Morning News Briefs: Friday, October 14, 2016

2 More NC Deaths; US Toll Rises To 38

Gov. Pat McCrory says two more people have died in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, raising the U.S. death toll to 38.

McCrory said Thursday that 22 people in North Carolina had died.

Virginia also reported its second storm-related death Thursday.

North Carolina is still seeing flooding several days after Matthew dumped more than a foot of rain. McCrory said the historic town of Princeville was underwater after a nearby river spilled over. McCrory says the town of about 2,000 people will need to rebuild.

It's one of the country's first towns created by freed slaves in 1865. It was devastated in 1999 after Hurricane Floyd's torrential rains.

Sen. Burr Says He Takes Trump At His Word

Sen. Richard Burr says he takes Donald Trump at his word that he didn't commit sexual assault after allegations from women this week and a video that surfaced in which Trump bragged about kissing and groping women.

Burr said at his televised debate Thursday evening with Democratic challenger Deborah Ross that he's supporting Trump for president even though he has concerns about the billionaire businessman. But Burr says he has more concerns about Hillary Clinton's lack of judgment, citing her private email server and the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

Ross blasted Burr for sticking with Trump, saying he "has toed the party line even when Donald Trump has crossed the line." She says Trump is not qualified to be commander in chief.

Judge Refuses To Require More Early Voting In NC

A judge has refused to order North Carolina officials to expand early in-person voting in five counties after some voters alleged the counties' voting schedules didn't comply with a court's ruling last summer over ballot access.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder denied the request Thursday of voters who wanted him to declare additional voting sites were needed during the first week of early in-person voting, or on Sundays and the last day of the period.

Schroeder agreed with state attorneys that changing early voting — it begins Oct. 20 — would create logistical difficulties. He also wrote he could find no evidence government officials violated his injunction blocking a 2013 state law that previously scaled back early voting.

Greensboro Police To Expedite Internal Investigations

The Greensboro Police Department says it's putting in place some new procedures to speed up internal investigations.

This comes after an altercation between former officer Travis Cole and Dejuan Yourse. The June incident was caught on video.

Chief Wayne Scott held a press conference Thursday to share a timeline of the department's investigation into the case.

He also laid out plans to help reduce the length of the internal investigative process.

Those include hiring new staff to review and flag body cam videos that may raise concerns.

The Greensboro City Council last month voted to release Cole's body camera footage to the public. Some of it shows Yourse being punched and wrestled to the ground by the officer.

North Carolina State Fair Offers Break From Matthew

The North Carolina State Fair is offering a break from the damage across the central and eastern parts of the state from Hurricane Matthew.

The fair opens Thursday and runs through Oct. 23.

The State Fair Flyer makes its debut. The permanent ride carries people 1,400 from one end of the midway to the other.

There are new exhibits, and a laser show is planned nightly.

Chickens, ducks, geese and baby chicks will return this year, after a one-year hiatus. State agriculture officials banned public bird shows and sales last year to try to prevent the spread of avian flu.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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