals across the state. As of Wednesday, there were over 700-hospitalizations, the highest one-day total since the pandemic first hit back in March. The Department also said there were around 490 new cases of the coronavirus yesterday, which brought the total number to nearly 25-thousand.
COVID-19 Cases Spike In Triad
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- COVID-19 cases in the Piedmont Triad are up by about 100 day-over-day. The state Department of Health and Human Services reported about five-thousand-760 positive coronavirus cases yesterday. Health officials say 171 people have died from the virus locally. Statewide, there are about 24-thousand-630 cases and 790 deaths.
COVID-19 Outbreak Reported In Kernersville
(Kernersville, NC) -- Forsyth County health officials are announcing another COVID-19 outbreak at a local senior care facility. Fifty-one new coronavirus cases were identified yesterday at Piney Grove Nursing and Rehabilitation in Kernersville. It's the fourth outbreak at a long-term care facility in the county.
Pelosi Cast Doubts On Conventions Due To Coronavirus Uncertainty
(Washington, DC) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is casting doubts about whether the Democratic and Republican political conventions should happen late this summer. Pelosi said yesterday there is probably not "anyone who would say at this point that tens of thousands of people should come together for a political event." The President has threatened to pull the GOP convention out of Charlotte, North Carolina because he wants a full contingent of delegates in place.
Homicide Investigation Underway In Burlington
(Burlington, NC) -- An investigation is underway in Burlington where a man was shot and killed. It happened just before 4 p.m. yesterday in the 12-hundred-block of Evans Street. Forty-nine-year-old Frederick Mebane was found suffering multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not identified as possible suspect.
Man Wanted In Deadly Motorcycle Wreck
(Davidson Co., NC) -- Highway Patrol troopers are looking for a motorcycle rider who left an injured passenger at the scene of a crash in Davidson County. It happened around 10:15 yesterday morning at Hannerville and Kindley roads. Troopers say 30-year-old Joshua Harris drove his bike off the right side of the road and crashed. He took off, leaving his passenger behind. Harris is wanted on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, failure to stop at a stop-sign and reckless driving.