Political Signs Vandalized In Henderson County
(Henderson County, NC) -- Investigators are looking for whoever vandalized political signs in Henderson County. Congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn says a Republican Party billboard and the local GOP headquarters was damaged last Friday. Someone also painted swastikas over two Trump signs in Brevard last week.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Climb In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- COVID-19 hospitalizations are continuing to grow in North Carolina. The latest report from state health officials shows more than eleven-hundred patients are being treated in hospitals. Nearly 13-hundred new cases were reported statewide on Monday. The positivity rate stands at six-percent.
New Voting Machines Used In Transylvania County
(Transylvania County, NC) -- Voters in Transylvania County will use different machines to cast a ballot this election. WLOS-TV says the board of elections is training poll workers how to operate the new touchscreen machines, which also print paper ballots with results. Each voter will be given a cotton swab if they want to use it to press the screen. Early voting begins Thursday.
Buncombe Libraries Re-Opening
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Most libraries in Buncombe County are re-opening today at 50-percent capacity. Visitors over the age of five will be required to wear a face mask inside. The Pack Library is delaying its re-opening to a date not yet announced.
City Of Asheville Opens Offices Again
(Asheville, NC) -- City offices in Asheville are opening again this week. Only reduced capacity is allowed at City Hall and the Municipal Building. Visitors can expect to see visible signage for social distancing, plexiglass barriers, and hand sanitizer accessibility. Face coverings are required.
Henderson County Reveals COVID-19 Dashboard
(Henderson County, NC) -- The public can keep an eye on coronavirus trends in Henderson County schools. The district is making a new COVID-19 online dashboard available, which shows cases among students and staff. WLOS-TV reports it's the first school system in western North Carolina to release a dashboard.
CMPD Investigating Two Homicides
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating two homicides. One man was killed in a shooting at the intersection of Old Statesville Road and WT Harris Boulevard in north Charlotte yesterday afternoon. Officers found a second man shot to death near Tate and Campus streets in west Charlotte around half-an-hour later. Investigators haven't released any suspect information.
Union County Middle School Closing Over COVID-19
(Union County, NC) -- A middle school in Union County is switching to remote learning due to COVID-19. School officials are closing East Union Middle through October 26th after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Health officials are contacting parents of those students who may have had close contact with the staff member. Impacted areas at the school are being cleaned and disinfected.
CMS Board To Vote On Name To Replace Vance High
(Charlotte, NC) -- The school board is expected to vote on a new name for a Charlotte high school tonight. The district has been discussing changing the name of Vance High School for several months now, due to the name's ties to slavery and the Confederacy. A majority of support in a community survey went to naming the school after Julius L. Chambers, who was a Charlotte lawyer and civil rights leader. Most students preferred to name it after its location of University City.
CLT Adds Electric Buses
(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte Douglas International Airport is beginning to replace its line of diesel buses. NBC Charlotte says five electric buses are now part of the fleet at CLT, which is the first step towards more sustainable transportation. CLT plans to add a total of 50 battery-powered buses to transport passengers within ten years.
Pre-K Students Return To CMS Classrooms
(Charlotte, NC) -- CMS Pre-K students are back in the classroom this week for the first time since the district went remote this spring. The district phased back in the age group beginning yesterday, three weeks before Kindergarten through 5th grade students are welcome back. The number of CMS employees who tested positive for COVID-19 as of last week is 18. That's more than double the week before.
Electric Vehicle Maker Opening Factory In Rock Hill
(Rock Hill, SC) -- An electric vehicle manufacturer is soon setting up shop in Rock Hill. The York County Economic Development Authority announced yesterday that the company Arrival will begin operations at a microfactory sometime next year. The company will add 240 jobs at the Rock Hill location, which is the first of its kind for Arrival in the U.S. Factory workers will work on the production of electric buses.
New Coronavirus Numbers In North Carolina Slightly Lower On Monday
(Raleigh, NC) -- Data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services showed there were 1-thousand-276 new cases of the coronavirus confirmed on Monday, which was 443-fewer than the day before. North Carolina's positivity rate was at an even six-percent. The Department also reported over 11-hundred people in the hospital, the highest its been since August 11th. Three additional COVID-19 deaths were recorded yesterday, which brought the total to 37-hundred-73.
One And Only Governor's Debate To Take Place Tomorrow Night
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper and Lt. Governor Dan Forest will square off tomorrow night in their one and only debate before the November, 3rd general election. It will be hosted by the North Carolina Broadcasters Association. The event, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will take place 12-hours before early in-person voting gets underway in North Carolina. Most polls show Cooper with a double digit lead over Forest.
Record Setting Early Voting Period In North Carolina Starts On Thursday
(Raleigh, NC) -- This year's early voting period that starts on Thursday, will be the longest in North Carolina history, 17-days. According to the North Carolina Board of Elections, early voting precincts will be set up in all of the state's 100-counties. New voters will be allowed to register on-site at those precincts. And completed absentee ballots can also be dropped off at those locations.
Last Day To Apply For State Coronavirus Grant Is Thursday
(Raleigh, NC) -- Parents in North Carolina have until Thursday to apply for a 335-dollar state coronavirus relief grant. Funds from the Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0, were signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper on September 4th. It allows families with qualifying children to use the money to help defray the cost of at-home virtual instruction and child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once requested, the 335-dollars will be sent automatically to those who filed their 2019 state income tax returns.
Trump Campaign Re-Directs Millions In TV Ad Dollars To North Carolina And Three Others
(Raleigh, NC) -- The Donald Trump presidential re-election campaign has reportedly pulled some 17-million dollars in radio and tv ads from Iowa, New Hampshire and Ohio, and redirected those funds to states like Florida, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina. North Carolina and the other three are now considered the most key battleground states in the election.
Amazon To Build Delivery Center In Guilford Co.
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Amazon is confirming plans to build a delivery station in Guilford County. It will be located at the Rock Creek Center in Whitsett. Amazon officials say the station will help increase delivery-time for customers in the Triad. It's also expected to create hundreds of jobs in the area. The center will be open sometime in 2021.
Burlington Man Charged With Murder
(Burlington, NC) -- A Burlington man is wanted for first-degree murder in connection with a deadly shooting over the weekend. Thirty-year-old Richard Robertson Junior is accused of shooting 36-year-old Jasper Thaxton Junior outside an apartment on Beaumont Court Sunday. The victim died the next day at the hospital. Anyone with information on Robertson's whereabouts is urged to call Burlington P-D.
Guilford Co. Courthouse Closed After Positive COVID-19 Cases
(Guilford Co., NC) -- The Guilford County Courthouse is closed for the rest of the week after a county employee tested positive for the coronavirus. The closure affects the superior and district courtrooms at the courthouse in Greensboro. The person who tested positive was employed by the Sheriff's Department.
Pres. Trump To Visit Greenville
(Greenville, NC) -- President Trump will campaign in Greenville this week. He's headed to the Pitt-Greenville Airport Thursday for a rally. This is his first public event since contracting the coronavirus earlier this month. Campaign officials say attendees will have to wear masks and get their temperatures checked.
Burlington Man Charged In Connection With Sexual Assault
(Burlington, NC) -- A 22-year-old Burlington man is facing sexual assault charges. Roberto Barrios-Armas is accused of assaulting a woman who was giving him a ride home on Sunday morning. He was taken into custody that afternoon on suspicion of felony second-degree forcible rape. Barrios-Armas is being held on a 50-thousand-dollar bond.