Tax Relief Offered To Flood Victims
(Haywood County, NC) -- The Internal Revenue Service is providing relief to western North Carolina flood victims. The agency says it's postponing certain tax-filing deadlines and payments due on or after August 16th through the 16th of December. The areas include Avery, Buncombe, Watauga, Transylvania, Yancey, Haywood and Madison counties. The announcement coincides with the declaration of a federal emergency following the effects from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred.
Asheville Arts Council To Hold Town Hall On Safety Guidelines
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville arts advocates are inviting the public to a virtual event over handling health safety and guidelines. The Asheville Arts Council is hosting a town hall one-week from tomorrow to go over current health protocols and the challenges facing local venues. Representatives from Harrah's Cherokee Center, The Orange Peel, The Grey Eagle and others will take part. Those interested to attend the webinar can register now.
Coalition Working On Project Honoring Lynching Victims
(Ashville, NC) -- A local coalition is working to recognize three lynching victims in Buncombe County. WLOS-TV reports the Buncombe Community Remembrance Project is unveiling three historical markers next month which honor three men who were lynched in the late 19th century. It's a project that's been in the works for just over two years. The project chair says they're also collecting soil samples from the lynching sites.
WNC Communities Commemorate 9/11
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Communities around the mountains have been showing different ways of commemorating the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Students at East Henderson High School in Henderson County placed close to three-thousand wooden crosses at the campus entrance to honor those who died. The Asheville Police and Fire departments gathered to pay tribute to their fellow emergency responders on Saturday. Western Carolina University also held a remembrance run and walk.
Man Arrested After Asheville Shooting
(Asheville, NC) -- A suspect is facing charges for opening fire in Asheville early Sunday. Officers arrested a 28-year-old man after shots were fired on Lexington Avenue. There were no injuries reported. The suspect was also allegedly in possession of Fentanyl.
Homicide Investigated In SW Charlotte
(Charlotte, NC) -- A death is being investigated in southwest Charlotte. Officers found one person dead at the Pressley Road neighborhood park during a welfare check on Sunday morning. The case is considered to be a homicide. No arrests have been made.
Murder Suspect Arrested In Charlotte Toddler's Death
(Charlotte, NC) -- Two suspects are facing charges in the shooting death of a Charlotte toddler. It's been nearly a week since three-year-old Asiah Figueroa died when 150 bullets were fired towards a home on Richard Rozzelle Drive. The CMPD says a 21-year-old man was arrested on Friday for charges including murder and attempted murder. It came after the arrest of another 21-year-old, who is considered an accessory.
Huntersville Firefighter Dies After COVID Battle
(Charlotte, NC) -- A local firefighter is being mourned after his battle with COVID-19. The Huntersville Fire Department confirms Jeff Hager died last week, while his wife is still hospitalized with the virus. Hager began working at the Charlotte Fire Department in the late 90s before moving to work with Huntersville in 2013. More than 50-thousand-dollars has been raised to help support his family through a GoFundMe campaign.
Gastonia Teen Missing For Over A Month
(Gastonia, NC) -- The search is continuing for a missing Gastonia teenager. It's been over a month since 16-year-old Sherly Caniz was last seen in the area. Investigators revealed over the weekend that she might be in northern Virginia with a 21-year-old man. She's reportedly been in contact with her mother in Guatemala.
Over Two-Thousand Iredell-Statesville Students Quaratined
(Iredell County, NC) -- A large number of Iredell-Statesville students are quarantined. The school district revealed more than two-thousand students were quarantined last week, which represents ten-percent of the student population. Around one-thousand kids reportedly had COVID symptoms. A face mask mandate is currently in place.
Panthers Win Opener Against Jets
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Panthers' 2021 season is off to a great start. Carolina held off the New York Jets 19-to-14 at Bank of America Stadium yesterday. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a successful day against his former team, throwing for 270-yards in the Panthers' first season-opening win in three years. Next up is another home game against the Saints Sunday afternoon.
Federal Safety Investigators Investigating Cause Of Hazmat Incident That Killed Two Workers At Fayetteville Plant
(Fayetteville, NC) -- Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are expected to continue their investigation into a fatal hazmat incident in Fayetteville that killed two people Sunday. It happened around 1:30 p.m. at the Valley Proteins recycling and rendering plant on Industrial Drive. According to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, two workers were discovered unresponsive inside the facility and rushed to a nearby hospital where they later died. The building was also evacuated. The deaths come less than a week after a complaint was filed about the plant on September 7th. The names of the two victims were not released Sunday.
Overflow Of COVID-19 Patients Forcing Triangle Hospitals To Postpone Non-Emergency Surgeries
(Raleigh, NC) -- Several hospitals in the Triangle area have announced the postponement of non-emergency surgeries due to most beds being taken up by COVID-19 patients. This includes UNC Rex, UNC Medical Center and most hospitals in the UNC Health System statewide. The last report released by the Department of Health and Human Services last Thursday showed three-thousand-756 COVID-19-related hospitalizations, an increase of more than 15-hundred within the last month. Doctors continue to stress vaccinations as the only way to slow the spread of the virus.
Man Taken Into Custody At 9/11 Observance In Apex After Backpack Found To Contain Accelerants
(Apex, NC) -- A North Carolina man is in the custody of state mental health officials after he was arrested in Apex Saturday during a 9/11 memorial service. Officers apprehended the man around 9:30 a.m. after he walked into a crowd carrying a large backpack and wearing latex gloves. The suspect was found to be in possession of butane accelerants, a hatchet, body armor and two punch daggers. After a brief scuffle, police used a taser to subdue him and take him into custody. Records show he has a history of mental illness. The suspect's identity was not released.
Governor Cooper Vetoes Anti-Critical Race Theory Bill
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the controversial teaching of 'Critical Race Theory' in North Carolina classrooms. In a statement released Friday, Cooper said the Republican-backed House Bill 324, "pushes calculated, conspiracy-laden politics into public education." The bill, which was also titled "Ensuring Dignity and Nondiscrimination in Schools," outlined 13 different concepts that schools should not promote in classrooms.
Cooper Signs Into Law Bill That Prohibits Shackling Of Pregnant Women While In Jail
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Cooper has signed into law a bill that will ban the shackling of incarcerated women who are pregnant in North Carolina. House Bill 608, which was passed with strong bipartisan support, would ban the use of handcuffs on pregnant women after they reach their second trimester in most instances. The bill does not apply to women being transported outside of a jail. The new law is set to take effect on December 1st.
Two People Hospitalized After Friendship Motor Speedway Shooting
(Surry Co., NC) -- Two people are hospitalized after a shooting at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin. Surry County deputies believe it started Saturday night as an altercation. Forty-five-year-old Yosef Handy is accused of shooting two people, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Handy was arrested at the scene. Deputies say he was on federal probation at the time.
Teen Killed On Sunday In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- A teenager is dead after a shooting in Greensboro. Seventeen-year-old Traveyon Hairston was shot around 11:20 Saturday night in the two-thousand-block of Ellington Street. He died at the hospital. Police are looking for a man, described as about five-foot-ten and wearing a gray sweatsuit. An investigation is ongoing.
Carolina Classic Fair Present COVID-19 Guidelines
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Organizers with the Carolina Classic Fair are rolling out new COVID-19 safety guidelines. They include mask mandates indoors and outdoors, and additional security to help enforce the rules. The guidelines were presented to the Winston-Salem Fair Planning Commission last week, but they still have to be considered by two other committees. The fair is set to kick off in three weeks. Last year's event was canceled due to COVID.
Maia Chaka Becomes First Black Woman To Officiate NFL Game
(Charlotte, NC) -- Maia Chaka is making history as the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game. She took to the field Sunday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte as the Jets took on the Panthers. She said she hopes her accomplishment empowers others to step outside the box and do something different. Chaka marks the third on-field woman official in the NFL.
Man Shot, Killed In Winston-Salem
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Winston-Salem Police are investigating a deadly weekend shooting. They say 58-year-old Timothy Jackson was on the front porch of his home when he was shot. He was rushed to a local hospital where he died. Police say a group of people confronted the victim, and someone opened fire. There is no word on any arrests.