Board Votes To Close Asheville Primary School
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville Primary School is closing. The board of education voted last night to shut the school down in the 2022-2023 year due to a large need for maintenance at the campus. A majority of parents who spoke during a public hearing before the decision spoke in favor of keeping the school open. Students will be enrolled in other Asheville city schools next year.
Burn Ban Lifted In All NC Counties
(Buncombe County, NC) -- The state's open burning ban is being lifted for all North Carolina counties. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said yesterday there's been enough rain to help bring fire danger down. The ban was initially lifted for 67 counties last week. Residents still need a valid burn permit to do so outdoors.
House To Vote On Contempt Charges Against Meadows
(Washington, DC) -- The U.S House is expected to vote today on contempt charges against a former western North Carolina Congressman. Mark Meadows was serving as chief-of-staff at the time of the Capitol riot on January 6th. A Democratic-run committee yesterday recommended that Meadows be found in contempt after he refused to testify about messages he received from lawmakers, urging former President Trump to act during the riot.
Police Make Large Drug Bust In Murphy
(Murphy, NC) -- A massive drug but is being reported near the Harrah's Valley River Casino in Murphy. Investigators say police discovered 900-pounds of processed marijuana in a U-Haul truck last week. It has an estimated street value of around three-million-dollars. Officers found the pot after the driver showed up to pick-up a woman who accused another man of assault.
Face Masks To Be Optional In Henderson County Schools
(Henderson County, NC) -- School officials are making decisions on face mask policies in western North Carolina. The Henderson County school board voted yesterday to make masks optional at the start of the year. Asheville City Schools and Polk County are keeping coverings mandatory for now.
City Council Considers Relief For Harrah's Cherokee Center
(Asheville, NC) -- COVID relief money could be coming to Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville. The city council is taking a vote tonight on whether or not to accept more than 800-thousand-dollars in additional funds. The money would go towards assisting in salaries, utility costs and other expenses.
Student Charged After Shot Fired At Charlotte School
(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte student is accused of firing a gun on campus. The CMPD says a shot was fired while two students fought over a backpack outside West Charlotte High School on Monday afternoon. No one was hurt from the shooting, but a minor injury was reported afterwards. A student was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds.
Brain Test Results Released Today After Rock Hill Shooting
(Rock Hill, SC) -- Findings from a brain test are expected to be released today in connection to a Rock Hill shooting. Investigators say former NFL player Phillip Adams allegedly shot six people to death before turning the gun on himself earlier this year. York County's coroner is discussing results from a CTE test today. Adams suffered at least two concussions while playing pro football.
Face Masks Required Again In Iredell-Statesville Schools
(Iredell County, NC) -- Face masks are being required again in Iredell-Statesville Schools. The school board voted last night to re-institute the mandate after making masks optional just a month ago. The decision was made out of a concern over rising COVID cases. One elementary school is learning virtually this week because half of the school was either positive or exposed to COVID.
Tractor-Trailer Hits York County Home
(York County, SC) -- The highway patrol is trying to figure out what happened before a tractor trailer slammed into a York County home. The 18-wheeler drove off Highway 55 near Clover Middle School before hitting the home yesterday. Firefighters were also called out to help put out flames at the scene. No injuries have been reported.
City Council Bans Exotic Animals At Circuses
(Charlotte, NC) -- Any circus making a stop in Charlotte won't be able to feature some animals. The city council voted last night to ban the use of wild or exotic animals, like zebras or elephants. Animal activists protested outside the government center before the council took the vote. Dogs, cats and horses are not included in the ban.
Additional Volunteers From North Carolina Being Sent To Midwest To Help Tornado Victims
(Raleigh, NC) -- More help being sent from North Carolina to the Midwest to assist with recovery efforts in the wake of devastating tornadoes. Boone based Samaritan's Purse announce Monday that its deploying workers and supplies to hardest hit Kentucky and Arkansas. Asheville based Hearts with Hands is also sending crews and aid. And Baptist on Mission is also sending teams of volunteers to the Bowling Green area of Kentucky.
Committee Investigating Riot On U.S. Capitol Votes To Hold Meadown In Contempt
(Washington, DC) -- The Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol voted Monday night to hold former White House Chief of Staff and North Carolina native Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of congress. This, after refused to comply with a subpoena and failed to appear before the panel to answer questions last week. Meadows' attorney urged the panel not to pursue criminal charges because he was under orders from the President. The case now goes before the full House of Representatives for consideration.
Rumors Circulating About The Possibility Of Cooper Running For President In 2024
(Raleigh, NC) -- There is new talk going around about the possibility of Governor Roy Cooper running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2024. Although Cooper has not publicly expressed any interest in running, delegates attending a weekend meeting of the Democratic Governors Association in New Orleans began discussing the idea after they elected him Chair of the national organization. According to an article in the New York Times, Cooper would be a top candidate if President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election.
COVID-19 Vaccination Rate Among North Carolina's Young Children Is Extremely Low
(Raleigh, NC) -- State health officials are expressing concerns over the low vaccination rate among North Carolina children between the ages of 5-11. HHS is reporting that since the Pfizer children's vaccine was first approved on November 1st, only around 16-percent of kids in that age group have been at least partially vaccinated. This comes at the same time as the number of new COVID-19 infections among children have started to increase since Thanksgiving.
(Washington, DC) -- Former North Carolina Public Safety Secretary Eric Hooks has been sworn in as the second in command at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The nomination of Hooks by President Joe Biden to be the next FEMA Deputy Administrator, was approved by the U.S. Senate last week. Hooks was sworn in during ceremonies in Washington Monday by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
Just Under 800 New Cases Noted in Region for New COVID Cases
(Greensboro, NC) -- A little over 750 new cases of COVID 19 have been reported in both Guilford and Forsyth Counties over the past couple of days. State health officials say the Greensboro area saw 4-hundred and 26 news cases while Winston-Salem and the surrounding county reported 333 new infections. In the whole state, there are currently a little over 15-hundred people hospitalized with COVID. As of Monday, 69-percent of adults in North Carolina have been fully vaccinated.
Officer Injured in Greensboro Shooting
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro police say one of their officers is recovering at home after being shot in the leg during a domestic incident Monday afternoon. It happened just before 2:00 p.m. in the parking lot at the I-HOP on Lanada Road. Kendicia Melanie Clarke, who is 22 and from Greensboro, is charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer in the case. The charges were filed after she reportedly tried to take a policeman's gun during the domestic disturbance. The officer's leg wound is not critical, and police say Clarke received minor injuries. Additional charges are pending.
High School Band Director Suspended After Indecent Liberties Charges Filed
(Graham, NC) -- The Graham High School band director is facing an indecent liberties charge after he allegedly began an intimate relationship with a former student. A news release from Graham Police says Solomon Reynolds, who is 24, has been charged with taking indecent liberties with a 17-year-old girl in a relationship that is said to have started in the spring of this year. The Alamance-Burlington School System suspended him without pay as of December 8th. The investigation is ongoing.
Homicide Investigation Launched After Teen Shot, Killed in Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro police say an 18-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and charged with murder in a shooting that happened in Greensboro last month. Julius Jurelle Burley, of Greensboro, allegedly shot and killed Christian Anthony Jamal O'Neal, who was 15 and from Raleigh. The shooting happened November 12th in the 38-hundred block of Central Avenue and O'Neal died from his injuries the next day. It's not clear what led up to the shooting. The victim's family's statement says that O'Neal was -quote- "the type to avoid trouble and drama at all cost and believed in walking away."