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Looking To 2020, Cooper, Forest Keep To Campaign Fundraising
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and a potential 2020 challenger keep vacuuming up campaign money.
Political committees for candidates not on ballots this year had until Friday to file finance reports covering the first half of this year.
Cooper's committee reports raising $865,000 and having $1.6 million in cash on June 30. He's raised $2.3 million since early 2017.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is expected to run for governor. His committee raised $404,000 in the first six months of 2018 and had $519,000 in campaign coffers. He's raised just over $1 million in the last 18 months.
Cooper reports over 10,000 separate donations so far in 2018. Forest reported more than 600.
Pro-Trump Flag Flying On NC-Owned Ferry Brings Investigation
North Carolina officials are investigating after people shared photos on social media of a pro-Trump flag on a state-operated ferry on the Outer Banks.
Travelers said they saw the flag Thursday aboard the MV Frisco ferry. Photos posted on social media show the flag says "Trump 2020" and is flying below the U.S. flag and even with the North Carolina flag.
The Virginian-Pilot reports the flag was flown during a late run from Hatteras to Ocracoke. Ferry Division spokesman Tim Hass says the flag was up for one run.
Ferry system officials say they and the state Transportation Department are investigating.
28 Sex Crimes Charges Dropped Against Police Officer
Prosecutors have dropped all 28 counts of sex crimes against a police officer in Charlotte because they don't have enough evidence to prove the case.
Authorities charged Matthew Porter in February after a family friend said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer fondled her when she was a preteen between 2010 and 2013.
According to court documents obtained by WSOC-TV, the woman said she was touched while sitting under covers on the couch with Porter while his wife and her mother were in the room.
Prosecutors said the woman's testimony was the only evidence they had, so the charges were dropped.
Bookmarks Announces Festival Lineup, First Kids' Keynote Speaker
Local literary arts organization, Bookmarks, has announced the lineup for its fall festival.
The 14th Festival of Books and Authors includes presentations, panels, workshops and school visits throughout the Triad which will highlight 51 writers from around the world.
Bookmarks Executive Director Ginger Hendricks says this is the first year there will be a kids' keynote speaker: author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, creator of "the waistband warrior," Captain Underpants.
Other writers making appearances include Zinzi Clemmons, author of “What We Lose,” and local author Charlie Lovett.
The festival takes place September 6th through 9th in downtown Winston-Salem.
New White Rhino At North Carolina Zoo Is Named Nandi
The first white rhino born at the North Carolina Zoo in 41 years now has a name.
The zoo says the new rhino's dad picked out the name Nandi from three poles stuffed with Timothy hay.
Nandi was a queen of the Zulus who died in 1827 in what is present day South Africa. Her son was Shaka, King of the Zulus. Nandi means "a woman of high esteem."
The zoo let people vote on seven names of strong women, either real or fictional, to narrow the choice to three finalists — Nandi, Mamba and Diana.
Nandi was born July 2 after zookeepers had almost given up on her father Stormy impregnating a female.
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