Tag Archives: North Carolina

Winston-Salem’s Fox affiliate reports: If Walt Disney World needs a place to land after a fallout with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, state Sen. Michael Garrett has an idea: come on up to North Carolina. Garrett, a Democrat from Guilford County, has filed Senate Bill 594, the “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act,” to give Disney a place to move the Magic Kingdom, …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: Anyone who performs in a drag show in public could potentially be arrested and charged with a crime, under a new bill proposed by North Carolina Republican lawmakers Tuesday. House Bill 673 would lump at least some drag performances — what the bill calls “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient …

The Associated Press reports: North Carolina residents can now buy a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff, after the Republican-controlled state legislature on Wednesday overrode the Democratic governor’s veto — a first since 2018. The House voted 71-46 to enact the bill, which eliminates the longstanding permit system requiring sheriffs to perform character evaluations and criminal history …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: As he prepares for an expected campaign for governor next year, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson continues to amp up rhetoric against gay, lesbian and transgender people that has become a key part of his political brand. Robinson said this Sunday during a church service outside Charlotte that God created him specifically to fight against …

Axios reports: North Carolina’s Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is expected to announce his long-anticipated run for governor April 22, Axios has learned. And he’ll do it in a place that became the hornet’s nest of hostility toward Democratic policies during the COVID-19 pandemic: Alamance County’s Ace Speedway. He’s filed bankruptcy three times and has let some taxes go unpaid, …

Charlotte’s NBC affiliate reports: The Lincolnton Police Department says a man is accused of child sex crimes, one of which reportedly happened recently. The department said 49-year-old Terry Wayne Rudisill was arrested Friday afternoon. He is charged with three counts of taking indecent liberties with children. A news release from police said one of the charges stems from a reportedly …

The Johnston County News reports: Less than two years after being sentenced to prison for sex crimes involving three juvenile victims, Stephen Arthur Morris of Four Oaks was returned to Johnston County today (Thursday) to be formally charged with more crimes. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said a family member of the former pastor recently came forward and reported she …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Wayne County teacher on Friday agreed to an Alford plea, admitting that the prosecution has enough evidence for a conviction on charges he molested two 11-year-old female students at Faith Christian Academy. The plea is not an admission of guilt by Warren Riley, 53, and it brings to an end a trial that lasted …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: A Raleigh man has been arrested and charged with sex crimes involving a 7-year-old child. Kenneth Newcomer, age 61, faces two counts of first degree sex offense with a child and three counts of indecent liberties with a child. Court documents show the date of the offense was back in August of 2007. Newcomer’s bond is …

The Assembly NC reports: Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, is seriously considering a run for governor, setting up a potential primary showdown with presumed Republican front-runner Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. In a text message to The Assembly, Walker confirmed he’s taking meetings about a possible gubernatorial run. Two close advisers said the …

Asheville’s ABC affiliate reports: Macon County authorities say a former youth pastor and current school employee was arrested and charged with felony indecent liberties with a child. Authorities say on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, officials with the Special Victims Unit of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an allegation of sexual misconduct. Authorities arrested and charged Evan Jordan Jensen, …

Charlotte’s NPR affiliate reports: A bill advancing in North Carolina’s Senate would prohibit instruction about sexuality and gender identity in K-4 public school classes, defying the recommendations of parents, educators and LGBTQ youths who testified against it. Sponsors of the bill, approved Wednesday by the Senate education committee, say they want to grant parents greater authority over their children’s education …

Asheville’s ABC affiliate reports: A former pastor of a church in Black Mountain has pleaded guilty after being accused of sexual offense with a minor. District Attorney Todd Williams said Trent Brandon Holbert, formerly the pastor of The Ridge Church in Black Mountain, pled guilty Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, to felony attempted statutory sexual offense. The minor was a 15-year-old …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: The FBI is asking for the public’s help to find a suspect in a shooting of an electrical substation in Randolph County in mid-January, a month after a shooting in Moore County left tens of thousands without power for days. “In the early morning hours of January 17,” the FBI said, “unknown suspect(s) fired …

CBS News reports: Another power substation in North Carolina has been damaged because of apparent gunfire, energy officials said Tuesday. The damage occurred at a power substation in Thomasville, about an hour away from Moore County, where just weeks ago two other substations were attacked by gunfire. Energy United said that company officials learned of an “equipment issue” at the …

The Hill reports: North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) announced Wednesday that he is running for governor of the state in 2024, becoming the first major candidate to declare their candidacy for the governorship. Stein announced his bid to succeed the term-limited Gov. Roy Cooper (D) in a video posted on his Twitter account, saying that he “learned early …

Winston-Salem’s NPR affiliate reports: For the first time, “GAYPRIDE” is available as a vanity license plate in North Carolina. It’s one of over 200 terms that were removed from the state’s prohibited plates list after a review late last year. As recently as last year, the “Do No Issue” list included “GAYPRIDE,” “LESBIAN,” and “QUEER” – entries that prompted DMV …

Reuters reports: More than a million homes and businesses were without power on the U.S. East Coast, Midwest and Texas on Friday as winter storms battered much of the country, according to data from PowerOutage.us. Most outages were in North Carolina, with over 164,000 customers without power, followed by Virginia with over 92,000 and Connecticut with more than 89,000. The …

Law & Crime reports: A Chick-fil-A restaurant in North Carolina will have to pay almost $7,000 after it was caught having child employees operate dangerous machinery and trying to pay teen employees in meal vouchers. The DOL found that the same employer “also paid certain employees — who were asked to direct traffic — to work for meal vouchers rather …

Durham’s ABC affiliate reports: A Durham pastor, who also worked as a substitute teacher, is facing 14 new criminal charges out of Wake County. Police accuse David Dixon of committing a number of sex crimes with an underage victim at his Raleigh apartment. This comes a week after Durham investigators arrested him on charges of statutory rape and indecent liberties …