Two WNC Hospitals To Store First COVID-19 Vaccines
(Hendersonville, NC) -- Two hospitals in the region are among a group of eleven in North Carolina set to receive the state's first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville and Caldwell Memorial in Lenoir were chosen due to their capacity for cold storage. Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that around 85-thousand doses should be sent this month from Pfizer. The first group of people prioritized to receive the vaccine are healthcare workers and staff in long-term care settings.
County Commissioners Vote For Removal Of Vance Monument
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville's Vance Monument is one step closer to removal. The Buncombe County Commission unanimously voted last night to take the statue out of Pack Square Park, as recommended by a newly created task force. The monument is named after former governor Zebulon Vance, who also served as a Confederate officer during the Civil War. The Asheville City Council will discuss the issue at its meeting tonight.
Healthcare Company Adding Jobs In Henderson County
(Henderson County, NC) -- A healthcare company is bringing 150 more jobs to Henderson County. Officials announced yesterday that Jabril Healthcare is investing close to 40-million-dollars for a manufacturing facility in East Flat Rock. The 180-thousand-square-foot building could be ready to open in just over a year. A Jabril executive credited incentives with the company's decision to invest locally.
Suspects Arrested On Drug Charges
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Three suspects are facing drug charges after a bust in Buncombe County. Deputies recently seized more than 70 grams of meth and nearly four-thousand-dollars in cash. Two suspects from Candler and one from Weaverville were arrested on charges ranging from trafficking drugs, possession and assault.
Drivers Warned To Watch For Black Ice
(Undated) -- Anyone driving this morning in western North Carolina is urged to use extreme caution. Temperatures fell into the 20s overnight, increasing the danger of black ice on roadways. The worst conditions are expected to be in the mountains closest to the Tennessee border. The winter weather may be gone, but temperatures and gusty winds will keep things feeling cold.
Governor To Discuss COVID-19 Concerns
(Raleigh, NC) -- Potential changes could be coming later this week to North Carolina's COVID-19 guidelines. Governor Roy Cooper is expected to give a regularly scheduled briefing this afternoon, just three days before Phase Three restrictions are set to expire. Coronavirus metrics have exploded in recent weeks statewide, as highs for single-day cases and hospitalizations continue to set records. Restaurants are allowed 50-percent indoor dining capacity under the current guidelines.
CMPD Investigating Triple Shooting
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a triple shooting. Officers found one person suffering serious injuries on West Boulevard near Remount Road in west Charlotte late Monday afternoon. Two other victims in the shooting showed up to the hospital by private vehicles. It's unclear what led to the shooting, or if investigators are looking for any suspects. All three are expected to survive.
Panthers Add Players To COVID List
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Panthers' team facilities are closed today due to COVID-19 protocols. Eight players were added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday for either testing positive or for quarantine due to possible exposure. Two players were added to the list last week. Last weekend was a bye for Carolina, which is scheduled to resume action at home against Denver on Sunday.
Double Murder Unsolved In Hickory
(Hickory, NC) -- Hickory police are still searching for a suspect in a double homicide from earlier this year. Two cousins were shot to death at a gas station on Mother's Day. Family members told WSOC-TV yesterday they've raised ten-thousand-dollars for a reward in hopes of finding the killer.
Meck Judge Tests Positive For Coronavirus
(Mecklenburg County, NC) -- Mecklenburg County's chief district court judge is in quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test. Elizabeth Trosch revealed she tested positive on Friday and will stay at home until December 13th. One courtroom canceled or postponed events yesterday, but another judge is handling her duties for the time being.
Businesses Hoping Cooper Won't Order Another Round Of New COVID-19 Restrictions
(Raleigh, NC) -- Hundreds of small businesses across North Carolina are anxiously waiting to find out if Governor Roy Cooper will impose any new COVID-19 restrictions. Cooper has scheduled a news briefing for 3 this afternoon to discuss possible options to help slow the spread of the virus. The governor's current COVID-19 order is set to expire on Friday.
COVID-19 Numbers Continue To Surge At Unprecedented Levels
(Raleigh, NC) -- Data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services showed there were four-thousand-372 confirmed new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, a decrease of more than two-thousand from the day before. There were also 22-hundred-40 people in the hospital, with 528 of them in the Intensive Care Unit, the highest on record. North Carolina's positivity rate remained at 10-point-five-percent. The Department also reported 17 additional deaths Monday, which brought the total to 55-hundred-60.
Four Out Of 11-Hospitals Set To Receive Vaccines Located In Triangle
(Raleigh, NC) -- State health officials have released a list of 11 hospital systems that will be the first to receive shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine once it is approved by the FDA. Four of those hospitals are in the Triangle area. They include Cape Fear Valley Health System in Cumberland County, Duke University Health System in Durham, Hoke Healthcare in Raeford and UNC Health Southeastern. Front line health care workers and people in nursing homes will be the first to receive the vaccine.
Education Task Force Out With First Recommendations To Improve Teacher Diversity
(Raleigh, NC) -- A task force commissioned by Governor Roy Cooper to come up with ways of improving teacher diversity in state schools has released its first set of recommendations. DRIVE, which stands for Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education, recommends expanding scholarships, student loan forgiveness and tuition reimbursement programs in an effort to make the teaching profession more attractive to minorities. The panel also said diversity goals should be set by school districts as performance indicators.
Cold Temps Force State Officials To Take Threat Of Severe Winter Weather Seriously
(Raleigh, NC) -- Monday marked the start of Winter Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina. For this winter, the State Emergency Management Agency is urging all NC residents to put together a preparedness kit. The kit should include a three-day supply of non-perishable food items, batteries and to identify areas of the home where electric generators and kerosene heaters can be safely ventilated.
Man Found Dead Near Walmart ID'd
(Burlington, NC) -- Police are identifying the man found dead near a Burlington Walmart. The body of 55-year-old James Mayns was found Friday afternoon in landscaping along the edge of Walmart's property on South Graham Hopedale Road. The state medical examiner believes his cause of death was related to hypothermia. The temperature Thursday night dipped into the 30s.
Autopsy Shows Fort Bragg Paratrooper Found Dead In NC Was Decapitated
(Fort Bragg, NC) -- The death of a missing Fort Bragg soldier is now being called a murder. The News and Observer report it's unclear how Enrique Roman-Martinez died, because coroners could only examine his head. That's what washed up on a North Carolina beach back in June. An autopsy report shows his jaw had been broken in two places. The Army is offering a 25-thousand-dollar reward.
HPU Partners With Cone Health To Store COVID-19 Vaccine
(High Point, NC) -- High Point University is helping in the fight against coronavirus. The Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy is teaming up with Cone Health to store the COVID-19 vaccines. It's loaning the hospital its Ultra Low Temperature freezer to store the ground-breaking vaccines, which are expected to ship on December 14th.
Police: Woman Found Dead On Side Of Road
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead on the side of the road in Winston-Salem. A passerby made the gruesome discovery around 11:15 yesterday morning in the four-thousand-block of High Point Road. The victim was identified as 28-year-old Maria Del Carmen Cedillo Figueroa. Foul play is suspected.
Two ACC/Big Ten Challenge Games Postponed
(Undated) -- A pair of ACC/Big Ten Challenge basketball games are being postponed due to COVID-19. Tomorrow's Louisville-Wisconsin and NC State-Michigan matchups have been called off. The 24th-ranked Cardinals and Wolfpack are both dealing with positive tests within their programs. The 13th-ranked Badgers announced they will now host Rhode Island on Wednesday instead.