Top Local Headlines for March 8, 2018

City Council Angry Over Police Video Footage

The Asheville City Council is angry over body cam footage of a former police officer beating a man stopped for jaywalking.  The board released a statement last night that says it is "committed to making deep, structural changes needed to help prevent this from happening again."  The response stems from leaked footage of the incident that happened last August.  The council felt it needed to know about the incident.  Police Chief Tammy Hooper did pull Officer Chris Hickman off the street after she saw the camera footage.

Radium Levels High At Lake Julian

Reports on the levels of radioactivity at Duke Energy plants are out and numbers at the Lake Julian plant are staggering.  The environmental group Earthjustice says radium levels are 38 times the EPA's safe level for drinking water.  French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson told WLOS-Asheville that he is surprised the Lake Julian plant ranks the worst of all the Duke Energy facilities, but he's not surprised there are major issues remaining.  He did add that some metals like radium are more likely to bioaccumulate in the human body.  

Body Found In Boone Creek Close To Abandoned Car

The state highway patrol says a body was found in a creek off Highway 194 in Boone last night.  The location was only around 200 feet from where an unoccupied Toyota Camry had been found earlier in the afternoon.  Trooper T.B. Hendrix is speculating that the body could be the driver.  He says there is some evidence in the creek that she walked away from the car.  The Watauga Sheriff's Department is heading up the investigation into the death.  

Bomb Evacuation In Haywood County Causes Confusion

The Haywood County School System says a bomb evacuation caused confusion yesterday at Tuscola High School.  Students were taken to Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska after a bomb threat was found written on a wall in a girls' restroom.  A post went out over social media that school was being dismissed and parents soon came out to the auditorium.  The superintendent says the dismissal post was inaccurate and the system had planned for students to return to class as soon as it was deemed safe.  Dr. Bill Nolte says it was an honest mistake.  

Asheville Schools Host Safety Forum

Asheville City Schools hopes parents feel their voices can be heard when it comes to student safety.  The system held a Parent Safety Forum this week with the help of local law enforcement and mental health services.  The crowd at Asheville Middle School was able to ask questions and hear about the plans the system has to keep kids safe.  Superintendent Denise Patterson says the school system is proactive and considering adding more cameras on area campuses.

Solar Farm Coming To Henderson County Next Year

Edneyville in Henderson County is soon to be the home of a 30-acre solar farm.  Cypress Creek Renewables officials say the power generated at the site will be distributed through Duke Energy.  It will produce enough power for one-thousand homes.  The project approved by the Henderson County Technical Review Committee is supposed to be completed in 2019. 

RNC Delegation Comes To Charlotte

The city of Charlotte is looking to woo Republicans into hosting the party's National Convention here in 2020.  The delegation from the Republican National Committee visited the city yesterday.  CEO of Charlotte Center Partners Michael Smith says the Queen City will have several thousand more hotel rooms than it did when the Democratic Convention was here in 2012.  One Charlotte hospitality official added that Republican leaders from the state are getting behind the idea.


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