Search For Missing Hiker Continues (Great Smoky Mtns, NC)
The search is continuing for a missing hiker in the Clingmans Dome area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mitzie Susan Clements of Ohio disappeared last Tuesday afternoon on the Forney Ridge Trail near Andrews Bald. More than 100 searchers have joined in with helicopters and canine units to find Clements. The Clingmans Dome parking area was transformed into a command post for the search.
Police Look For Suspect In Deadly Hit-And-Run (Asheville, NC)
Asheville Police are looking for the driver in a deadly hit-and-run. Officers say a man was hit while trying to cross five lanes at the intersection of South Charlotte and Max streets early Sunday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call the Asheville Police Department. There is no word if any suspects have been identified.
Funeral Plans Set For Maddox Ritch (Gastonia, NC)
The funeral for six-year-old Maddox Ritch will be held on Friday in Huntersville. The five-day search for Maddox ended last Thursday when his body was found in a creek in Gastonia. The FBI is still looking for witnesses who may have seen him near the creek or in Rankin Lake Park before he went missing on September 22nd. A Thursday visitation and Friday funeral service will both be held at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home.
Landslide Forces Road Closure In Buncombe (Buncombe County, NC)
A portion of one road in Buncombe County is closed due to a weekend landslide. Broad River's fire chief told WLOS-TV that between four to six inches of rain fell within half-an-hour on Saturday night. The heavy downpour caused the landslide on Old Fort Road off of Highway Nine. One lane of the road has re-opened after clean-up.
Woman's Body Found At Abandoned Campground (Macon County, NC)
The SBI is now involved in a death investigation in Macon County. Sheriff Robert Holland says two campers found a woman's body that was badly decomposed at an abandoned campground near Highway 441. No foul play is suspected at this time. Holland added that the body had been there for quite some time and was in very bad shape.
Tunnel Road To Be Studied (Asheville, NC)
The city of Asheville plans to study ways to keep Tunnel Road friendly for pedestrians amid a rise in development. The Citizen-Times reports that the council approved a year-plus long study for 175-thousand-dollars, which will be paid mostly by the federal government. An area of Tunnel Road which has become pedestrian friendly in the last two decades is the location for mixed-use and hotel projects that are expected to bring in more auto travel.
Woman Dies, Five Children Injured In Fire (Rock Hill, SC)
The Rock Hill fire department says one woman died and five children were injured in a Saturday night blaze. The Southland Drive home was fully engulfed in flames when engines arrived on the scene. A neighbor told Channel Nine News that the woman died after running back inside the house to save some of the children. Investigators are trying to figure out the cause of the fire.