Morning News Briefs: Wednesday, February 21st, 2018

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Spokesman: Evangelist Billy Graham Has Died At Age 99

The Rev. Billy Graham, counselor to presidents and the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, has died at age 99.

Spokesman Mark DeMoss tells The Associated Press that Graham died Wednesday morning at his home in Montreat, North Carolina.

He had been treated in recent years for cancer, pneumonia and other ailments. His wife, Ruth, died in 2007. Graham reached more than 200 million through his appearances and millions more through his pioneering use of television and radio.

US Supreme Court Denies NC's Riverbed Rights Claim On Dams

The U.S. Supreme Court is ending North Carolina's fight for a say in the operations and ownership of four hydroelectric dams under the theory the state has owned the riverbed since statehood and the country's independence.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied North Carolina's effort to reverse lower federal courts in a five-year legal fight over water rights and electricity revenues the dams generated.

North Carolina argued the public benefits promised when Alcoa Corp. built the four Yadkin River dams to power an aluminum smelter ended when the company closed the plant in 2007. Alcoa sold the dams to Cube Hydro.

After School District Mergers, Lawmakers Study Division

Some North Carolina legislators believe it's worth looking at whether allowing the breakup of school districts following decades of district mergers makes sense for students and local governments.

A General Assembly committee studying the potential division of districts holds its first meeting Wednesday.

Today, a dozen districts have more than 25,000 students. Some argue splitting districts up could make them more effective. Others worry it could lead to the resegregation of schools.

The committee is supposed to report to the full legislature by May 1. This year's work session begins a couple weeks later.

Adoptive Parents Charged In Death Of Girl Last Seen In 2011

North Carolina authorities say the adoptive parents of a girl who was missing for years before her body was found will be charged with murder.

Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten said at a news conference Tuesday that Sandy and Casey Parsons will be charged with murder in the death of Erica Parsons, whose body was found in 2016 in South Carolina. They are in prison for fraud now.

A grand jury indicted them on charges of first-degree murder and other crimes.

Erica was reported missing in 2013. She had last been seen alive in 2011, when she was 13.

All Charges Dropped In Case Of Toppled Confederate Monument

North Carolina prosecutors say they're dropping all charges against the remaining five people who had been accused of toppling a Confederate statue last summer.

Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols announced the decision Tuesday, one day after a judge threw out charges against two people accused of tearing down the statue outside a Durham County government building. The judge also found one person not guilty.

C-SPAN Puts Spotlight On Winston-Salem

The history and culture of Winston-Salem will be in the national spotlight next month. The C-SPAN Cities Tour is currently in town gathering local stories.

The C-SPAN team travels around the country and embeds in various cities for a week at a time. Producer Ashley Hill says the goal is to highlight local stories through documentary-style pieces.

Some of the stories producers are creating focus on Old Salem as well as the Winston-Salem Chapter of the Black Panther Party, the first to be formed in the south. They're also interviewing local literary figures such as Frank Elliott, author of “From Tobacco to Technology: Reshaping Winston-Salem for the 21st Century.”

The segments will air on C-SPAN 2 and 3, the non-profit's channels for Book TV and American History TV in mid-March.