BLACK SOFTBALL PLAYER-HAIRCUT

Rules changed after Black softball player had to cut hair

The national governing body for high school athletics has changed its softball rules after a Black player in North Carolina was forced to cut her hair because of the beads she was wearing. The Charlotte Observer reports the National Federation of High Schools removed language from one rule which had previously prohibited hard items to control the hair, including hair beads. Also head coverings worn for religious reasons will no longer require approval from state associations. Nicole Pyles of Durham Hillside High School was told by two umpires on April 19 that she would either have to remove the beads or leave the senior-day game against in-town rival Jordan High School

UNRULY PASSENGER-SECURITY ISSUE

Report: North Carolina-bound passenger bites attendant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A spokesman for American Airlines says a North Carolina-bound passenger tried to open the forward cabin door on their flight and bit a flight attendant before being restrained. Spokesman Andrew Trull says the unidentified passenger on board American Flight 1774 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte was restrained using restraint tape and flex cuffs to confine them to their seat. The flight, with 190 passengers and six crew members, landed at Charlotte last Wednesday without incident. Trull says Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and emergency personnel boarded the plane after other travelers exited and took the passenger to a local hospital for evaluation.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-THREE KILLED

3 killed in 2-car accident on North Carolina highway

SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. State Highway Patrol says three people were killed when a vehicle making an improper pass hit another car head-on. The Salisbury Post reports a state trooper says a Ford traveling south on U.S. Highway 601 on Monday passed another vehicle in a curve with double-yellow lines and hit a Dodge traveling north near the Davie County line. According to the patrol, the collision sparked a fire in the Ford and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger in the Dodge were also pronounced dead at the scene. Identities have not been released pending notification of relatives.

IMMIGRATION-DEPORTATION NOTICES

High court ruling gives immigrants facing deportation hope

BOSTON (AP) — A recent Supreme Court ruling has given some immigrants renewed hope that they can have their deportation cancelled because they didn’t receive proper notice of the court proceedings. The high court ruled in April that federal immigration officials have not been providing all the required information in their deportation hearing notices. The agency typically sends out the notices in two parts: the initial notice and then another notice with the court date. But the court ruled all information should be contained in a single note under federal law. Immigration lawyers and advocates say the decision could impact thousands of deportation cases going back years.

NAACP- INNOCENCE CLAIM

Man still seeking pardon, compensation after leaving prison

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who served 26 years in prison for a murder he said he didn’t commit is still seeking a pardon and compensation. Dontae Sharpe told The Raleigh News & Observer on Friday that he wants to be able to support a family that includes his daughter and two grandchildren. He said he also wants to help out his mother after she spent her savings sending him money in prison and trying to prove his innocence. North Carolina’s governor currently holds the power to trigger compensation by granting a pardon. Sharpe was 19 when he was sent to prison for the 1994 murder of 33-year-old George Radcliffe. He was released from a Pitt County courtroom in 2019.

BLACK LIVES MATTER-MURAL DEFACED

Black Lives Matter mural defaced in North Carolina town

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A Black Lives Matter mural drawn in honor of a North Carolina man shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies was damaged one day after it was unveiled. News outlets report a Facebook video posted Sunday showed that skid marks were left on the mural in Elizabeth City. Artist Michael Little painted the mural in honor of Andrew Brown Jr., who was shot and killed by a Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office deputy on April 21. Elizabeth City police say they are investigating the damage to the mural and have reviewed surveillance video.

BUG ZAPPER-VISION ISSUES

Report: Bug zapper causes vision issues at medical facility

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a bug zapper that had the wrong kind of light bulb has caused vision problems for five people at a veterans medical facility in North Carolina. The News & Observer reports that Durham VA Health Care System said the bulb emitted light that was too strong and impacted the vision of three employees, a resident and a contractor who had a meeting near the device. System spokesperson Yves-Marie Daley says the vision of those affected is improving. She didn’t specify the date of the incident or the severity of the vision loss. The center opened an internal investigation.

WALLET FOUND-LAKE

Woman reels in wallet from 1980s while fishing, seeks owner

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.C. (AP) — A woman in North Carolina says she’s searching for a man who lost his wallet in a lake in the mid-1980s. WRAL reports that Sarah Foor and her husband were fishing Saturday at Jones Lake State Park near Elizabethtown when she reeled in the wallet. Inside she found a faded driver’s license, a library card and an array of expired credit cards. The wallet also held a senior photo that’s dated from the 1983-84 school year. The back reads: “Mickey, you’re a very special person to me. Love always, Sharon.” The wallet had 50 cents inside. But she still considers it a treasure. Foor reached out to WRAL for help in finding the man. He was not identified.