NC Stay-At-Home Order Extended
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina's stay-at-home orders are extended through May 8th. Governor Roy Cooper announced the decision yesterday, saying it was based on public health data and White House guidelines. He did acknowledge that people have to get back to work, but the state still needs to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order also extends the closure of dining in restaurants and other close-contact businesses.
Buncombe Leaders To Unveil New Plans Locally
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Buncombe County leaders are working on plans for a roll-out of stay-at-home restrictions locally. There have been 51 COVID-19 cases in the county, including three deaths. More details are expected early next week on what the county plans to do, while officials closely monitor continued testing, tracing and trends. Buncombe's emergency preparedness director says it's a tug of war to balance safeguarding public health and re-opening communities.
Suspected Asheville White Supremacist Sentenced To Prison
(Asheville, NC) -- An Asheville man suspected of being a white supremacist is heading to prison for drug trafficking. The Justice Department said yesterday Jonathan Ray Adams was sentenced to 13-years after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession charges connected to a methamphetamine bust last year. Shipments of drugs from Atlanta were seized in both Buncombe and Henderson counties. Adams is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang.
Coronavirus Cases Show Small Increase In WNC
(Asheville, NC) -- The number is coronavirus cases is holding relatively steady in western North Carolina. Health officials released numbers yesterday which show a jump of roughly ten cases day-to-day in the region, up to more than 360 in total. The News and Observer reported 78-hundred cases across the state. It's taken almost two weeks for numbers to double in the state.
Governor Announcing School Plan Today
(Raleigh, NC) -- Public school students across the state are about to find out what the rest of their academic year will look like. Governor Cooper says an announcement will be made today on how things are shaping up for nearly a-million-and-a-half kids who have been completing school assignments remotely from home. Public schools are currently closed through May 15th. The state is planning to avoid negatively impacting student grades after schools shut down in March.
Buncombe Relief Fund Hits Million-Dollar Mark
(Asheville, NC) -- There's good news for a COVID-19 emergency relief fund formed in Buncombe County. The nonprofit, One Buncombe, revealed yesterday it has received over one-point-one-million-dollars in donations locally since starting up in late March. The fund is helping those in need with jobs, bills, food and other financial assistance. There's still a need for donations, as One Buncombe has received over four-million-dollars in requests.
Meck Infants Recover From Coronavirus
(Mecklenburg County, NC) -- Several young children in Mecklenburg County who tested positive for coronavirus are said to be doing okay. Meck's health director said yesterday three infants have recovered. Total case numbers locally are close to 13-hundred-80, with 37 deaths. There are around 78-hundred cases statewide.
Man Killed Outside NE Charlotte Apartments
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a homicide in northeast Charlotte. Officers found a man shot to death on a road just outside the Colonial Village Apartments at Chancellor Park Thursday afternoon. NBC Charlotte reports a neighbor spotted a suspicious man in a red-hooded sweatshirt outside the complex entrance before the shooting. Officer haven't announced any arrests.
Explosion Seriously Burns Man In Salisbury
(Salisbury, NC) -- A man is being treated for burns suffered in an explosion in Salisbury. Firefighters say it happened as he was using a torch on a barrel at a business on South Main Street yesterday. Burn injuries to his lower abdomen and legs were considered severe. The explosion reportedly shook nearby homes, but didn't heavily damage the business.
Panthers Take Auburn Defensive Tackle In Draft
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Southeastern Conference's 2019 defensive player of the year is coming to Charlotte. The Carolina Panthers selected Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown as the seventh pick of the NFL draft last night. A choice on that side of the ball was certainly no surprise, as the Panthers are returning only two starters on defense next season. Brown said on Twitter that he can't wait to get to Charlotte and get to work.
Empty Parking Lots At CLT
(Charlotte, NC) -- Things are looking a lot different at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Director Brent Cagle told the city council this week about changes that can be seen since the coronavirus pandemic hit, including empty parking lots and construction project-holds on concourses A and D. CLT's large terminal expansion project is continuing on as normal. Cagle says the airline industry is going to fundamentally change. The airport is receiving 135-million-dollars from the CARES Act.
Future Of NC Schools To Be Announced Today
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Cooper is expected to make another announcement today on the fate of North Carolina schools, which have been closed since early March. Cooper's original executive order mandated all in-person classroom instruction be banned through May 15th. It is widely anticipated that Cooper will follow the lead of South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster in canceling all in-person classes for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
School Board Says No Letter Grades And No Failing Grades Will Be Given This Year
(Raleigh, NC) -- At a meeting of the North Carolina Board of Education Thursday, members voted to approve a new grading policy for students this year in response to the coronavirus crisis. The new policy will eliminate letter grades for most students, while decisions regarding promotions will be made by principals. High school students will have choice of accepting the grade they had earned up until March 13th, working to improve their grades through remote learning or simply take a 'PASS' grade, which won't affect their grade point average. No student will get a failing grade this year.
Former North Carolina Education And Transportation Head Going To The Pentagon
(Wake County, NC) -- Former Wake County School Superintendent and state transportation chief Anthony Tata, has been recommended for a top position at the Pentagon. Tata, a retired Army brigadier general, author of several books and frequent Fox News contributor, will become the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy. If approved by the Senate, Tata would replace John Rood, who was forced out of office in February.
Coronavirus Cases Continue On Upward Trajectory
(Raleigh, NC) -- The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in North Carolina soared to around 78-hundred Thursday. The North Carolina Department of Public Health also reported there were 486-patients in the hospital and around 260-deaths. At of Thursday COVID-19 cases had been reported in 93-of the state's 100-counties.
Two People Charged In Connection With Deadly Thomasville Shooting
(Thomasville, NC) - A 25-year-old man and a juvenile are charged in connection with a deadly shooting in Thomasville. De'Bryan Brown was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, and the juvenile was arrested yesterday afternoon on suspicion of murder. They're charged in the death of Bradley Stephens, who was gunned down last Saturday at a home on Middle Avenue. Police say Stephens was attending a birthday party when he was shot.
Fun Fourth Festival Canceled
(Greensboro, NC) - Greensboro is canceling its Fun Fourth Festival due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event would have been held in downtown Greensboro on July 3rd and 4th. It would have included a freedom race, a street festival and a fireworks show. The Fun Fourth Festival draws thousands of people to the city each year.
Coronavirus Cases In NC Near 7,800
(Undated) - Coronavirus cases in North Carolina stand at about 78-hundred. That's according to the latest numbers from the state Department of Health and Human services. Health officials say around 260 people have died of the virus in the state. There are roughly 930 cases in the Piedmont Triad and 31 deaths.
Tyson Foods Confirms COVID-19 Case
(Wilkesboro, NC) - Tyson Foods says an employee at its plant in Wilkesboro has coronavirus. A company spokesperson said workers who came in close contact with the employee have been notified. They said the facility is taking several safety measures, including requiring face coverings and providing hand-sanitizing stations