Asheville Hotel Ban Expected To Extend
(Asheville, NC) -- A ban on new hotel development is expected to be extended in Asheville. The city council is preparing to vote tomorrow on a moratorium that's been in place for a year and set to expire this week. Planning officials have been tasked with coming up with rules on hotel proposals, but some members don't seem keen to accept them just yet. The Citizen-Times reports most candidates looking to fill upcoming council openings in the election are also against the proposed rules.
COVID-19 Positivity Rate Remains Down
(Raleigh, NC) -- The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is continuing to trend downward in North Carolina. Public health officials say the rate dipped to four-point-six-percent at the end of last week, which makes it below the desired five-percent threshold. There were more than 13-hundred new cases identified on Sunday's report, with eight additional deaths. Nearly three-million tests have been administered so far statewide.
Vance Monument Task Force Taking Input Next Month
(Asheville, NC) -- Plans for what to do with the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville are moving forward. A local task force is expected to start taking thoughts from the public next month before drafting a proposal. Recommendations on what to do with the monument will then be made to the Asheville city council in mid-November. The monument came under added scrutiny this summer due to its ties to the Confederacy.
Lt. Gov. Visits WNC
(Jackson County, NC) -- Lieutenant Governor Dan Forrest is doubling down on his push against what he calls a leftist agenda. The Republican candidate for governor made a stop in Sylva on Saturday to campaign against Roy Cooper's COVID-19 response and law enforcement defunding. He also attended a rally for President Trump in Fayetteville. Trump made his third stop in the state this month over the weekend.
City Council Voting On Potential Police Defunding
(Asheville, NC) -- The Asheville City Council is preparing to make a decision on police funding. Members are meeting tomorrow to discuss a proposal from the city manager to defund the department by nearly 800-thousand-dollars. A quarter of that plan consists of cuts to animal control positions. Another large chunk eliminates six telecommunicator positions that are currently vacant.
Coast Affected By Atlantic Hurricane
(Undated) -- Travelers heading toward the North Carolina coast this week need to be aware of potential dangers. Hurricane Teddy is churning in the Atlantic with no threat for landfall, but it's causing problems with coastal surges. The National Weather Service has issued warnings for the next few days due to potential large waves that could produce local flooding along the coast. It comes after Hurricane Sally just left swaths of rain across the state last week. Western North Carolina was largely unaffected.
Rally For Social Justice Organized By Jacob Blake's Father
(Charlotte, NC) -- The call for social justice is continuing in the Queen City. There was a rally in uptown yesterday led by Jacob Blake, Senior. The local man is the father of his namesake son, who was shot in the back seven times last month in Wisconsin. Blake said we're not asking, but we are demanding equal rights when it comes to police brutality.
One Arrested In Daycare Shooting
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a shootout near a Charlotte daycare. Officers say two groups opened fire on each other around The Learning Experience on West Arrowood Road Friday. WBTV reports a student's father was arrested for simple affray and obstruction. The school was locked down. There were no injuries.
Panthers Drop Second Game
(Tampa, FL) -- The Panthers are still seeking their first win of the season. Carolina couldn't recover from an early three-touchdown deficit yesterday to lose to Tampa Bay 31-17. Running back Christian McCaffrey missed most of the fourth quarter after suffering a leg injury. Next up is another game on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Fire Damages Scrap Metal Yard
(Charlotte, NC) -- A fire at a Charlotte scrap metal yard is being investigated. Flames sent black smoke into the air at Auto Parts U Pull & Scrap Metal off Statesville Road yesterday. The road was shut down around two hours as firefighters battled the blaze. No injuries were reported. Crews from several agencies helped at the scene.
Museum Re-Opens
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte museum is opening its doors for the first time in months. Statewide restrictions forced Discovery Place in uptown to close down near the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but recent decisions have made way for a re-opening. Members were welcome back for the first time last weekend, while the general public can visit beginning this Saturday. Capacity is being reduced to 25-percent for the time being, with appointments necessary for a visit.
Bus-Truck Collision In Front Of Mall Kills One
(Durham, NC) -- An investigation continues into the cause of a fatal accident in Durham Sunday that claimed the life of a truck driver. The crash between the GoTriangle city bus and a delivery truck happened near the Southpoint Mall at the intersection of Renaissance Parkway and Rolando Drive around 5 p.m. The bus driver and three passengers were also injured in the collision. Authorities did not release the identity of the deceased truck driver. No word on the condition of those injured aboard the bus.
Trump Promises To Name Person To 'Fill That Seat' This Week
(Fayetteville, NC) -- In his fourth visit to the state of North Carolina this month, President Trump told supporters in Fayetteville Saturday that he will make a selection this week to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday. Amid chants of "Fill That Seat" at the Fayetteville Regional Airport, Trump also said the nominee will be a woman. Trump also reiterated that he expects a coronavirus vaccine to be approved before the end of the year.
State's COVID-19 Positivity Rate Lowest In Over Four Months
(Raleigh, NC) -- Data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services showed there were one-thousand-333 new cases of the coronavirus reported on Sunday, which was an increase of 104 over the day before. That brought the total number of positive cases since the outbreak of the pandemic to more than 193-thousand. And as of Friday, the state's positivity rate had fallen to four-point-six-percent, the lowest in more than four months. The report also said there were 889-COVID-19 patients in the hospital yesterday. Three-thousand-243 people have died from the disease.
Roads In Outer Banks Flooded By Waters From Teddy And High Tide
(Outer Banks, NC) -- Over the weekend, Hurricane Teddy created rough surf, dangerous rip currents and high tides for the northern section of the Outer Banks and Hatteras Island. Long stretches of Highway 12 between Hatteras and Okracoke Island were totally submerged under water Sunday. Travelers to and from Hatteras Island are asked to avoid driving at high tide today as a coastal flood warning remains in effect through Monday afternoon.
Man Charged With Over 300 Child Sex Crimes To Make First Court Appearance Today
(Hoke County, NC) -- A Hoke County man who fled the state last month was arrested over the weekend in Mississippi and charged with committing more than 330 sex offenses with a child. The alleged offenses occurred between February and August of this year. Thirty-year-old Joshua Taylor Bradshaw, of Raeford, was taken into custody Saturday in Etta, Mississippi by FBI agents. In a statement released by the Hoke County Sheriff's Office, Bradshaw was extradited back to North Carolina Sunday. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance today. Bond has been set at 20-million dollars.
Trump Pays Tribute To Ruth Bader Ginsburg At NC Rally
(Fayetteville, NC) -- Trump supporters were chanting "fill that seat" at a rally in North Carolina after the President vowed to choose a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At Saturday night's campaign rally in Fayetteville, Trump called Ginsburg a "legal giant" and said all Americans can recognize her value even if they don't agree with her views. He then quoted the Constitution, saying it is the President's responsibility to replace any vacancies on the Supreme Court.
Man Killed In Hit-And-Run In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run accident as a homicide. It happened around 1 p.m. Sunday in the 24-hundred-block of Madre Place. Officers who responded to the scene found a man dead. There's no word yet on whether police have identified a possible suspect or a motive in the case.
Deadline To Register To Vote Is Oct. 9
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- The deadline to register to vote in the November 3rd election is Friday, October 9th. Folks can register through the North Carolina DMV's online portal, in-person at the DMV, by mail, or at voter-registration events. The early voting period starts October 15th.
Carolina Classic Drive-Thru Food Fair
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Fairs across the country are going to look different this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In order to still allow residents to enjoy fair food, numerous state and county fairs are rolling out a "Fair Food Drive-Thru." The Carolina Classic Drive-Thru Fair runs from October 1st through the 4th at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Folks will be able to order their favorite fair food from 12 different vendors.
Aggravated Assault Investigated In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- A person is recovering from gunshot wounds after an aggravated assault in Greensboro. It was reported just before noon yesterday in the 58-hundred-block of Sycamore Glen Road. Police have not identified the suspect or the victim in the case. An investigation is ongoing.