Freezing Rain Threatens WNC Overnight Thursday
(Asheville, NC) -- It could be a messy morning on the roads Friday. The National Weather Service is calling for a good chance of freezing rain overnight Thursday in western North Carolina. There may be light ice accumulation before it all turns over to rain throughout the day. Some light snow fell in higher elevations earlier this morning.
Henderson County Sheriff Solidifying Stance On ICE Program
(Henderson County, NC) -- Henderson County's sheriff is welcoming anyone to come talk to him about the 287-G program. Lowell Griffin and a federal agent took questions at the courthouse in Hendersonville yesterday during an annual update on the immigration enforcement initiative. Henderson County is one of four in the state participating in 287-G. Griffin said individuals are only questioned on immigration status locally until after they've been arrested on other charges. The Hendersonville Times-News reports several dozen activists protested the program outside the courthouse.
WCU Approves Sale Of Beer And Wine At Sporting Events
(Cullowhee, NC) -- Alcohol is coming to sporting events at Western Carolina University. WLOS-TV is reporting the school's board of trustees just approved a resolution to give the go-ahead to sell beer and wine at its athletic facilities. A mandatory student fee increase was also passed by the board. Students will pay 68-extra-dollars per year starting next fall to cover additional costs in campus renovation projects.
City Council Approves Zoning For South Slope Development
(Asheville, NC) -- A large housing development in downtown Asheville is moving forward. The city council voted last night to approve zoning near South Slope that will make way for nearly 500 apartments, in addition to commercial and office space. Developers plan to include close to 50 affordable housing units.
Haywood County Teacher Investigated For Inappropriate Communications
(Canton, NC) -- A Haywood County teacher is being investigated for alleged misconduct. Superintendent Bill Nolte says an instructor at Pisgah High School has been suspended with pay since November 22nd. The district is looking into alleged inappropriate communications with students. No charges have yet been filed.
Buncombe Sheriff's Office Holding Donation Drive
(Buncombe County, NC) -- The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office is holding a holiday donation drive this weekend. Employees will volunteer their time this Saturday and Sunday to man a 24-hour drop-off at the Asheville Walmart on Bleachery Boulevard. Toys, clothing and various toiletries will be accepted.
Robbery Crew Holds Up Jewelry Store At Gunpoint
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is on the lookout for four suspects accused of robbing a jewelry store at gunpoint. Investigators say three masked males entered Brownlee Jewelers in the Park Road Shopping Center just before six last night and stole jewelery. A fourth suspect drove them away in the getaway car. No one was injured.
Deputies Find Three-Million-Dollars In Tractor-Trailer
(Cleveland County, NC) -- Cleveland County investigators say a tractor-trailer driver was caught hiding three-million-dollars in cash last Saturday. Deputies searched the big rig after the driver was pulled over for failing to maintain a lane on I-85. The cash was stuffed into barrels containing raw pork shoulders. The sheriff's office believes the driver was heading to the U.S.-Mexico border with the cash, which allegedly came from drug sales.
Business Community Supporting Family Of Slain Restaurant Owner
(Charlotte, NC) -- The NoDa business community is rallying around the family of a sandwich shop owner who was shot to death Monday morning. Scott Brooks was gunned down outside Brooks' Sandwich House on Brevard Street. Local business owners coordinated a vigil at the restaurant last night. Brooks and his twin brother, David, have run the longtime family business for more than 40 years. Nearly 30-thousand-dollars has been donated to a GoFundMe account set up to help the family.
Kannapolis Schools Apologizes For 'Inappropriate' Assignment
(Kannapolis, NC) -- The Kannapolis City School System is calling a recent homework assignment referencing slaves inappropriate. The parent of a Kannapolis Middle School student went to social media to post the assignment, which included the question "How many slaves would be needed to equal at least four white people?" The school district issued an apology and says the teacher has been disciplined. The lesson was reportedly about a 1700's law on the Three-Fifths Compromise, but district officials revealed the assignment wasn't approved.
Suspect Arrested For Alexander County Murder
(Alexander County, NC) -- A suspect is in Alexander County jail for a Tuesday murder. Deputies found a man shot to death behind a home in Stony Point after someone made a 911 call. That caller was questioned and arrested on charges of murder. Investigators say they believe they found the gun used by the suspect.
Fort Mill Company Donates 40-Thousand Books For Teachers
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Fort Mill-based paper company is helping out teachers with a large donation of books. WSOC-TV says volunteers were at Classroom Central in west Charlotte yesterday to help sort through 40-thousand books donated by Domtar. Teachers are allowed to take as many as 200 books for their students through the non-profit First Book program. The books were brought to Classroom Central by a tractor-trailer.
Man Charged For Shooting, Stabbings At Raleigh Nightclub
(Raleigh, NC) -- A man is being charged following a deadly incident at a Raleigh nightclub over the weekend. According to multiple media reports, Kwame Smith is charged with fatally shooting George Franklin Burnette at Club 30 Plus on Rush Street. Reports indicate several other victims were stabbed at the club, for which Smith is also charged.
Raleigh Officer Cleared For Shooting Suspect In September
(Raleigh, NC) -- A Raleigh police officer is being cleared in the shooting of a kidnapping suspect in September. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman closed the investigation on Tuesday against the officer, Sergeant R.L. Warner. The suspect, Hugo Yaret Cortes-Ramirez, reportedly fired shots at officers while fleeing them into a wooded area near Zebulon. Cortes-Ramirez was reportedly found dead in the woods later from an apparent suicide.
Fort Bragg Security Gate Open After Incident
(Fort Bragg, NC) -- A gate at Fort Bragg has re-opened after a security incident on Tuesday. The military installation said in a statement that a pickup truck driver crashed through the security arm of the All-American Access Control Point after failing to provide proper identification at around 6:30 p.m. Officials say a second security device was activated, and the driver left. The gate was closed for several hours.
RDU Says Fence Plan Won't Cut Off Trail Access
(Morrisville, NC) -- There's concern about Raleigh-Durham International Airport's plan to build a fence on its property borders. Activists are worried the fence will result in part of Umstead State Park's Reedy Creek multi-use trail being cut off because it crosses into RDU property. In a video response by the airport on Monday, a spokesperson said RDU has been in contact with the state park to say the fencing plans will not disrupt use of the trail.
School Board Member Alleges Incompetence, Corruption Led To Deficit
(Smithfield, NC) -- A member of the Johnston County School Board made allegations of mismanagement and corruption against the board at a meeting on Tuesday. Ronald Johnson said he thinks there should be an investigation as the school district faces a budget shortfall of almost nine-million dollars. School board chair Michael Wooten countered that the county is growing and it's hard to plan for all of the necessary funding. Wooten said nothing has been proven about corruption or incompetence.
Hurricanes Double Up Oilers
(Edmonton, AB) -- A rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final went the Carolina Hurricanes' way on Tuesday. The Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton, 6-to-3. The Canes beat the Oilers in seven games for their first and only Cup 14 seasons ago. Carolina continues its swing through Western Canada with a visit to Vancouver tomorrow.
Suspect Arrested In Deputy Shooting In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- A man accused of running an illegal drug operation in Greensboro, and shooting a Guilford County Sheriff's deputy, is under arrest. Deputies were serving a search warrant in the Moody Street area yesterday when one of them was shot. The suspect, Ivory Tisdale, says he thought someone was trying to break in. There's no word on the deputy's condition. Tisdale was arrested on drug charges.
Illegal Gaming Machines Confiscated In Davidson Co.
(Davidson Co., NC) -- Davidson County sheriff's officials are investigating illegal gaming businesses in Thomasville and Lexington. Machines were confiscated from casinos on National Highway and U.S. Highway 52 this week. Officials responded after people started complaining about the illegal businesses. Arrests are expected.
Salam Academy And College Off Probation
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Salem Academy and College is off probation. The college announced yesterday it now fully complies with standards put in place by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission. It had been put on probation about a year-and-a-half ago for financial reasons. Salam Academy and College is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the nation.
Driver Badly Hurt After Winston-Salem Crash
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- A driver is badly hurt after an accident in Winston-Salem. It happened yesterday on Martin Luther King Junior Drive, near Winston-Salem State University. Police say a vehicle driven by Franklin Herring careened off the roadway, flipped several times and landed in an embankment. He was rushed to the hospital in "serious but stable condition." An investigation is ongoing.
North Carolina Ranks High For Christmas Spirit
(Greensboro, NC) -- North Carolina is one of the top states in the nation for Christmas spirit. A survey by Internet, phone and TV provider CenturyLink ranks North Carolina 2nd among the 50 states. The list is based on nearly a dozen factors, including online searches for holiday movies and gingerbread houses, charitable donations, Christmas music streaming and number of tweets related to the holiday. Tennessee is number-one for Christmas spirit, and Nevada is in last place.