GOP Overrides Abortion Bill Veto
(Asheville, NC) -- North Carolina Republicans are snuffing out the governor's voice on abortion. Both the state House and Senate had enough votes yesterday to override Governor Roy Cooper's veto on a measure that previously passed. It would ban most abortions around 12-weeks after the pregnancy begins. Cooper needed the support from one Republican to prevent a veto override, but that didn't happen.
Asheville Police Arrest Mother Of Kidnapped Child
(Asheville, NC) -- A kidnapped girl found safe in Asheville is back at home with family. Heather Unbehaun was arrested this week after a store employee reportedly recognized that her daughter had been abducted in May 2017. She didn't have custody when she allegedly picked up nine-year-old Kayla Unbehaun in Illinois. Her father has since been able to make contact with the girl and bring her back home. Heather Unbehaun has since bonded out of jail and is awaiting trial.
U.S. News Ranks Asheville In Top 30 Of Best Destinations
(Asheville, NC) -- A western North Carolina city is one of the top destinations to visit in the U.S. The U.S. News and World Report just listed Asheville at number 29 overall. The city received its highest marks in quality of life and value. Raleigh-Durham came in at number-three.
Red Wolves Born At WNC
(Asheville, NC) -- Red wolf pups born at the Western North Carolina Nature Center are doing well. It's been just over two-weeks since a litter of nine puppies were added to the mix. An animal curator told WLOS-TV that everyone was doing well during a short check-up on Friday. There are 17 red wolves living in the wild, at most right now.
Henderson County Man Scores Big In Lotto
(Henderson County, NC) -- A Henderson County man is a big lottery winner. The North Carolina Education Lottery welcomed the winner yesterday to the lottery offices, where he chose the lump sum payment of one-point-two-million-dollars. The man purchased the winning Riches scratch-off ticket at a Molly's Market convenience store in Fletcher.
Haywood County Investigators Returning Stolen Items
(Haywood County, NC) -- Investigators in Haywood County are working to return stolen property to this owners. WLOS-TV reports around 200-thousand-dollars-worth of items that have been stolen so far in 2023 has been returned. Case numbers are approaching four-dozen. Community tips and social media have played key roles in returning the items.
State Teachers Slam Senate Republicans Over Smaller Pay Raise Proposal
(Raleigh, NC) -- North Carolina teachers are expressing dissatisfaction with a Republican Senate backed budget recommendation, that offers smaller pay increases for state employees. The two-year proposal introduced on Monday, would only raise average teacher salaries by four-point-five percent, instead of the ten-point-two percent increase in the House version. The head of the North Carolina Association of Educators responded by saying the "Senate budget shows us their priorities are not with our public school students and educators."
Raleigh-Durham Ranked Third In Nation On List Of Best Places To Live
(Raleigh, NC) -- U.S. News & World Report is out with its annual list of best places to live in the country. In its 2023 survey, the magazine ranked the Raleigh-Durham area number-three on a list of 150 most populous metropolitan areas. Green Bay, Wisconsin and Huntsville, Alabama were ranked number-one and two respectively. Charlotte came in eighth on the list. The rankings were based on several factors, including job market, desirability and quality of life.
Four Year Old Boy Drowns In Raleigh Apartment Complex Pool; Police Investigating
(Raleigh, NC) -- Police in Raleigh are investigating the apparent drowning death of a four year old boy. It happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, at the Falls Creek Apartment homes on Evergreen Forest Way. Officers responded to a call about a child missing and arrived to find the boy floating in a swimming pool. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Foul play is not suspected and so-far, no charges have been filed.
Wake County School Board Approves Hike In School Lunches
(Wake County, NC) -- The Wake County Board of Education has voted to increase the price of school lunches for students. On a 5-4 vote last night, members approved a resolution that calls for a 25-cent increase in meals starting next year. The majority of the Board said the price increase was needed in order to offset rising cost, after pandemic relief funds expired.
More Tests Ordered at Former Fertilizer Plant, Site of Massive January Fire
(Winston-Salem, NC) -- State officials have ordered more monitoring at the former Winston Weaver fertilizer plant. The facility on North Cherry Street was the site of a massive fire in January of last year that took days to extinguish and caused thousands of people to leave their nearby homes. State environmental experts say an engineering report has concluded that groundwater and soil in the area has been affected by contamination that was released during the fire. The engineers also recommend that wells be installed to gauge groundwater contamination and to further monitor results.
Bears Seen in Several Triad Residential Areas
(Greensboro, NC) -- Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Commission say they want people to be aware of how to reduce encounters with bears. Several people across the Triad have reportedly seen bears at their homes this spring. A High Point resident who lives in the Skeet Club Ridge community said he saw a bear on Sunday. His media post resulted in several other residents saying they'd also seen bears in their other High Point neighborhoods as well as in Colfax. Wildlife officials in Guilford County don't have any bear reports so far. A wildlife biologist says sightings usually rise in May and continue through August when young bears leave their mothers. The website BearWise-dot-org provides tips on what to do if you see a black bear in your area.
Latest NC Budget Plan Funds African Americans Monument at Capitol
(Raleigh, NC) -- After years of being placed on hold, leaders at the North Carolina State Capitol say a project to establish an African American monument might soon be getting underway. If the Senate's budget proposal becomes law, the project would get three-million-dollars in funding. The monument's planning, design and construction would be done by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and led by the African American Heritage Commission. A separate project celebrating the African American experience will open this summer a few blocks from the Capitol. Freedom Park will be located on the downtown block between the Legislative Building and the Executive Mansion.
Greensboro-Area Teacher Investigated for Sunbathing Without Shirt at Work
(Jamestown, NC) -- A physical education teacher is coming under fire from parents and his school district for sunbathing on a school track without a shirt on. Guilford County Schools has launched an investigation due to what's being called an inappropriate picture of the Jamestown Middle School teacher. Officials say from a distance, the unidentified instructor appears to be naked in the photo. The school principal says the teacher took off his shirt and had his shorts rolled up during his planning period. The posted photos shows him laying on a track-and-field mat near a soccer goal.