Dixon Sentenced Today In Asheville
(Asheville, NC) -- A man found guilty of killing his pregnant girlfriend is scheduled to be sentenced in Asheville today. Prosecutors decided last week to take the death penalty off the table for Nathaniel Dixon, so he'll be going to prison for life. Dixon was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder at the end of June. He shot Candace Pickens and injured her three-year-old son in Asheville's Ira B. Jones Park more than three years ago.
Buncombe Democrats Against ICE Bill
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Democrats on the Buncombe County commission are voicing opposition to a state bill that would require local police to honor ICE detainers. They've signed a letter to send to Governor Roy Cooper and state lawmakers. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller has been against the mandate since he was elected last fall. The letter says making sheriffs comply with ICE detainers erodes trust in law enforcement.
Hendersonville Suspects Arrested After Kids Found In Back Of U-Haul
(Cocke County, TN) -- Three suspects from Hendersonville are being accused of locking several kids in the back of a U-Haul. The Tennessee Highway Patrol was alerted to the truck, which was traveling on I-40 in Cocke County last Wednesday. Troopers found three children under the age of eight in the back. The suspects were also allegedly in possession of meth, cocaine and marijuana.
Shooting Injures One In Biltmore Forest
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville Police are investigating a shooting that injured one man on Sunday night. Officers found the victim at Ascot Point Village Apartments just off U.S. 25 in Biltmore Forest. The search is on for a suspect.
Grandma Busted With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia
(East Elmhurst, NY) -- A pistol-packing grandma from North Carolina is facing charges for bringing a loaded gun into the security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport in New York. TSA officials say a woman traveling with her grandchildren was arrested by Port Authority Police yesterday after agents spotted the firearm in her suitcase. The woman has since said she didn't know the gun was in the bag, which she allegedly borrowed from someone else. Officials say the weapon was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber.
Gerrymandering Case Heard In Raleigh
(Raleigh, NC) -- Judges are hearing a gerrymandering case in Raleigh this week. The trial will examine whether GOP lawmakers violated the state constitution by the way House and Senate districts were drawn in 2017. A lawyer representing the state Democratic Party and the watchdog group Common Cause says Democrats can't win a majority because of the way the district lines are set up. An attorney for Republicans says Democrats just have problems recruiting quality candidates.
CMS Superintendent Suspended With Pay
(Charlotte, NC) -- CMS superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox is on suspension with pay. The board of education made the decision on Friday during a closed-door meeting on Wilcox's job performance that lasted several hours. Details on the reasoning behind the suspension haven't been released. The district's chief of staff, Earnest Winston, was named acting superintendent.
Hickory Man Charged In Chase That Killed Pedestrian
(Gastonia, NC) -- A Hickory man is facing second-degree murder charges in a police chase that killed one person in Gastonia. The Gaston County sheriff's office says Joshua Soule refused to stop for deputies on Sunday night after running a red light on Highway 321. He allegedly hit two pedestrians at Highland Street and Rankin Avenue, which killed one and injured the other. Soule was arrested shortly after crashing his car. He was also charged with felony speeding to elude and DWI.
Suspect Arrested In Deadly Attempted Robbery
(Union County, NC) -- A suspect is accused of killing a man during an attempted robbery in Union County. Deputies found the victim dead inside his home on Trull Hinson Road in Wingate on Sunday night. Investigators believe 52-year-old Ricky Aldrige stabbed the victim sometime Saturday morning. He's in jail for first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Teen Among Three Injured In Stabbing
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a stabbing that injured two adults and a 13-year-old in northwest Charlotte. Officers found the victims inside a home on North Linwood Avenue early Monday morning. They all suffered serious injuries. The suspect was arrested on three assault charges.
Suspect Drunk Driver Arrested In Fatal Wreck
(York County, SC) -- A suspected drunk driver is facing charges in a deadly York County wreck. State troopers say the man drove his truck across the center line on McConnells Highway and struck a car Sunday afternoon. The wreck killed one man and injured two others who were riding in the car. The suspect has pleaded guilty to DUI charges three times before.
Charlotte Group Meets With Major League Soccer
(Charlotte, NC) -- The push to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Charlotte is on. MLS officials confirmed that representatives from Charlotte met with executives at the league's office in New York City yesterday. Saint Louis, Sacramento and Las Vegas are also reportedly in the running for expansion. The Charlotte ownership group is expected to attend the league's All-Star week events in Orlando later this month.
Durham Man Dies After Trying To Save Kids At Wrightsville Beach
(Wrightsville Beach, NC) -- A Durham man is dead after reportedly trying to rescue his children from the water at Wrightsville Beach on Sunday. Town officials say resuscitation efforts on Johnny Lee Vann Jr. were unsuccessful. It's not clear what caused the death. The children were brought safely back to shore.
One Man Arrested For Fatal Shooting Of Teen In Clayton
(Clayton, NC) -- One arrest has been made and police are looking to make another in the case of a 15-year-old boy being fatally shot in Clayton on Saturday. The victim has been identified as Kaylen Marion Middleton. Taken into custody for the reported drive-by shooting was 18-year-old Joshua Caleb Draughon of Garner. One other individual, 19-year-old Quashaad Powell, is being charged but hadn't been taken into custody as of Monday night.
Sports-Betting Bill Sent To Governor's Desk
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina is a step closer to legalizing sports betting. The House voted on Monday to join the Senate to approve a bill to authorize the activity at two tribal casinos in the western part of the state. The bill now heads to Governor Roy Cooper's desk.
Controversy Continues Over Selection Of New K-3 Reading Test Provider
(Raleigh, NC) -- There are updates on the ongoing controversy over the selection of a new company to provide reading skills tests to North Carolina kindergartners, first, second and third-graders. Amplify, the previous vendor providing the service which is protesting the decision to give it to I-Station, is planning to meet with state education officials on Thursday, according to a report from WRAL-TV. Newly-released documents show State Superintendent Mark Johnson awarded the contract to I-Station despite the recommendation of an evaluation committee to stay with Amplify. I-Station announced yesterday that it has sent out cease-and-desist notices to critics of the contract who it says have made false, misleading and defamatory public statements about the deal.
Bothered By Robocalls? Attorney General Urges Signing Of Petition
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is urging people who are concerned about robocalls to sign a petition. Stein says he regularly hears about people's problems with unwanted calls, and he says signing the petition will help him fight for people's privacy. Stein is leading a coalition of 40 state attorneys general to stop or reduce robocalls. The petition is at NCDOJ-dot-gov-slash-robocalls.
Trial Focusing On Alleged Gerrymandering Of State Seats Begins
(Raleigh, NC) -- The trial over the case of alleged gerrymandering of political districts in North Carolina is underway. The state Democratic Party and the watchdog group Common Cause are charging Republicans with unfairly dividing up the representation of the North Carolina General Assembly to prevent Democrats from winning seats, and they want a re-drawing for the 2020 elections. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of GOP lawmakers in a separate gerrymandering lawsuit that focused on the state's seats in the U.S. House.
Elevation Church Buys Winston-Salem YWCA
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Elevation Church is buying the Gateway YWCA building in Winston-Salem. The church made the announcement yesterday. It has been renting space at the facility on South Main Street to hold Sunday services since 2017. Now, the YWCA says it will rent space back from the church so it can hold community programs.
Man Wanted On Multiple Warrants In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro police are looking for a man who has several warrants out for his arrest. Twenty-two-year-old Jamal Edwards is wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, trafficking cocaine and felony hit and run. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call 9-1-1.
Trump Coming To North Carolina
(Greenville, NC) -- President Donald Trump is headed to North Carolina. The president will hold a rally in Greensboro tomorrow. Vice President Mike Pence will also be in North Carolina. According to the "Fayetteville Observer," Pence will stop by Fort Bragg and Fayetteville tomorrow.
Teen Hurt In "Field Party" Shooting
(Mebane, NC) -- A teenager is hurt after shots rang out at a field party in Mebane. It happened early Sunday morning at Christys Lane and Bo Fuller Roads. The 17-year-old victim told Alamance County sheriff's deputies he was dancing when he was shot in the leg. The boy was taken to a local hospital and is expected to be okay. The shooter is still on the loose. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office.
Man Accused Of Assaulting Woman At Winston-Salem Walmart
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Winston-Salem police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman in a Walmart parking lot. The attack happened Friday evening at the Parkway Village Circle location. The victim told police a man lifted her dress and shoved her towards her car before he was confronted by nearby shoppers. He took off before police arrived. Anyone with information is asked to call Winston-Salem PD.