AP-TROPICAL-WEATHER

Isaias near hurricane strength as it crawls toward Carolinas

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Isaias is near hurricane strength early Monday as it approaches the Carolinas, just a day after bands of heavy rain from the tropical storm lashed Florida’s east coast. Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday but still hit Florida with heavy rain and flooding as state officials dealt with surging cases of the coronavirus. The National Hurricane Service said Monday morning that the storm is growing stronger again as it moves toward the Carolinas with maximum sustained winds around 70 mph. Both North and South Carolina are due for up to 6 inches of rain, storm surge and possible tornadoes Monday.

BC-NC-POLICE SHOOTING-NORTH CAROLINA

Police: Officer-involved shooting leaves one dead

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say that one person is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Mooresville. Mooresville police spokeswoman Kim Sellers said in an email that the incident occurred Sunday night. She wrote that officers had responded to a residence for a domestic incident that reportedly involved an assault. One fatality occurred after police arrived. Sellers said that the North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident. No further details were released. Mooresville is located north of Charlotte.

BEAR-TRUMP STICKER

Group gives $5K for information on Trump sticker on bear

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A wildlife group in North Carolina is offering a $5,000 reward to identify a person they say is responsible for putting a “Trump 2020” sticker on the collar of a bear. Help Asheville Bears announced the reward on a Facebook post Friday. The group said they received pictures that showed the bear with the sticker in Asheville. The post says the animal had been trapped and tranquilized. The Asheville Citizen-Times previously reported a bear was found in the city with a similar sticker last year.

TROPICAL WEATHER-NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina officials caution residents about Isaias

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is cautioning residents not to overlook the potential threats of Tropical Storm Isaias, which has weakened from a hurricane. The governor gave an update on the storm’s approach Sunday. He says tropical force winds are expected to begin after dark Monday and into Tuesday morning. He says tropical-storm-force winds are forecast for the eastern third of the state with gusts of 50 to 65 mph for the coastal plain and 30 to 45 mph in central North Carolina. Cooper says the storm turned more inland over the weekend. He says that increases the threat of heavy rain, tornadoes and flash flooding in eastern North Carolina.

HURRICANE-ISAIAS-NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina prepares for Isaias

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is urging state residents to be prepared for Isaias. It weakened to a tropical storm on Saturday, but the storm is expected to regain hurricane strength as it nears Florida. The governor authorized the activation of up to 150 members of the North Carolina National Guard in case they are needed for hurricane response. While the National Hurricane Center says Isaias should start impacting North Carolina on Monday, the governor’s office says dangerous rip currents are already occurring along the coastline now. Local officials already have ordered evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach.

SENATE RACE-AD PULLED

TV stations pull attack ad in North Carolina Senate race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina television stations have pulled a Republican attack ad against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham off the air after his campaign said the ad was not truthful. The Charlotte Observer reports that the National Republican Senatorial Committee paid for the ad. It ties Cunningham to a Paycheck Protection Program loan obtained by his former employer, WasteZero. It has been airing in the Raleigh and Charlotte television markets since July 28. Cunningham is running against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in one of the key races for determining control of the U.S. Senate.

ELECTION 2020-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

RNC: Decision on private Trump renomination vote not final

WASHINGTON (AP) — A spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention has said the vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month, without members of the news media present. However, an official with the Republican National Committee is contradicting that assessment, saying no final decision has been made. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The spokeswoman for the convention cited the coronavirus for restricting press coverage of the Aug. 24 vote in Charlotte, North Carolina.

ACTIVIST-MONUMENT DEDICATION

Woman who refused to give up bus seat to be honored

ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman whose refusal to go to the back of a bus in 1952 sparked a change in law is being honored with a special day. News outlets report Sarah Keys Evans is being honored by the city of Roanoke Rapids on Saturday with a plaza bearing her name and murals depicting her arrest. Evans was on leave from the U.S. Army Women’s Army Corps when she boarded a bus from Trenton, New Jersey, to Washington, North Carolina. When the bus stopped in Roanoke Rapids, Evans refused the request of the bus driver to move to the back and was arrested.

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