Morning News Briefs: Friday, December 2, 2016

With Local Counts Basically Over, Durham, Bladen Now Focus

Ballot counting is essentially complete in all but two of North Carolina's 100 counties, and Democrat Roy Cooper still has a lead of more than 10,000 votes over Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.

A State Board of Elections official said Thursday some counties are making minor adjustments in tallies this week in light of a board directive. The most significant potential tabulation changes remain in Durham and Bladen counties.

Durham election officials were ordered Wednesday to recount more than 90,000 ballots after technical challenges on election night. The recount is expected next week.

Increased Impaired Boating Penalties Among 12 New Laws

Tougher penalties for boat operators impaired by alcohol or drugs who unintentionally kill or injure someone are among all or parts of a dozen new laws now in effect in North Carolina.

Provisions enacted during this year's General Assembly include the boating law, which was named in memory of a Concord teenager killed on Lake Norman in 2015.

Other actions by the legislature create a new criminal offense designed to address when parents transfer their child's custody to someone else without legal justification like a formal adoption. It's also now a misdemeanor to run small-time "beach bingo" operations without a license.

Gov. Pat McCrory highlighted Thursday in a news release a new farm law he says will help the state better respond to agricultural emergencies.

2 Wildfires In Western North Carolina 95 Percent Contained

Forestry officials say two fires burning in western North Carolina have reached 95 percent containment, meaning resources can be dispatched to help with the fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports the U.S. Forest Service said Thursday that the Clear Creek fire northwest of Marion and the Horton fire in Watauga County are both 95 percent contained. Officials said three other wildfires still active Thursday showed no growth.

The forest service said more than 3 inches of rain recently fell at both locations, helping to extinguish hot spots and provide short-term relief.

National Weather Service Confirms Tornado Near Charlotte

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down near Charlotte.

Investigators from the weather service office in Greer, South Carolina, confirmed Thursday that the EF-1 tornado touched down Wednesday evening.

On the Fujita scale, an EF-1 storm usually produces winds from between 86 to 110 mph. The storm was estimated to have maximum winds of 90 mph.

According to investigators, the tornado path varied from 100 to 150 yards wide and produced damage along a non-continuous path on the city's south side that was just over two miles.

Celebration Of Life Scheduled For Late NCCU Chancellor

Officials at North Carolina Central University have scheduled a celebration of life for the late chancellor Debra Saunders-White.

Saunders-White died last Saturday after a battle with cancer. She was 59. The services are scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Arena.

A funeral for Saunders-White is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hampton, Virginia.

'Tree Of Life' Ceremony To Honor Those Who Died On NC Roads

People who died in vehicle crashes on North Carolina roads will be remembered during a tree-lighting ceremony in Raleigh.

The annual "tree of life" lighting and candlelight vigil is scheduled for Friday on the N.C. Capitol grounds. It's sponsored by the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

A total of 431 red lights will represent those who died as a result of impaired driving, with 955 white lights for those who died in other types of crashes. One blue light will represent an officer who died in a crash in 2015.

The ceremony began 19 years ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning, click here to sign-up.