CRASH MEMORIAL-TWO KILLED

2 fatally hit by train at memorial for man killed in crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police say two men attending a memorial a week after a fatal crash with a Charlotte light rail train were fatally struck by a light rail train themselves. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say officers responded to a report of two pedestrians struck by a blue line train Tuesday morning near South Boulevard and Hebron Street. Officers found Pablo Tiquiram Us and Jose Chilambalam Tiquiram Us unresponsive near the tracks. Medics pronounced both men dead at the scene. Police say the men were walking north on the southbound tracks when they were struck by a train. Police say they suspect alcohol impairment on the part of the men was a contributing factor in the crash.

SPORTS GAMBLING

Sports wagering slated for N. Carolina Senate panel debate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A bill that would regulate sports gambling across North Carolina and give the state a piece of the revenues is finally getting a hearing this year in the legislature. The Senate Finance Committee prepared for debate Wednesday on a measure that would allow up to 12 companies to obtain sports wagering licenses from the state, and to make clear certain betting isn’t unlawful.  The legislation would have to clear four Senate committees to reach the Senate floor. Many state residents already are wagering online without North Carolina government oversight or regulation.

NORTH CAROLINA

More North Carolinians getting COVID shot amid delta variant

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Data released by North Carolina state health officials shows residents are coming in for a COVID-19 vaccine in higher numbers. The numbers published Tuesday show at least 74,000 people got a first dose last week. This is the highest weekly count since mid-May. The rise in vaccinations comes as the more contagious delta variant is being widely spread across the state. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said those who come in for a first dose will soon qualify for $100. Over the past month, hospitalizations due to the virus have nearly quadrupled. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends people wear masks in indoor public settings in all but seven of North Carolina’s 100 counties regardless of their vaccination status.

AP-RELATIONSHIPS-REKINDLING-OLD-FLAMES

Real-life Bennifers find happy endings after years apart

NEW YORK (AP) — If PDA were an Olympic sport, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck would be champs. But there’s something more that’s driving interest in Bennifer: the storybook nature of long-lost love requited. The A-listers rekindled their romance 17 years after they broke up in 2004. For many regular couples, it’s a familiar road, coming together years after coming apart. Clinical psychologist Carla Marie has seen a rise in rekindled love matches in the digital age. Internet searching and social media make it easier to find old flames. But the quest doesn’t always pay off.

OBIT-CARTER

NC Rep. Jerry Carter, longtime Baptist minister, dies at 66

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A sitting member of the North Carolina House has died. Republican Rep. Jerry Carter of Rockingham County died early Tuesday at Duke Hospital in Durham at age 66. Carter was senior pastor at Reidsville Baptist, the church he founded more than 30 years ago. Assistant pastor Aaron Shelton says Carter died from complications after surgery to treat a rare gastrointestinal disorder. State leaders praised Carter for his service. He was first elected to the House in 2018, and chaired the Families, Children and Aging Policy Committee. He also served in the Army and as a chaplain with the state highway patrol.

MURDER-EVIDENCE

NC court tosses murder conviction, citing lack of evidence

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina appeals court has ruled that murder and robbery charges against a man convicted of killing his co-worker should have been dismissed because there was insufficient evidence at trial to implicate him. A split three-judge panel on the Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in favor of David Myron Dover, who has been serving a life sentence for the death of Arthur “Buddy” Davis. But two of the judges said circumstantial evidence presented by prosecutors lacked enough substance to show Dover was the perpetrator. They say his convictions should be vacated. The case could be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY-FATALITY

North Carolina man killed in Blue Ridge Parkway cycle crash

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The National Park Service says a North Carolina man has been killed in a motorcycle crash on the Blue Ridge Parkway. News outlets report a statement from the National Park Service says 39-year-old Shawn Emory of Weaverville died on July 31. According to the park service, a preliminary investigation shows Emory was heading south in an uphill curve when he lost control of the motorcycle, which struck the guard rail. Emory was thrown from the motorcycle. Emory’s death was the second on the parkway in less than a week and the sixth in 2021.

AP-US-WILD-HORSE-DIES-NORTH-CAROLINA

‘Honorary grandmother’ of North Carolina wild horses dies

COROLLA, N.C. (AP) — An organization is mourning the death of a wild horse that was one of the oldest mares in the herd that roams North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that Hazel was believed to be close to 30 years old. She didn’t show signs of trauma or any indication that she didn’t die naturally. But her death came when the National Weather Service said some areas of the Outer Banks saw heat index values near 110 degrees. She assumed the role of “honorary grandmother” to the foals and was often seen babysitting them.