Asheville Council Fully Funds PD

(Asheville, NC) -- The Asheville city council isn't defunding the police for now. Members voted last night to give complete funding to all city departments through the first few months of the new fiscal year, with another vote coming up in late September. Outgoing councilman Vijay Kapoor said the council should have voted on a full budget and amended police spending later. Activists had been pushing to reallocate some police funding for mental health services.

Protesters March In Asheville

(Asheville, NC) -- Protesters are continuing to march in spite of the Asheville city council's decision to fully fund the police department. WLOS-TV reports a group of around 50 people marched from Pack Square Park to I-240 last night before coming back to downtown. Protests are expected to continue over the council vote. Asheville police officers reportedly moved ahead of the group to ensure traffic was blocked for the safety of the protesters.

Hurricane Moves Towards Carolinas

(Undated) -- North Carolina's coastal residents are keeping a close eye on the tropics as a storm approaches this weekend. Forecasters expect Hurricane Isaias [[ ees-ah-EE-ahs ]] to make its way through the Caribbean towards Florida within the next day or two. The current projected path shows the storm traveling north outside the Georgia coast and potentially making landfall somewhere in the Carolinas by early next week.

Jobless Rate Drops In Asheville Region

(Asheville, NC) -- The unemployment rate is down drastically for the Asheville metro area. Labor officials said this week jobless numbers dropped to just under nine-percent in June, which signified a decrease of more than six-percent from May. The rate dropped more than seven-percent in Buncombe County alone. The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board's director told WLOS-TV over ten-thousand jobs have been added in the region in the last month.

Former Buncombe Commissioner Taking Plea Deal

(Buncombe County, NC) -- A former Buncombe County commissioner is trying to work out a plea deal in her federal fraud case. An agreement was reportedly filed on behalf of Ellen Frost yesterday on a guilty plea on conspiracy charges connected to funds used illegally for the Tryon Equestrian Center and other areas. U.S. Attorneys are allegedly agreeing to a period of home confinement for Frost, rather than any prison time. A judge must first okay the agreement.

Hendersonville Offering City Customers Payment Plan

(Hendersonville, NC) -- The city of Hendersonville is extending help for those falling behind on utility bills. A ban on utility disconnections was supposed to end this week in North Carolina, but was extended until September 1st. Hendersonville's city manager says local residents still have options to take advantage of. Customers of the city's water and sewer services have 60 days to set up a payment plan that can be paid out over the next 12 months.

CMS Decides To Go All-Virtual

(Charlotte, NC) -- School is going all-virtual for CMS students. The school board decided yesterday to change the course of classes and switch to complete remote learning at the beginning of the academic year. The decision was made after 13-hundred staff members reportedly requested alternative assignments earlier this month in place of in-classroom teaching. Over 100 said they would leave the school system. All learning was scheduled to go virtual by week three in the initial plan regardless.

COVID-19 Cases Top 20K In Mecklenburg County

(Mecklenburg County, NC) -- The number of coronavirus cases is over 20-thousand in Mecklenburg County. Public health officials reported one of the largest increases in new cases statewide yesterday, with more than 23-hundred. The number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 dropped by around 50 yesterday, which is down from a statewide high reported on Wednesday.

Another Suspect Arrested In June Homicide

(Charlotte, NC) -- Another suspect is facing charges in an early June homicide in east Charlotte. A 24-year-old man died after apparent injuries from a fight on Commonwealth Avenue June 9th. Three people were previously charged with murder. The CMPD says a fourth suspect was arrested in New Jersey earlier this month before being brought back to the Mecklenburg County jail this week.

Hurricane Tracking To Carolina Coast

(Charlotte, NC) -- A hurricane could impact North Carolina early next week. Forecasters are expecting Hurricane Isaias [[ ees-ah-EE-ahs ]] to make its way through the Caribbean towards Florida within the next couple of days. The current projected path shows the storm traveling north outside the Georgia coast and potentially making landfall somewhere in the Carolinas. There is a forecasted track that predicts the storm could move inland, which may affect weather in the Charlotte area.

Two Injured In Drive-By Shooting

(Charlotte, NC) -- The CMPD is investigating a drive-by shooting in north Charlotte. Officers say a man and woman were shot outside a home on Grimes Street last night. One of the victim's injuries were considered life-threatening. No arrests have yet been made in the case.

Ban On Utility Disconnections Extended

(Raleigh, NC) -- Charlotte residents having trouble paying their utility bills are getting some relief. The state Utilities Commission decided yesterday to extend a ban on disconnections through major providers like Duke Energy and Dominion Energy. An executive order prohibiting disconnections for customers who haven't paid their bills during the coronavirus pandemic was set to expire yesterday. The relief period is extended through September 1st.

Tracking Hurricane Isaias

(Raleigh, NC) -- Isaias is now a Category One Hurricane. The system is forecast to reach North Carolina either Monday or Tuesday. The latest model from the National Hurricane Center late Thursday had the storm reaching the eastern coast of Florida by the weekend.

Spike In New Coronavirus Cases Pushes Total In North Carolina To Over 120-Thousand

(Raleigh, NC) -- The single-day total for new coronavirus cases in North Carolina on Thursday, was the third highest on record, two-thousand-344. That pushed the total since the pandemic first began to over 120-thousand. Figures released by the Department of Health and Human Services also showed the number of patients in the hospital dropped to just 12-hundred-72 yesterday. Thirty-eight-people died on Thursday, which brought the total to one-thousand-903.

Executive Order Banning Alcohol Sales After 11 p.m. Goes Into Effect Tonight

(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper's latest Executive Order banning the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m. goes into effect tonight. The alcohol curfew applies to bars, restaurants, breweries and distilleries. It does not restrict alcohol sales at grocery and convenience stores. Cooper said the new order was issued in an effort to reduce the number of large gatherings in places where social distancing has previously been ignored.

Despite Trump Opposition, Record Numbers Of North Carolinians Are Requesting Mail-In Ballots

(Raleigh, NC) -- New data released by the North Carolina Board of Elections shows an increasing number of voters in the state are requesting mail-in ballots. This as President Trump continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the alternative method. A new report released by Harvard CAPS-Harris finds that nationally, 75-percent of Americans support voting by mail this election. The survey also said three quarters of those polled expressed concerns about exposure to the coronavirus.

Utility Companies Told To Halt Disconnections For Another 30-Days

(Raleigh, NC) -- Large for-profit utility companies in the state, such as Duke Energy and Dominion Energy, have been told by a state regulatory agency to extend a moratorium on disconnections at least through the end of August. The order, handed down Wednesday by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, is being viewed as a lifeline to thousands of utility customers across the state who have been unable to pay their bills as a result of the coronavirus. The order also directs utility companies to allow customers 12-months to repay overdue bills.

High Point Police Chief Retires

(High Point, NC) - High Point Police Chief Kenneth Shultz is retired. Chief Shultz gave his final radio broadcast yesterday. He announced plans to retire back in June. Shultz had been with the department for over 30 years.

Duke Must Delay Disconnections

(Raleigh, NC) - Duke Energy, and other for-profit utility companies in North Carolina, must continue to halt disconnections. State regulators issued the order late Wednesday, which was when the governor's executive order stopping shut-offs was set to expire. The new date is September 1st.

Staff, Child Test Positive For COVID-19 At Davie Co. Daycare Center

(Davie Co., NC) - Two staff members and a child at a Davie County daycare center have coronavirus. The cases came from A Child's World Learning Centers in Bermuda Run. Two other children tested positive, but while they were out with families members who were recovering from COVID-19. Children under the age of two have been sent home due to the possibility of being exposed.

Man Arrested For Murder In Greensboro

(Greensboro, NC) - A man is under arrest for murder in Greensboro. Thirty-one-year old Anthony Van Long was taken into custody Wednesday. He's charged with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Jonathan Jeffries a day earlier. Police did not say how Jeffries died. Van Long is being held at the Guilford County Jail.

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