North Carolina News – January 15

COCKFIGHTING-NORTH CAROLINA-GUAM

Advocates: Carolina breeders supporting cockfighting in Guam

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Animal rights advocates say breeders in North Carolina shipped more than 1,000 live roosters to Guam for the island’s cockfighting trade. News outlets report two animal welfare groups on Thursday sent letters to U.S. attorneys in the state calling for an investigation. They say breeders are charging as much as $2,000 per bird. Animal Wellness Action President Wayne Pacelle says his group looked at shipping records in Guam and found that 9,000 roosters were mailed there from 12 states. Shipments from North Carolina ranked in the top five. A federal ban on cockfighting took effect in Guam in 2019.

CAPITOL BREACH-MILITARY-POLICE

Capitol rioters included highly trained ex-military and cops

WASHINGTON (AP) — At least 21 current or former members of the U.S. military or law enforcement have been identified as being at or near last week’s Capitol riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation. That’s what an Associated Press review of public records and social media found. In many cases, those who stormed the Capitol appeared to employ tactics, body armor and radio headsets that were similar to those of the police they were confronting. Experts have long warned about extremists recruiting people with military and law enforcement training, and they say the Jan. 6 insurrection saw some of their worst fears realized.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-WAKE COUNTY

Wake County Detention Center is trying to stop virus spread

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Wake County Detention Center is seeing its worst spread of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. WRAL reports that close to 100 inmates out of 1,100 are in isolation after testing positive. Plus, more than a dozen Wake County Sheriff’s Office staffers have tested positive. Sheriff Gerald Baker said Wednesday that the virus has been “kind of like a pinball machine” and “all over the place.” Authorities have identified 55 virus cases at the downtown jail and another 40 at the Hammond Road facility. Authorities caution that not all test results are in. The detention center is now essentially on lockdown as authorities try to limit the spread.

POLICE CONFRONTATION-TEEN

Police say they continue to probe officer’s tackling of teen

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Police in the North Carolina city of Winston-Salem are still investigating a months-old incident in which a white police officer is seen tackling a Black teenage girl. The Winston-Salem Journal reported Thursday that the department’s Professional Standards Division continues to conduct an internal investigation. Cellphone video shows officer Zacharie K. Jones tackling and detaining Shakayla Davis-Sides in early November. She was 15 at the time and among a group of teens stopped by police as they investigated a break-in. Capt. Jose Gomez told the newspaper in an email on Wednesday that the internal investigation continues. The incident was condemned by local groups and some city officials.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA

NC to vaccinate those 65+; College students not prioritized

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An updated vaccine distribution plan from North Carolina now prioritizes adults 65 years or older. It also removes college students from the prioritization schedule. They had previously been listed as a priority over the general public. The simplified plan aims to address concerns the previous guidance was too complicated and slowed down vaccinations. Some had also been concerned the plan prioritized college students over other groups that are more likely to die if they get infected with the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks North Carolina as the 10th slowest state in the nation per capita in vaccine doses administered.

LGBT RIGHTS-NORTH CAROLINA

More NC towns expand LGBT employment, commerce protections

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — More North Carolina towns have approved expanded non-discrimination ordinances for LGBT people. The Chapel Hill board approved unanimously on Wednesday new protections covering employment and public accommodations for people on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics.  Carrboro and Hillsborough also backed similar ordinances this week. The actions followed the recent expiration of a ban on such rules by local governments. The moratorium that expired last month was implemented in 2017 as the result of a compromise between Republican legislators and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to get rid of the state’s 2016 “bathroom bill.”

COURT OF APPEALS

5 new NC Court of Appeals judges officially installed

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Five new judges have been officially installed to sit on the bench at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Thursday’s online investiture ceremony included live swearings-in within the Raleigh courtroom of the state’s intermediate-level appeals court. These new judges joining the 15-member court had already taken their official oaths earlier this month. Four of them won eight-year terms in the November election. They are Judges Jeffery Carpenter, April Wood, Fred Gore and Jefferson Griffin. New Judge Darren Jackson joined the court after Gov. Roy Cooper appointed him to fill a vacancy.

AP-NC-ROCK FACE RESCUE

Rescuers: Person fell, got stuck on North Carolina rock face

BREVARD, N.C. (AP) — Rescuers have removed a person who fell 100 feet and became stuck on a North Carolina rock face. The Transylvania County Rescue Squad says on its Facebook page that its personnel responded to the nose of Looking Glass Rock, made contact with the unidentified person and lowered them to the ground where an ambulance was to carry them to a nearby hospital. Officials also said rescuers went out to assist a person who called the rescue squad who was still on the rock face. There was no word on injuries.