Trooper Killed In Rutherford County
(Rutherford County, NC) -- A deadly scene involving a highway patrol trooper is being investigated in Rutherford County. Investigators say John Horton was killed when the car his brother was driving lost control and struck him and another man on Monday night. Horton's brother is also trooper with the highway state patrol. More than 35-thousand-dollars has been raised in a GoFundMe account to help support Horton's family.
Face Mask Requirement Extended In Buncombe
(Buncombe County, NC) -- The indoor face mask requirement is being extended in Buncombe County. Commissioners approved the measure for public spaces yesterday due to rising COVID cases. The rate per-100-thousand-people in the last 14-days has risen to nearly one-thousand. The requirement will be revisited in mid-February.
Governor Renews Cal For Vaccinations
(Raleigh, NC) -- A renewed call for COVID vaccinations is coming from Governor Roy Cooper. He spoke yesterday after another ten-thousand cases were reported statewide. Cases also reached a pandemic high of more than 19-thousand for a single day on Saturday. Cooper says he's expecting the supply of COVID tests to increase in the next few weeks.
Four Arrested In Haywood Drug Bust
(Haywood County, NC) -- Several suspects are facing charges in a large Haywood County drug bust. Deputies seized over a pound of meth and fentanyl during three traffic stops in late December. One captain says community collaboration helps disrupt and dismantle organizations delivering poison to the community. Three people were arrested for trafficking charges.
Graham County Starts Face Mask Mandate In Schools
(Graham County, NC) -- A western North Carolina school district is re-instituting a face mask requirement. The school board in Graham County voted yesterday to mandate masks indoors. North Carolina law requires school districts to revisits face mask policies every month. The county's case count is up to over 800-per-100-thousand residents in the last two-weeks.
Code Purple Issued In Asheville
(Asheville, NC) -- Extra help is being extended to the homeless in Asheville in light of cold weather. A Code Purple alert has been extended through Friday morning by the Asheville Homeless Coalition. That means extra beds are in place for women and children at the Salvation Army. Men are welcome at the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry.
Teen Arrested For Southwest Charlotte Murder
(Charlotte, NC) -- A teen is facing charges in a homicide at a southwest Charlotte strip mall. CMPD officers announced yesterday that a 15-year-old was arrested for murder in a shooting that killed a man along South Tryon Street in mid-December. Investigators say there may be several more suspects. The CMPD has released surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the remaining suspects.
Cooper Renews Call For Vaccinations Amid COVID Spread
(Raleigh, NC) -- A renewed call for COVID vaccinations is coming from Governor Roy Cooper. He spoke yesterday after another ten-thousand cases were reported statewide. Cases also reached a pandemic high of more than 19-thousand for a single day on Saturday. Cooper says he's expecting the supply of COVID tests to increase in the next few weeks.
Suspect In Charlotte Homicide Found In Atlanta
(Charlotte, NC) -- A suspect in an early December homicide in north Charlotte is behind bars. The investigation initially started after officers found someone shot to death inside a car at an apartment complex near Northlake Mall. Two others were found injured a short time later after a car slammed into a power pole a few miles away the same night. The main suspect was reportedly caught in Atlanta this week.
D-A Not Surprised At Staffing Shortage For Jail
(Charlotte, NC) -- Mecklenburg County's district attorney says he isn't surprised to see the sheriff's office is experiencing staffing issues. His comments made to WBTV yesterday come after the state released a report that recommended the transfer of 400 inmates out of the jail. D-A Spencer Merriweather said there's not a single agency that hasn't suffered some kind of staff shortages. That has led to concerns over safety at the detention center.
CMPD Seeks Help Finding Attempted Rape Suspect
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is seeking the public's help in finding an attempted rape suspect. The police department has released surveillance footage of a suspect from a crime on Beatties Ford Road in early December. The victim claims a man tried to assault her behind a laundromat. He was reportedly missing two front teeth or had a large gap in his teeth.
Face Masks Required In Mooresville Schools
(Mooresville, NC) -- Face masks are being required in Mooresville Public Schools beginning today. The school board voted yesterday to pass a mandate due to rising COVID cases. Another vote is expected next week.
Woman Killed By Durham County Sheriff's Deputies After She Refused To Lay Down A Shotgun
(Durham County, NC) -- The State Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case of an officer involved shooting, in which a woman was killed after she aimed a shotgun at Durham County Sheriff's Deputies. It happened around 4:pm Tuesday at a home along the 400-block of John Jones Road in Bahama. Officers responding to a call of a disturbance, arrived to find a woman outside the residence wielding a shotgun and refusing repeated commands to lay the weapon down. When she pointed the gun directly at Deputies, they open fire striking the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman's name was not released.
Bomb Threats Called In To Seven HBCU's Tuesday, Including North Carolina Central University
(Durham, NC) -- Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating a report of a bomb threat that was phoned in to North Carolina Central University on Tuesday. It happened around 5:30 pm, prompting University officials to order an evacuation and issue a lockdown. According to the University, the threat was one of at least seven received by Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country yesterday. Others included were Howard University, Norfolk State, Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M and Xavier University. After a four hour sweep of campus buildings, the all clear was given about 9:45 pm.
Wake County School District Will Continue Masks Policy Instead Of Moving To Remote Learning
(Wake County, NC) -- The Wake County Board of Education has voted to continue its face masking policy for students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. This, as Superintendent Doctor Cathy Moore said the District is not considering a move to remote learning, or to open seats in the Virtual Academy because of the Omicron variant surge. Over 10-thousand new cases were reported in North Carolina Tuesday, down 27-hundred from the day before.
Radeas To Open Up New Drive-Thru Testing Site In Wake County Today
(Wake County, NC) -- Starting today, a new COVID-19 testing site will begin operations in Wake County. The drive-thru site, run by a company called Radeas, will conduct tests at the Southbridge Fellowship Church on Strickland Road. Hours of operation will be from 3:30 pm until 8:pm Monday through Friday and 9:30 am until 2:pm on Saturdays. No appointments are necessary. Radeas operates four other COVID testing sites in the Triangle area.
Parts Of Wade Avenue To Close While Old I-440 Eastbound Bridge Is Torn Down
(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina Department of Transportation has issued an alert for motorists traveling along Wade Avenue for the next two weeks. As part of the ongoing I-440 Improvements Project, parts of Wade Avenue will be closed while a demolition team tears down the old I-440 eastbound bridge. The DOT says all east bound lanes on Wade Avenue will be closed for the next four nights while work is being completed. Work on the westbound lanes of Wade Avenue will begin next week.