Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning. Click here to sign up.
North Carolina Lawmakers Return For Second Step On Florence Aid
North Carolina lawmakers are going back to work to decide on approving hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up from Hurricane Florence and help the storm's victims.
The General Assembly prepared to reconvene Monday the special session that Gov. Roy Cooper began two weeks ago. At that time, the GOP-controlled legislature located $56 million and eased rules on voter registration and public school calendars for the hardest-hit counties.
Now GOP leaders say they're ready to set aside nearly $800 million more. Cooper last week unveiled a $1.5 billion recovery plan and asked for $750 million of that this week as a down payment, with a focus on housing, farmers and schools.
Greensboro Says 1M Gallons Wastewater Spilled During Michael
The city of Greensboro says flooding from Tropical Storm Michael caused more than 1 million gallons of untreated wastewater to overflow from its facilities.
The city announced the spills Saturday evening. It says the largest discharge was 800,000 gallons that flowed over a 16-hour period into a creek.
According to the News & Record, the city says the downstream areas were inspected and cleaned up where necessary.
Flooding during Hurricane Florence last month also caused sewage overflows in Greensboro.
Guilford Buildings Receive Failing Grade
A new report is giving Guilford County schools a failing grade on some of their facilities. This comes as the district is trying to figure out what to do about old and outdated buildings.
More than 120 buildings throughout the school system were given ratings by an independent firm. The grade was based on several factors. Those include their condition, technology and student population compared to the size of the site.
Researchers found that more than twenty percent of the buildings were rated unsatisfactory, which is equivalent to an F. Around a quarter more were rated poor.
Scott McCully, with the GCS, says the information will be used to help prioritize future projects.
McCully says school leaders will create a facilities master plan and take a closer look at security improvements at schools. The final report is expected to take several months to complete.
UNC Faculty Oppose Returning Confederate Statue
Faculty members at North Carolina's flagship public university say a statue of a Confederate soldier torn down from its prominent spot on the Chapel Hill campus shouldn't be put back.
The News & Observer reports that the Faculty Council adopted a resolution Friday calling for the statue nicknamed "Silent Sam" and its remaining stone pedestal to be removed from campus grounds.
The faculty move came hours after the university's 225th birthday celebration. Campus Chancellor Carol Folt used the occasion to make a public apology for the university's connection to slavery and the oppression of African-Americans.
Army Reservist Convicted Of Running Prostitution Ring
A U.S. Army reservist accused of running a sex trafficking enterprise in North Carolina has been convicted by a federal jury.
The Department of Justice said in a news release Friday that 29-year-old Xaver M. Boston of Charlotte was found guilty of six counts of sex trafficking and one related charge.
The news release says Boston served in the U.S. Army as a reserve military policeman.
Prosecutors say Boston's four victims were all struggling with opioid addictions, and he promised them drugs and a place to live. They say he then advertised them for prostitution, collected the proceeds for himself and used drugs to coerce them.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad