Community Testing Site Opens In Buncombe Tomorrow
(Asheville, NC) -- Community-based testing for COVID-19 begins tomorrow in Buncombe County. An initiative is being launched to help those who are facing health care or financial barriers. Hillcrest Community Center hosts the first testing site Tuesday beginning at one p.m. The next comes up Thursday afternoon at Buncombe County Schools Central Office.
Two Dead In Shooting
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville police are investigating a deadly double shooting. Investigators say a man was found shot to death in the parking lot of a Wendy's fast food restaurant on Merrimon Avenue Friday night. Officers discovered a second man dead inside a car that crashed at a nearby intersection. The driver and another passenger allegedly ran away from the scene.
NC Coronavirus Cases Almost At 15-Thousand
(Raleigh, NC) -- Coronavirus cases are growing close to 15-thousand in North Carolina. The Department of Health and Human Services reported that new cases grew by more than 400 yesterday. Results from close to 58-hundred COVID-19 tests were collected Sunday, which is within range of the state's testing goal. Hospitalizations dropped to under 500 people over the weekend for the first time in almost a week.
Parts Of BRP Re-Open
(Asheville, NC) -- The Blue Ridge Parkway is re-opening to traffic in western North Carolina. Parkway officials say the southernmost 15 miles re-opened over the weekend, while other sections will open in a few days. Trails remain open to hikers while social distancing is encouraged.
Gunman Allegedly Shoots At Asheville Bar
(Asheville, NC) -- Investigators are looking into details of an alleged shooting at an Asheville bar. Officers told WLOS-TV that it appears shots were fired from a car into Haywood Lounge on Haywood Road Saturday. There was no one inside the building at the time of the shooting.
Madison County Allows Short-Term Rentals
(Madison County, NC) -- Short-term rentals are back in business in Madison County. The chairman of the board of commissioners told the Citizen-Times that there was no way to enforce the restriction, so the ban was lifted during the state's phase one re-opening on Friday night. He's also asked Governor Roy Cooper to go ahead and lift restrictions on the ten-person limit for indoor church services. Retail businesses are currently allowed to operate at 50-percent capacity.
Malls Open Back Up
(Charlotte, NC) -- Several Charlotte-area malls are now back open after some state restrictions were lifted. Simon Property Group locations, which cover SouthPark Mall, Concord Mills Mall and Charlotte Premium Outlets, opened on Saturday. The Charlotte Observer says about 40 of SouthPark's 140 stores were back in business for customers. Employees at the mall are required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked.
One Dead In Chesterfield County Shooting
(Chesterfield County, SC) -- Deputies are investigating a deadly shooting in Chesterfield County. They found a man dead in the middle of the road in the Mount Croghan area Saturday night. Investigators say they believe it was domestic related. No arrests have been announced.
Electric Scooters Back With Limited Availability
(Charlotte, NC) -- Rental scooters are rolling back out in the Queen City. Lime and Spin released a limited quantity of 50 electric scooters in Charlotte on Saturday. They're spread out in Uptown, South End, near Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Doctors and nurses are being offered free 30-minute rides in a new project called Lime Aid.
Charlotte Transit Cleaning More
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Charlotte Area Transit System is taking extra sanitary measures. Crews will be cleaning all light rail vehicles during their layovers beginning today. Hard surfaces on buses will also be wiped down.
Charlotte Restaurant Gives Away Thousands Of Hot Wings
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte restaurant is giving back to the community as a way of saying thanks. TCB 54-Hundred Bar and Grill handed out 54-hundred hot wings for free on Mother's Day. That equaled more than a-thousand meals. The restaurant's owner told WSOC-TV it was their way of giving back to people who showed support when they were recently robbed.
Health Officials Keeping Close Watch On Phase One Of Reopening Plan
(Raleigh, NC) -- Today marks the beginning of the first full week of Phase One of North Carolina's reopening plan. Phase One, which went into effect Friday, allows retail stores to resume operations as long as they limit customer occupancy to 50-percent. Shoppers must also remain six feet apart while inside the retail spaces. Dine-in restaurants, barber shops, gyms and movie theaters will remain closed.
Third Prison Inmate Infected With Coronavirus Dies
(Goldsboro, NC) -- A third prison inmate at the Neuse Correctional Institution near Goldsboro has died of COVID-19. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the inmate was in his late 60's and had underlying health conditions. Health officials report Neuse has the highest case count of any prison facility in the state at 467. There are a total of 642-cases of the virus in North Carolina prison facilities statewide.
Man Bitten By Fox While Trying To Protect His Two Dogs
(Raleigh, NC) -- Residents in the Brier Creek section of Raleigh have been told to be on alert after a man was bitten by a fox Sunday. Dick Claxon told authorities that he was out walking his two dogs when the wild animal tried to attack them. Claxon said he tried to fend off the fox when it bit him on the hand and leg. Claxon later drove himself to hospital where he was given a rabies shot and antibiotics. The fox was eventually captured by animal control officials and is now being tested for rabies.
Police Discover Body Behind Johnston County Public Library
(Smithfield, NC) -- Police in Smithfield have launched an investigation into the discovery of the body of a man near the Johnston County Public Library Sunday afternoon. Officers reportedly found the body near an HVAC unit concealed by thick shrubbery at 305-East Market Street. There are unconfirmed reports that the body may have been there for several days. Authorities have not released the victims identity pending notification of relatives. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Winston-Salem Woman Caught In Crossfire Of Gunfight
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- A Winston-Salem woman is hospitalized after she was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight. It happened just before 3 a.m. yesterday near North Point Boulevard and University Parkway. Police say 52-year-old Tammy Coleman was stopped at a light when she was shot twice. They say people in two vehicles were shooting at each other, and Coleman got stuck in the middle. She's expected to be okay. Police have not announced any arrests.
Wilkesboro Tyson Fresh Plant Closed For Cleaning
(Wilkesboro, NC) -- The Wilkesboro Tyson Fresh Plant is closed for cleaning. Crews are deep-cleaning and sanitizing the plant through tomorrow. The number of positive coronavirus cases linked to the plant has not been released, but it's one of multiple meat plants in North Carolina with a cluster of cases. The Wilkesboro plant is expected to reopen Wednesday.
NC Antibody Study Results Released
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Results from North Carolina's first coronavirus antibody study are out. More than seven-thousand people took part in the Wake Forest Baptist Health study. It found only about two-percent of participants have developed antibodies to the virus, which is a sign they'd been exposed to it.
NC Sheriff's Deputy Charged After Leading Group To Wrong Home
(Wilmington, NC) -- A sheriff's deputy in North Carolina is accused of leading a group of people to the wrong home in the search for a missing girl. The New Hanover County district attorney said last week that Deputy Jordan Kita is charged with criminal trespassing, and breaking and entering. The DA says he led several armed people to the wrong home in the search for a 15-year-old girl. Kita was fired.