Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning. Click here to sign up.
Contested Early Voting Plans Go Before State Board Sunday
The NC Board of Elections is meeting in Winston-Salem Sunday to settle unresolved early voting schedules for fifteen counties.
Counties had until last month to submit unanimously approved plans for the early voting period, and the vast majority did. For the holdouts, Sunday's meeting is where the details will be decided by the state board.
Issues that kept some of the more than a dozen counties from approving their plans were how many locations should be opened, and whether Sunday voting should be allowed.
Rockingham and Randolph were among the counties that failed to submit an uncontested plan, but some larger ones also made the list, including the Triangle counties of Wake, Durham and Orange.
North Carolina Board Of Education Chair Announces Resignation
The North Carolina Board of Education chair has announced he's resigning early, citing issues with other members having to serve past their terms.
79-year-old Bill Cobey submitted his resignation Thursday. Cobey's term on the board would have ended in March. The resignation means Gov. Roy Cooper will be able to appoint a successor to complete the term.
Cobey has served as the chair for more than five years and says he wants to "move on so that others can lead." He also says he wants to avoid serving past his term's expiration, which board members Wayne McDevitt and Tricia Willoughby are doing despite their terms ending last year.
North Carolina Parade Nixed Gay Rights Float, Ends Over Threats
A North Carolina parade that refused to let gay rights supporters ride along last year has ended, citing hate mail and threats.
The Charlotte Observer cites a Holiday Caravan Parade statement blaming "hate mail, emails and threats to protest the 2018 parade" for ending the 58-year tradition in Spencer and the neighboring city of Salisbury.
Last November, the area's Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays chapter accused parade organizers of discrimination. Parade officials called police to keep the parents and children on a float sponsored by Avita Pharmacy from participating. The local pharmacy had invited PFLAG members to ride along, and some wore gay pride shirts and rainbow hats and beads. Parade organizers said this violated rules against unauthorized advertising.
PFLAG and Avita urged them not to cancel and said organizers had refused to talk with them.
Rainfall Records Set Across North Carolina During Soggy July
Rainfall records were set across North Carolina during July, and the National Weather Service suggests August will bring more wet weather.
The weather service reported Cape Hatteras got 20.31 inches of rain last month, well above the normal of 4.99 inches based on a 30-year average. It's the wettest July on record and the second wettest month ever, trailing only the 21.40 inches that fell on Cape Hatteras in September 1999 due to Hurricane Floyd.
Wilmington, with 17.10 inches and Asheville, with 6.58 inches also set records for the month.
National Weather Service meteorologist Phil Badgett said while the specific weather pattern has yet to be determined, the run of wet weather is expected to continue in August.
Business 40 To Close In Winston-Salem For Bridge Removal
The next shutdown of Business 40 through Winston-Salem involves taking down a bridge.
The N.C. Department of Transportation says in a news release that contractors will close the highway in both directions Friday between Cloverdale Avenue and Peters Creek Parkway for the bridge demolition.
Closures will take place from 10 p.m. Friday until 4 p.m. Sunday.
The latest shutdown is in advance of the two-year closure for the improvement project.
Traffic will be detoured in opposite directions using Cloverdale Avenue, West First Street and Peters Creek Parkway.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad