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Governor Urges Caution As Michael Arrives

Gov. Roy Cooper is urging residents to prepare as Hurricane Michael closes in.

Michael will have weakened some by the time it arrives in the Tar Heel State, but in a Wednesday briefing, North Carolina officials said it's not worth taking any chances.

This is especially true for parts of the state still digging out from the wreckage caused by Hurricane Florence, according to Cooper.

Hurricane Michael is expected to pack its biggest punch in the Triad Thursday, bringing potentially heavy rains and tropical-force winds to the area.

Forecasters say there's an elevated threat of flash flooding and river flooding in the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Michael Closes Florence Centers, Delays State Fair

Federal and North Carolina emergency management officials closed the state's disaster recovery centers on Thursday because of the potential for severe weather from Michael.

There are more than 20 stationary and mobile centers in over a dozen eastern North Carolina counties hardest hit by Florence last month.

North Carolina State Fair manager Kent Yelverton says the event won't open as planned on Thursday. Yelverton says the fair will instead open Friday morning and run for 10 days instead of 11.

Several ferry routes in North Carolina will shut down operations.

Officials with the North Carolina Ferry Division will announce when the ferries will resume operations.

Cooper Unveils $1.5B Florence Aid Package, Seeks $750M Now

Gov. Roy Cooper wants state lawmakers to provide $750 million next week as part of a long-term $1.5 billion Hurricane Florence recovery package.

The governor revealed his proposal Wednesday, saying the state needs a "unique and bold" response to a storm his office estimates caused almost $13 billion in damage — as much as hurricanes Floyd and Matthew did combined.

Cooper ultimately wants a half-billion dollars toward housing and another $310 million to help farmers. Other money would go to repair public schools, universities and roads.

Religious Leaders Want SRO Removed After Student Arrest

Religious leaders and advocacy groups in Winston-Salem are calling for the dismissal of a white school resource officer after they say he used excessive force in the arrest of a black student at Hanes Middle School.

A video posted Friday to Facebook appears to show the arrest of 14-year-old Rockell Baldwin. In it, Baldwin is held face down on the ground in a parking lot by School Resource Officer Tyler McCormick.

Dr. Carlton A.G. Eversley with the Ministers' Conference of Winston-Salem & Vicinity is calling the treatment unacceptable.

The Winston-Salem Police Department says in a statement that McCormick was responding to an incident of disorderly conduct. McCormick is currently assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau and is not serving as an SRO pending administrative review of the incident. 

FBI Offers Reward In Case Of Gold Stolen From Truck

The FBI is offering a reward for information about a Florida man charged in the 2015 robbery of a tractor-trailer carrying almost $5 million in gold bars.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that it's seeking Pedro Santamaria, who's from the Miami area and about 56 years old.

He's charged with conspiracy to commit a robbery in interstate commerce and a firearm violation. The FBI's wanted poster says Santamaria had a gun during the robbery in which he bound and dragged victims into nearby woods. An arrest warrant for him was issued in May 2016.

The tractor-tractor was robbed on an isolated stretch of Interstate 95 in North Carolina as it traveled from Miami to Boston in 2015. Two other men have been sentenced in the robbery.

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