Asheville Joins In Honoring Of COVID-19 Victims
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville is honoring victims of COVID-19. Yesterday, the city was one of many across the country to take part in a movement to remember the 400-thousand lives lost due to the virus in the U.S. City Hall and Harrah's Cherokee Center lit up for the evening. Around 230 people have died in Buncombe.
Cawthorn Facing Pressure Over Comments
(Hendersonville, NC) -- A new western North Carolina Congressman is facing increasing heat over his comments surrounding the Capitol riots. The Citizen-Times is reporting Republican Madison Cawthorn called in to a radio show in the middle of the riots at the U.S. Capitol to blame the events on what he called people paid by the Democratic machines. It was just earlier in the day when Cawthorn appeared at a pro-Trump rally and praised the crowd for having fight in it. More than 70-thousand people have signed an online petition to push for Cawthorn's resignation.
Nearly Half-Million Vaccine Doses Administered In NC
(Raleigh, NC) -- Close to half-a-million people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in North Carolina. That includes more than four-thousand in Buncombe County as of Tuesday afternoon. Buncombe County is also opening a wait list to set up vaccine appointment times for residents aged 65-and-over and healthcare workers. The positivity rate locally is back down to under nine-percent.
Asheville Police Warn Of Possible Deadly Batch Of Fentanyl
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville police are warning about potentially deadly drugs circulating the community. The department says five deaths reported between January 14th and 16th may be linked to a batch of fentanyl. The deaths are considered to be suspected overdoses. Anyone with information connected to the drugs or overdoses is urged to call the APD.
Standoff Lasts 20-Hours In Rutherford County
(Rutherford County, NC) -- A Rutherford County man is facing charges in connection to a long standoff with police. Officers went to a home in Spindale last Saturday, where the suspect in a stolen truck case barricaded himself inside. Investigators say the man fired several shots at police and allegedly reported he had explosives. It wasn't until 20 hours later when he was finally arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and other charges.
Downtown Asheville Library Re-Opens
(Asheville, NC) -- Pack Memorial Library in Asheville is back open. The location is operating at 50-percent capacity on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Library officials told WLOS-TV they're encouraging visitors to stop by for a brief time so more people can use the facility.
Pediatric COVID-19 Death Reported In Mecklenburg County
(Charlotte, NC) -- COVID-19 is responsible for the death of a young child in Mecklenburg County. Health Director Gibbie Harris said it was a pediatric death, but gave no other information in the case yesterday. It marks the second pediatric death in North Carolina. The average number of daily cases over the last two weeks has dropped slightly from the previous period to around 780 in Charlotte.
Child Injured In Charlotte Shooting
(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a shooting that injured a child. Officers say a seven-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet while inside a unit at The Edge apartments on Hilo Street yesterday. The shot allegedly came from a gun fight in the apartment complex parking lot. No arrests have been made.
Vaccination Appointments Opening For More Charlotte Residents
(Charlotte, NC) -- Mecklenburg County residents age 65-and-older can soon make appointments for COVID-19 vaccines through the public health department. Registration begins tomorrow morning at 8:30 both on the phone and online. Health officials say they're hoping to give out 15-hundred doses a week for the first three weeks of February. Bojangles' Coliseum is being used as a mass vaccination site.
Conviction Vacated For Meck Man
(Mecklenburg County, NC) -- The prison sentence of a Mecklenburg County man is being vacated. Willie Shaw was released yesterday after Duke Law's Wrongful Conviction Clinic helped prove there wasn't enough evidence for his conviction. Investigators originally said a woman at a Mint Hill long-term care facility died after Shaw sexually assaulted her in 2015 while he served as a nursing assistant. Medical experts say the woman was injured at least seven hours after Shaw actually had contact with her.
Caldwell County Native Singing At Super Bowl
(Caldwell County, NC) -- A Caldwell County native is hitting the stage at this year's Super Bowl. The NFL said yesterday that country music performer Eric Church will sing the National Anthem before the February 7th game. Church was born in Granite Falls and graduated from South Caldwell High School. He was just named Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards in November.
Applications Accepted For Vacant Charlotte City Council Seat
(Charlotte, NC) -- The application period for a vacant Charlotte commission seat is open. At-large city council member James Mitchell previously stepped down on January 11th since he took a new job as president of the RJ Lepper Construction firm. It was considered a potential conflict of interest. Applications to fill the position are being taken through Tuesday.
Vaccination Distribution Rate In North Carolina Speeding Up
(Raleigh, NC) -- The rate in which North Carolinians are receiving vaccinations is picking up speed. That's according to state Health Officer Dr. Mandy Cohen, who announced Tuesday that 100-thousand people have been inoculated within the past five days, bringing the total to over 458-thousand. Cohen also said another 54-thousand nursing home residents and staff have also been vaccinated. Wake County leads the state in vaccinations with over 38-thousand so-far.
Justice Department Says No Charges Will Be Filed Against Senator Burr
(Raleigh, NC) -- An insider trading investigation into the financial dealings of North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr has been dropped. The announcement came from the U.S. Justice Department Tuesday, which also informed the former Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee that no charges would be filed against him. Burr was suspected of using classified information obtained during frequent Senate briefings as motivation to sell as much as one-point-seven-million dollars' worth of stock in early 2020, before the market experienced steep declines because of the pandemic.
Durham Council Passes New LGBTQ And Hair Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
(Durham, NC) -- The Durham City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday that bans discrimination against the LGBTQ community and against hairstyles historically associated with race. The new law covers citizens in the protected classes from discrimination in employment and public accommodations. Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsboro have already passed similar ordinances. Durham's anti-discrimination ordinance takes effect on July 1st.
Downtown Raleigh Illuminated In Amber In Remembrance Of COVID-19 Dead
(Raleigh, NC) -- The City of Raleigh joined municipalities across the country last night in a solemn memorial tribute to the more than 400-thousand people who have lost their lives because of COVID-19. Several downtown buildings, including the governor's mansion, the Raleigh Municipal Center, the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts and the Fayetteville Street Office Towers, were all lit up in the color of amber. Amber is now the official designated COVID-19 memorial color.
FBI Announces Arrest Of NC Man In Capitol Riot
(Greensboro, NC) -- A North Carolina man is under arrest in connection with the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6th. Christopher Spencer of Pilot Mountain is facing several charges, including violent entry and obstruction of justice. The FBI says Spencer live-streamed three videos while he was inside the Capitol building. He made his initial court appearance at the federal courthouse in Greensboro.
NC National Guard To Support Pentagon During Inauguration
(Washington, DC) -- More than 300 members of the North Carolina National Guard are on the ground in Washington, DC. They're among 25-thousand guardsmen and women who will support the DC Metro Police Department during Inauguration Day today. This is North Carolina National Guard's largest deployment to a presidential inauguration.
NC COVID-19 Cases Continue Decline
(Undated) -- North Carolina is reporting its lowest number of positive COVID-19 cases in three weeks. State health officials yesterday announced just over four-thousand new coronavirus infections. That's the lowest amount since December 29th. However, COVID-19 hospitalizations remain near record highs at about three-thousand-880.
Mass Vaccination Sites Opening Up In The Triad
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Six more mass vaccination sites are opening up in the Triad. They include the former Sears store at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem. That site opens on January 25th. Cone Health has already set up a mass vaccination site at the Greensboro Coliseum where it plans to administer 750 doses per day. Altogether, healthcare officials plan to give 20-thousand vaccinations daily.