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Ex-Prison Head Wins Lawsuit Over Lockup Violence
A federal jury has rejected claims that the former warden of one of North Carolina's most dangerous prisons bears responsibility for threats posed by inmates and even guards in the gang-infested lockup.
Jurors in Charlotte decided Thursday that former Lanesboro Correctional Institution superintendent Lawrence Parsons wasn't responsible for the violence endangering inmates.
Lawyers for convicted killer Stacey Wynn had argued that during Parsons' tenure, violent inmates frequently attacked other prisoners with knives and officials often failed to find the weapons. Investigators found a collection of bloody blades hidden in the ceiling of the office used by one of Parsons' unit managers.
Campaign Watchdog Wants Review Of Appeals Judge's Campaign
A longtime North Carolina campaign finance number-cruncher wants the state elections board to scrutinize an appeals court judge's campaign committee.
Bob Hall founded and led Democracy North Carolina until his recent retirement. He wrote Thursday asking the board to audit and investigate the Phil Berger Jr. committee's finances in 2016. The son of Republican Senate leader Phil Berger was elected to the Court of Appeals that year for an eight-year term.
Hall says he has information indicating two individuals didn't make donations that campaign filings say they made, and called a third donation "suspicious." He also thinks there are missing expenditures from Berger's fundraising events.
Gov. Cooper Asks Trump To Pull Back On Tariffs
Gov. Roy Cooper wants President Donald Trump to draw back recent tariff increases, saying an escalating trade war is already hurting state farmers and companies that rely on aluminum and steel.
Cooper wrote a letter Thursday to the president telling him retaliatory tariffs against U.S. products by other countries resulting from the administration's increases stand to harm several North Carolina commodity exports.
Cooper mentioned specifically pork heading to Mexico and China and tobacco going to Turkey, China and the European Union. He says North Carolina exports of these products alone to the affected regions are $550 million annually.
Next Block Of Debt From "Connect NC" Package Issued
North Carolina government has issued another block of debt from $2 billion in borrowing voters backed in a 2016 referendum.
State Treasurer Dale Folwell's office says about $400 million in debt was purchased Wednesday on the bond market at an interest rate of slightly under 2.9 percent. That will require state interest payments of $163 million.
The $2 billion "Connect NC" package is going to construction projects for universities, community colleges, parks, other government buildings and infrastructure improvements. The first $200 million in bonds have already been issued.
North Carolina Zoo Welcomes Two New Baby Rhinoceroses
In the last few weeks, the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro has welcomed not one, but two new additions to its southern white rhinoceros herd.
The babies are the first rhinos to be born at the zoo in over 40 years.
One arrived on July 2 to mother Linda and father Stormy. And the second was born on July 13 to Kit and Stormy.
The herd and its new calves live in a 40-acre habitat along with eight different species of antelope and an ostrich.
The rhinos weighed around 90 to 100 pounds at birth and could grow to be anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 pounds as mature adults. Both mothers and babies are healthy and doing well.
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