Henderson County Schools Choose Virtual Learning
(Henderson County, NC) -- Public schools in Henderson Country are going virtual at the beginning of the year. The school board approved a plan yesterday to take part in remote learning for six weeks beginning August 17th. It's unclear what the plan is after that time period. Governor Roy Cooper announced an initiative last week which allows for a hybrid of in-class learning and virtual classes, but essentially left it up to each district to make their own decision.
Search Continues For Man On WNC Lake
(McDowell County, NC) -- The search is continuing today for a man who disappeared in a western North Carolina lake. Investigators say a 45-year-old Candler man never resurfaced after falling from a pontoon boat into Lake James in McDowell County Sunday night. Dive teams searched the area throughout Monday, but they weren't successful. Wildlife Commission officials are reminding everyone to wear a life jacket when out on the water.
COVID-19 Cluster Found At Casino
(Cherokee, NC) -- Health officials are keeping a close eye on a COVID-19 cluster at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Five employees were in isolation as of yesterday after testing positive. The casino's general manager says no other employees or customers are considered to be close contacts as outlined by the CDC. That would include any person within six feet of the infected individual for a period of at least 15 minutes. The resort remains open.
Driver Charged After Biker Killed
(Buncombe County, NC) -- A Brevard woman is facing charges in a deadly hit-and-run. Investigators say she drove away after hitting a woman on a bicycle Saturday afternoon on Highway 191 in Buncombe County. The 56-year-old victim from South Carolina later died at Mission Hospital. Officers found the suspect and arrested her on initial charges of DWI and felony hit-and-run.
Coronavirus Cases Top 100K
(Raleigh, NC) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina is over the 100-thousand mark. Monday's new report shows that new case numbers have doubled in the state in the span of one month. Hospitalizations decreased slightly yesterday but still remain above one-thousand.
Rutherford County Courthouse Re-Opening
(Rutherford County, NC) -- The courthouse in Rutherford County is opening back up today. The Clerk of Superior Courts Office gave the go-ahead yesterday after some COVID-19 tests came back negative. The courthouses in both Rutherford and McDowell counties have recently been closed due to coronavirus concerns. The register of deeds office in Buncombe County was closed yesterday as well.
Charlotte Sanitation Employee Killed On Job
(Charlotte, NC) -- A driver is being charged in the death of a Charlotte sanitation worker. The CMPD says Robert Taylor was struck and killed by a car while trying to empty receptacles behind a city truck on Albemarle Road near The Home Depot yesterday. The driver wasn't impaired at the time of the wreck, and investigators are trying to figure out exactly how it happened. He was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle.
Gaston Schools Choose Hybrid Learning
(Gaston County, NC) -- Students in Gaston County's public schools will take part in a hybrid learning model this fall. The board of education approved a plan yesterday to send students to school for two days-a-week with virtual learning mixed in. They'll go in groups on either Mondays and Tuesdays, or Thursdays and Fridays. Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that schools were allowed to move to a hybrid model for the upcoming semester. Classes begin August 17th.
CMS Names New Ardrey Kell Principal
(Charlotte, NC) -- One Charlotte high school has a new leader as its former principal is being investigated. David Switzer was re-assigned from his position at Ardrey Kell High School earlier this summer while CMS looked into allegations that haven't been publicly discussed. The school district announced Monday that Jamie Brooks is taking over as principal at the high school. She has served more than 25 years in the district and most recently worked at Community House Middle School.
Officer's Son Accidentally Shoots Self
(Charlotte, NC) -- The toddler son of a CMPD officer is expected to be okay after an accidental shooting. Officer Timothy Justin O'Lear told investigators his three-year-old-son accidentally shot himself in the hand inside their Union County home on Saturday. The child reportedly came across O'Lear's personal handgun inside a dresser drawer. The officer is facing a misdemeanor charge.
Heat Advisory Continues For Charlotte Area
(Charlotte, NC) -- The heat is continuing to beat down in the Charlotte area. The National Weather Service is issuing another heat advisory today from noon until 8 p.m. Highs will be in the mid-90s, but the heat index could reach as high as 106-degrees this afternoon. Residents are urged again to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun if possible. Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-90s through Thursday.
Governor Approves Initiative To Conduct More Testing In Marginalized Areas Of State
(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper announced Monday that a third vendor had been selected to provide free COVID-19 testing to areas of the state that have been historically marginalized. The new initiative is part of an effort to increase access to testing for African American, Hispanic and American Indian populations across North Carolina. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, as many as 300 free testing events will be held across the state before the end of the month.
Raleigh Mayor Bans Alcohol Sales After 11 At Night
(Raleigh, NC) -- In an effort to mitigate further spread of the coronavirus, Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin issued an Executive Order on Monday banning the sale of alcohol in the Capitol City after 11 p.m. The order, which takes effect tomorrow, includes all bars, restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores. Alcohol sales will be allowed to resume at 7 a.m. the following morning.
Wake County Education Leaders To Decide On Plan For Reopening Today
(Wake County, NC) -- Parents and students in Wake County are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a vote by the Board of Education today on whether the District will reopen under Plan B or Plan C. Plan B is a hybrid model that combines both in-person classroom instruction along with remote learning. Plan C features remote learning only. An unofficial early sampling of teachers in the District finds that most support Plan C.
Cumberland County Board To Vote Up Or Down Connelly's Recommendation Of Plan C
(Cumberland County, NC) -- Today is the day the superintendent of the Cumberland County School District is expected to recommend to the Board of Education that the Plan C reopening model be adopted. If the Board approves the recommendation, Cumberland County will join six other Triangle area school Districts that have already decided to start the new school year with remote only learning.
Winston-Salem Man Charged In Deadly Hit-And-Run
(Winston-Salem, NC) - A Winston-Salem man is charged in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash. Police say Marco Vin Carillo-Martinez was intoxicated when he crashed his Ford SUV into an oncoming Honda. Twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Lopez died at the scene. Carillo-Martinez was arrested on multiple charges, including felony death by motor vehicle, DWI and felony hit-and-run.
High Point PD Looking For Spitting Suspect
(High Point, NC) - High Point police are looking for a man who spit several times on a woman's vehicle during a fit of road rage. It happened yesterday afternoon in the parking lot of Skeet Club Veterinary Hospital. Officers say the man followed the woman into the lot, and when she parked her car, he spit toward her face on her window. They say there is an "agency-wide" effort to identify the person. Charges of disorderly contact and assault are possible.
Burlington Man Facing Sexual Assault Charges
(Mebane, NC) - A Burlington man is under arrest on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman. Andres Gonzales was taken into custody this past Friday. Police say on July 12th, Gonzales took the victim to his home on Bonfire Drive, near Mebane, where he assaulted and raped her. He's behind bars at the Alamance County Detention Center on several felony charges, including assault by strangulation, kidnapping and rape.
Greensboro Rolls Out 'Community Hose Down Events'
(Greensboro, NC) - The City of Greensboro is finding creative ways to keep its residents cool this summer. Parks and Rec' is teaming up with local fire departments to host several "Community Hose Down" events. They'll take place for a few hours every Tuesday and Thursday from July 28th to August 13th at local recreation centers. The pop-up "spray-ground" events are free but will be limited to 25 people at a time.
Person Shot In Greensboro Dies One Week Later
(Greensboro, NC) - The victim of a shooting in Greensboro has died of his injuries. Twenty-six-year-old Jonathan Brockett was shot last Tuesday morning while he was in his car near the 33-hundred-block of Euclid Street. Police announced yesterday he had died. The case is now being investigated as a homicide.