Morning News Briefs: Tuesday, January 24th, 2017

McCrory Incident Prompts Anti-Harassment Legislation

Legislation to criminalize threats or intimidation against state officials is being proposed in the General Assembly. This comes after former Governor Pat McCrory was heckled and harassed in the streets of Washington during Friday's inaugural celebrations.

State Senator Dan Bishop says he'll introduce this legislation to protect public officials.  The proposed legislation would “make it a crime to threaten, intimidate, or retaliate against a current or former North Carolina official because of their service."

The act was prompted by a Facebook video Friday showing a group of people following McCrory in the nation's capital, shouting at him and calling him a bigot.

North Carolina Insurance Head Apologizes For Shared Meme

North Carolina's new insurance commissioner is apologizing for sharing a meme on social media mocking women who took part in the women's march in Washington.

WRAL-TV reports Mike Causey said in his apology that the post he shared on Facebook and linked to one of his Twitter accounts "represented a momentary lapse in judgment on my part for which I am truly sorry."

Causey, a Republican, shared a photo on his Facebook page Sunday that showed a street filled with marchers with the text overlaid: "In one day, Trump got more fat women out walking than Michelle Obama did in 8 years."

Old Salem's National Historic Landmark District Expanded

The National Park Service has expanded Old Salem's National Historic Landmark district. The designation triples the acreage of the Winston-Salem district and increases the number of time periods considered significant.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Old Salem was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and updated in 1978.

The landmark status originally covered 62 acres. With the latest expansion, Old Salem will now encompass 193 acres, and include sections of the nearby Happy Hill community, the city's oldest black neighborhood.

One Old Salem official says the expansion is important because it acknowledges both African-American history and archeology.

North Carolina Ski Resorts Decry Spell Of Warm Temperatures

Two weeks of unseasonably warm weather has caused headaches for ski resort operators in North Carolina, but a forecast for cooler weather next weekend gives them cause for hope.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley closed Jan. 18 and plans to reopen Jan. 26. Manager Chris Bates says he can't remember a time the resort has closed in January.

Sapphire Valley Ski Area in Jackson County had to shorten its hours. Mountain manager Chris Green says skiing on the East Coast is a very short season, and when they lose time, it hurts.

Former North Carolina GOP Rep. Ruth Samuelson Dies At 57

A former Republican leader in the North Carolina House has died seven months after announcing she had ovarian cancer.

Funeral home operator Ken Poe said Ruth Samuelson died Monday morning at her Charlotte home at age 57. Poe says her death was related to the cancer.

Samuelson was a former Mecklenburg County commissioner who served eight years in the North Carolina House, rising to the position of Republican Conference Leader.

Samuelson took lead roles passing legislation designed to regulate further abortion and pushed a voter ID bill through the House. Environmental groups relied on Samuelson as a conservation ally.

Her funeral service is Friday in Charlotte.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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