WRAL.com

Winter is back with snow, bitter cold in NC mtns

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:48:19 -0500

After weeks of warm winter weather, bitterly cold air and snow is spilling into the North Carolina mountains.

Hickory couple found at Walmart after bank robbery

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:33:05 -0500

Authorities say a couple who robbed a bank in Hickory were found with the money 30 minutes later inside a nearby Walmart.

Man gets up to 7 years in Lexington killing

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:25:32 -0500

A 25-year-old Lexington man will spend five to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a Davidson County shooting death that went unsolved for five years.

Suicide call leads to homicide investigation

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:08:32 -0500

Authorities say a call to 911 in Lincoln County about a suicide has now turned into a homicide investigation.

Sheriff urges patience in double homicide probe

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:59:17 -0500

The Rockingham County sheriff is asking residents to be patient as his deputies continue to investigate the death of a husband and wife in a home invasion earlier this month.

Wife charged with killing husband during argument

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:51:20 -0500

Randolph County deputies say a 66-year-old woman has been charged with murder in the shooting death of her husband.

Local woman makes bid on Ghost Town in the Sky

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:43:05 -0500

A $1.5 million bid has been made to buy a wild west amusement park in the North Carolina mountains that has been closed for most of the past decade.

UNEMPLOY DURATION.JPEG

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:03:39 -0500

Chart shows unemployed persons by duration of their joblessness.

Its The Economy Jobless.JPEG

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:03:34 -0500

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, Jon Creek pets his dogs Harley, left, and Memphis while studying for a graduate school admissions test at his home in Mason, Ohio. Creek, who lives in suburban Cincinnati, was a construction company office manager until he and almost everyone else at the firm were laid off in December 2007. He'd known the business was in trouble and says he actually turned down another better-paying job earlier, out of loyalty. It took 18 months to land part-time work as an insurance agent's assistant at $240 a week - a dollar less than his unemployment checks. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Symposium aims for answers on mysterious NC lights

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:01:40 -0500

A Burke County symposium is aiming to provide some answers on mysterious lights that have puzzled generations of observers around Brown Mountain.

UNCW's transfer policy attracts service members

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:03:00 -0500

Cody Hoyt is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. But he doesn't have the same mindset about school as most college students. That's because he's also a 27-year-old Marine Corps veteran.

Police say woman reports rape near UNC campus

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:34:46 -0500

Police in Chapel Hill say a woman has reported being sexually attacked near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

McIntyre to run for Congress, not NC governor

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:24:25 -0500

U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has decided to seek re-election to Congress this year instead of running for North Carolina governor.

NC Sen. Stevens of Cary won't seek re-election

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:27:07 -0500

One of the state Senate's chief-budget writers announced Friday he will not seek re-election, saying it's time to move on after nearly a decade in the chamber.

NC police charge teen with counterfeiting cash

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:18:54 -0500

Police in two western North Carolina towns have charged an 18-year-old in an ongoing probe of counterfeit cash in Catawba County.

NC group sues over new rules on beach driving

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:21:30 -0500

New rules on beach driving along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, including permit fees for the activity, have sparked a lawsuit by a local group that says the regulations will damage the culture and tourism of the area.

NC artist accused of stealing his own paintings

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:15:22 -0500

A North Carolina man accused of stealing paintings from a restaurant is certainly familiar with the works of art at issue; he's the one who painted them.

Judge delays trial of suspect in NC hiker deaths

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:59:51 -0500

A federal judge has again delayed the death penalty trial of a twice-convicted killer who's charged with killing a couple from Hendersonville in a national forest.

US Forest Service cancels burn on NC mountain

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:53:24 -0500

The U.S. Forest Service has postponed a 1,200-acre prescribed burn in the Bearpen Mountain area in of the Pisgah Ranger District in the Pisgah National Forest.

RJ Reynolds' art collection on sale for 3 days

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:01:18 -0500

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s 7,000-piece collection of artwork, pottery, books, antiques and collectibles from its offices all over the world is going on sale.

UNC board of governors approves tuition increases

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:29:13 -0500

As scores of angry students held a raucous protest, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted Friday to increase tuition across the system of 16 university campuses by an average of nearly 9 percent, or over $400.

NC insurers wait on health care overhaul decision

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:48:21 -0500

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is going overtime as it decides whether to stick with federal standards that could mean $12 million in rebates for more than 58,000 North Carolina residents who buy their own health insurance.

Statistician testifies in Racial Justice Act case

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:13:41 -0500

A statistician testifying at a hearing about North Carolina's Racial Justice Act says qualified black and white jurors have been seated on capital murder trials at about the same rate.

Cooper: NC to share $338M from mortgage settlement

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:57:57 -0500

A settlement between 49 states, mortgage lenders and government authorities will help North Carolina homeowners now facing foreclosure and protect future buyers from abuses, state Attorney General Roy Cooper said Thursday.

NC banking regulator overseeing US mortgage deal

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:26:47 -0500

The regulator chosen by banks and attorneys general to oversee Thursday's $25 billion settlement over widespread mortgage abuses has a reputation for balancing the industry's health with consumer interests.

2 plead not guilty in Fayetteville child's death

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:06:20 -0500

A Fayetteville woman charged with selling her 5-year-old daughter as a prostitute has pleaded not guilty in her death, as has the man charged with killing her.

NC high school forfeits football wins over player

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:09:40 -0500

The Hickory High School varsity football team has seen last year's winning season converted to a record of 0-13 after forfeiting all its wins and a tie for using an ineligible player.

Coroner: NC man died in jail of natural causes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:42:14 -0500

The Cleveland County coroner says a man found dead in his jail cell days after being convicted of child abuse died of natural causes.

UNC panel recommends 8.8 percent tuition increase

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:10:55 -0500

A University of North Carolina Board of Governors committee has recommended a proposal that would see college costs rise by more than $400 per student on average.

UNC nears vote on system-wide tuition increases

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:10:55 -0500

Leaders of the University of North Carolina system are close to voting on a proposal that would raise tuition and fees by more than $400 on average.

NC county looks to boost minority representation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:43:34 -0500

Pasquotank County leaders are trying to come up with a redistricting plan that will pass federal muster and increase representation for black residents.

Website tracks coyote sightings in Charlotte area

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:22:48 -0500

Mecklenburg County officials are discussing what should be done about a recent surge in reported coyote sightings.

NC residents say church services are too noisy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:57:00 -0500

Some residents in Burlington are complaining to the city about what they say is a church making some not-so-joyful noise.

Wake Forest to begin construction on new dorms

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:01:17 -0500

Wake Forest University soon will be providing more space for its upperclassmen.

Disgraced lobbyist Abramoff in NC: DC unchanged

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:14 -0500

Disgraced Washington influence-peddler Jack Abramoff told a North Carolina audience Thursday about the Capitol Hill corruption in which he played a role.

NYC murder suspect faces check fraud charges

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:21:22 -0500

A New York murder suspect arrested after turning up on a North Carolina sports arena's jumbo screen is now facing new financial crime charges: He was a leader of a 37-person check fraud ring accused of stealing more than $150,000, prosecutors say.

Ex-Shuler aide to run for western NC Congress seat

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:22:57 -0500

The former chief of staff to departing U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler is running for his boss' western North Carolina seat in Congress.

Pendergraph says he's in to win NC's 9th District

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:35:51 -0500

A Mecklenburg County commissioner and the county's former sheriff has quickly entered the race to succeed retiring Rep. Sue Myrick in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District.

PSA flight lands safely in Charlotte after warning

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:29:38 -0500

A PSA Airlines flight landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after the pilot was alerted by a warning light.

Medical lab company adding 500 jobs near NC HQ

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:43:49 -0500

A laboratory company that carries out and analyzes medical tests for doctors and hospitals will add 500 jobs at its North Carolina headquarters in the next five years.

Army Humanist.JPEG

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:43:18 -0500

n this Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 photo, U.S Army Major Ray Bradley is shown at home in Fayetteville, N.C. When Bradley enlisted in the Army in 1986, no one much cared that he was an atheist. Ever since 9/11, though, the Fort Bragg-stationed officer says a climate of Christian fervor has been growing in the Army, leading atheists, agnostics and other nonbelievers to look for ways to make their presence known. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

NC Republicans: No recorded votes at next session

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:14:24 -0500

The announcement Wednesday by Republican legislative leaders that they won't hold votes on bills when lawmakers reconvene next week was greeted skeptically by Democrats following an after-midnight session and veto override last month.

Army officer wants humanism officially recognized

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:43:23 -0500

Soldiers who don't believe in God can go to war with "Atheist" stamped on their dog tags, but humanists and others with various secular beliefs are still officially invisible in the Army.

Caterpillar rules Illinois out of plant plans

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:16:55 -0500

Caterpillar Inc. has ruled Illinois out of plans to relocate a factory and 1,400 jobs from Japan, citing both logistical problems with building the plant in its home state and ongoing concerns about the business climate.

Cary proximity key to Caterpillar relocation

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:32:38 -0500

Caterpillar Inc. has narrowed the field for a factory and 1,400 jobs, noting that proximity Caterpillar's building and construction products division headquarters in Cary is a key factor in the decision.

Social workers indicted in NC child death probe

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:59:08 -0500

A lawyer for the woman whose daughter's death is at the center of an expanding probe in western North Carolina says the indictments of two social workers represent the tip of the iceberg.

2 DSS workers indicted in probe of NC child death

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:59:08 -0500

Two social service workers in North Carolina have been accused of falsifying records and indicted on obstruction of justice charges in the investigation of the death of a 1-year-old girl.

NC authorities charge 3 men in 17-year-old death

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:42:12 -0500

Authorities in North Carolina have charged three men with an armed robbery and killing that has been unsolved since 1995.

Duke will award honorary degree to Komen founder

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:20:25 -0500

Duke University's plans to give an honorary degree to the head of a leading cancer charity are unchanged by controversy over the group's hastily retracted decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood.

Man who killed NC police officers seeks new trial

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:25:32 -0500

A man convicted of killing two Charlotte police officers regressed so much mentally in the more than two years that passed between his assessment by the state and a competency hearing that he was no longer able to stand trial, his attorneys argued Wednesday before state Court of Appeals.

Judge to testify in Racial Justice Act hearing

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:05:24 -0500

The judge who oversaw the trial of the death row prisoner who's challenging his sentence is taking the stand in the first evidentiary hearing involving North Carolina's Racial Justice Act.

Judge cannot answer some questions in Racial Justice Act hearing

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:03:06 -0500

A North Carolina judge who presided over a 1994 murder trial has been blocked from answering questions about whether he observed racism in the trial.

Night gunfire at NC weapons training center

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:01:31 -0500

A security contractor says its North Carolina gun ranges will light up with nighttime gunfire.

Duke has special events planned for Dickens' 200th

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:01:29 -0500

Duke University is joining the birthday celebrations for British author Charles Dickens with a special exhibition and a public performance similar to ones he gave during his life.

Outspoken admiral scheduled to speak at Davidson

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:01:26 -0500

An outspoken retired Navy admiral is coming to Davidson College to discuss the role of social media in government and international relations.

Winston-Salem firm advances as technology company

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:00:00 -0500

With more than 1,400 customers, Inmar Inc. has come a long way since it was founded in 1980 as a coupon company.

NC parties have 11 names for presidential primary

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:49:44 -0500

More than half of the candidates expected on North Carolina's presidential primary ballots in May come from the Libertarian Party.

Veteran newsman named editor, publisher in Tarboro

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:16:08 -0500

The Daily Southerner in Tarboro has named veteran journalist John H. Walker as its new editor and publisher.

Sue Myrick won't seek re-election in 9th District

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:52:24 -0500

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick announced Tuesday that she won't run for re-election to her Charlotte-area district, marking the third incumbent in North Carolina's congressional delegation who won't run this year and opening up a historically Republican seat.

Republican Congresswoman Sue Myrick won't seek re-election

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:08:39 -0500

Congresswoman Sue Myrick announced Tuesday that she won't run for re-election to her Charlotte-area district, marking the third incumbent in North Carolina's congressional delegation who won't run this year and opening up a historically Republican seat.

NC man convicted of abuse in child death is dead

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:40 -0500

A North Carolina man convicted of child abuse in the death of his 2-year-old stepson has been found dead in a jail cell.

NC Democratic Rep. Weiss won't seek re-election

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:54:17 -0500

Another North Carolina state House member who was a leader during the chamber's Democratic control won't run for re-election.

NC court backs trooper who kicked canine partner

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:51:19 -0500

The North Carolina Court of Appeals has upheld a judge's ruling that ordered a state trooper who was fired for kicking his dog to be reinstated with back pay.

NC appeals court: Weapons center is not a school

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:08:18 -0500

Shooting ranges and a training center built by former Delta Force members to train police and troops as next-generation warriors doesn't qualify as a school, a designation local officials accepted in allowing construction, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

Court: Cumberland weapons center is not a school

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:14:37 -0500

A North Carolina court is rejecting claims that shooting ranges and a training center created by former Delta Force members to train police and troops as next-generation warriors qualifies as a school.

Former deputies sue NC sheriff over losing jobs

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:20:00 -0500

Two former Mecklenburg County sheriff's deputies are suing their former boss, saying Sheriff Chipp Bailey fired them for not donating to his re-election campaign.

Police: NC man stabbed girlfriend over steak

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:33:26 -0500

A Belmont man has been arrested and charged with stabbing his girlfriend over the taste of a steak dinner.

NC man says he cheated elderly woman of $150K

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:04:12 -0500

An Alamance County man will spend at least four years in prison for cheating an elderly woman out of roughly $150,000, mostly in the form of personal loans that he never repaid.

NC sheriff with bipolar disorder to retire

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:43:26 -0500

A western North Carolina sheriff who says he suffers from bipolar disorder has been granted permission for medical retirement.

Raleigh officer wounded in apartment standoff

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:37:33 -0500

A Raleigh police officer has been wounded in a standoff with a man barricaded in an apartment.

NC DOT hears from public on I-95 expansion, tolls

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:02:03 -0500

North Carolina's Department of Transportation wants to hear from the public about the benefits of widening and improving Interstate 95, and the possible cost from charging tolls to travel the highway.

Public hearing planned on Wrightsville Beach pier

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:01:31 -0500

A hearing is scheduled in Wrightsville Beach on a request by the owners to repair a dilapidated pier that closed more than 15 years ago because of damage from storms.

NC woman charged in wheelchair-bound man's death

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:35:57 -0500

Police in Winston-Salem have charged a 19-year-old woman with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man confined to a wheelchair.

US judge: Dismiss House of Raeford pollution case

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:51:37 -0500

A federal judge plans to dismiss a two-year-old environmental crimes case against poultry processor House of Raeford Farms and one of its turkey processing plant managers, but is giving prosecutors a chance to revive it later.

NC State Auditor Beth Wood ties the knot at RDU

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:32:08 -0500

North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood has brought new meaning to the term "wings of love."

New iPhone app shows sex offenders living nearby

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:53:24 -0500

North Carolina now offers a phone application that allows people to find out if sex offenders live near them and their children.

Retrial begins in case of slain NC pregnant woman

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:19:52 -0500

Prosecutors are trying a second time to prove a Raleigh man killed his pregnant wife, after a jury deadlocked last year in the case.

NC county voters to decide on whether to stay dry

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:43:55 -0500

Henderson County voters will soon have their first chance since 1955 to decide whether alcohol should be sold everywhere, or whether some parts of the county should stay dry.

NC groups upset over tree-cutting near billboards

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:12:34 -0500

Conservation groups in North Carolina are unhappy with a new law that will allow increased tree-cutting around roadside billboards.

Stamps to honor 3 blacks, including artist Bearden

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:05:02 -0500

Winston-Salem State University and the U.S. Postal Service will dedicate commemorative postage stamps honoring three people for the Black Heritage stamp series, including artist and North Carolina native Romare Bearden.

NC county looks to reboot old flag design

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:03:02 -0500

For Pitt County, it's not such a grand old flag after all. Mostly just old, in fact.

Prosecutors up next in Racial Justice Act hearing

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:03:00 -0500

Prosecutors will begin presenting their case in the first evidentiary hearing involving North Carolina's Racial Justice Act.

NC judge testifies in racial justice case

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:05:56 -0500

Race may have been an unconscious factor, but it was never a significant one in jury selection, said a former prosecutor testifying at a death row prisoner's hearing challenging his punishment.

Women take to NC forests to hunt down game

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When Heather Shepherd says she was born into hunting, she means it.

NC woman slain in robbery, police charge man

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:27:27 -0500

Burlington police say they've charged a man with first-degree murder after robbers burst into an apartment and left a 21-year-old woman dead.

Interstate 40 west reopens as fallen rocks removed

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:08:30 -0500

North Carolina motorists have free sailing again on Interstate 40 through the mountains after crews cleared away rock slides that blocked the highway.

Giants, Patriots fans see who collects most food

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:01:08 -0500

Fans of the New York Giants and the New England Patriots will gather in the Triangle area to put their competitive energy toward charity.

NC courthouse honors banjo master Earl Scruggs

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From the outside, the 105-year-old former Cleveland County Courthouse in downtown Shelby looks pretty much as it always has.

Great-aunt charged Swain County toddler's death

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:47:49 -0500

The great-aunt of a 15-month-old baby has been charged with murdering the little girl after a yearlong death investigation and an effort to explain why social workers allowed the child to remain in the woman's home for months after an 11-year-old boy was removed.

Police: Mom injects substance into daughter's IV

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:28:14 -0500

Police say a mother of four has been arrested after surveillance cameras in her 5-month-old daughter's hospital room caught her injecting an unknown substance into her child's IV line.

Wrightsville Beach won't name suspended officers

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:07:09 -0500

Wrightsville Beach is refusing to release the names of three police officers placed on administrative leave.

Couple killed in home invasion in Reidsville

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:59:12 -0500

Rockingham County deputies say a husband and wife have been shot to death in an apparent home invasion.

Teens girls lead Charlotte police on Uptown chase

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:42:07 -0500

Police say three teen girls stole a car at gunpoint, then led officers on a chase through Charlotte's busy Uptown streets before crashing the vehicle.

Woman shot with Taser after blocking NC drive-thru

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:31:43 -0500

Cumberland County deputies say they used a Taser on a woman who blocked the drive-thru at a McDonalds for 20 minutes after employees refused to serve her because she broke in line.

NC group hosts 'Ask a Lawyer Day' across the state

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:23:46 -0500

North Carolina residents looking for legal advice on a tight budget may have a source to help them out.

Hearing planned for Greenville city workers

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:04:03 -0500

Public employees in the city of Greenville are invited to participate in a public hearing that the NAACP is sponsoring about their working conditions.

Grand marshal of Durham MLK parade is Chuck Davis

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:01:47 -0500

The founder and artistic director of the African American Dance Ensemble is the grand marshal of the 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Durham.

Duke University to hold symposium on flamenco

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:01:27 -0500

Duke University is holding a lecture, panel discussion and master class about the art of flamenco, which has a history that involves more than its Spanish influence.

Depleted oysters again taking hold on NC coast

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Kneeling in 6 inches of muddy water in Dick's Bay behind Masonboro Island, Ted Wilgis hoisted a large clump of Eastern oysters in one rubber-gloved hand.

New rock slide along I-40 on NC side of state line

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:49:02 -0500

North Carolina officials say a new rock slide has occurred along a stretch of Interstate 40 already closed by an earlier rock and mud slide just over the Tennessee state line.

NC mother accused of tampering with daughter's IV

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:55:56 -0500

A 26-year-old Conover woman is accused by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police of tampering with her 5-month-old daughter's intravenous line at a local hospital.

This Week in the Civil War

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:11 -0500

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Fayetteville officer injured in traffic wreck

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:40:32 -0500

A Fayetteville police officer is recovering from injuries suffered in a car crash while responding to a report of a breaking and entering.

Western NC town fighting wave of counterfeit cash

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:31:16 -0500

The Secret Service is assisting police in a western North Carolina town as they try to get to the bottom of an outbreak of counterfeit cash.

NC Catholics say play insults the Virgin Mary

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:06:19 -0500

Charlotte Roman Catholics led by Bishop Peter Jugis are protesting the production of a play they say is insulting to the Virgin Mary.

NAACP files lawsuit over Guilford voting rules

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:11:54 -0500

The NAACP has filed a lawsuit over a North Carolina law that will leave thousands of Guilford County residents without representation on the local board of commissioners until 2014.

Woman charged in beheading plot held without bond

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:39:03 -0500

A federal judge in North Carolina ruled Friday that a Raleigh school administrator accused of paying a hit man to behead three witnesses in a terrorism case should be held without bond until her trial.

NC's Heath Shuler won't seek re-election to House

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:24 -0500

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina announced Thursday he won't run for re-election to Congress in what's become another blow to the conservative wing of the Democratic Party on Capitol Hill and the party's state congressional delegation.

Testimony continues in Racial Justice Act hearing

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:47:32 -0500

A Tufts University professor is testifying in the first evidentiary hearing involving North Carolina's Racial Justice Act about what he calls unconscious or implicit racism.

NC high school coach apologizes for confrontation

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:34:23 -0500

A Winston-Salem high school coach has apologized after a 15-year-old student recorded him during a profanity-laced confrontation over text messages he and another official sent to a 16-year-old female student.

Coleman entering NC lieutenant governor's race

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:52:01 -0500

North Carolina state government's personnel director has decided she'll run for lieutenant governor this year.

Bowles says he will not run for NC governor

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:40:34 -0500

Erskine Bowles' decision not to run for North Carolina governor hasn't quenched the interest of other Democratic politicians still looking at the idea of running since Gov. Beverly Perdue announced she wouldn't seek re-election.

Bowles' choice not to run may thaw NC gov's field

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:01:02 -0500

Erskine Bowles announced Thursday that he won't run for North Carolina governor, but that decision didn't stir any immediate action by other prominent Democrats considering a run after Gov. Beverly Perdue bowed out last week.

Etheridge in, Bowles out in NC governor's race

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:11:34 -0500

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge announced Thursday he'll enter the Democratic primary for North Carolina governor, hours after Erskine Bowles decided against it. Etheridge's bid further shakes up the party's gubernatorial future just a week after incumbent Beverly Perdue said she wouldn't seek re-election.

Museum bunny gets acupuncture for twitching head

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:52:49 -0500

A troubled bunny at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham is undergoing acupuncture to help alleviate excessive head twitching and circling.

Ex-speaker Hackney won't run for NC House in 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:53:37 -0500

Former two-term Speaker Joe Hackney announced Thursday he wouldn't seek re-election to his House seat this year after more than 30 years in the Legislature.

Gay former NC senator seeks custody for 2nd son

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:06:20 -0500

The first openly gay member of North Carolina's legislature is waging a second child-custody fight with a second former partner.

Defunct NC airline's deal means wages may be paid

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:43:23 -0500

A mediation deal is increasing the chances that more than 400 former employees of a defunct North Carolina charter airline and jet maintenance company will collect their back pay.

Rock slide closes I-40 west of Asheville

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:02:11 -0500

Transportation officials in Tennessee say a rock slide on westbound Interstate 40 in Haywood County in North Carolina will keep those lanes closed into next week.

NC judge to rule on condemned man's mental state

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:01:23 -0500

A North Carolina judge is expected to rule on whether a convicted killer on death row for nearly two decades is mentally retarded and must be spared.

NC judge takes man off death row over competency

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:01:23 -0500

A Wayne County judge has ruled that a convicted murderer must be taken off death row because he meets state criteria for being mentally retarded.

News & Record names new executive editor

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:23:00 -0500

The Greensboro News & Record has named Ohio newspaper editor Jeff Gauger as its executive editor.

Another Wake school board member to run statewide

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43:51 -0500

Another Republican member of the Wake County Board of Education involved in contentious student assignment debates over the past two years is running for statewide office.

Caterpillar to add almost 200 jobs in Clayton

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:02:51 -0500

Gov. Beverly Perdue says Caterpillar Inc. will expand its manufacturing plant in Clayton, adding almost 200 jobs over five years and investing $33 million.

Stats expert testifies in Racial Justice hearing

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:33:02 -0500

A statistics expert from Iowa is testifying in support of the findings of other researchers who say race appears to be a deciding factor in how North Carolina prosecutors exclude jurors from capital murder cases.

Democratic convention official touts changes

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:40:37 -0500

The chairman of the Democratic National Convention says President Barack Obama will have one more shot alone at a microphone to articulate his vision of America.

Perdue appoints interim Durham district attorney

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:10:55 -0500

Gov. Beverly Perdue has appointed a retired judge to serve as Durham county's interim district attorney while the current top prosecutor is suspended.

Wake Forest U president to head national group

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:31:40 -0500

The president of Wake Forest University has been elected chairman of the board that governs one of the country's leading higher education policy organizations.

Thieves hit 5 NC stores, walk away with nothing

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:06:04 -0500

A string of fruitless break-ins in a North Carolina town perhaps explains why robbers hit banks where they know they'll find money.

NC city scouts minor-league baseball as attraction

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:23:10 -0500

Wilmington's mayor says it might require a tax increase to build the minor-league baseball stadium city leaders have sought for years.

NC city considers fate of Confederate statue

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:41:56 -0500

Forsyth County is selling its old courthouse building, but hasn't decided what to do with the statue of a Confederate soldier standing sentinel on the square for more than a century.

Group to discuss plans to help Greenville workers

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:39 -0500

A coalition that supports Greenville public works employees about their working conditions will discuss its plans to help the workers.

Union expresses support for Greenville workers

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:36:12 -0500

Union representatives are expressing their support for public employees in Greenville, who say they're concerned about dignity, fairness and respect on the job.

UNC Charlotte hosts US diplomat George Mitchell

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:31:03 -0500

A former U.S. senator and peace envoy to world trouble spots is reflecting about the Middle East for a North Carolina audience.

Magee gravesite to get headstone

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:18:06 -0500

Forty years after his funeral, the tiny wooden stake that now marks the grave of Sylvester Magee of Columbia — who many historians consider the last American slave — will be replaced with a new headstone.

Lawmakers hold meeting on NC sterilization program

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:21:03 -0500

Two North Carolina lawmakers will take questions about whether the state should compensate thousands of people it surgically stopped from having children, and if so who should collect and how much.

Durham company works to convert sunlight to power

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:00:00 -0500

In the palm of his hand, Joe Carr held a small piece of material that looked to be about the size of an ant. On top of that, was a black dot about the size as that from a ballpoint pen.