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Updated Amendment Would Ease Legislative Control
North Carolina Republican legislative leaders are seeking to scale back the breadth of a proposed constitutional amendment that critics say would dramatically shift the balance of power from the governor to the General Assembly when it comes to boards and commissions.
A key House Republican released bills late Thursday that rewrite two amendments proposals. They're expected to be debated when a special session begins Friday.
University Head: Confederate Statue Toppling Was A Surprise
The head of North Carolina's flagship university says activists who tore down a century-old Confederate statue this week took campus officials by surprise.
Chancellor Carol Folt said Thursday that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill expected about 100 people to peacefully protest the earlier arrest of an activist demanding removal of the memorial nicknamed "Silent Sam."
Instead, a larger crowd gathered and dispersed, and then protesters returned to yank down the statue as banners hid their actions from police.
Folt says officials haven't finished investigating what happened Monday night, but there have been dozens of campus protests in her five years on campus. She says all were handled in ways that seemed appropriate at the time.
Greensboro City Council Approves Money For Displaced Apartment Tenants
On Tuesday, the Greensboro City Council approved $45,000 to assist the nearly 200 residents who were forced to leave their recently condemned apartments on Summit Avenue. That's the location of the May 12th fire that took the lives of five refugee children.
The money will be used to help tenants with moving costs, up to $1,500 per family to cover one-time expenses like the first month's rent. But even with the new funds, Greensboro Housing Coalition Director Brett Byerly says the residents, many of whom are African refugees, face an uphill battle.
Families in the 42-unit complex now have less than a month to move out. A Landlord Fair for residents facing displacement will be held at Taste of the Triad from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday.
High Point Parks And Recreation Department Gets Citizen Input On Master Plan
The Parks and Recreation Department of High Point is developing a new comprehensive master plan, the first since 2008.
To put it together, the department has been working with the community, elected officials, and McAdams, a civil engineering company from Durham.
The city recently held a public input session to find out what citizens want from the project. The plan currently focuses on things like a new senior center and renovating existing structures. An expanded greenway that ties to Greensboro is also part of the design.
The department will be bringing their plan to the Parks and Recreation Commission in September, and hopes to have it approved by the city council in November.
FBI, NC Authorities Launch School Threat Awareness Campaign
Federal agents and North Carolina law enforcement agencies are launching an awareness campaign to remind students that online school threats are not a joke — and are typically felonies.
The FBI and authorities in Wake County and elsewhere kicked off the #ThinkBeforeYouPost! campaign Wednesday. An FBI news release notes that hoax threats, when proven, can result in charges carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Agents say in the aftermath of recent school shootings in Florida and elsewhere, law enforcement around the county has dealt with more school threats, many of them hoaxes.
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