Asheville Demonstrators Protest After Indictment In Breonna Taylor Case

(Asheville, NC) -- Protesters are marching in Asheville after an ex-cop was charged in connection to the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Brett Hankison was indicted for three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment yesterday, which some say wasn't enough. Demonstrators gathered in downtown Asheville last night with shouts of "no justice, no peace." Asheville police told WLOS-TV one person was assaulted during protests and taken to Mission Hospital.

State Senator Wants To Defund Cities Which Defund Police

(Asheville, NC) -- North Carolina State Senator Chuck Edwards says he's planning to introduce a bill to defund cities that defund police departments. The Henderson Republican said yesterday "while municipalities have control over their local budgets, the state legislature also has control over its budget, and I intend to help create an environment where public safety is a top priority." The Asheville City Council just voted this week to defund its police department by 700-thousand-dollars, or around three-percent of its budget.

New Asheville City Councilor Sworn-In

(Asheville, NC) -- A new Asheville city council member is officially in office. Antanette Mosley was sworn-in at Tuesday night's meeting to fill the unexpired term of Vijay Kapoor, which runs up in 2022. Mosley is a local attorney and serves on the Vance Monument Task Force.

State COVID-19 Cases Rise Close To One-Thousand

(Raleigh, NC) -- New cases of COVID-19 are up by around one-thousand in North Carolina. Wednesday's report from the Department of Health and Human Services brings the total statewide to over 196-thousand, in addition to 33-hundred deaths. Hospitalizations are back up over 900. In Buncombe County, the case total stands at nearly three-thousand.

Man Dies In Henderson County Wreck

(Henderson County, NC) -- The highway patrol is investigating a deadly motorcycle wreck in Henderson County. Troopers say a 21-year-old man crossed the center line of Lamb Mountain Road on Wednesday morning before slamming head-on into a truck. The motorcycle driver died from injuries at Mission Hospital. No other injuries were reported.

Asheville Humane Society Re-Opens

(Asheville, NC) -- Pet adoptions are now a little more convenient in Asheville. The humane society is following safety guidelines due to COVID-19 so doors could re-open this week for in-person visitations. A spokeswoman said they're happy to be able to reach out to the community and accept visitors again.

Charlotte Demonstrators Protest After Indictment In Breonna Taylor Case

(Charlotte, NC) -- Protesters are marching in Charlotte after an ex-cop was charged in connection to the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Brett Hankison was indicted yesterday for three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment not in connection with Taylor's death, but some people wanted more serious charges. Demonstrations in the Queen City were peaceful for a little while last night in First Ward Park. The CMPD says protesters started throwing objects and blocked 4th and College in uptown afterwards.

Biden Stops In Charlotte For Black Economic Summit

(Charlotte, NC) -- Charlotte is playing a key role in presidential campaigns this week. Democratic hopeful Joe Biden stopped at Camp North End yesterday for a Black Economic Summit, where he introduced a proposal to leverage 150-billion-dollars for Black-owned and structurally excluded businesses. It was there he also announced plans for a small business council. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and NBA start Chris Paul appeared at the summit to introduce Biden.

President Talking Healthcare in Queen City

(Charlotte, NC) -- President Trump is stopping in Charlotte today to talk healthcare. The White House touted Trump's efforts to bring transparency to healthcare prices, improving care for seniors and improving Medicare ahead of his visit to the Queen City. Air Force One is expected to bring the President in a little after four this afternoon.

Panthers' McCaffrey Placed On Injured Reserve

(Charlotte, NC) -- Panthers' running back Christian McCaffrey is on the injured reserve list. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Carolina's loss to Tampa Bay last Sunday. His placement on the list means the earliest he'll be eligible to return to action is the October 18th game against Chicago at home. Six-year veteran Mike Davis is expected to take McCaffrey's place in the meantime.

Charlotte Film Festival Goes Virtual

(Charlotte, NC) -- The Charlotte Film Festival is taking on a new look this year. The 12th annual event is going virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The festival's film director says more films will be featured this year than ever before since it moved online. Films can be purchased to view individually or in-bulk through the end of the festival on Sunday.

AA Adds Western Flights At CLT

(Charlotte, NC) -- More seasonal flights out west are coming to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. American Airlines announced this week it's adding temporary routes to Bozeman, Montana; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and southwestern Colorado for the winter. All three destinations are popular areas for snow skiing.

Self Described Anarchist Group Leads Violent Demonstration In Durham Last Night

(Durham, NC) -- Protesters, angry over a Kentucky grand jury's decision not to charge any Louisville police officers in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, took to the streets of downtown Durham last night, rioting and causing damage to several business properties. Led by a self described anarchists group known as the 'Underground Resistance Network', the demonstrators vandalized around 40-businesses located between Main and Market Streets. Local civil rights leaders condemned the violence by the predominantly white group and charged that they are manipulating black suffering as a political pawn against the Trump administration.

Peaceful Demonstration Against Remote Learning Extension Held In Fayetteville Wednesday

(Cumberland County, NC) -- A group of parents, students and community leaders held a protest rally in front of Epicenter Church in Fayetteville Wednesday, demanding that the Cumberland County School District reverse a recent decision to hold classes online for the remainder of the year. The crowd of about 100-demonstrators, banged noisemakers, held up signs and shouted loudly that the decision was made over the objections of most residents who live in the Cumberland County school District.

Single-Day COVID-19 Total Dropped In North Carolina Wednesday

(Raleigh, NC) -- Health officials reported a slight decrease in the number of new coronavirus cases in North Carolina Wednesday. Nine-hundred-52-confirmed infections compared to 11-hundred-68 the day before. That brought the total number of positive cases since the beginning of the outbreak to more than 196-thousand. Of that figure, 912-patients were being treated at hospitals. At last report, North Carolina's positivity rate was still at 5-point-1 percent. The Department also said there were 30-additional deaths yesterday, which brought the total to 3-thousand-316.

NTSB Rules Dale Jr's Plane Crash Caused By Pilot Error

(Kannapolis, NC) -- After more than a year long investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined that it was pilot error that caused a small airplane carrying retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family to crash last year. In its final accident report, the agency said the pilot's inability to maintain proper air speed and crew members decision to continue on an unstable approach, likely caused the Cessna Citation to leave the runway and crash in Elisabethton, Tennessee in August of 2019. The Earnhardts suffered only minor injuries.

Apex Mourns The Sudden Death Of Legendary Soccer Coach

(Apex, NC) -- The town of Apex is mourning the sudden death of its high school's longtime soccer coach. In a statement released Wednesday, the principal of Apex High School announced that Kevin Todd died in the hospital after suffering what's described as a medical event. No other information was given about the cause of death. Todd, who had been a fixture in the sports community for more than 30-years, is credited with leading both the men and women's soccer teams to class 4A state championships in 2005 and 2007.

Biden Again Accuses Trump Of Reacting Too Slowly To COVID-19

(Charlotte, NC) -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is accusing President Trump, once again, of reacting too slowly to the coronavirus outbreak. Biden campaigned in Charlotte yesterday and said the economy is struggling to recover as the outbreak continues. Biden called for a raise in the national minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour and said the nation's wealthiest individuals and corporations must pay their fair share of taxes. President Trump is set to campaign in Charlotte today. North Carolina is a key battleground state in this year's presidential election.

COVID-19 Cluster ID'd At North Wilkes High School

(Wilkesboro, NC) -- The Wilkes County Health Department is reporting a COVID-19 outbreak at a local high school. Five or more cases of the coronavirus were identified at North Wilkes High School this week. That brings the total of education-based COVID-19 clusters in the state to nine. All students and staff who were potentially exposed have been contacted.

Zoning Request For Gun Range Voted Down

(Davie CO., NC) -- Davie County is turning down a zoning request for a proposed shooting range. The county's Board of Adjustment last night voted 5-0 against the project after five hours of talks and public input. Recoil Management Academy wanted to transform an area on Sheffield Road into an outdoor shooting range and training facility, but neighbors in the area fought against the idea.

Man In Custody For Attempted Murder In Reidsville

(Reidsville, NC) -- A man is under arrest for attempted murder in Reidsville. Thirty-five-year-old Mario Davis turned himself in at the Rockingham County Detention Center on Monday. He was wanted in connection with a shooting on Windemere Court over the weekend that left a person in critical condition. Davis received a 150-thousand-dollar bond.

School Food Trucks Roll Out In Alamance Co.

(Alamance Co., NC) -- Alamance County has a new way to deliver meals to students in the area. The Alamance-Burlington School System rolled out their brand new food trucks this week. Director of Nutrition Pamela Bailey says the trucks will get food to the neighborhoods that need them most. The First United Methodist Church helped launch the meal-delivery service.

Aaron Michael

About Aaron Michael