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Replacement Maps Mean Changes For The Triad
State lawmakers have approved a replacement map for North Carolina's congressional districts.
Democratic strongholds in the Triad cities are currently all represented by Republicans in Congress. But that could change.
Republicans created maps that put two of their own congressmen in new districts that favor Democrats. One of them is Mark Walker of the 6th district, which runs across the northeastern part of Guilford and into most of the surrounding counties.
The new 6th district is drastically different. It contains all of Guilford and the southeastern part of Forsyth together. That would put all of Greensboro and most of High Point's voters in the same district and Winston-Salem's urban core.
The 5th district, currently represented by Virginia Foxx, would still include the High Country, but would be narrower and would run all the way to the South Carolina border.
And the 13th, where Ted Budd is the incumbent, would run south of Forsyth and Guilford and up into Caswell and Person counties along the Virginia border.
North Carolina DOT, Disaster Relief Bills Signed By Cooper
Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law bills designed to help his cash-strapped Department of Transportation and the continued recovery from hurricanes Florence, Matthew, and Dorian.
DOT's cash balance had fallen due to unprecedented hurricane repairs, legal settlements over rights of way and project overruns. The bill directs $100 million to the agency for past and natural disasters, forgives a $90 million loan, and allows an extra $100 million in road-building bonds.
A separate disaster-relief law locates $180 million in state funds, most of which would meet federal matching requirements and create a Dorian state recovery program for displaced residents.
Adult Smoking Rate Drops To Record Low
The national adult smoking rate has reached a historic low. But smoking cessation advocates say there is still more work to be done.
The report shows that about 35 million adult Americans were still smoking cigarettes in 2018. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which conducted the survey, says that translates to about 14 percent of adults.
That's down from just over 20 percent as recently as 2005.
The rate for North Carolina reached a historic low in 2017.
Dr. John Spangler is a professor of family medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
He tells the Winston-Salem Journal that the latest findings are “very encouraging and should be celebrated.”
But Spangler adds that the numbers don't tell the whole story. He says that other tobacco products such as cigars and cigarillos are as unhealthy as cigarettes.
And anti-smoking advocates point out that the CDC survey does not yet examine the impact of e-cigarettes on smoking rates.
Agency Reports Detail Deadly North Carolina Explosion, Response
Authorities in North Carolina have analyzed their response to a natural gas explosion that killed two people, injured two dozen others, leveled one building and damaged others, some of which have been condemned.
The city and county of Durham last week released fire and emergency management reports that provide a timeline of the April 10 explosion since ruled accidental.
The reports recommend improved coordination and increased staffing, and training and standard compliance, such as those requiring fire personnel wear personal protective equipment.
Debt Collectors Get Prison Terms For $5.7M Fraud Scheme
A federal judge in North Carolina has sentenced a man and a woman to prison for their roles in using a debt collection company to defraud victims out of at least $5.7 million.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. on Monday sentenced 46-year-old Laurence Sessum, of Mathews; and 51-year-old Jacqueline Dianne Okomba, of Salisbury; to prison terms of 135 months and 72 months, respectively.
A jury convicted Sessum and Okomba of wire fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in April.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray's office said in a news release that the defendants' fraudulent debt collection company, Direct Processing LLC, used threats and other intimidating tactics to scare victims into paying money they didn't owe or that the company wasn't authorized to collect.
Police: 20-Year-Old Dies In Winston-Salem Dirt Bike Crash
Police say they found a 20-year-old man dead next to his dirt bike after an apparent crash.
Winston-Salem police stated in a release that Christopher Austin Lackey was found dead in the front yard of a home early Sunday morning. His Kawasaki bike was found strewn nearby. Investigators say they think Lackey was ejected from the bike after losing control on a curve and hitting a light pole.
He wasn't wearing a helmet at the time.
The Winston-Salem Police traffic unit is investigating the crash.
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