Suspect Caught In Big Asheville Drug Bust
(Asheville, NC) -- A suspect is facing charges in a big drug bust in north Asheville. Officers caught the 23-year-old man after he tried fleeing from his car on Tuesday. They allegedly seized 13 firearms, along with 400-pounds of marijuana, THC edibles and THC cartridges. The man was arrested on seven charges, but has since bonded out of jail.
Stolen Items At Pawn Shop Valued At 250K
(Buncombe County, NC) -- The value of items stolen in a Buncombe County organized theft ring is much larger than originally reported. Deputies confiscated thousands of products from Denny's Jewelry and Pawn in Arden last week. The sheriff's office initially revealed the items to be worth about 150-thousand, but that number has ballooned to 250-thousand-dollars. More than a dozen people have been arrested.
Asheville City Schools Need Millions For Renovations
(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville city school leaders are looking to spend millions of dollars for building improvements. WLOS-TV reports the county's School Capital Fund Commission has given the go-ahead for five-million-dollars'-worth of renovations at Asheville High and the SILSA [[ sill-sah ]] Auditorium. Another four-point-four-million is needed for an HVAC and ceiling replacement at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School. The Buncombe County Commission must still approve.
Asheville Artist Named Winner In Beer Can Design Contest
(Asheville, NC) -- The artwork of an Asheville resident is going on beer cans nationwide. Hannah Bunzey was one of ten artists chosen from more than seven-thousand entries to have their artwork featured on Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. In addition to the exposure, she received a ten-thousand-dollar prize. The design is being shown on billboards along Tunnel Road and Patton Avenue in Asheville through the end of November.
Suspect Wanted In Franklin Hit-And-Run
(Franklin, NC) -- Franklin police are looking for a hit-and-run driver. Officers say a person was struck by a vehicle while walking along U.S. 441 early Thursday morning. The driver never stopped. Injuries are considered serious.
New Wayfinding Signs Placed In Asheville
(Asheville, NC) -- Some new wayfinding signs are in place in Asheville. Signs showing visitors how to get to The Block, the YMI Cultural Center and LEAF Global Arts were recently installed. WLOS-TV reports other signs have gone through upgrades
Panthers Trade McCaffrey
(Charlotte, NC) -- Carolina's star running back is packing his bags to head west. ESPN reports the Panthers have traded Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for four future draft picks. McCaffrey rushed for nearly four-thousand yards and accumulated nearly 33-hundred receiving yards in five-plus seasons with the Panthers. Wide receiver Robbie Anderson was traded earlier this week.
Man Injured In Monroe Trench Collapse
(Monroe, NC) -- A man is being treated for serious injuries suffered in a construction site accident in Monroe. It took emergency crews around two-hours to rescue him after a trench collapsed along South Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard yesterday. He was reportedly trapped under rocks and debris inside the trench.
Former Wells Fargo Employee Indicted For Fraud
(Charlotte, NC) -- A former Wells Fargo fraud analyst is accused of bilking over one-million-dollars in federal relief money. Investigators say the Charlotte woman and two others submitted false applications for the Paycheck Protection Program to receive the funds. She was recently indicted on 17 fraud charges.
Spectrum Center Renovations Begin Next Summer
(Charlotte, NC) -- Work to begin a major overhaul at the Spectrum Center will start next year. The Charlotte Business Journal says the 200-plus-million-dollar project for renovations is expected to start after the new NBA season ends. Another 60-million-dollars will be used to also build a new training center, as part of a spending package approved by the Charlotte City Council earlier this year.
Charlotte Teen Murder Suspect To Be Tried As Juvenile
(Charlotte, NC) -- The 15-year-old suspect in a Charlotte murder earlier this year will be tried as a juvenile. A judge ruled that the teen won't be tried as an adult, despite pleas from the victim's mother in court yesterday. The 18-year-old was shot in the back of the head during a robbery on Beech Crest Place in May. Charges against the teen include second-degree murder.
Planning Commission Recommends Turning Down Lancaster Development
(Lancaster County, SC) -- A developer is running into problems with a massive housing project in Lancaster County. The planning commission voted to recommend denial of a rezoning request and development agreement for 780-acres off Van Wyck Road earlier this week. A group wants to build more than one-thousand single-family homes on the property.
Man With Special Needs Named Officer For A Day
(Gaston County, NC) -- A man with special needs who was fired from a Gaston County Wendy's just completed a day on the force. The Carolina Restaurant Group later called the termination a lapse in protocol when Dennis Peek was let go after 20 years at the location. The Mount Holly Police Department decided yesterday to swear in Peek as an officer for a day. As part of the experience, he received a badge and rode in a police cruiser to schools and businesses.
Raleigh PD Report On Mass Shooting Shows Suspect Had A Shotgun, Pistol And A Hunting Knife
(Raleigh, NC) -- As more family and friends prepared to say goodbye to their slain loved ones this weekend, the Raleigh Police Department on Thursday, released its five-day report on the mass shooting last week in which five people were killed. The report revealed that the accused 15-year old shooter, identified as Austin Thompson, was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and a hunting knife. A total of seven people were shot during the massacre. Thompson, remains hospitalized as he continues to recover from a gunshot wound.
State IT Officials Confirm Multiple Agencies Were Hit By Cyber Threats Last Week
(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina Department of Information Technology is confirming several state agencies were hit by a cyber threat last week. However, the exact number was not disclosed. The threat prompted the NCDIT to temporarily shut down computer systems to allow for maintenance and security upgrades. The maintenance required all state employees to reset their passwords, resulting in multiple outages across state agencies.
RDU Reports Nearly A Million Air Travelers Passed Through The Airport Last Month
(Wake County, NC) -- A new report out finds air travel increased 19-percent during the month of September at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The increase translated into more than 950-thousand passengers as the Airport continues to recover from pre-pandemic levels. Records show that in 2019, RDU served more than 14-million air travelers. CEO Michael Languth says the Airport is currently preparing for a holiday surge from mid-November through early January.
Cases If The Avian Flu Discovered In A Flock Of Backyard Chickens In Wake County
(Wake County, NC) -- A flock of backyard chickens in Wake County has tested positive for the Avian Flu. That, from the Department of Agriculture, which confirmed Thursday, that the flock was the first in the state to become infected with the deadly virus. The Agency says chickens, numbering about a hundred, will be depopulated in order to avoid further spread of the disease.
State Wildlife Officials Report A Third Deer Carcass With Chronic Wasting Disease
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina wildlife officials are reporting a third case of Chronic Wasting Disease found in a deer carcass. The discovery was made in a forested area of Surry County, about ten-miles away from two previous deer infections in Yadkin County. The Wildlife Resources Commission says the two areas where the dead animals were found will remain under surveillance.
Panthers Nation Shocked As Christian McCaffery Is Traded To The 49ers
(Charlotte, NC) -- The Carolina Panthers have traded start running back Christian McCaffery to the San Francisco 49ers. According to the Panthers, who made the announcement Thursday night, the trade for McCaffery will be in exchange for draft picks in the second, third and fourth rounds of the 2023 NFL draft. The terms of the deal will be finalized once McCaffery passes a physical.
Pedestrian Killed In Highway Accident
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Winston-Salem police are trying to identify the victim in a pedestrian crash on U.S. 52. Officers say a man was walking in the southbound lanes near Germantown Road when he was struck and died at the scene Wednesday. It's unclear why the man was in the roadway. The 21-year-old driver is cooperating with the police. A second crash also happened when a police cruiser was hit as it blocked the road for traffic control. No one was injured.
Police: Road Rage Results in Shooting
(High Point, NC) -- High Point police say a man shot at another driver following an apparent road rage confrontation Thursday night. It happened on Eastchester Drive when one driver opened fire on the other's car. No injuries have been reported and police are trying to identify the parties involved.
Man Tries to Rob Woman Who Was Changing her Own Tire
(Greensboro, NC) -- A Greensboro woman has a message for women: just because you can change a tire yourself, doesn't mean you have to. Taneshawa Holt says a man tried to steal her purse while she was changing a flat off Highway 29 Tuesday night, even though she'd just offered to pay him for helping her. Holt says she had her gun with her and pointed it at him but he refused to let go. When a bystander threatened to call police, the man threw down the purse and ran away. Holt said she did share his description with the police.
Early Voting Underway in NC Final Voter Registration Deadline October 20th
(Raleigh, NC) -- If you've missed your chance to register to vote, you can still do that during one-stop early voting, which is now underway. When you check in at an early voting site, you may register and immediately vote at that time. This process is called "same-day registration." Early voting continues until 3 p.m. Saturday, November 5th.
Local College Launches Program to Build Aviation, Aerospace Skills
(Greensboro, NC) -- A Greensboro College program is helping students build the skills needed for aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the region. The school's Center for Innovation and Workforce Development says the initiative will create a pipeline to the more than 200 aerospace companies that specialize in airplane assembly and parts manufacturing. The executive director of the Piedmont Triad International Airport says demand for skilled workers is constantly growing in the industry that has an estimated six-billion-dollars in economic impact for the local economy each year.