Zeta Bringing Rain, Wind This Morning To WNC
(Asheville, NC) -- Heavy rain and wind is picking up in western North Carolina this morning. Zeta made a fast northeast track from the Louisiana coast through the night, leaving more than one-million without power. Winds are expected to pick up to at least 25-miles-an-hour most of the morning in the Asheville area, with gusts possibly reaching 50. The rain will be gone by noon.
Supreme Court Allows Later Absentee Deadline In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing a later deadline to receive absentee ballots in North Carolina. Mail-in votes will be counted as long as elections officials receive the ballots by November 12th, but they must still be postmarked by November 3rd. The state elections board recently extended the date to allow more time for any issues with the postal service. The high court voted five-to-three yesterday to let the extension stay in place.
Governor Halts Evictions
(Raleigh, NC) -- Struggling North Carolina residents who can't afford their rent are getting some relief. Governor Roy Cooper announced yesterday that an eviction moratorium will be in place through the end of the year. The state's measure will mirror that of the CDC's recommendation, as long as tenants provide a sworn statement about their conditions due to the pandemic. Cooper said it could prevent a quarter-of-a-million evictions from being filed.
Woman Barricades Self In Grocery Store
(Candler, NC) -- No injuries are being reported after an armed woman barricaded herself at a western North Carolina grocery store. Investigators say a woman with a gun and a knife locked herself in the bathroom of a Food Lion in Candler Wednesday morning. The store was evacuated as police came on the scene. Negotiators were able to take her into custody after five hours.
Jackson County IDs Another COVID-19 Cluster
(Jackson County, NC) -- Another COVID-19 cluster is being identified in Jackson County. The public health department said yesterday seven people tested positive at Shepherd Early Education and Preschool. The center is closing for 14-days. It comes after seven other people recently tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a social gathering at an apartment in Jackson County.
Asheville Airport Passenger Traffic Down 50-Percent From Last Year
(Asheville, NC) -- Passenger traffic at Asheville Regional Airport this year is expected to be down 50-percent over 2019. Levels hit an all-time high last year with over one-point-five-million travelers, but airport officials expect it to bottom out to around 725-thousand by December's end. That amount is more reflective of what Asheville Regional experienced around seven-years ago. Levels are predicted to be over 90-thousand for this month, which is a drastic increase from early pandemic numbers.
Strong Winds Expected In Charlotte This Morning
(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte will feel the worst of the impacts from Zeta this morning. Winds are expected to reach above 25-miles-an-hour from mid-morning through noon, with gusts hitting 50. Flooding rain is possible as well. The storm has caused more than a million power outages across the southeast since making landfall on the Gulf Coast yesterday.
CMPD Investigating 100th Homicide Of 2020
(Charlotte, NC) -- Yet another homicide is being investigated by the CMPD. A deadly shooting on Princess Street in northeast Charlotte late Tuesday night marked the 100th homicide this year. A man was killed inside his home. WBTV is reporting there were 86 homicides in Charlotte at this time last year.
Trio On Run After Man Shot, Wife Robbed
(Union County, NC) -- Union County investigators are on the lookout for three suspects who shot a man during a robbery. The man was working on a four-wheeler outside his Macedonia Church Road home when one of the suspects opened fire on Tuesday night. The trio then allegedly forced the victim's wife to hand over valuables before they ran away. They're still on the run while the shooting victim is expected to survive.
Lancaster High School Goes Virtual Due To COVID-19
(Lancaster, SC) -- COVID-19 is causing a school in Lancaster to temporarily close. Students of Lancaster High School will be learning virtually through next Friday, November 6th. The school says 30 people have had to quarantine after five staff members tested positive for coronavirus.
Carowinds Re-Opening Next Month
(Charlotte, NC) -- Gates are opening soon at Carowinds. Park officials announced yesterday that guests will be welcomed back beginning November 20th for a special holiday experience featuring tastes of the season and popular rides. Capacity will be limited, so park-goers will need to make reservations in advance. The general manager at Carowinds said their health and safety protocols align with CDC guidance.
Positive COVID-19 Test Confirmed At Wake County Elementary School
(Wake County, NC) -- Less than a week after some eight-thousand students returned for in-person classroom instruction in the Wake County School District, there's been a report of someone testing positive for COVID-19. According to the District, the positive diagnosis was reported Tuesday at the Forest Pines Elementary School in northeast Raleigh. Officials have not revealed whether the infected person was a student or teacher. Contact tracers have already starting notifying anyone who may have had any close contact with that individual.
Nine Day Absentee Ballot Count Extension Approved By U.S. Supreme Court
(Raleigh, NC) -- The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling Wednesday, rejecting a request by state Republican leaders to block an extension of a deadline to count absentee ballots in North Carolina. The 5-3 ruling upholds a decision by the North Carolina Elections board to allow ballots to be counted up to nine days after the November 3rd election. The ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd and received by 5 p.m. November 12th in order to be considered valid. Newly appointed justice Amy Coney Barrett did not take part in the decision.
Single Day COVID-19 Positive Test Count Second Highest On Record
(Raleigh, NC) -- Data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services showed there were two-thousand-253 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, the second highest single-day total on record. North Carolina's positivity rate remained at nearly seven-percent, higher than the five-percent target set by the state. The Department also reported there were 11-hundred-93 people in the hospital, down 18 from the day before. Thirty-four additional people died from COVID-19 yesterday, which brought the total to 42-hundred-45.
Reidsville Polling Site Shut-Down Over COVID-19 Exposure
(Reidsville, NC) -- A polling site in Rockingham County is shut-down after several poll workers tested positive for COVID-19. At least three workers at the Salvation Army in Reidsville tested positive for the virus yesterday. Several other workers are quarantining. The Board of Elections says it's not worried about voters being exposed because there were several measures in place to keep them safe, including gloves, masks, plexiglass barriers and social-distancing.
Interim Police Chief Appointed In Mocksville
(Mocksville, NC) -- Mocksville is appointing an interim police chief. Tim Parks, the former police chief of Yadkinville, will fill in for Chief Pat Reagan, who's retiring on December 1st. Parks will help the interim town manager choose the new police chief.
Man Wanted In Burlington Starbucks Robbery
(Burlington, NC) -- Burlington police are looking for a man who robbed a Starbucks at gunpoint though the drive-thru window. It happened around 5:30 yesterday morning at the Starbucks on University Drive. Police say the suspect was wearing a black ski mask and driving a white car. No one was hurt. Anyone with information is urged to come forward.