Henderson County Lowest Impacted County For COVID
(Henderson County, NC) -- One county in western North Carolina has the lowest impact of COVID-19 in the state. Henderson County is the only one in the state under the color green in Health and Human Services' most recent COVID County Alert System report this month. Green signifies low community spread. Cherokee and Polk counties still remain in the orange level, or substantial impact.
State Urges Holding Off Outdoor Burning
(Raleigh, NC) -- Hot and dry conditions are causing concern for the North Carolina Forest Service. The Agriculture Commissioner is encouraging North Carolinians to hold off outdoor burning through early June. There have already been 25-hundred wildfires in the state this year, which already outpaces all of 2020. It's expected to be in the upper 80s in the mountain region through the week.
Confederate Memorial Still Coming Down
(Asheville, NC) -- A noticeable section of downtown Asheville's Confederate monument is gone. The city's capital projects director told the Citizen-Times around a quarter of the Vance Monument was removed last week. Crews are taking down the statue named after former governor and slave owner Zebulon Vance one brick at a time. One group is still awaiting an answer on an appeal to halt the removal, but the city says things will continue in the meantime.
NC A Top-Ten State For Memorial Day Camping
(Asheville, NC) -- North Carolina is one of the top southeastern states for Memorial Day camping. Kampgrounds of America lists the Tar Heel State and Florida on its top ten list, as nearly 18-million households are expected to camp over the holiday weekend this year. More than 70-percent of those planning to camp say they'll stay in their home state.
Asheville Middle Hosts COVID Clinic
(Asheville, NC) -- One Asheville city school is playing host to COVID vaccine clinics. StarMed and the Buncombe County Health Department teamed up to give out doses of all three FDA-approved vaccines at Asheville Middle School on Saturday. It was the first of more clinics at the campus which are planned for the summer and next school year. An administrator for the district told WLOS-TV it's amazing to support being able to bring children back to participate in school.
Some Fees Going Up In Asheville
(Asheville, NC) -- Some fees are going up in the city of Asheville. The Citizen-Times reports the cost to park in city garages will rise from a-dollar-25 to two-bucks-an-hour on June 1st. A fee on water bills is also expected to increase around three-dollars-a-month for the average resident.
Charlotte Mother Charged With Daughter's Murder
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte mother is accused of killing her daughter. The CMPD says the remains of a four-year-old girl were discovered at a home on Braden Drive in northwest Charlotte Friday night. The girl had reportedly not been seen in several months. Officers arrested her mother for first-degree murder, child abuse and other charges.
Chester County Deputies Spot Murder Suspect
(Chester County, SC) -- Search teams are closing in on a murder suspect in Chester County. Tyler Terry has eluded law enforcement since he fired shots at deputies a week ago in a chase on I-77. The Chester County Sheriff's Office says a perimeter was put in place around Highway Nine and Richburg Road on Sunday afternoon after Terry was spotted running into the woods. He's connected to homicides in York County and Saint Louis, Missouri.
Bojangles' Coliseum To Serve As Vaccine Clinic Longer
(Charlotte, NC) -- Mecklenburg County is keeping a mass vaccination site open a bit longer than expected. The Bojangles' Coliseum was originally supposed to shut down last weekend, but it will now stay open through next month. Vaccines will be given out on a drive-thru basis. The county cited ongoing demand for the decision reversal.
Driver Charged After Wreck Turns Deadly One Month Later
(Charlotte, NC) -- A driver is facing charges in a west Charlotte wreck that turned deadly a month later. The CMPD says a 60-year-old man injured in an April 22nd crash on Rozzelles Ferry Road died last week. The other driver allegedly struck the victim's car head-on. Officers charged the suspect on Friday with felony death by motor vehicle, among other charges.
USAA Eyes Charlotte For New Office
(Charlotte, NC) -- Another Fortune 100 company is reportedly expanding its presence to Charlotte. The Charlotte Business Journal says San Antonio-based U-S-A-A is targeting the Queen City as it looks for new opportunities to access talent. USAA is a financial services group that serves those in the military and their families.
Heat Hits Queen City
(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte is in a heat wave. Things began to heat up in the piedmont over the weekend, and it's not over yet. The National Weather Service is calling for temperatures to reach the low 90s the entire week. A Code Orange Air Quality Alert is also in effect today, which means outdoor conditions are unhealthy for sensitive groups like children and people with heart or lung disease.
Events Remembering George Floyd Will Be Held In North Carolina And Across The Country
(Fayetteville, NC) -- A week of events honoring the life of Fayetteville native George Floyd got underway Sunday in Minneapolis and New York. Members of Floyd's family in North Carolina will participate in two public virtual memorials scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow. Floyd died one year ago on May 25th while suffocating under the knee of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been convicted of murder and manslaughter. The George Floyd Memorial Foundation is also asking supporters to contact U.S. House and Senate members to urge them to pass the George Floyd Policing Act.
Over 40-Thousand Johnston County Customers Under A Water Shortage Advisory
(Johnston County, NC) -- A Water Shortage Advisory has been issued for more than 40-thousand residents and businesses in Johnston County. Officials say the shortage was caused by problems at the water treatment plant in Smithfield, which supplies Johnston County Public Utilities with about 20-percent of its total supply. Customers are being asked to limit their consumption of water to essential uses The shortage is expected to last through the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
UNC Faculty Executive Committee To Take Up Case Of Nikole Hannah-Brown Today
(Chapel Hill, NC) -- A special meeting is scheduled for today at UNC Chapel Hill to discuss the fate of Nikole Hannah-Jones. Jones, a Pulitzer Prize winning black journalist was recently denied tenure by the school's Board of Trustees. This, after she was named the Knight Chair in the School of Media and Journalism. Her work on the 1619-project for the New York Times, which chronicled the history of slavery in America, has drawn the ire of many conservatives. The Board's decision has also drawn widespread criticism from a number of Journalism organizations.
Popular Pitt County Couple Killed In Weekend Plane Crash
(Pitt County, NC) -- The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal plane crash that killed a husband and wife team in Pitt County on Saturday. It happened around 6:pm at the South Oaks Aerodrome Airport in Winterville as their small two seater aircraft crashed and missed the runway. The victims, identified as Alan and Susan Stancill, were well known members of the Pitt County community and owners of a wild game meat processing plant.
North Carolina Beach Goers Warned To Watch Out For Dangerous Rip Currents
(Raleigh, NC) -- The National Weather Service has issued a warning for people along the beaches of North Carolina to be on the lookout for dangerous, possibly life-threatening rip currents. The 'High Risk' warning issued Sunday, is to remind beachgoers and all levels of swimmers to stay out of the water. The warning for rip currents was issued after subtropical storm Ana near Bermuda, was upgraded to a tropical storm early Sunday and then downgraded to a tropical depression by afternoon.
Baby Girl In Stolen Car In Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro police looking for the suspect who stole a car with a five-month-old girl in the backseat. It happened Friday night at a Marathon gas station on Randleman Road. Police say the mother left her Volkswagen Tiguan running while she ran inside with her toddler. That's when the suspect jumped in and took off. An AMBER Alert was issued for the baby, and both she and the car were found hours later in Winston-Salem. Anyone with information is urged to call police.
Thomasville Woman Accused Of Forging Checks
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- A Thomasville woman is accused of stealing money from the church where she worked. The "Winston-Salem Journal" reports 79-year-old Betty Fowler Collins is charged with one count of embezzlement and eight counts of forgery. Davidson County sheriff's officials say she forged checks and took more than 150-thousand dollars from Liberty Baptist Church. Collins was arrested on a 25-thousand-dollar bond.
Six People Displaced In Winston-Salem House Fire
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Six people are homeless after their home in Winston-Salem caught fire. The blaze broke out early Saturday morning on the 35-hundred-block of Prospect Drive. No injuries were reported, but the house was destroyed. The family is being helped out by the American Red Cross. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Person Killed In Shooting In Winston-Salem
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- One person is dead after a shooting in Winston-Salem. Shots were fired just before 11 p.m. Saturday at the On Your way Mart on East 12th Street. Police arrived to find 35-year-old Donald Lowry Junior suffering a gunshot wound. They believe he was sitting in his car when two men approached him and one opened fire. Lowry died at the hospital. Police have not identified a possible suspect.
Burlington Police Chief Retiring
(Burlington, NC) -- The Burlington police chief is retiring. Chief Jeffrey Smythe has been with the department for more than 30 years. He says although he's turning in his badge, he still plans to remain in public service. City leaders are currently gathering public input on a potential new chief of police.