Coronavirus Hospitalizations Back Up
(Raleigh, NC) -- Hospitalizations from COVID-19 still remain at a high level in North Carolina. Public health officials reported 890 people were being treated at the hospital yesterday, which is up from the average one week prior. There was an overall new case increase of just over 16-hundred, up to over 62-thousand overall. Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, McDowell and Macon counties have the highest case numbers in western North Carolina.
Man Dies Trying To Rescue Juvenile From River
(Cherokee, NC) -- A man who reportedly jumped into a western North Carolina river to save a life is dead. Rangers at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park told WLOS-TV a Wayne County man dove into the Oconaluftee River in Cherokee on Saturday after a juvenile was in distress. The child was able to safely make it to shore, but the 32-year-old man never resurfaced. Crews found his body after a short search.
Lawmakers Trying To Re-Open Gyms Again
(Raleigh, NC) -- There's another attempt to re-open gyms in North Carolina. State legislators passed another bill on Friday in support of opening fitness centers, which Governor Roy Cooper has already denied once. Cooper decided last week to extend Phase Two restrictions until the middle of July, which means gyms are supposed to remain closed. Lawmakers have also tried to push through a bill to allow bars to re-open, but it was vetoed.
Buncombe County Names New Health Director
(Buncombe County, NC) -- A new public health director is starting in Buncombe County in just over a month. The county just announced it hired Stacie Saunders, who served in the same position in Alamance County and is president-elect of the state's association of local health directors. Dr. Jennifer Mullendore has been serving as interim health director.
One Injured In Restaurant Shooting
(Forest City, NC) -- A restaurant shooting is being investigated in Forest City. Rutherford County officials told WLOS-TV one person was injured in a business on Sparks Crossing Saturday night. The restaurant closed down during the investigation. It's unclear if any arrests have been made.
Buncombe Offering COVID-19 Testing Sites Through Summer
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Buncombe County is rolling out a series of COVID-19 testing sites the rest of the summer. Healthcare workers will be set up at the Ingles parking lot on Highway 70 in Swannanoa every Tuesday beginning tomorrow. Another location will be held at the Buncombe County Sports Park on Thursdays. A third testing site will run on Sundays starting this weekend at the Allied Health parking lot on Genevieve Circle in Asheville.
Cam Reportedly Heading To Patriots
(Charlotte, NC) -- It appears the Panthers' longtime quarterback is heading north. ESPN is reporting Cam Newton has signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, who just lost their quarterback Tom Brady to Tampa Bay in the offseason. Cam was drafted first by the Panthers in 2011. He sat out most of last season with an injury.
Crews Search For Man On Lake Norman
(Catawba County, NC) -- A search is underway for a missing man on Lake Norman. Witnesses told investigators he jumped off a pontoon boat to go swimming in the Beaver Dam Creek area on Sunday morning, but never came back up. There were roughly ten people on the boat. Wildlife officials say he wasn't wearing a life jacket.
School Board Member Being Investigated For Insensitive Posts
(Union County, NC) -- A Union County school board member is being investigated for allegedly making racially insensitive posts on social media. District officials told WSOC-TV they'll be meeting today to discuss the comments. They wouldn't give out information on the content or who wrote the posts.
Masks Required At CLT
(Charlotte, NC) -- Travelers using Charlotte Douglas International Airport are being reminded they must wear a face mask. Airport officials are implementing a rule that went into effect statewide on Friday afternoon. Anyone who doesn't have a mask will be provided one by the airport. There are limited exceptions.
Knights Cancel Large Fireworks Display
(Charlotte, NC) -- Another fireworks display is being canceled in Charlotte. The Charlotte Knights organization is calling off its annual SkyShow, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Truist Field. It's considered the largest display in Charlotte. The club said on Twitter yesterday the show may be re-scheduled later this year.
Black Lives Matter-LGBTQ Stage Joint March And Rally In Raleigh Sunday
(Raleigh, NC) -- Dozens of marchers crowded the streets of downtown Raleigh Sunday to demand an end to both racial injustice against black people and violence against the LGBTQ community. The demonstrators followed a route from Nash Square to the Raleigh police station, where they also painted a sign on Cabarrus Street that read 'Abolish' in large red letters. Organizers said Sunday was the 51st anniversary of the launching of the Gay Rights Movement. They also said transgender people of color are six times more likely to experience physical violence at the hands of police than other races.
Work Crews Remove Last Of Confederate Monument Sunday
(Raleigh, NC) -- The last few pieces of the pedestal of a confederate monument on the grounds of the State Capitol were removed Sunday. Crews finished dismantling the base of the obelisk after working on the project for nearly a week. Earlier this month, protesters pulled down two confederate monuments in Raleigh, which was followed by Governor Roy Cooper ordering two other statues taken down in response. Later today, crews in Rocky Mount will take down a confederate monument following an order by the City Council.
Artists To Converge On Fayetteville Tonight To Paint Message In Front Of Market House
(Fayetteville, NC) -- A message denouncing racism is scheduled to be painted in front of Fayetteville's historic Market House today. The infamous structure is located on a site where slaves were once bought and sold. Starting at 5 p.m., streets will be blocked off and artists will paint in large bold letters the words, End Racism Now and Black Lives Do Matter. The painting is scheduled to be finished tomorrow.
Chapel Hill Man Crushed To Death By Tree That Fell On Mobile Home
(Chapel Hill, NC) -- High winds created by a line of strong thunderstorms that rumbled across central North Carolina Sunday, caused a large tree to fall on a mobile home, killing the occupant inside. It happened around 4:50 p.m. at the Tar Heel Mobile Court on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The victim, identified at 47-year old Grijalva [[ Gree-Yal-Vah ]] Abel, was crushed beneath the weight of the tree. Neighbors say although the winds were estimated to be about 40 miles per hour, no warnings had been issued at the time of the incident. Abel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Suspect Steals Police Car, Drags Officer, Hits Two EMS Workers
(Fayetteville, NC) -- One suspect had to be hospitalized in Fayetteville Sunday, following a bizarre incident involving a police cruiser. It started just before 8 a.m. on Fordham Drive. Officers responded to a call of a man in need of medical assistance. When they arrived they found the individual non-cooperative and agitated. While trying to subdue the suspect, he somehow was able to break free, get into a police cruiser and drive off. In the process, he dragged one police officer a few feet and also hit an EMS worker and several other vehicles with the car. None of their injuries were considered life threatening. After a high speed chase, the suspect crashed the vehicle into a ditch in Autryville. He was arrested and transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for unspecified injuries.
Targeted Shooting Reported In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- An investigation is underway in Greensboro where a person was hit in what police are calling a targeted shooting. It happened yesterday in the 43-hundred-block of Bernau Avenue. Police believe the victim was targeted and say the public is not in danger. There's no word on the victim's current condition. An investigation is ongoing.
FCSO Investigating Road Rage Incident
(Forsyth Co., NC) -- Forsyth County sheriff's officials are investigating a road rage shooting. It happened Saturday afternoon on I-40 East, near Lewisville-Clemmons Road. Police say a person in a white Kia Optima fired two shots at a passing car with a family inside. No one was hurt. Officials say the vehicle had Oklahoma plates.
Players Kneel Before First U.S. Professional Game Since Pandemic Declared
(Herriman, UT) -- In the first professional team sporting event in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic, players for the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns showed solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement and knelt during the National Anthem. All the players also wore Black Lives Matter shirts before kickoff Saturday. The NWSL Challenge Cup marked the return of professional team sports in this country since the start of the pandemic in March.
Harris Teeter To Offer Free, Disposable Masks
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Harris Teeter is now offering customers free, disposable masks. The decision was made in an effort to comply with the state's new mask mandate, which took effect this past Friday. Harris Teeter says customers who refuse to wear a mask will not be asked to leave the store.