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Krispy Kreme To Lay Off 90 Workers As Part Of Transition

Doughnut maker Krispy Kreme says at least 90 employees are being laid off as it moves its operations.

Krispy Kreme, headquartered in Winston-Salem, confirmed in October that it would create a presence in Charlotte, although it hasn't specified what that presence will be.

The company on Wednesday filed notice with the Winston-Salem mayor's office and the state Commerce Department, saying it will take until July to complete the elimination of administrative support jobs.

Krispy Kreme has 150 employees at its current headquarters and 554 employees overall. In both the notice and a statement, the company said it will keep its global headquarters, a production plant and an equipment production facility in Winston-Salem.

Reform Group, Law School Leader Share Ideas

A national judicial reform group and North Carolina law school leader back altering the state's current method of selecting judges, offering to legislators options more focused on appointment and confirmation and less on current head-to-head elections.

A leader at the Brennan Center for Justice and the University of North Carolina law school dean offered their ideas Wednesday to a state Senate committee considering massive changes to the state judiciary. Any changes could be considered formally in a special General Assembly session next month.

The Brennan Center supports letting the governor appoint judges from a list of names decided by a special nominating commission. The center isn't sold on letting judges seek re-election.

North Carolina County Won't Pay Hacker Ransom

A North Carolina county says it won't pay a hacker ransom to unlock data on county servers frozen by malicious software.

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio announced late Wednesday that the county has decided not to pay the more than $23,000 demanded by cyber criminals to unlock the data.

Diorio said that the county has backup data and other resources to restore its computer system but that the process could be time consuming. She said the county consulted with cybersecurity experts before making the decision.

She said that it would still have taken days to fix the system even after paying the ransom, and it won't take much longer to rebuild it without cooperating with the criminals.

Gov. Cooper Lights State Christmas Tree For First Time

Roy Cooper has flipped the switch on North Carolina's official Christmas tree for the first time as governor.

The Democratic governor, first lady Kristin Cooper and hundreds gathered on the south side of the old Capitol grounds for the tree-lighting ceremony Wednesday evening. Cooper followed the tradition of previous chief executives. The event featured singing by one of Cooper's daughters and other festive music.

The 1840 Capitol and nearby Executive Mansion — decked out in holiday decorations — also were open Wednesday night for visitors. The public can tour the mansion Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the Capitol will feature music during those same days.

Hornets Coach Clifford Out Indefinitely With 'Health Issue'

Hornets coach Steve Clifford will be away from the team for an undetermined period of time to deal with a "health issue."

The team made the announcement Wednesday in a release.

The 56-year-old Clifford missed Monday night's game against Orlando because he was not feeling well. Associate head coach Stephen Silas filled in for Clifford against the Magic.

Clifford has battled heart problems in the past, but a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the issue was not a heart-related one. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team has not released details of Clifford's health issue.

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