Morning News Briefs: Tuesday, November 15, 2016

McCrory Seeking $1B From Congress For Matthew Relief, Repair

Gov. Pat McCrory is asking North Carolina's congressional delegation for help getting a little over $1 billion from the federal government to help with repairs and recovery after Hurricane Matthew last month.

McCrory released Monday what he'd like Congress to approve for the state following the record flooding he says hurt 30,000 businesses and caused more than $400 million in crop losses. More than 3,700 people were in shelters at the height of the storm.

Most of the governor's request — $810 million — would be a block grant designed in part to build replacement and rental housing for displaced residents, improve wastewater systems and provide grants and loans to small businesses. Other funds would improve dams and navigation channels and repair farming infrastructure.

SBI Investigates Durham County Primary Election

North Carolina's top criminal investigations agency is looking into whether crimes were committed in last spring's primary election in Durham County. The county is now the likely ground zero in the fight over last week's still-in-doubt race for governor.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Durham's district attorney confirmed Monday that criminal investigators have been on the case for two weeks.

The SBI is investigating the mishandling of more than 1,000 provisional ballots during the March primary elections. The state elections board found some votes may have been counted twice.

Trial Over LGBT House Bill 2 Delayed Until Late Next Summer

A federal trial on the legality of a North Carolina law limiting which restrooms transgender people can use in schools and government buildings has been pushed back until at least late next summer.

A U.S. magistrate judge granted the delay Monday following a conference call with attorneys for people challenging the law and for North Carolina officials defending what's known as House Bill 2.

The trial originally was supposed to begin this month, but Magistrate Judge Joi Elizabeth Peake already had granted a delay until next May because the U.S. Supreme Court was considering whether to hear a Virginia case on transgender restroom access. The justices recently agreed to take up the Virginia matter.

Public Hearing Scheduled For Duke Energy Facility In Stokes

The state Department of Environmental Quality is holding a public hearing about Duke Energy permit requests for its Belews Creek Steam Station.

The public can comment on requests for storm water and wastewater permits at the hearing that starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Stokes County Courthouse in Danbury.

Conservationists say the permits would allow Duke Energy to pollute water on a scale unlike before. Duke Energy officials say the permits protect people and the environment.

NC Officials: 7 Inmates In Solitary For More Than Decade

State prison officials say seven inmates have been held for more than a decade in solitary confinement, a practice that human rights advocates say amounts to torture.

The Charlotte Observer reports a prison spokesman rejected the newspaper's request for those inmates' names, citing a court ruling.

The Observer identified two prisoners through other means. One is Jason Swain, who suffers from bipolar depression and has been in solitary confinement for more than 13 years.

Another, Shawn Minnich, recently wrote to an Observer reporter to say that he's been in solitary for 13 straight years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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