Asheville Approves Plan For McCormick Field Funding
(Asheville, NC) -- The future of Asheville's minor league baseball team is more secure. The city council approved a financial plan last night to help improve McCormick Field, which is home to the Asheville Tourists. Major League Baseball is requiring certain improvements to be made at the stadium or else potentially have Asheville's affiliation license revoked. City council members approved to help fund the Tourists with 19-million-dollars of the 37-and-a-half-million-dollar renovation project.
Bill Over Race Teachings Discussed In Raleigh
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina lawmakers are tackling race issues in school again. A bill in committee calls for a ban on promoting superiority of one race over another. Similar legislation was vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper two-years ago. The North Carolina Association of Educators has stated the bill could hinder honest discussions about history.
State Supreme Court Takes Up Gerrymandering Case Again
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina's high court is discussing gerrymandering again. WLOS-TV reports the Supreme Court is taking a look again at a case where the state's district lines were said to be unfairly drawn to favor Republicans. Another map was drawn, which has essentially split North Carolina's congressional districts evenly between Republicans and Democrats. Buncombe County's GOP chair says it's not the seated judge's job to rewrite the law.
Overturned Dump Truck Causes Interstate Closure
(Buncombe County, NC) -- Asheville police are investigating a wreck that shut down part of I-26 yesterday. Eastbound lanes around near the I-40 interchange were closed after a dump truck tipped over and caught fire. No other vehicles were involved. WLOS-TV reports up to a half-dozen people ran to the wreck to help. The driver was taken to the hospital for injuries.
Two Busted With Fentanyl Pills
(Rutherford County, NC) -- A big fentanyl bust is being reported out of Rutherford County. Deputies seized around 14-hundred suspected pressed fentanyl pills from a home on Race Path Church Road in Ellenboro Sunday. A man and woman were arrested and charged with drug trafficking.
Temperatures Plummet In WNC
(Asheville, NC) -- It still feels like winter in western North Carolina this morning. Temperatures have dropped down close to 20, and will fall into the upper 20s again tonight. Wind gusts reaching nearly 20 miles-an-hour will make things feel colder today. There's also an increased fire danger through this evening.
Concord's Krispy Kreme Factory Closing
(Concord, NC) -- A Krispy Kreme factory in Concord is closing. A notice to the North Carolina Department of Commerce reveals the business is laying off workers and shutting down its Wilshire Avenue Southwest location by May 11th. The move is expected to affect more than 100 people. Krispy Kreme is moving away from producing snack aisle products, which was the production specialty at the Concord location.
Marvel Exhibit Coming To Charlotte
(Charlotte, NC) -- A super hero exhibit is coming to the Queen City. Discovery Place Science in Uptown will host Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes beginning May 14th. Around 300 artifacts from Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be featured in the exhibit's only stop in the southeast. Items include costumes and props. Tickets for the event go on sale March 23rd.
Report: QB Dalton Signing With Panthers
(Charlotte, NC) -- A new quarterback is going to suit up this fall for the Panthers. ESPN reports Andy Dalton is signing a two-year, ten-million-dollar deal. The unrestricted free agent has spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and was most recently with New Orleans last season. Carolina also traded up for the number-one pick in the draft last week.
State Supreme Court Takes Up Gerrymandering Case Again
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina's high court is discussing gerrymandering. WLOS-TV reports the Supreme Court is taking a look again at a case where the state's district lines were unfairly drawn to favor Republicans. Another map was drawn, which has essentially split North Carolina's congressional districts evenly between Republicans and Democrats. Buncombe County's GOP chair says it's not the seated judge's job to rewrite the law.
CMS Listening To Parents About New High School
(Charlotte, NC) -- CMS officials are listening to parents ahead of a new high school opening. The district is still trying to figure out how to shuffle students from other schools, which could include Ardrey Kell, Myers Park and South Mecklenburg High. The North Community House Road campus is expected to be ready to go by the beginning of the fall 2024 semester. A listening session was held Tuesday, with another scheduled for this evening at Myers Park High School.
Freeze Warning Issued For Charlotte
(Charlotte, NC) -- Cold temperatures are sticking around this week in Charlotte. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for both this morning and Thursday morning. Low temperatures are expected to be around 30 both days. There's also an increase in fire danger through this evening due to dry air.
Man Dies In Hospital After Being Shot In Durham Shopping Center Parking Lot
(Durham, NC) -- Durham police are investigating a deadly shooting in a parking lot outside of a shopping center on Tuesday. It happened around 5:pm along the 3600 block of Hillsborough Road. Officers responded to a call of shots fired and arrived to find an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. The shooting was also the second to take place in the same area in as many days. So-far, there have been no arrests in this case.
Most Duke Energy Customers In North Carolina Not In Favor Of Proposed Rate Hike
(Raleigh, NC) -- Dozens of Duke Energy customers turned out for a public hearing in Raleigh last night, to voice their opposition to the company's plan to increase utility rates. It was the first of four scheduled in-person hearings hosted by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. Duke Energy Progress has asked the Commission to allow it to raise rates by as much as 16 percent over the next few months. That would translate into an increase of around 25-dollars per month for the average North Carolina customer. The rate hike would be in increments spread out over a three year period.
North Carolina House Committee Approves Ban On Certain Teachings About Race In Public Schools
(Raleigh, NC) -- A bill that would place tougher restrictions on the types of curriculums taught in North Carolina public schools concerning race, was approved by a House committee on Tuesday. House Bill 187, also known as Equality in Education, passed along party lines in the House Education Committee, with Republicans getting the majority of the votes. The measure will be taken up by the Rules Committee today, before moving on to the full House for consideration.
Cooper Signs Executive Order Creating New Office To Fight Violent Crime In The State
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order yesterday, establishing an "Office of Violence Prevention." The goal of the "Office" is to find ways to reduce violence in North Carolina, with a special emphasis being placed on illegal fire arms. The newly formed division of the Department of Public Safety, will work with county and local police departments to provide training, education and access to funding to help reduce the level of violence in the state.
Stepped Up Patrols On State Roadways This Weekend During St. Patrick Day Celebrations
(Raleigh, NC) -- Motorists across North Carolina will notice increased law enforcement patrols on roads and interstates this week, as another Booze it & Lose It campaign is underway. This time its for St. Patrick's Day. From now through Sunday, March 19, officers will be on the lookout for speeders, drunk and impaired drivers and those not wearing their seat belts. During the same period last year, there were 225 auto accidents across the state, 11 of them were fatal.
Canes Trounce Winnipeg In First Game Without Injured Svechnikov
(Raleigh, NC) -- In their first game since Andrei Svechnikov went down with a season ending knee injury, the Carolina Hurricanes hung tough last night with a 5-3 win over Winnipeg at PNC Arena. Led by Frederik Andersen had 21 saves, the canes were also helped by Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who finished the night with two goals and one assist. Jacob Slavin, Brady Skjei and Jack Drury, also had one goal apiece. It was also the first goal of the season for Drury. Svech is scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow to repair a torn knee ligament.
More Frigid Nights Could Stunt Triad Growing Season
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Farmers and growers in North Carolina are bracing for more chilly nights. Forecasters with the National Weather Service say another round of below-freezing temperatures will return both today and tomorrow morning that could damage or even kill some of the early season growth. Frost and freeze advisories could be issued both those nights. Crops grown for commercial use include soy beans, corn and wheat.
ACC Tournament Contributes Huge Economic Impact For Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro tourism officials say the just-completed ACC Tournament has had a huge economic impact on the city. The men's tournament brought in nearly 14-million dollars for the local economy and the women's tournament brought in close to eight-million. Due to COVID, it'd been nearly three years since the competition happened in Greensboro. It will be held in Washington, D.C. next year.
Guilford County Health Official says High Rate of STDs Continues
(Greensboro, NC) -- Guilford County public health leaders say they want to do more counteract the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Dr. Julia Vann recently told county commissioners that STD infections remain a consistent problem, especially in High Point. She says her department is stepping up efforts to help stop their spread by providing free testing, condom distribution to local businesses and sexual health education classes. Dr. Vann says a series of free, "pop-up" testing events will also continue at health department offices in Greensboro and in High Point.
City Needs Resident to come To Public Meetings Wednesday for Community Development Survey
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- The city of Winston-Salem is looking for residents to participate in a survey about priorities for housing and community needs. Public meetings will be taking place Wednesday to gather information to develop a four-year plan that's required by federal HUD officials. Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development support housing for people who are homelessness, community services and small businesses. The meetings will take place Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Anderson Community Center on Reynolds Park Road and in the evening from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Central Library.
Greensboro Leaders Need Public Feedback on Proposed Traffic Changes
(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro City leaders are asking for public input about future changes to the messy Battleground-Lawndale-Westover corridor. The city transportation director says they're asking residents, property owners and businesses to help them identify improvements for the area that could be made over the next ten years. A public input session will be held Monday, March 27th at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church on Fernwood Drive. An online feedback tool also will soon be available on the city's website.