Duke Energy Buys Piedmont Gas In Megadeal
Duke Energy is buying Piedmont Natural Gas for about $4.9 billion in cash.
The acquisition of $1.8 billion in PNG net debt would boost the cost of the acquisition to $6.7 billion.
The companies are key partners in the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline that will be the first major natural gas pipeline to serve Eastern North Carolina.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that while the board of directors for both utilities unanimously approved the agreement, it still requires the approval of the N.C. Utilities Commission, federal regulators and Piedmont shareholders.
The deal is expected to close by the end of next year.
Piedmont Natural Gas Co. will keep its name and maintain its headquarters in Charlotte.
Forsyth County May See More Early Voting Sites
Changes to the state's election laws could increase the number of early voting sites in Forsyth County for the March 2016 primary. The list could include some public schools.
The new legislation reduces early voting from 17 days to 10, but it mandates that each polling place must be open the same number of hours as they were in 2010 and 2012 .
That means the county will have to provide more early voting sites in 2016 or extend hours at existing polling locations. Lamar Joyner, interim director of the Forsyth County Elections Board, says the board is considering requesting the use of some public schools fill in the gaps.
The tentative list now has 22 sites, including four schools: Whitaker Elementary, Mount Tabor High, Sherwood Elementary and Jefferson Middle.
Joyner says board members will discuss the early voting options during it's meeting on Tuesday.
Mixed Reaction To Spellings Election As UNC President
Kudos and good wishes are rolling in for former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. She was elected president of the UNC system on Friday.
Spellings was President George W. Bush's education secretary from 2005-2009, and most recently ran the Bush Presidential Center.
In a statement, Bush said Spellings has been among his most trusted confidants for decades, and that the Bush Center will miss her “energy, smarts and good humor.”
Gov. Pat McCrory also welcomed Spellings to the state, saying he looked forward to a close working relationship on behalf of North Carolina students.
Not everyone is excited for her arrival though. A UNC faculty group says Spellings comes with baggage, and that the secrecy around her election will make her job harder.
She officially takes the position next year.
Protestors Clash At Silent Sam Stature
Men and women waving Confederate flags clashed up close with college students Sunday afternoon, as both sides gathered near the monument to Confederate soldiers on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.
McClatchy News reports groups from Alamance and Orange counties organized the pro-monument rally, which turned into as much a defense of the Confederate flag as a statement about the statue. The monument supporters rolled a caravan up the central thoroughfare of Franklin Street with Confederate flags flying from their vehicles, then waved them through the afternoon.
The Alamance and Orange groups were met by chanting counter-protesters — including some students.
Eventually the two factions were established on the opposite side of the Silent Sam statue, which was surrounded by a double-layer of fencing.
About 250 people attended the rally and counter-protest, according to UNC-Chapel Hill spokesman Jim Gregory. The counter-protesters outnumbered monument supporters.
Drug Raids Result In Charges At 3 Winston-Salem Strip Clubs
Authorities say that 25 women and men who work at three Winston-Salem strip clubs face charges including drug infractions after a series of nighttime raids.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that state agents and local law enforcement officers served warrants at Club Risque, Paper Moon Gentlemen's Club and Filly's Gentlemen's Club on Friday night.
Drugs seized included heroin, cocaine, opium and prescription drugs.
Each club will lose its alcohol permit for at least a month.
North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Branch Special Agent Mike Yates said the raid should show other bars that authorities won't tolerate the sale of illegal drugs.
Newton, Tolbert Lead Perfect Panthers Over Eagles 27-16
Cam Newton took another step toward rewriting the NFL record book, and the Carolina Panthers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-16 on Sunday night to improve to 6-0 for the first time in franchise history.
Newton threw for a touchdown and ran for another score, marking the fourth time this season he has accomplished that feat in a game and 28th time in his career — three behind Hall of Famer Steve Young for the league record.
Jonathan Stewart ran for 119 yards and Mike Tolbert scored two touchdowns for Carolina, which has won a franchise-record 10 straight regular-season games dating to last season.
Ryan Mathews ran for 97 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown, but the Eagles (3-4) were only able to convert three interceptions by Newton into six points.
The Panthers held Sam Bradford to 205 yards passing and sacked him five times, including twice by Jared Allen.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.
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