TROPICAL WEATHER

Claudette regains tropical storm strength after 13 deaths

ATLANTA (AP) — Claudette has returned to tropical storm strength Monday morning as it nears the coast of the Carolinas. The system had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Monday morning, less than two days after Claudette was blamed for 13 deaths in Alabama. A multi-vehicle crash killed eight children who were riding in a van for a youth home for abused or neglected kids. The wreck also claimed the lives of a Tennessee man and his infant daughter. Separately, a tree fell on a home killing an adult and a toddler, and a woman whose car ran off the road into a swollen creek died in north Alabama.

NC 12-TASK FORCE

Task force aims to save Outer Banks highway from flooding

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (AP) — A task force force has been formed with the aim of saving the main highway on North Carolina’s Outer Banks from storms and sea level rise. The Virginian-Pilot reported last week that the task force will focus on protecting seven vulnerable spots along 67 miles of the narrow highway. It runs from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village and continues after a ferry ride to Ocracoke. The group is made up of federal, state and local agencies. The highway constantly floods with ocean water or after heavy rains and high tides inundate the road. Tourists can sometimes be stranded, while emergency crews can be stymied. Officials have so far had mixed success building bridges and bigger dunes.

TUBING DEATHS

Body of fourth tuber, age 7, found in North Carolina river

EDEN, N.C. (AP) — Local officials in North Carolina say the body of a fourth tuber has been found in a river following a deadly accident in which a family on a recreational float went over a dam. The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release Sunday that 7-year-old Isiah Crawford was the person who was found in the Dan River. The search continued for the last remaining tuber, 35-year-old Teresa Villano. The accident occurred Wednesday night when a group of nine people floated down the river on inflatable tubes and went over a dam. Four people were rescued Thursday, while three tubers’ bodies were found that day. Experts say that low-head dams are known for trapping people in a powerful current.

FALLS LAKE-DROWNING

Authorities find body of Charlotte man in lake near Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Authorities in North Carolina say they have found the body of a 30-year-old Charlotte man who drowned in a lake outside of Raleigh. The News & Observer reported Sunday that Jamal Brinson was found after a 24-hour search in Falls Lake. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said Brinson drowned Saturday afternoon near the Highway 50 boat ramp. Witnesses said Brinson was part of a group of friends that rented a boat. He drowned after he jumped into the lake to get a piece of clothing that had been blown off the vessel. Investigators said they are continuing to gather information about the incident.

NOAA EXPEDITION-CARYN SEAMOUNT

Expedition to explore plateau, shipwrecks off Atlantic coast

An expedition is underway that will explore unmapped areas off the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The Charlotte Observer reports that scientists are particularly interested in an underwater plateau that sits about 440 miles off Virginia. But they’re also prepared to find undiscovered shipwrecks between North Carolina and Rhode Island. The expedition is being conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is set to finish up June 27. The deep sea anomaly off Virginia’s coast is known as the Caryn Seamount. It rises about 6,500 feet over an otherwise flat section of ocean floor. The team also intends to collect images and data on shipwrecks using new equipment that is being tested.

POLICE SHOOTING-NORTH CAROLINA

DA: Officers won’t face charges in Mooresville shooting

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A prosecutor in North Carolina says two police officers will not face criminal charges over the shooting death of a Mooresville man. The Charlotte Observer reported Friday that Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson had cleared the officers. He said they reasonably feared for their lives. They had fired high-powered rifles at Chris Craven outside his home in August. Craven was a parts department employee for Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR racing team. His wife told the Observer earlier this month that Craven was having a mental health crisis and had complied with police commands. Gregson said the officers were informed that Craven had committed a domestic assault and was suicidal. The prosecutor said both officers saw Craven pull out a pistol.

MAYORS-REPARATIONS

11 U.S. mayors commit to develop reparations pilot projects

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A group of 11 U.S. mayors has pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities. The mayors have committed to form commissions to advise them on how to develop the programs. Once they can identify funding, the mayors say they will develop and implement programs to pay reparations to a “cohort of Black residents.” The mayors, who represent big cities and the tiny town of Tullahassee, Oklahoma, say their goal is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could operate. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock are leading the group.

AP-US-CHURCHES-GUNS

NC governor again vetoes gun-rights bill for more churches

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed another piece of gun-rights legislation that would allow parishioners at more churches to be armed. The veto by the Democratic governor on Friday marked the second year in a row he’s blocked the idea. The legislation advanced by Republicans says people going to religious services at a location where private schools also meet can carry handguns if they have a concealed weapons permit. Attendees of stand-alone churches already have that ability. Cooper says the state should keep guns off school grounds to protect teacher and students. Republicans will need Democratic help to override the veto. That didn’t happen in 2020.