Haywood School Board Reinstates Superintendent
(Haywood County, NC) -- Haywood County's school superintendent is back on the job. The school board relieved Dr. Bill Nolte of his duties last week to investigate a controversial post he put out on Facebook that appeared to show white children in a field. The caption read "poor children of every color picked cotton." Nolte apologized and said he was only trying to highlight income issues. The school board unanimously voted to re-instate him yesterday after wrapping up the investigation.
Buncombe COVID-19 Community Testing Sites Close Temporarily
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Community COVID-19 testing sites are on hold in Buncombe County. Western North Carolina Community Health Services has been coordinating the testing, but now the group says there are capacity and staffing issues that prevent them from continuing. Buncombe County will now be in charge of community testing sites. It may take a couple of weeks for county officials to coordinate site logistics and safety before the program is brought back on board. The sites have averaged about 850 people per week.
Early Voting Locations, Hours Approved In Buncombe
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Early voting hours are extending this fall for Buncombe County residents. The Board of Elections approved voting sites and time periods this week, which will average about 18-percent more than the 2016 presidential election. Elections officials are offering more space for social distancing at 14 polling locations, with the possibility of two more. The early voting period runs the last two weeks of October, with hours available on most weekends as well.
More Than Two-Thousand New COVID-19 Cases Reported In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- Public health officials are reporting a large jump in new COVID-19 cases statewide. More than 21-hundred were confirmed on Wednesday, with another 30 deaths. The positivity rate sits at around eight-percent. The largest number of cases in western North Carolina are still in Buncombe and Henderson counties by far, with around 12-hundred each.
Weaverville Man Sentenced For Attempted Murder
(Buncombe County, NC) -- A Weaverville man is heading to prison for trying to kill his father. Shane Anders was sentenced to 13-to-17 years yesterday after investigators say he shot his dad on Sheppard Branch Road last July. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and several other charges.
Trash Volume Increasing During Pandemic
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Trash is piling up in the Asheville area. Waste Pro told WLOS-TV this week that residential volume is on the rise, and the coronavirus pandemic is most likely to blame. The amount of trash picked up in Buncombe County has reportedly risen by 25-percent since more people have been staying at home. The company has hired more drivers to keep up with the additional garbage.
Meck County Restricts Late-Night Alcohol Sales
(Charlotte, NC) -- Mecklenburg County is buckling down on late-night alcohol sales. New restrictions were announced yesterday that ban food and drink consumption on-site at restaurants and breweries after 11 p.m. The food restriction won't apply to restaurants that don't serve alcohol. The new guidelines will run through August 7th in conjunction with the state's phase two re-opening measures. The county manager said the changes aren't effective in Huntersville and Cornelius, where town leaders say there's no problems with overcrowded restaurants.
Charlotte Soccer Unveils Team Name, Logo
(Charlotte, NC) -- The team name for the Queen City's new pro soccer team is out. The club revealed yesterday it will be known as Charlotte FC, with a black, blue and white color scheme. Charlotte's logo includes a crown with four points, representing four wards of Uptown. Owner David Tepper said Charlotte FC is getting ready COVID or no COVID. The team's debut season was pushed back to 2022.
Police And Protesters Meet In Gastonia
(Gastonia, NC) -- Tensions are rising this week outside a Gastonia ice cream shop. It started Monday when a woman wearing a Black Lives Matter button claims she was treated unfairly at Tony's Ice Cream on East Franklin Boulevard. She was charged with second-degree trespassing. Gastonia police responded last night after protesters gathered near the business. WSOC-TV says people in the groups claimed they were part of the Black Panthers and Black Lives Matter. Some counter-protesters allegedly carried Confederate flags. There's no word yet if any arrests were made in last night's gathering.
Three Charged In Woman's Death
(Charlotte, NC) -- Three suspects are facing charges from an apparent deadly armed robbery in north Charlotte. The CMPD says a woman was shot to death inside her car outside a shopping center on West Sugar Creek Road Tuesday afternoon. Officers pulled over the suspects after tracking down their vehicle description. Two men and a 16-year-old juvenile were taken to jail for murder and other charges.
Young Boy Dies In Apparent Drowning
(Iredell County, NC) -- No foul play is suspected in an Iredell County drowning. The sheriff's office said a 15-month-old baby was found in a pool on Sharon Road in Statesville Tuesday night. First responders arrived to try and revive the child, but the boy died at the hospital.
Leaders Break Ground For Cleveland County Casino
(Cleveland County, NC) -- The plan to build a casino in Cleveland County is hitting the next stage. Local leaders and representatives of the Catawba tribe broke ground yesterday at a large site off I-85. Crews are starting to begin work on a 300-million-dollar casino that's expected to be completed by next summer. Catawba Nation Chief William Harris estimates it will end up creating four-thousand new jobs around the area.
Coronavirus Spike Nearly Tops Single-Day Record
(Raleigh, NC) -- The number of new coronavirus cases in North Carolina reached another disturbing high Wednesday. The two-thousand-140 single-day count was the fourth highest since the pandemic first began and the seventh time the one day total exceeded two-thousand. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also reported there was a slight decrease in hospitalizations Wednesday. The 11-hundred-37 figure was 42 fewer than on Tuesday.
Ban On Overnight Alcohol Sales In Raleigh Now In Effect
(Raleigh, NC) -- The City of Raleigh's new ban on alcohol sales officially went into effect last night. The executive order, issued by Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin, makes it illegal to sell alcohol between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. at bars and restaurants, as well as grocery and convenience stores. Baldwin said the prohibition is an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Doctors At UNC Looking For Volunteers To Participate In Trials For COVID-19 Vaccine
(Chapel Hill, NC) -- Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill will soon be looking for volunteers to participate in human clinical trials of a vaccine against COVID-19. In a statement released Wednesday, officials said the University will be one of several sites to begin Phase 3 testing of a vaccine developed by Moderna, a private research company. Potential volunteers are advised to be on the lookout for a new recruitment website that's expected to be up and running in a few weeks.
Vigil Held For Boy Killed By Stray Bullet Inside Durham Apartment
(Durham, NC) -- Friends and family members gathered in Durham last night to hold a prayer vigil in honor of a 12-year-old boy who died after being hit by a stray bullet last week while inside his apartment. Investigators believe Tyvien McLean was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between two rival gangs. There have been no arrests in this case. Recent gun violence will be the main topic of discussion when the Durham City Council meets this afternoon.
Loggers Discover Possible Human Remains In Wooded Area Of Goldsboro
(Wayne County, NC) -- An investigation has been launched in Wayne County following the discovery of what appears to be human remains. It happened Wednesday around 2:20 p.m. in a wooded area of Goldsboro along the 600-block of Falling Creek Church Road. According to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, the discovery was made by a logging company employee who was working in the area. The remains were turned over to the Chief Medical Examiner's office in Raleigh.
Nineteen-Year-Old Arrested For Murder In Yadkin Co.
(Yadkin Co., NC) - A 19-year-old is arrested for murder in Yadkin County. Ashton Matthews is accused of giving a 26-year-old man drugs before he overdosed last October. The cause of death was overdose due to ingestion of a controlled substance. Matthews was arrested this week on suspicion of second-degree murder and is being held on 50-thousand-dollars' bail.
Missing Person Investigation In Mount Airy
(Mount Airy, NC) - An investigation is underway in Mount Airy in connection with a missing person's case out of Virginia. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the North Carolina Bureau of Investigations and the Patrick County Sheriff's Office, were scouring the area near King Park Circle yesterday. They were looking for leads in the disappearance of Sarah Hill, who was reported missing out of Patrick County in June 2018. Crews in the area were seen digging.
Davidson Co. Schools Announce A-B Schedule
(Davidson Co., NC) - Davidson County Schools are moving forward with a plan that includes in-person and remote learning. On August 17th, there will be a week-long orientation for both teachers and students, with 20-percent of students attending each day. On August 24th, students will start school and attend remotely until September 14th. An A-B alternating schedule will then take place. Parents who do not want their child in the classroom can opt for a fully-remote schedule.
Man Arrested For Rape In Randleman
(Randleman, NC) - A Randolph County man is accused of sexually assaulting a child. Thirty-six-year-old Tony Sierra Junior was taken into custody Wednesday after an in-depth investigation. It launched July 13th after sheriff's officials received a call about a child who'd been sexually assaulted the day before. Sierra is charged with felony statutory rape of a child and two counts of felony statutory sex offense with a child. He's being held on two-point-five-million dollars bail.
Person Killed In Crash In Davidson Co.
(Davidson Co., NC) - A person is dead after a crash in Davidson County. It happened yesterday evening on I-85, near mile-marker 84. Troopers say a construction truck was putting out signs when a car traveling at a high rate of speed rear-ended it. The driver of the car, 29-year-old Zacorran Gaither, was killed. Two people in the truck were hurt, but not badly.