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Parents Sue Greensboro, Police For Black Man's Death
The city of Greensboro, some of its police officers and several others are being sued by the parents of a black man who was hogtied and died in police custody last year.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of Mary and George Smith, the parents of 38-year-old Marcus Deon Smith.
Smith's autopsy report said he died of cardiopulmonary arrest caused by factors including "prone restraint" by police and a mixture of drugs, alcohol and cardiovascular disease. It ruled the death a homicide.
Former Guilford County District Attorney Doug Henderson determined the officers weren't criminally negligent in Smith's death. Their identities haven't been released.
Coffee Shop Owner Identified As Explosion Victim
Police in North Carolina have identified the person killed in a blast that leveled a building.
The Durham Police Department issued a statement Wednesday night identifying the victim as 61-year-old Kong Lee. Police said he was the owner of Kaffeinate coffee shop, which was located at the site of the explosion.
Police officials said that boring work in the area appears to have caused a gas leak that preceded the explosion. The cause of the blast is still under investigation.
Seventeen other people were taken to area hospitals, including six in critical condition.
North Carolina School Systems Cancel Classes Ahead Of Rally
North Carolina's largest school system has joined a growing list of districts which are canceling classes on the day teachers across the state plan to gather for a rally.
The News & Observer reports officials with the Wake County Public School System say nearly 2,000 teachers have already requested a day off on May 1 to join colleagues in Raleigh for a planned protest.
Other districts canceling classes on May 1 are Guilford County, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, Durham, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Orange County, and Lexington City Schools. At least 42 of the state's 115 school districts closed ahead of last year's protest.
Actions Toward Abuse Reporting, Prosecutions Clear NC Senate
North Carolina legislators are advancing new ways to demand the reporting of child abuse, the prosecution of offenders and the protection of children from sex offenders who are online.
The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday for legislation called the "SAFE Child Act."
The measure now heading to the House requires people to report felonies or "crimes of abuse" against young people to local law enforcement. They'd face a misdemeanor if they fail to do so.
The bill also extends the statute of limitations for misdemeanor "crimes of abuse" from the current two years to 10.
Ex-North Carolina Legislator Running For Lieutenant Governor
A former North Carolina state legislator says he's ready to run for lieutenant governor next year.
Ex-Rep. Scott Stone of Charlotte formally announced on Wednesday his bid for the 2020 Republican nomination. Candidate filing begins in December.
Former U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers and ex-Mount Airy Mayor Deborah Cochran are other GOP candidates. At least four Democrats also are seeking to succeed Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who is gearing up a run for governor.
Stone is an engineering firm president who ran unsuccessfully for Charlotte mayor. He served in the House from mid-2016 through the end of 2018, when he lost his re-election bid.
North Carolina Aims To Get Public Talking About Clean Energy
North Carolina's energy agency wants to hear from the public as it tries to plot plans to expand the use of clean-energy technologies, energy efficiency and clean transportation methods.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is holding a meeting on the development of the state's Clean Energy Plan Thursday afternoon in Elizabeth City and next month in Greensboro.
Gov. Roy Cooper is trying to push the state to increase jobs and business opportunities as the world adapts to climate change.
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