North Carolina News – November 2

AP-NC-ANIMAL CAR CRASHES

Animal-related car crashes rise by 2,300 in North Carolina

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Car crashes that involve deer and other animals rose by 2,300 in North Carolina last year. The Fayetteville Observer reported Sunday that the crash statistics come from a recent report by the N.C. Department of Transportation. In 2019, the animal-related car wrecks contributed to five deaths and more than 2,800 injuries. Deer make up about 90% of the animals that are involved in the collisions. As the human population in the state continues to rise, so does the number of animal-involved crashes. The end of daylight saving time increases the chance of deer being on the roadways at night as motorists drive home from work. Many of the crashes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight.

APARTMENT SHOOTING

Police: 3 charged for apartment shooting in North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Three men accused of shooting into an apartment complex in North Carolina have been charged following a car chase with police. Lexington police said in a statement that the pursuit ensued Thursday when officers attempted to stop a car fleeing the scene of the shooting in the city. Officers chased the vehicle to Interstate 85, where the pursuit ended. Police say two men who were in the car had suffered gunshot wounds. The driver was uninjured. The Winston-Salem Journal reports all three men face multiple charges. The two wounded men and a teen who was not in the car were hospitalized for gunshot wounds they suffered during the shooting.

AP-NC-PARKWAY CLOSED

Rock slide and fallen trees shut parts of Blue Ridge Parkway

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A rock slide and fallen trees caused by Tropical Storm Zeta have closed portions of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway. The Raleigh News & Observer reports that more than 20 miles of the parkway were closed north of Asheville on Monday morning. The closed portions of road are between Mount Mitchell north to Buck Creek Gap Overlook. Officials have not said when the road will reopen. The rock slide was caused by Tropical Storm Zeta on Thursday. It brought heavy rain and wind gusts that exceeded 60 mph. Campgrounds on the parkway closed Saturday. But the road remains open and typically hosts travelers who want to see the vibrant colors of fall leaves.

MISSING PLANE

Plane from North Carolina with 3 aboard missing in New York

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities are searching for a small plane carrying three people that lost contact with air traffic controllers in western New York. Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone says the twin-engine plane was carrying a pilot and two passengers and was near Jamestown, New York, when it was last heard from shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday. The FAA says the Grumman American GA-7 was about a mile from the airport when controllers lost contact. It departed from Burlington Alamance Regional Airport in Burlington, North Carolina. The Jamestown area was experiencing wind gusts of about 25 to 30 mph with light snow Sunday night.

ELECTION 2020-NORTH CAROLINA

N. Carolina elections office previews Election Day count

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections office is predicting that at the end of Election Day it will be able to tally and report at least 97% of all ballots cast. The N.C. State Board of Elections said in a news release Sunday that it will post results as quickly as possible but that its primary objective will be an accurate count. There’s a good chance Americans won’t know the winner of Tuesday’s presidential election when they go to bed that night. In North Carolina, mail-in ballots are not due until Nov. 12 if postmarked by Election Day.

AP-US-GUN-TOWN-WORRIES

Town built on guns ponders future after Remington plant sale

ILION, N.Y. (AP) — A Remington firearms factory has dominated Ilion, New York, for generations, but now some residents are looking ahead with uncertainty. Almost 600 plant workers terminated this week. That came a few months after Remington Outdoor Co. sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years. The cuts came even as the successful bidders for the plant in bankruptcy proceedings plan to restart at least some production. Details remain scarce. So the high hopes in this upstate village for a successful reload of plant are tempered by questions about how many workers will come back, and when.

ELECTION 2020-EARLY VOTING-NORTH CAROLINA

Record-setting early-vote period ending in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Early in-person voting is ending in North Carolina, where records have been smashed by those who preferred not to vote at their Election Day precincts. Early voting sites in all 100 counties are closing Saturday afternoon. Over 4.3 million state residents had voted as of late Friday, compared to about 3.1 million early votes recorded for the entire 2016 general election. Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, and Vice President Mike Pence scheduled campaign events in the state on Saturday. Registered voters can still vote in person on Tuesday or postmark their mail-in ballots by that day.

ELECTION 2020-VOTING RALLY ARRESTS

North Carolina rally organizer plans Election Day march

GRAHAM, N.C. (AP) — The organizer of a get-out-the-vote rally in North Carolina that ended with police pepper spraying and arresting participants is planning another march on Election Day. Reverend Greg Drumwright said at a news conference Sunday that he’s planning a large demonstration for Election Day and condemned how police responded to Saturday’s event. Police said participants in Saturday’s rally were arrested and pepper sprayed they were blocking the roadway without authorization, authorities say.  Graham Police said Saturday they issued several warnings to the crowd at Alamance County’s courthouse to move from the roadway before releasing pepper spraying and later arresting eight people.