More Assault Charges For Black Mountain Man (Asheville, NC)
A Black Mountain man accused of punching an eleven-year-old girl outside the Asheville Mall last weekend is facing more charges. The Citizen-Times says David Bell was charged with two more assault counts after two 13-year-old girls said they were pushed during the confrontation. Video from the scene has gone viral on social media. Bell is due in court on February 5th.
Fire Still Smoldering At Old Broyhill Plant (Lenoir, NC)
Firefighters are keeping a close eye out on the smoldering remains of a building at the old Broyhill plant in Lenoir. The roof collapsed as fire ripped through the former furniture factory on Sunday afternoon. Lenoir Fire Chief Ken Hair said it appears some workers who were tearing part of the building down may have accidentally sparked the fire with torches. It may take a few days this week before the fire dies out.
Speed Believed To Be Factor In Deadly Wreck (Transylvania County, NC)
Investigators believe a Transylvania man was speeding moments before a deadly crash Sunday. Jeffrey Lowe allegedly drove off the side of U.S. 64 and over-corrected before slamming into several trees. It happened near the highway's intersection with U.S. 178. WLOS-TV says a missing call had been put out for Lowe on Saturday night.
Asheville Bringing In Electric Buses (Asheville, NC)
Electric buses are soon hitting the streets of Asheville. WLOS-TV is reporting that the city will send out five zero-emission buses this spring as a way to reduce Asheville's carbon footprint. A federal transit administration grant helped fund the purchase of the buses.
Developers Seek Money For Affordable Housing Projects In Swannanoa (Buncombe County, NC)
Developers are planning to seek a loan of over two-million-dollars from Buncombe County today for the completion of an affordable housing project. The nonprofit group Mountain Housing Opportunities is building a nearly-100-unit apartment complex on U.S. 70 in Swannanoa for low-income and disabled residents. It is expected to be completed late next year.
Asheville Museum Renovation Called A 'Coolest Thing (Asheville, NC)
One travel website is calling the grand reopening of the Asheville Art Museum one of the coolest new things coming to America this year. Thrillist praised the renovation project for giving the museum a new light-filled glass facade and environmentally friendly features. The writer said Asheville has made itself one of the country's best weekend-escape towns in recent years. The renovations are expected to be completed this spring.
Employee Dies After Store Shooting (Charlotte, NC)
The CMPD is investigating a deadly shooting at a cellphone repair store. An employee was found injured shortly before noon Monday at Fixer on Sharon Amity Road in east Charlotte. He later died at the hospital. Investigators are looking for a suspect.
Man Dies Running Away From Burning Home (Chesterfield County, SC)
High Point fire officials say a man was killed trying to run away from his burning home yesterday. Tyrone Bush was allegedly hit by a passing car near South Carolina Highway Nine and TB Watts Road moments after he escaped a fire in his single-wide trailer. He was also suffering from burn injuries. Chesterfield County investigators questioned the driver, who stayed at the scene.
Electric Scooter Regulations Passed By Charlotte Leaders (Charlotte, NC)
The Charlotte City Council is regulating the use of electric scooters. Leaders passed rules last night that will ban the dockless vehicles from sidewalks in most of uptown and cap off speeds at 15-miles-an-hour. The companies providing the scooters will have opportunities to add more to their Charlotte fleets. The city is expected to begin charging those companies a fee, which has not yet been set.
Tenth Anniversary Of Miracle On Hudson Is Today (Charlotte, NC)
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the day a Charlotte-bound plane made a safe landing on New York City's Hudson River. Hundreds of people impacted by what is now known at the Miracle on the Hudson are expected to gather at the Charlotte Aviation Museum to commemorate the anniversary. NBC Charlotte says some of the survivors traveled on a commemorative flight yesterday from New York to the Queen City in the same seats they rode in 2009. The museum currently houses the plane that was pulled from the river.
Homebuilders Sue City Over Water And Sewer Fees (Charlotte, NC)
Homebuilders are suing Charlotte over millions of dollars in fees. The lawsuit claims that the city charged water and sewer capacity fees way before the homes were connected to the city's system. It adds up to over five-million-dollars the homebuilders are seeking, with interest added on top. The city won't comment on pending litigation.
Hornets' Parker Honored In Return To San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)
Hornets' point guard Tony Parker says his return to San Antonio was unbelievable. The crowd gave him a standing ovation last night as he made his first visit back to the home court he played on for 17 years with the Spurs. Parker tossed in eight points along with 33 from Kemba Walker to lead Charlotte in a 108-to-93 win. Hornets' coach James Borrego said it was exciting to see him embraced and loved by the crowd in San Antonio.
Silent Sam Is Gone From UNC Chapel-Hill (Chapel-Hill, NC)
Silent Sam may soon be just a memory at UNC Chapel Hill. The Confederate statue was torn down by students last summer and it doesn't look like it will be coming back anytime soon. Last night, Chancellor Carol Folt ordered the base of Silent Sam removed. Heavy machinery had been called in last night and early this morning, the base of the statue had been taken away.
Three People Are In Custody For The Shooting Of A NC Trooper (Wilson Co., NC)
Three people are accused of shooting a trooper in Wilson County. Police say Trooper D.C. Harrell was hospitalized last night dafter being shot in the face in Elm City. Police had said John David Jones was at large when two suspects were in custody, but didn't say if he was the third arrest. Jones was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a law enforcement officer and has pending charges for possession of weapons by a felon and selling meth. Trooper Harrell is still able to communicate and is expected to survive.
A Harnett County Man Faces Three Murder Charges For A Brutal Killing (Harnett Co., NC)
A Harnett County man is accused of killing his baby and two women. Deputies say 24-year-old Kareem Taylor killed his six-month-old baby, his baby's mother and her sister on Friday. Taylor was in court yesterday and charged with three counts of murder. Investigators were able to speak to a three-year-old child in the house who wasn't shot. Sheriff Wayne Coats says in his 24-years, this is the most monstrous act he's witnessed.
Police ID A Hospitalized Durham Man They Say Killed His Baby, And A Woman (Durham, NC)
A Durham man accused of killing his baby and a woman is being identified. Police say on Friday, 22-year-old Ramir Reams seriously injured himself after killing his ten-month-old daughter and her mother 20-year-old Zhytila Wilkins. Police say this is a murder slash attempted suicide. Reams is still in the hospital and faces two murder charges.
Wounded Raleigh Cop's Family Asks For Help (Raleigh, NC)
The family of a wounded Raleigh police officer is in need of help. Officer Charles Ainsworth was shot last week when investigating a stolen car. He was shot multiple times and is in the hospital still. Ainsworth's family has opened a fundraising account, anyone interested in donating can drop off money for the family at the Local Government Federal Credit Union. Two men have been charged in connection with the shooting, they are both behind bars in Wake County.
Couple Tied To Russian Money Laundering Appear In Court (Raleigh, NC)
Two people involved in a Russian money laundering case appeared in federal court yesterday. Prosecutors say Russian national Leonid Teyf moved to a mansion in Raleigh years ago and scammed more than 150-million-dollars in kickbacks from Russian government contracts. Teyf's business partner, Alexsy Timofeef and his wife, Olesya Timofeeva, were in court yesterday for immigration charges. Timofeef also faces money laundering charges and could spend the rest of his life in prison. Teyf remains behind bars without bond.
State Of Emergency Remains In Effect (Winston-Salem, NC)
A State of Emergency remains in effect for several North Carolina counties, including those in the Triad area, after a massive winter storm caused widespread power outages. Governor Roy Cooper issued the State of Emergency on Sunday after thousands of people woke up to outages from downed trees and power lines. He said they're grateful for the utility crews who have been working around the clock in freezing and icy conditions.
Power Expected To Be Fully Restored By Tonight (Forsyth Co., NC)
Duke Energy crews expect to have power fully restored by this evening. The hardest-hit area in the Triad was Forsyth County, which had tens-of-thousands of outages after last weekend's brutal winter storm. Crews had restored power to all but about seven-thousand customers by yesterday evening.
State Trooper Shot In Wilson Co. (Elm City, NC)
Authorities are on the hunt for "multiple suspects" after a state highway patrol trooper was shot in Wilson County. It happened yesterday evening in Elm City. Trooper D.C. Harrell is hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The suspected shooter is identified as 36-year-old John David Jones. Anyone with information is urged to call 9-1-1.
Former Geeksboro Catches Fire (Greensboro, NC)
An investigation is underway after the former site of a Geeksboro caught fire. It happened yesterday evening at the Lawndale Drive location in Greensboro. Crews say the fire was brought under control pretty quickly. There's no word yet on how it started. No one was hurt.
Clunie: Steph Curry Must Graduate Before Jersey Is Retired (Davidson, NC)
Davidson College is refusing to retire the jersey of Golden State Warriors all-star Steph Curry because he still hasn't graduated. Curry is legendary for his career at Davidson, where he led the school to a 2008 Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson's athletic director, Chris Clunie, said Curry must complete his degree before his jersey hangs from the rafters. During his time at Davidson, Curry's major was listed as sociology.