North Carolina Primaries Pushed Back In 2022
(Raleigh, NC) -- The 2022 primary elections in North Carolina are being moved. The state Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the date will change from March 8th to May 17th due to challenges over redistricting maps. The candidate filing period that started earlier this week has been suspended as well. Governor Roy Cooper said the decision restores faith in the rule of the law.
Burn Ban Remains In Place For Half Of WNC
(Raleigh, NC) -- The burn ban is being lifted in most North Carolina counties. Roughly half of counties in the mountain region are still prohibited from burning outdoors due to dry conditions. Residents in 67 counties where the ban was lifted yesterday are still being asked to burn responsibly.
Cawthorn Lays Out Congressional Choices
(Haywood County, NC) -- Congressman Madison Cawthorn is hand-picking who he wants to serve in North Carolina's districts. WLOS-TV says a flyer was released with names after the Republican visited with former President Donald Trump last weekend. Cawthorn prefers Michele Woodhouse in the new 14th district, which covers part of western North Carolina. Haywood County's Democratic Party Chair said the list is more about who is loyal to Trump.
Buncombe Commissioners Pass Face Mask Extension
(Buncombe County, NC) -- The indoor face mask mandate in Buncombe County is extended until January. County health officials already announced last week the requirement was stretching into 2022, but commissioners had to first approve the measure Tuesday for it to take effect. Health Director Stacie Saunders says the positivity rate for COVID cases has risen one-percent over the last week.
Asheville Police Investigate Death At Homeless Camp
(Asheville, NC) -- A death at a homeless camp is being investigated by Asheville police. It's the same encampment off I-240 and next to Haywood Street Congregation that was ordered to be vacated this week. Complaints came in last week about fires and excessive trash at the site. There's no word yet if the death is suspicious.
Hendersonville Receives Grant For Pedestrian Plan
(Hendersonville, NC) -- A grant is going to Hendersonville so the city can plan for better bicycling and pedestrian access. City leaders last came up with a pedestrian plan 14-years ago. A 60-thousand-dollar grant announced by the North Carolina Department of Transportation this week will help update the city's vision for expanding and improving safety.
CMS Board Approves Retention Bonuses
(Charlotte, NC) -- Employees of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are receiving retention bonuses. The school board met last night to pass a 25-hundred-dollar bonus to full-time employees, which will go out in two payments. The nearly 50-million-dollars to fund the money will come from the American Rescue Plan Act. Part-time employees will receive 15-hundred-dollars.
Gaston County Man To Be Released Early After Father's Killing
(Gaston County, NC) -- A Gaston County man convicted of killing his father when he was a teen is set to be released from prison. NBC Charlotte reports Nathaneal High could be released from prison in less than two-years after he entered a plea deal to second-degree murder. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidates life sentences for teens guilty of murder. High has been in prison since 2002 for killing Randy High, who was Chief for Gaston College Campus Police at the time.
Lawsuit Filed Against Mooresville In Officer Shooting
(Mooresville, NC) -- A new lawsuit is targeting Mooresville police in a deadly officer-involved shooting. Two officers told the SBI they thought Chris Craven was reaching for a pistol in his waistband when they opened fire in August 2020. Craven's widow filed a lawsuit this week, claiming the officers used excessive force. The lawsuit alleges Craven made no threats to the officers.
Suspect Arrested For Embezzling From High School Club
(Union County, NC) -- A Waxhaw man is accused of stealing from a high school booster club. Investigators say the man used five-thousand-dollars for personal gain while he served as treasurer for the athletic booster club at Cuthbertson High School. He was arrested yesterday for embezzlement.
Burn Ban Lifted Fo Mecklenburg County
(Mecklenburg County, NC) -- An outdoor burn ban is over in the Charlotte metro area. The Forest Service lifted the ban in 67 North Carolina counties yesterday, which included Mecklenburg, Union, Gaston and Cabarrus. The remaining 33 counties have not received enough recent moisture to end the ruling.
Raleigh Mayor And Council To Consider Suspending Masks Mandates For Small Businesses
(Raleigh, NC) -- Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin has asked members of the City Council to join her in considering easing masks mandates for certain small businesses. This, after several owners complained of losing customers because of the ongoing restrictions. Baldwin said she would like a study to be conducted to determine if rescinding the mask mandates on small businesses could be done safely. Any changes would not apply to big box stores.
Raleigh City Council Approves Building Tiny Homes Within City Limits
(Raleigh, NC) -- The Raleigh City Council has approved a resolution that would allow for the construction of new tiny homes in the area. The small houses, which would range in size from 300-to-600 square feet, are estimated to cost between 65-and-120 thousand dollars. The idea is to make home ownership more affordable in the Raleigh real estate market, where normal size new homes cost between 450-to-500 thousand dollars. No word yet on where the new tiny homes would be built.
Johnston County Woman Struck And Killed While Walking Along State Highway
(Johnston County, NC) -- A 50-year old Johnston County woman was killed last night after she was struck by a vehicle while walking along North Carolina Highway 50 near Benson. It happened around 8:30pm. First responders arrived and found the woman already dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with police officers. No word on whether any charges will be filed. The identity of the victim was not released pending notification of relatives.
Airplane Maker Plans Triad Airport Investment
(Greensboro, NC) -- A proposal is in the works to bring an airplane maker to Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport. The News and Observer reports a deal is in the works for an upstart company called Boom Supersonic to build a manufacturing plant on one-thousand acres. More than 17-hundred new jobs could be created as a result of the half-billion-dollar investment. The company would reportedly build a passenger plane that can fly over 13-hundred miles-an-hour.
Alamance Student Banned After Bringing Gun To School
(Alamance County, NC) -- An Alamance student is banned from campus for allegedly bringing a gun to school. The sheriff's office says a 14-year-old female was caught with the weapon yesterday at West Alamance High, which forced a lockdown. She was allegedly trying to sell the gun. District rules won't allow the student to come back to the school until next December.
Man Sentenced In Winston-Salem Beating Death
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- A Winston-Salem man is heading to prison for his role in a beating death. The body of Curtis Farrow was discovered wrapped in a blanket inside a dumpster on Ivey Avenue nearly four-years ago. A judge sentenced Rayshaun Hall to a minimum of nearly eight-years after he entered an Alford plea this week. Charges included accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
Triad Remains In Burn Ban
(Forsyth County, NC) -- Most of the Triad remains under an outdoor burn ban despite a decision made by the Forest Service yesterday. The ban was lifted in 67 counties, but only Montgomery was included in that list from the region. There hasn't been enough moisture in the Triad this week to remove the remaining counties from the ban. A wildfire burned one-thousand acres on Pilot Mountain in Surry County last week.