Tag Archives: NC

One year later, western North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene

One year later, western North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene

SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (NCN News) – One year after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, recovery continues across the mountains. The storm killed 108 people, caused more than 2,000 landslides and left businesses, roads and communities in ruins. While many restaurants, farms and attractions are reopening, most small businesses still have not returned to pre-Helene revenues. State officials say bipartisan support has brought new funding and infrastructure repairs, but rebuilding remains a long-term effort.… Continue Reading

On North Carolina’s rivers and streams, the cleanup of Helene’s fury seems never-ending

On North Carolina’s rivers and streams, the cleanup of Helene’s fury seems never-ending

WOODFIN, N.C. (AP) — It’s been only a year since Hurricane Helene hammered the southeast U.S. from Florida to the Carolinas. Some of the heaviest damage came from flooding in the North Carolina mountains, where some 30 inches of rain turned gentle streams into walls of water that swept away anything in their path. The worst wreckage has been cleared away, but cleanup crews are still at work plucking smaller debris from waterways throughout the region. In the understandable haste to rescue people and restore their lives to some semblance of normalcy, some fear the recovery efforts compounded Helene’s impact on the ecosystem. Contractors hired to remove vehicles, shipping containers, shattered houses and other large debris from waterways sometimes damaged sensitive habitat.… Continue Reading

North Carolina legislature passes ‘Iryna’s Law’ after refugee’s stabbing death

North Carolina legislature passes ‘Iryna’s Law’ after refugee’s stabbing death

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina legislature has approved a criminal justice package in response to the stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte’s light rail. The package finalized Tuesday with a House vote limits bail and aims to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. The measure already passed the Senate and now goes to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. His office said the measure is being reviewed. The bill also includes provisions that aim to help restart executions in the state. Public outrage over the death of Iryna Zarutska intensified with the release of security video showing the attack on the commuter train.… Continue Reading

North Carolina Republicans push for tougher bail rules and potentially new execution methods

North Carolina Republicans push for tougher bail rules and potentially new execution methods

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislators have introduced criminal justice measures to toughen bail rules and evaluate offenders for mental health issues. This follows the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train last month. The Senate approved the bill late Monday. It now heads to the House for debate. The bill aims to prohibit cashless bail for certain crimes and reduce magistrates’ discretion in pretrial release decisions. A late amendment could also open the door to new execution methods beyond lethal injection. One Democrat criticized the amendment as immoral.… Continue Reading

Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina a year ago. Some students never returned to school

Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina a year ago. Some students never returned to school

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious floods, landslides and wind ever seen in the mountainous region. Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes. The homeless student population surged, doubling in some places and even increasing fourfold in one county. Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identified as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press. Storm debris has mostly been cleared away in some places, but the impact of the displacement lingers for students.… Continue Reading

Another beachfront stilt house collapses into the surf on the Outer Banks

Another beachfront stilt house collapses into the surf on the Outer Banks

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Ocean has claimed another beach house on the fragile Outer Banks. The home that collapsed Tuesday afternoon in Buxton, North Carolina, is the 12th to succumb to the surf since May 2020. An official with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore says the house was unoccupied. The other 11 were all in the village of Rodanthe, a few miles north. The barrier islands have been eroding amid sea level rise for years. The famed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was moved inland in 1999.… Continue Reading

Appeals court rules felony offenders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

Appeals court rules felony offenders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that a North Carolina law making it a crime for felony offenders to vote before completing their punishments without knowing they were breaking the law is unconstitutional. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a trial judge’s decision, pointing out that the law has disproportionately affected Black ex-defendants. The General Assembly changed the law so that starting in January 2024 it required intent to break the law for it to be a crime. But the law had not changed for pre-2024 voting and became the lawsuit’s focus. The unanimous appeals court ruling could be appealed.… Continue Reading

Trump approves federal disaster aid for storms and flooding in 6 states

Trump approves federal disaster aid for storms and flooding in 6 states

President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and floods this spring and summer. The disaster declarations, announced Thursday, will provide federal funding to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In most cases, it took Trump over a month to approve the aid requests, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief. An Associated Press analysis shows delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time. The White House says Trump is providing a more thorough review of requests.… Continue Reading

Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles secures Democratic nomination despite political fallout of train killing

Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles secures Democratic nomination despite political fallout of train killing

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A Democratic mayor secured a comfortable win in a primary election despite days of intense backlash following the deadly stabbing of a young Ukrainian woman on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mayor Vi Lyles is seeking a fifth term but is coming under criticism after images of the attack sparked widespread outrage from President Donald Trump and others in the Make America Great Again movement. They say the killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska shows how Democrats are too soft on people with criminal records. Democrats who challenged her in the primary have also said the mayor’s response has been insufficient.… Continue Reading

Charlotte officials under fire after man with long criminal history kills Ukrainian woman on train

Charlotte officials under fire after man with long criminal history kills Ukrainian woman on train

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte, North Carolina, officials are facing criticism for failing to keep a man with a history of erratic behavior off the streets before he fatally stabbed a young Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train last month. Police say the 23-year-old woman who fled the war in Ukraine only to be killed in an apparently random attack in August was stabbed by a man with a long record of criminal charges and psychiatric crises. The suspect had served time in prison and been briefly committed for schizophrenia. The attack has emerged as a flashpoint in the debate over how cities are dealing with violent crime.… Continue Reading

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