COVID Cases Rise Back Up In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- There's a surge in COVID-19 cases across North Carolina. New cases rose by close to 20-percent last week, compared to the previous period. That's includes a rise in total cases for nearly 60 of the state's 100 counties. More than half-a-million COVID vaccine doses were administered statewide last week.
Firm Releases Asheville Airport Renderings
(Asheville, NC) -- An architect firm is moving forward with its design plans for a major expansion at Asheville Regional Airport. WLOS-TV reports renderings have just been released by Gresham Smith, which began the project around a year ago. The expansion is expected to be mostly funded by the FAA, and will include an increase in gates numbers and complete modernization. The design process will take a few more months to finish up before the airport dives into exact funding plans.
High Falls Parking Area Closed This Week
(Transylvania County, NC) -- The parking area for High Falls at the DuPont State Recreational Forest is closed this week. Crews will spend the next few days making improvements in appearance, function and traffic flow in the 66-space area. Anyone wishing to visit High Falls and Triple Falls will need to use the parking lot at Hooker Falls.
Biltmore Blooms Begins Next Month
(Asheville, NC) -- Spring is about to be on display at the Biltmore Estate. The annual Biltmore Blooms celebration starts at the beginning of April, when thousands of tulips, azaleas and other plants will begin to hit their peak. Special floral arrangements and art pieces will be featured inside the Biltmore House. The celebration lasts until the end of May.
Liquor Price To Go Up A Hair
(Raleigh, NC) -- It looks like the price of liquor purchased in North Carolina is creeping up soon. The state's ABC Commission signed a ten-year contract this month to extend warehouse services with LB&B Associates. The News and Observer reports an increase in the deal means customers will start paying an average of around 20-cents extra for every liquor bottle. An outside evaluation committee recommended the bid to the commission.
Hendersonville Mill Project Gains State Award
(Hendersonville, NC) -- A recent project at a historic Hendersonville mill is being recognized on a statewide level. The early 20th century Grey Hosiery Mill was recently transformed into nearly three-dozen apartments. The North Carolina Department of Commerce gave the project an Award for Merit for Best Adaptive Reuse earlier this month.
Vote On Charlotte Comprehensive Plan Delayed After Citizen Input
(Charlotte, NC) -- A decision on a plan to map out Charlotte's future is being delayed. Mayor Vi Lyles said last night that a vote on the city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan will be delayed until this summer, after more than 100 people signed up to discuss the proposal at last night's meeting. At issue for some residents is the plan's outline for single-family zoning, which could also allow for duplexes and triplexes. The 318-page guideline also makes provisions to establish ten-minute neighborhoods that are outfitted with grocery stores, schools and more.
CMPD Investigates West Charlotte Homicide
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a homicide in west Charlotte. Officers found a person shot to death inside a car across the street from the Tuckaseegee Park and Recreation Center yesterday. The SWAT team helped search for a possible suspect at a nearby apartment complex, but no one was found.
Charlotte To Receive 150-Million In COVID Relief
(Charlotte, NC) -- The city of Charlotte is about to start discussing ways to spend new COVID-19 relief funding. The city manager told the council last night that Charlotte will receive close to 150-million-dollars in two allotments from the American Rescue Plan. Half of that amount must be spent by the end of 2024. The funds can be used for an array of things, from small businesses and tourism to government services.
Suspect Sought In Charlotte Shooting
(Charlotte, NC) -- Officers are looking for a suspect who shot a man in northwest Charlotte. WSOC-TV is reporting the victim was injured while he was walking on Hovis Road with his three-year-old daughter Sunday. The girl was uninjured, but her father has since undergone surgery. Investigators are now looking for a car that was spotted on nearby surveillance video.
Racial Slurs Painted On School Spirit Rock
(Lincolnton, NC) -- School officials are trying to find out who painted racial slurs on a spirit rock in Lincoln County. The graffiti was noticed at Lincolnton High on Friday, before the school's football game with West Lincolnton High. Students helped repaint the affected area of the rock. Local police and principals of both schools are investigating.
Wake County Votes To Return Middle And High School Students Back To In-Person Learning
(Wake County, NC) -- The state's largest school district has decided to return all of its students back to in-person classroom instruction. The Wake County Board of Education voting 6-3 Monday night, to have middle and high school students join children in grades K-5 under Plan A. Students enrolled on the traditional calendar will return on April 8th. Those who go to school year round will start on April 14th. Also under the new plan, parents will still have the option to choose virtual learning.
Johnston County Students To Return To Full Time In-Person Classes Next Month
(Johnston County, NC) -- The Johnston County Board of Education also voted Monday to return all of its students back to in-person learning under Plan A. This comes three weeks after the District returned Pre-K through 5th graders back on March 1st. Under the latest Johnston County plan, students in grades 6-12 will go back to school on April 12th. They will have in-person classroom instruction four days a week, with Wednesdays set aside for deep cleaning and sanitation.
NC House Republicans Introduce Bill To Ban Transgender Athletes From Competing On Girls Teams
(Raleigh, NC) -- Members of the North Carolina House Monday filed a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing on girls teams in the state. The Republican backed legislation called the "Save Women's Sports Act" would specifically ban biological males from being on female teams. Under the provisions of House Bill 358, all interscholastic and intramural athletic activities at public schools will be divided into groups based on biological sex at birth.
12-Units Destroyed, Nearly 100-Residents Displaced Following Fire At Apartments Near NC State
(Raleigh, NC) -- Nearly 100-residents of a mostly student occupied apartment complex were displaced Monday after a fire broke out. The blaze was first reported around 9:30 a.m. at the Village Green Apartments on Thesis Circle near NC State in Raleigh. The fire, which started in one section of the complex, quickly spread to cause significant damage to a total of 12-units. Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control in about two hours. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
Wake County Commission Approves Resolution Banning Hair Discrimination
(Wake County, NC) -- The Wake County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to approve a resolution that would ban discrimination in the workplace based on hairstyles. The action follows a Duke University study which found that women of color with natural hairstyles are less likely to get job interviews than whites. The resolution would protect hairstyles commonly associated with race. Similar legislation has already been introduced in the North Carolina House.
Greensboro Man Accused Of Trying To Run Over Deputy
(Burlington, NC) -- A Greensboro man who was under investigation for human exploitation is accused of trying to run over a deputy. The scene unfolded this past Friday in the parking lot of a Lowe's Home Improvement store in Burlington. Thirty-nine-year-old Dean Peters is accused of trying to back over a deputy who was approaching his vehicle. Deputies gave chase, but the pursuit was eventually called off. Peters was later found at an apartment complex in Greensboro and arrested.
Two Greensboro Men Arrested In Miami, Accused Of Drugging, Raping Woman
(Miami Beach, FL) -- Two Greensboro men are behind bars, accused of drugging and raping a woman who was found dead in a hotel room in Miami Beach. Twenty-four-year-old Dorian Taylor and 21-year-old Evoire Collier are also accused of stealing the woman's credit cards during their spring break trip. It's not yet clear whether the victim died from an overdose after she was drugged. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office is conducting tests.
Worker At Conservator Center In Caswell Co. Bit By Wolves
(Caswell Co., NC) -- A worker at the Conservators Center in Caswell County is recovering after she was attacked by a pair of wolves. The female worker was bit in both arms and her right thigh on Saturday afternoon. She was taken to a local hospital and is expected to be okay. The wolves are in a ten-day quarantine. The Conservators Center is the same place where an intern was mauled to death by a lion in December 2018.
Crowd Tries To Force Its Way Into Hospital After Patient Shot
(Asheboro, NC) -- An investigation is underway in Asheboro where a bunch of people tried to force their way into Randolph Health, where a patient was being treated for a gunshot wound. It happened Sunday night at the hospital on East Salisbury Street. Police say shortly after the victim arrived, a crowd tried to get into the facility and was passing around a gun. The crowd was eventually dispersed. A 17-year-old juvenile man was arrested for attempted first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Krispy Kreme Offers Free Donuts To Vaccinated Customers
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Winston-Salem-based Krispy Kreme is rewarding folks who've been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Anyone who shows a vaccination card can get a free glazed donut -- no strings attached. The company rolled out its sweet incentive this week. It's good at locations nationwide.