WNC Congressman Admits To Medical Complications
(Henderson County, NC) -- Western North Carolina's Congressman is dealing with health issues. Republican Madison Cawthorn tweeted at the end of last week that he's battling significant medical complications related to his 2014 accident. A car wreck seven-years ago left him partially paralyzed. Cawthorn added that he looks forward to defeating the challenge and returning to Washington.
FEMA Taking Assistance Applications
(Haywood County, NC) -- Flood victims in the mountain region are being encouraged to apply for federal help. FEMA is providing rent assistance and relief for uninsured personal property losses in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties. Two mobile assistance units were set up in Canton over the weekend, but those who were impacted can still go to Disaster-Assistance-Dot-Gov. Applications are being taken until November 8th.
Mountain State Fair Wraps Up
(Fletcher, NC) -- North Carolina's 2021 Mountain State Fair is a wrap. The general manager says over 110-thousand people walked through the gates during the ten-day event at the Ag Center in Fletcher. The number represented a 25-percent drop in attendance over 2019, but sales appeared to be up among the fair's vendors. The event was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Explosive Device Found In Asheville Storage Unit
(Asheville, NC) -- A Candler man is facing charges connected to an explosive device found in an Asheville storage unit. Asheville Police's bomb squad was called to a unit on Smoky Park Highway while sheriff's deputies were looking for stolen goods yesterday. WLOS-TV reported the device was detonated at the Vulcan Quarry. The suspect was arrested for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Traveling Tubman Statue Stopping In Sylva
(Sylva, NC) -- Downtown Sylva is welcoming a traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman. The memorial arrives today in Bridge Park for a three-month stay. Cashiers native and award-winning sculptor Wesley Wofford designed the artwork to honor the famous abolitionist known as the leader of the Underground Railroad. The NAACP is holding a public event to welcome the sculpture on Sunday.
USPS Hiring In Mountains
(Asheville, NC) -- The United States Postal Service is hiring in western North Carolina. The Career Center in Buncombe County is holding a job fair one-week from tomorrow. The agency is in need of positions ranging from mail carriers to sales support. Starting wages will run anywhere from 16-to-19-dollars-an-hour.
Union County Schools To Discuss COVID Policies
(Union County, NC) -- Union County school officials are meeting this morning to discuss COVID-19 protocols. North Carolina Health and Human Services threatened legal action against Union County last week after the district decided to stop contact tracing for vaccinated staff and students, as well as those who haven't tested positive. Attorneys for the state and Union County say they've had conversations over the issue. Face masks are not required in the school system.
One Dead In Apparent Uptown Armed Robbery
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a deadly shooting in uptown Charlotte. Officers found a man shot to death on North Caldwell Street early Sunday morning. The initial call was for an armed robbery. It isn't clear if anyone will face charges.
Third Arrest Made In Charlotte Toddler's Murder
(Charlotte, NC) -- Another suspect accused in the death of a Charlotte toddler is behind bars. It's been close to two-weeks since three-year-old Asiah Figueora was killed when 150 bullets were fired toward his home. The CMPD says 21-year-old Kalen Lawrence surrendered on murder and other charges on Saturday. He marks the third suspect facing charges in the case.
Face Mask Requirement Being Discussed In Gaston County
(Gaston County, NC) -- Gaston County school leaders are discussing a face mask mandate today. School board members will consider an extension to its current requirement. Parents both for and against the mandate are expected to show up for the meeting. The requirement was put into place a month ago.
Wife Dies From COVID Symptoms One Week After Husband
(Huntersville, NC) -- A Charlotte-area family is dealing with multiple tragedies due to COVID-19. It's been nine days since Huntersville firefighter Jeffrey Hager died during a battle against the virus. His wife, Aimee, passed away over the weekend after suffering through symptoms of COVID. Her parents urged any unvaccinated individuals to get their shots in the wake of her death.
Panthers Take Down Saints
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Panthers are looking good two weeks into the 2021 season. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw for over 300-yards to help lead Carolina to a 26-seven win over New Orleans at Bank of America Stadium yesterday. The Panthers' defense held the Saints to less than 130-yards of offense. Carolina will take its two-and-oh record to Houston for a Thursday night game this week.
Fayetteville Woman Dies After Being Shot In The Head
(Fayetteville, NC) -- A woman who was critically injured in a Fayetteville shooting Sunday afternoon has died from her injuries. It happened around 4:30 p.m along the 11-hundred-block of Southern Avenue. Officers responded to a call of shots fired and found the victim, identified as 21-year-old Nicoda Melvin, suffering from a bullet wound to the head. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Fayetteville Police have not released any information about a possible suspect.
Shooting On Campus Of NC Central Leaves Two People Dead
(Durham, NC) -- Authorities are continuing to investigate a double shooting Saturday night on the campus of North Carolina Central University, in which two people were killed. It happened just after 9 p.m. at the ground level parking lot next to the Latham Parking Deck near East Lawson Street in Durham. All this while about 10-thousand fans were attending a football game between NC Central and Winston Salem State. The University released a statement Sunday saying no students were involved in the incident, nor were there any students or faculty injured. The entire University was briefly placed on lockdown so that a thorough sweep of the campus could be performed.
State Health Department Could Take Legal Action Against Union County School Board This Week
(Raleigh, NC) -- A lot of eyes will be on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week to see if it makes good on a promise to take disciplinary action against a local school District. HHS gave the Union County Board of Education a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday to reverse a policy not to require those exposed to people infected with COVID-19 to be placed under quarantine. The relaxed policy only applies to those who have not tested positive themselves. The Union County Board of Education is set to meet later today to decide whether to change the policy.
Wake County To Begin New Appointment Policy At Vaccination Sites Today
(Wake County, NC) -- Health officials in Wake County have announced new changes at its vaccination sites in anticipation of the CDC's approval of Pfizer's booster vaccines later this week. Starting today, anyone wanting a COVID-19 vaccine must first make an appointment. Walk-up vaccines will no longer be allowed. This comes after an FDA advisory panel on Friday recommended the Pfizer booster shot for those 65-and older. The next step is CDC approval. Wake County administrators say the changes will allow more than two-thousand vaccines to be distributed each day.
Greenville Fire Chief Resigns After Weekend Drunk Driving Arrest
(Greenville, NC) -- Following an arrest on a drunk driving charge, the chief of the City of Greenville's fire department has announced his immediate resignation. Greenville city officials confirmed yesterday that Fire and Rescue Chief Eric Griffin was arrested on charges related to drinking and driving Saturday night in Nash County. Griffin, who had served as fire chief since 2014, had already announced that he would be retiring at the end of the year. Deputy Chief Brock Davenport has been named as interim chief.
Guilford Co. COVID-19 Update
(Guilford Co., NC) -- Guilford County is still 20-percent away from its COVID-19 vaccination goal. Recent numbers from the state Department of Health and Human Services show 50-percent of county residents are fully vaccinated, and about 60-percent have had at least one dose of the shot. Since the start of the pandemic, Guilford County has reported over 60-thousand-300 cases and 800 deaths.
Two Men Shot, Killed On NCCU Campus
(Durham, NC) -- Two men are dead after a shooting on the campus of North Carolina Central University. Shots were fired Saturday night in the surface parking lot, next to the Latham Parking Deck. A football game was going on at the time with more than 56-hundred people in attendance. A lockdown was called while police looked for the shooter. They say neither victim attended the university.
Man Dead After Multi-Car Wreck In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- A man is dead after a multi-car wreck in Greensboro. It happened Friday night on U.S. 29 near Summit Hills Drive. Police say 34-year-old Michael Newell was headed south when he crashed his Mustang into the back of a Ford Explorer. The impact sent the car across the median and into a Ford F-150. Newell died at the scene. The driver of the Explorer was seriously injured, and the driver and passenger in the truck were not hurt.
Man Injured In Greensboro House Fire
(Greensboro, NC) -- A man is hospitalized with third-degree burns after house fire in Greensboro. Crews were responded to a vacant home on Homeland and Wendover avenues Friday morning. The victim had to be rescued from the second floor with a ladder. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It's not yet clear what the man was doing at the house in the first place.
Man Found Dead In Burlington Apartment
(Burlington, NC) -- Burlington Police are investigating after a man was found dead in an apartment. Officers responded to Brooks Street around noon yesterday about shots fired. They found the victim dead in an apartment unit. So far, officers have not identified a possible suspect or motive in the case.