BLOOD SUPPLY SHORTAGE
Some North Carolina hospitals dangerously low on blood
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Leaders of the agencies that provide blood to some North Carolina hospitals say the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has created potentially dangerous shortages. As people get out and about more, injuries from car crashes and other traumas are increasing, and the backlog of surgical procedures delayed by the pandemic have driven up demand for blood and platelets. The News & Observer of Raleigh also reports that fewer organizations are hosting blood drives and fewer individuals are coming in to donation centers. Delisha English, president and CEO of The Blood Connection, says her agency cannot keep up with what she calls an unprecedented need for blood.
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina selects second COVID vaccine lottery winners
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina health officials have unveiled the state’s latest recipients of a $1 million cash prize and $125,000 college scholarship for getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Natalie Everett of Pineville won the $1 million before taxes. High school student and Greensboro resident Jessica Klima earned the $125,000 scholarship. The winners were selected on Thursday. Two more contests will be held on July 21 and Aug. 4. The winners will be announced the week after the drawings. North Carolina’s latest winners were chosen at a time when fewer residents are getting vaccinated. Unvaccinated adults who come in for a shot at a participating vaccination site qualify for a $25 cash card.
ENERGY BILL
In 12 a.m. session, NC House gives energy bill its final OK
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House gave its final approval to wide-ranging energy legislation during an unusual overnight session. The chamber met briefly early Thursday after midnight for the second of two required votes on the measure, which now heads to the Senate. The first vote happened early Wednesday evening, but Democrats unhappy with the legislation blocked an immediate second vote. House Republican leaders are pushing the bill that would retire early several Duke Energy power plants fueled by coal and expand solar production. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and manufacturers are among bill’s opponents, citing costs to ratepayers and the shift of authority away from regulators.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-REHAB WHILE PREGNANT
For pregnant women, pandemic made hunt for drug rehab harder
Specialized rehab programs for pregnant women are a rarity, but experts say they’re needed to reduce the number of babies born to mothers who are increasingly struggling with drug use. Experts fear that even more limitations during the coronavirus pandemic will stifle progress being made to reduce the number of babies born exposed to drugs. The Associated Press sought the number of drug-exposed babies in all 50 states between 2018 and 2020 to assess the pandemic’s toll on families and found most child welfare agencies are only beginning to grasp the problem of drug use among pregnant women.
BOIL WATER ADVISORY
City of Burlington Water customers under boil water advisory
BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina city says its water customers should boil their drinking water until further notice because E.coli was found at a residence. The City of Burlington announced the order in Wednesday and says it affects customers in Elon, Gibsonville, Whitsett, Haw River, Ossipee, parts of Greensboro and the Village of Alamance. Officials say E. coli bacteria was found Wednesday at an outdoor spigot at a residence. City officials believe the discovery is an isolated incident. They anticipate resolving the problem within two days. Impacted residents are advised to use bottled water or boil all water they plan to use for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes or preparing food.
WOMAN’S BODY-MOTEL
North Carolina man charged after woman’s body found at motel
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina have arrested a man in connection with the discovery of a woman’s body at a motel. News outlets report Jacksonville police say 24-year-old Darwin Robinson, Jr. of Jacksonville has been arrested and charged with murder and robbery. According to police, officers found the body of 35-year-old Miranda Irene Hullender late Monday afternoon in a room at a motel on Wilmington Highway. Police said Robinson was identified as a suspect with help from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, but provided no additional details. Robinson is jailed without bond, and it’s not known if he has an attorney.
ROUGH LANDING-LAWSUIT
Family sues airline, saying aborted landing ruined vacation
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina family has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, saying a turbulent and aborted landing led them to seek medical help and cancel much of a scheduled vacation. The Charlotte Observer reports Roger Brunton and Dawn Rippy-Brunton of Cleveland County went on a trip with her parents, which the lawsuit says they expected to be their last major trip together because of the parent’s ages. The suit says that when their flight from Charlotte reached Las Vegas, the aircraft bounced off the tarmac and went back into the air. The lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 for each of the four family members for pain and suffering.
MOUNTAIN RESCUE
Hiker rescued from Appalachian Trail after breaking an ankle
MOUNT ABRAM TOWNSHIP, Maine (AP) — An Appalachian Trail hiker from North Carolina has been rescued after a nearly 11-hour rescue operation by Maine game wardens and about 35 first responders. Richard Sullivan fell Wednesday on Spaulding Mountain and broke his ankle, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Rescuers formed a human chain after reaching Sullivan and passed him in a rescue litter basket up a bypass trail and up Sugarloaf Mountain to an awaiting vehicle. The Sun Journal reports that Sullivan and his son, Daniel Sullivan, 36, were attempting to hike the entire Appalachian Trail from Stone Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
