Masks To Be Option In Buncombe Schools
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Face mask guidelines are changing in Buncombe County Schools. The board of education voted last night to make masks optional beginning Monday. A vast majority of the 14 parents who spoke at the meeting were in favor of lifting the mandate. The decision comes after Governor Roy Cooper urged requirements to be nixed last week.
Father In Graham County Jail After Infant's Death
(Graham County, NC) -- A father is behind bars in Graham County for the death of his infant child. The sheriff's office says an eight-month-old child died from injuries in an apparent assault eleven-days ago. The baby's father was arrested for murder on Monday. WLOS-TV reports the child was treated out-of-state, but the alleged assault happened in Robbinsville.
Asheville Council Approves Affordable Housing Project
(Asheville, NC) -- The Asheville City Council is giving the go-ahead on an affordable housing initiative on West Haywood Street. Members approved to spend over one-million-dollars to purchase land for 45 affordable rental homes last night. Another 900-thousand-dollars will be provided through a housing trust fund loan. A project for nearly 200 units off Hilliard Avenue was turned down.
Court Considering Appeal For Removal Of Asheville Confederate Monument
(Asheville, NC) -- The final fate of a Confederate monument in downtown Asheville is still up in the air. The Court of Appeals reviewed arguments yesterday from a historical preservation group, which is challenging the removal of the Vance Monument, Crews took most of the statue down last summer, but the base of the monument still stands. No decision has been made.
More Bear-Resistant Trash Carts Available In Asheville
(Asheville, NC) -- More bear-resistant carts are coming to some residents in Asheville. WLOS-TV reports the additions come thanks to a 30-thousand-dollar donation from a member of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Customers have the option to pay ten-dollars extra per month to use a trash cart that weighs ten additional pounds.
Drones To Be Used In State Traffic Investigations
(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina DOT is using drones to assess accident sites. A state traffic operations engineer said this week that tethered drones will help fill gaps in coverage where Incident Management Assistance Patrol vehicles operate. The devices can provide additional details to traffic management centers around the state.
Face Masks To Be Optional In CMS
(Charlotte, NC) -- Face mask guidelines are changing in CMS. The school board voted last night to make masks optional beginning March 7th. Superintendent Earnest Winston says bullying of students who wish to continue to wear masks will not be tolerated. Alexander County and Watauga County Schools also decided to drop face mask mandates.
Breweries Raising Money For Fallen CMPD Officer's Family
(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte breweries and restaurants are teaming up to raise money for the family of a fallen CMPD officer. Suffolk Punch Brewing on Griffith Street will host "Craft Brewers for a Cause" this Saturday, featuring two tasting sessions at 50-dollars-a-ticket. The proceeds raised go to help the family of Mia Goodwin, who was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on I-85 just three-days before Christmas.
Concord Teacher Arrested For Child Sex Crimes
(Cabarrus County, NC) -- A Concord teacher is facing child sex crime charges. Jeremy Flock was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly tried meeting up for sex with a minor he communicated with online. He instead ran into an undercover investigator. The 42-year-old has since been suspended from the Carolina International School, where he's worked as a band teacher for six-years.
Charlotte Shooting Suspect Arrested After Standoff
(Concord, NC) -- A Charlotte shooting suspect is in jail after a SWAT standoff. CMPD officers found the man early Tuesday morning at a home in Concord, where he reportedly barricaded himself inside with a gun. He surrendered around an hour-and-a-half later. Investigators say he's responsible for a shooting that injured someone in southwest Charlotte ten-days ago.
FAA Moving Into New Control Tower At Charlotte Airport
(Charlotte, NC) -- A new air traffic control tower will soon be in operation at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The FAA began transitioning into a 370-foot tall tower this week. The replacement is twice the size of the older tower at the airport. It's expected to help lead to fewer delays and save taxpayers millions.
Food Truck Fire Spreads To Home, Cars
(Charlotte, NC) -- A fire that started in a food truck is being investigated in southwest Charlotte. Flames spread from the truck to a home and several cars on Wildwood Muse Court early Tuesday. Eight people were displaced. The estimated damage came in around 20-thousand-dollars.
Record Crowd Expected At Charlotte FC Opener
(Charlotte, NC) -- A record crowd is expected at Charlotte FC's first home match. Major League Soccer's commissioner said yesterday that he expects nearly 75-thousand people at Charlotte's March 5th home opener at Bank of America Stadium. It's also possible that Charlotte striker Karol Swiderski could miss this weekend's season opener. He's working through visa problems in his native home, Poland.
Suspects Still On The Run Following Four Armed Bank Robberies
(Raleigh, NC) -- An area wide search for suspects continues throughout the Triangle today, after four bank robberies on Tuesday. Authorities report the First Horizon Bank in Morrisville was hit, along with three Wells Fargo branches in Wake County, including Fairview Road, Clark Avenue and Waverly Place Way in Cary. Police are looking for two male suspects who got away on foot, after driving a Ford Mustang to an apartment complex's parking lot, then abandoning it and setting it on fire. The apartment complex is near the NC State University campus, which issued a warning for students to be on alert and to walk in groups. One of the suspects has been described as a white male, wearing dark clothing and a red hat.
Some 50-Fire Trucks Joined In The Effort To Extinguish Huge Fire At Wood Products Plant
(Johnston County, NC) -- Crews from at least 25-fire stations were called to battle a massive outdoor fire at a wood pellet making company in Johnston County Tuesday. The blaze broke out around 12:30 p.m. at West Farms Wood Products on Barefoot Road north of Newton Grove. An estimated 50-fire trucks at the scene had to go to nearby ponds to re-fill their tankers. A helicopter was also used to try and extinguish the fire, which burned from several piles of wood. At last report, the blaze had been contained, but firefighters remain on the scene today battling hot spots. There were no reports of injuries.
Wake County School Board Votes To Change To Masks Optional COVID-19 Policy
(Wake County, NC) -- The state's largest public school district has decided to end its face mask mandate. By a vote of 7-to-1 Tuesday, the Wake County Board of Education approved a resolution making mask wearing optional starting in March. The new policy becomes effective immediately for athletics and on March 7th for all other students and employees. However, due to CDC requirements, students will still be required to wear masks on buses. Seven other central North Carolina school districts have already adopted masks optional policies.
16-Year Old Boy On Life Support After Being Struck By An SUV
(Zebulon, NC) -- A Zebulon teenager, who was struck and injured by a speeding SUV Monday night, remains on life support at WakeMed Hospital. Sixteen-year old Darrell Jent, a student at Rolesville High School, was hit as he was walking along Highway 96 to the Mitchell's Food Mart just before 6 p.m. The driver later crashed into two other parked vehicles before coming to a stop. One adult was treated for minor injuries. The state Highway Patrol and the Wake County Sheriff's Office are preparing to file charges against the driver.
New Subvariant Of Omicron Confirmed In The State Of North Carolina
(Raleigh, NC) -- Researchers at a Triangle area laboratory have confirmed the discovery of a new subvariant of Omicron called BA.2. The subvariant is also called 'Stealth Omicron', because it has been more difficult to detect on PCR tests. Scientists have also found BA.2 to show resistance to monoclonal antibody treatments than earlier Omicron variants. However, doctors say it appears that vaccines work well against the new subvariant. To date, UNC Health System has identified only three cases of the subvariant. State health officials report BA.2 is 30-to-50 percent more contagious than the original Omicron variant.
Tickets To See Coach K. At His Last Game Now Cost More Than Super Bowl 56
(Durham, NC) -- Tickets to the March 5th game between Duke and North Carolina are reportedly now more expensive than Super Bowl 56. That's because it will be Coach Mike Krzyzewski's last home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium before he retires. According to numerous secondary market outlets, including tickpick.com, VividSeats.com and StubHub, the cheapest tickets were going for around four-thousand dollars and the most expensive topped out at just over 21-thousand, plus fees. At last report, only tickets in Section 19-behind the bench areas and scorers table were up for sale.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools Make Masks Optional
(Forsyth County, NC) -- Face mask guidelines are changing for two Triad school districts. The Alamance-Burlington school board voted yesterday to make masks optional for staff and students immediately. Face coverings will also be optional for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools beginning Monday, after a vote from the board of education Tuesday. Governor Roy Cooper urged face mask mandates to be dropped last week.
Walmart Evacuated During Fight
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- A fight at a Winston-Salem Walmart is being investigated by police. A store on East Hanes Mill Road was evacuated yesterday during an altercation between four men and a store employee. Officers say a gun fell to the floor during the fight, but no shots were fired. The suspects were able to run out of the store before police arrived.
Two Greensboro Republicans Speaking At Florida CPAC
(Greensboro, NC) -- Two GOP leaders from Greensboro are heading to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The event in Florida will also feature former President Donald Trump. Invited from North Carolina includes Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and former Representative Mark Walker, both of Greensboro. The convention runs tomorrow through the weekend.
Fate Of Historic School Unknown
(Surry County, NC) -- The fate of a historic Surry County school is up in the air. The former J.J. Jones High School in Mount Airy was just added to the National Register of Historic Places last year, but the county-owned property is now up for sale. It served as the only school that Black students could attend up until it closed in 1966. County commissioners are expected to discuss the future of the school at a retreat today.