State Trooper Recovering After Yancey County Shooting
(Yancey County, NC) -- A state trooper who was shot in Yancey County could be released from the hospital today. Kevin Glenn was injured while trying to help stop a chase Tuesday afternoon. The suspect died at the hospital after being shot several times. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said he was impressed with Trooper Glenn's courage and toughness.
COVID Cases Drop In Buncombe
(Buncombe County, NC) -- New COVID cases are down in Buncombe County. Health Director Stacie Saunders said Wednesday that the rate has dropped from 208 to 155-cases-per-100-thousand people in the last week. She added that it appears current COVID vaccines are effective against the new Omicron strain.
Henderson County Leaders Seek To Change Quarantine Guidelines
(Henderson County, NC) -- Henderson County leaders want COVID quarantining protocols changed at school. The school board and county commissioners are asking the governor to lift measures for students who have been quarantined but aren't actually sick. Just under 20 out of 470 quarantined students in Henderson County tested positive between November and now.
Printing Tech Company Adding Jobs In Henderson County
(Fletcher, NC) -- A printing and technology company is expanding in Henderson County. Canvas-Prints-Dot-Com announced plans yesterday to add close to 100 jobs as part of an investment of more than eleven-million-dollars. Multiple existing locations will move into one hub at Fletcher Business Park. The county commission chair called it a true local success story.
Smoking Banned At Harrah's Cherokee Casinos
(Cherokee, NC) -- Indoor smoking is now banned at Harrah's Cherokee casinos in western North Carolina. Temporary restrictions were put in place in Murphy and Cherokee near the beginning of the COVID pandemic. That decision will now be permanent after a vote from the Tribal Council. Cherokee's secretary of health said there's a possibility dedicated smoking sections could be built in the future.
Mobile Vax Unit Ends Stay In WNC
(Asheville, NC) -- A mobile COVID vaccination unit is leaving the mountains. WLOS-TV reports the unit traveled to 15 counties in western North Carolina over the last five months. More than nine-thousand shots were given out by the FEMA team and health leaders. The state's health secretary said the unit helped bring lifesaving vaccines to communities with greater barriers.
CMPD Seek Kidnapping Suspect, Victim
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD needs the public help in an apparent east Charlotte kidnapping. The department released video footage which shows a suspect pull the victim off the front porch of a home on Driftwood Drive in the Sheffield Park neighborhood early Wednesday. Investigators say the victim was badly beaten before the footage ended. It's believed the suspect left with the victim in a silver Honda Fit.
Gaston County Prepares For Solar Manufacturer
(Gaston County, NC) -- A solar manufacturer could be bringing hundreds of jobs to Gaston County. The Charlotte Business Journal says plans are in place for Silfab [[ sill-fab ]] Solar to invest nearly 160-million-dollars for a location at the Gateway85 industrial park outside of Gastonia. The project has the potential to provide just under 700 jobs. The county signed off on incentives for the company earlier this week.
Remains Found In Cabarrus County Identified
(Cabarrus County, NC) -- Investigators are confirming the ID of skeletal remains found in Cabarrus County. The state medical examiner informed the sheriff's office this week that remains discovered last week were those of Quincy Piland [[ PIE-land ]]. He had been missing since August. The case is now being investigated as a homicide.
Young Child Dies In Driveway Accident
(Charlotte, NC) -- The death of a one-year-old is being investigated in southwest Charlotte. The CMPD says a man hit his child while attempting to move a truck in his driveway on Hunstmoore Drive Monday night. The boy died at the hospital the next day. Around 25-hundred-dollars has been raised in a GoFundMe campaign to cover memorial expenses.
Kings Mountain Casino Opens Another Phase
(Kings Mountain, NC) -- Work is progressing at a casino in Kings Mountain. Catawba Two Kings Casino opened another phase at its temporary location yesterday, doubling the amount of machines to around one-thousand. A 60-thousand-square-foot resort is slated to be built on the same property off I-85's exit five.
Charlotte FC Releases Schedule
(Charlotte, NC) -- The schedule is out for Charlotte FC's first pro soccer season. Of all the matches, the team will play 17 at Bank of America Stadium in 2022. The first home match comes March 5th against the LA Galaxy. Tickets to that match and season tickets are on sale now.
Wake County Library Leaders Pull Controversial Book From Its Shelves
(Wake County, NC) -- The Wake County Public Library system has pulled from its shelves a controversial book about sexual identity. The book, entitled Gender Queer was removed after a complaint was filed claiming it was too sexually explicit for minors. The action also comes after nine parents filed a criminal complaint against the Wake County School District, arguing that Gender Queer and two other books on the subject of homosexuality, were inappropriate for underage students. Members of the LGBTQ community have condemned the decision.
North Carolina Man Who Threatened To Shoot Nancy Pelosi Sentenced
(Washington, DC) -- A North Carolina man who threatened to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the day after the January 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol, has been sentenced to more than two-years and four months in prison. Cleveland Meredith Jr. was reported to the FBI by his mother, after she discovered a text message saying he was thinking about attending an event where Pelosi was scheduled to speak and "Putting a bullet in her noggin on live TV." Court records also show Meredith used misogynistic language in a threat to shoot Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Fire In Downtown Wilson Destroys Building Housing Tire Center
(Wilson, NC) -- Firefighters in Wilson remained on the scene late into the night battling hot spots after a huge blaze destroyed a wholesale tire center on Goldsboro Street. Inspectors say the building that housed the business is now a total loss. The fire was first reported shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday. An estimated 35-firefighters from nearby districts responded and battled the blaze for more than an hour before finally bringing it under control. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Hundreds Of Ft. Bragg Soldiers Could Be Kicked Out Of Army For Failing To Get Vaccinated
(Ft. Bragg, NC) -- Hundreds of Ft. Bragg soldiers could soon be discharged from the military for failing to get vaccinated by a mandated deadline. That deadline was Wednesday, December 15th. According to a Ft. Bragg spokesperson, an estimated 96-percent of the fort's military personnel did meet the deadline, but around 350-did not. Over 900-Ft. Bragg soldiers requested medical or religious exemptions. The spokesperson said in all likelihood, those who missed the deadline will be discharged.
Post Thanksgiving COVID Surge Continues In North Carolina
(Raleigh, NC) -- Figures released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, showed there were 3-thousand-755 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, an increase of over 18-hundred from the day before. The agency also reported over 15-hundred patients were being treated at hospitals across the state. The rising metrics have boosted the state's test positive rate back up to nine-point-one percent. And, there were 37-additional deaths reported.