North Carolina News – November 9

AP-NC-SEA TURTLE LAYS EGGS

On the Outer Banks, a sea turtle lays eggs unseasonably late

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) — A green sea turtle has laid eggs unseasonably late in the year on a beach in North Carolina’s Outer banks. The Virginian-Pilot reported Friday that it marks the first time in more than two decades that a turtle has laid a nest this far past summer. The eggs were laid Halloween morning near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Female sea turtles typically lay nests during the warmer months. Nests laid after Aug. 20 are considered late. Meaghan Johnson of the National Park Service said that the baby turtles are unlikely to survive. But she said they could stand a chance if there’s a mild winter.

FATAL SHOOTING-CHURCH

Police: Man fatally shot outside North Carolina church

HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a man was fatally shot and a few other people suffered minor injuries during a shooting outside a church in North Carolina. High Point police said in a news release that officers responding to a call about the shooting found the victim dead outside Living Water Baptist Church in High Point on Sunday afternoon. Authorities have not revealed the man’s identity, pending notification of his family. It was not clear how many people were injured in the incident. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact High Point police.

HELICOPTER CRASH

Helicopter crashes near Highway Patrol academy in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A helicopter belonging to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has crashed near the agency’s training academy in Raleigh. No one was injured in the crash Sunday. Department spokesman Sgt. Chris Knox says the Highway Patrol pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft when the crash happened shortly after 2 p.m. near an intersection. The helicopter did not collide with any vehicles. Knox says the Federal Aviation Administration will be involved in the investigation. He says the aircraft appears to be a “total loss” based on initial observations. No other details of the crash were immediately available.

CAPSIZED BOAT-DEATH

Man drowns after boat capsizes in Carolina Beach Inlet

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities in North Carolina are investigating the capsizing of a boat that lead to the death of a man. WECT-TV reported Saturday that the boat with four men on board capsized in the Carolina Beach Inlet. North Carolina Wildlife Officer Clayton Ludwick says the boat attempted to turn around when a wave hit it and swamped it. The news outlet reported three of the men were pulled from the water. The body of the 72-year-old Charles Boyd Jamison, of Garner, was recovered. Ludwick says an auto-inflatable life jacket was found near the scene, but none of the men were wearing life jackets.

HIGHWAY NAME CHANGE

N Carolina looks to take Jefferson Davis name off highway

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina transportation officials are taking steps to remove the last vestiges of a highway named for Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the N.C. Department of Transportation is removing signs and markers in the state-owned right of way. The groundwork for the removal was laid this summer after the death of George Floyd led to a review of Confederate monuments and symbols. The Daughters of the Confederacy conceived of the Jefferson Davis Highway in 1913, partly as an answer to the Lincoln Highway that was dedicated that year between New York and San Francisco.

BC-NC-GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-PRESCRIBED BURN

Burn planned for part of Great Smoky Mountains park

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Officials with the National Park Service say a prescribed burn is scheduled for a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A news release from the National Park Service says the 689-acre burn is scheduled for Cades Cove between Saturday and Nov. 25. Over the last 20 years, park managers have conducted burns during the spring and fall to safely reduce fuels, restore meadow habitats and maintain the historic landscape of Cades Cove. These seasonal controlled burns help perpetuate native herb species that provide high quality cover and foraging opportunities for a diversity of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and ground nesting birds.

BC-NC-INSURANCE FRAUD-WOMAN CHARGED

North Carolina woman accused of filing fake insurance claims

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman has been arrested after state insurance officials say she filed fake insurance claims suggesting she was the victim of theft, vandalism and electrical problems. North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey on Friday said 43-year-old Reina Esmeralda Foster of Goldsboro is charged with 10 counts each of insurance fraud and of attempting to obtain property by false pretense. Each charge is a felony. A news release says special agents with the department specifically accuse Foster of filing fraudulent insurance claims with three companies in an attempt to obtain slightly more than $90,000 in homeowners’ insurance payments.

ELECTION 2020-NORTH CAROLINA-BALLOTS

North Carolina Republicans seek data to resolve top races

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republicans are pressing state election officials to make public more information about the number of outstanding ballots from this week’s election that could be counted. Nearly a dozen Election Day races in North Carolina remain too early to call, including those for president and U.S. Senate. As many as 172,000 ballots have either yet to be counted or rejected, or could trickle in through the mail before a deadline next week. Republican lawmakers demanded tracking data from the State Board of Elections for ballot envelopes turned in at the post office. Election officials cautioned that not all envelopes get scanned.