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US Takes Nearly $500K Tied To NC Political Bribery Case
An independent political committee that prosecutors allege was created to help an insurance magnate bribe North Carolina officials has relinquished the nearly $500,000 it had left to the federal government.
A midyear campaign finance report filed last week shows the North Carolina Growth and Prosperity Committee handed over the money one day before the criminal case was announced in April.
Treasurer John Palermo, Durham insurance magnate Greg Lindberg, ex-North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes and a fourth man were charged with trying to pay state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey for special treatment.
Forsyth Tech Breaks Ground On Aviation Technology Lab
Educational opportunities in the aviation field are growing in the Triad with a new classroom building being built at Winston-Salem's Smith Reynolds Airport.
Forsyth Technical Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for a new $16-million Aviation Technology Lab.
The 53,000-square-foot building will include a space that can accommodate eight aircraft. It will provide educational programs for job training in aviation maintenance and avionics electronics.
The new lab in Winston-Salem will carry the name of Mazie Woodruff, who was the first African-American elected to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.
Merck Pharmaceutical Company To Expand In North Carolina
The global pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck is set to expand in North Carolina, creating about 425 new jobs.
The company is expected to build a 225,000-square-foot facility in Durham to manufacture the active ingredients for a shot that helps prevent cervical cancer.
The New Jersey-based company was offered about $12.5 million in state and county incentives. It will be required to invest $680 million in the project by the end of 2023.
Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Person Who Swam In NC Manmade Lake
North Carolina health officials say a Guilford County man has died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a manmade lake at a water park.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources said in a news release Wednesday that the infection was caused by the amoeba naturally present in warm freshwater during the summer. Eddie Gray became sick after swimming in Fantasy Lake Water Park in Cumberland County on July 12.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was caused by Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled organism known as the brain-eating amoeba.
North Carolina Seeks Public Comment On Use Of Drones
The state Transportation Department wants to hear from North Carolina residents about what they think of drones.
The department's Division of Aviation has begun an online survey to gather comments about drones.
The survey asks for comments about the current and future applications of drones, including noise, privacy and safety issues, and the improvements to people's lives such as assistance with search-and-rescue operations.
UNCG Women's Assistant Gets Show-Cause Penalty For Gambling
The NCAA has given a 15-year show-cause penalty to a former UNC Greensboro assistant women's basketball coach for gambling on pro and college sports — including games involving the school's men's basketball team.
Neither the school nor the NCAA identified the assistant Thursday in announcing the sanctions. The News & Record reported that the coach was Phil Collins, who was fired in May 2018.
UNC Greensboro says the men's basketball program was not involved.
The school was also placed on three years of probation and fined $15,000.
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