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Community Releases “Welcoming City” Statement
A statement declaring Winston-Salem a “Welcoming City” was presented by members of the community Monday night. The document of support was created after a resolution stalled in the City Council.
The measure lost momentum following warnings that the General Assembly would view it as a sanctuary bill, which is against North Carolina law.
City Councilman Dan Besse says reformatting the resolution was the right approach. While a joint statement is not city-sponsored, he says the message remains the same.
The statement includes over 100 signatures, including those of elected officials, faith leaders, community members, and six Winston-Salem council members.
Opening Of 1-73 Connector Delayed Until Mid-May
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has confirmed the delayed opening of a new interstate, originally scheduled to open this week.
The News & Record of Greensboro reports recent rains and utility delays have extended the opening of Interstate 73 until mid-May, as confirmed by North Carolina Department of Transportation spokeswoman Michelle King on Monday.
The construction of the stretch between N.C. 68 and U.S. 220 is part of a $177 million project to build a 9-mile four-lane roadway from the Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard and the Airport Parkway interchange to U.S. 220 near the Haw River.
The entire project, which extends to Rockingham in the south and will be completed along the U.S. 220 corridor to the Virginia border, is slated to finish in July.
Governor Warns People To Check River Levels
Gov. Roy Cooper is warning residents in eastern North Carolina to keep an eye on river levels that may rise this week.
In a statement issued Monday, Cooper said while some people were seeing improved conditions, residents of Goldsboro and Kinston need to "remain especially vigilant."
Flooding is still a concern along the Neuse River in Goldsboro, although waters there have begun to recede. In Kinston, the governor's office said residents can expect to see worsening conditions until Wednesday, when the Neuse is expected to peak at nearly 23 feet and threaten some buildings.
Charlotte Lawyer Becomes NC Economic Board Chairman
A Charlotte attorney who has been heavily involved in the city's chamber of commerce is Gov. Roy Cooper's choice to head the board of North Carolina's private economic development arm.
Cooper's office said the governor introduced Frank Emory as the next chairman of the 17-member Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina at a Charlotte event. Emory succeeds John Lassiter, a close ally of then-Republican Gov. Pat McCrory who resigned at the end of April.
Martin Speaks For "Raise The Age" Legislation
North Carolina Chief Justice Mark Martin says it's time for the state to stop automatically prosecuting 16- and 17-year-olds as adults because young people are being stigmatized with public criminal records for even small mistakes.
Martin came to the Legislative Building on Monday with other proponents of "raise the age" legislation to speak for its passage.
North Carolina will soon be the only state nationwide that prosecutes teens as young as 16 in adult court now that New York legislators have agreed to phase out the practice.
Martin says young adults from North Carolina in fleeting trouble with the law in high school are at a disadvantage with young people from other states for employment. The record of the out-of-state adult is confidential because the case remained in juvenile court.
Small Turnout For North Carolina Immigration Protest
Police in North Carolina's largest city say 250 supporters turned out for a rally in support of undocumented immigrants, and organizers say a combination of weather and a previous protest may have kept the numbers low.
The Charlotte Observer reports organizers had hoped to match the estimated 8,000 protesters that attended "A Day Without An Immigrant" on Feb. 16. But they said rain and the proximity of Monday's protest to the February march may have played a factor in the attendance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.