CHILD KILLED-SHOOTING

Police: Dozens of shots fired at home, child killed

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police say a young child was killed when people in multiple vehicles fired dozens of rounds toward a Charlotte home. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say officers called to Richard Rozzelle Drive late Tuesday for multiple reports of shots fired found a child under 5 years old with a gunshot wound. Police say the child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police say the child was apparently shot when people in multiple vehicles targeted a house on the street, firing more than 80 rounds toward it. Officers are working to determine what other houses were struck by gunfire.  

SHOOTING DEATH-TODDLER

North Carolina man charged in fatal shooting of 23-month-old

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina have arrested a man in the shooting death last month of a 23-month-old child. Winston-Salem police say 19-year-old Rico Monta Smith III, who turned himself in on Tuesday, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Deon Stover. According to a news release, Smith and his girlfriend were babysitting Deon when Smith attempted to unload a handgun. Police said the handgun went off and struck the toddler. The child died at a local hospital. Smith is being held on a $15,000 bond, and it’s not known if he has an attorney.

REDISTRICTING

September redistricting hearings held for NC maps input

LENOIR, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislators are going outside Raleigh to hear from residents about how General Assembly and congressional districts should be redrawn for the next decade. The House and Senate scheduled over a dozen public hearings for September, with the first occurring Wednesday evening in Caldwell County. They’ll consider citizens’ input before they draw and vote on all 170 legislative districts and 14 congressional districts based on new census numbers. Republican lawmakers hold majorities in the House and Senate, so they’ll get the final say for now on what the maps look like. Redistricting plans aren’t subject to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. 

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina schools see major COVID spread as year begins

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina K-12 public school districts are seeing high levels of COVID-19 transmission as the new academic years gets underway. Spread is particularly bad in places where mask wearing is optional. Dozens of districts entering the school year without a mask mandate have reversed course, but a few holdouts still remain. Roughly 1 in 8 pupils at Union County Public Schools were under quarantine last week after the district decided not to require masks. The state’s largest school system, Wake County, forces pupils to wear a face covering. Less than 1% of its students are currently under quarantine. About 95% of K-12 public school students in the state are currently covered by a mask mandate.

FATAL BOAT CRASH

Woman dies after boat hits hidden sand shoal

HATTERAS, N.C. (AP) — Officials in North Carolina say a Virginia woman was killed when she was thrown from a boat and run over after it hit a hidden sand shoal off the Outer Banks.  News outlets report that the rented 21-foot Carolina skiff was traveling southwest across Hatteras Inlet when it ran aground on a sand shoal near the Ocracoke ferry terminal on Ocracoke Island. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission says the woman, who was ejected from the boat and then run over, died from her injuries.  Officials identified the woman killed as 29-year-old Brandi Lash, 29, of Round Hill, Virginia. The crash is still under investigation but authorities believe inexperience and hazardous waters were contributing factors.

TROPICAL WEATHER-RIP CURRENTS

Hurricane Larry brings threat of dangerous rip currents

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — The National Weather Service is warning that swells from Hurricane Larry will create dangerous rip current conditions. News outlets report that the storm isn’t expected to make landfall in the United States, but it will be powerful enough to be felt along the East Coast. The weather service says Outer Banks beaches from Pea Island down to Cape Lookout will experience a high rip current risk. That means powerful and numerous rip currents are expected and everyone should stay out of the water. Moderate rip currents are expected from Duck through Nags Head and from Shackleford Banks through North Topsail Beach. That means only experienced swimmers who know how to escape a rip current should enter the water.

DEADLY COLLISION

Head-on collision in North Carolina kills woman in van

JEFFERSON, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina State Highway Patrol says a woman was killed in a head-on collision involving a Jeep and a kayak rental company van. WSOC reports troopers were called to the scene of an accident on N.C. Highway 16 on Monday. According to the patrol, the Jeep was headed north when the driver crossed the center line and hit the van from a canoe rental company in Jefferson. The driver of the Jeep was taken to a nearby hospital. The patrol said 49-year-old Lori Richelle Myers of Terrell died at the scene. Troopers said she was wearing her seatbelt. 

FATAL SHOOTING-WOMAN CHARGED

North Carolina woman accused in husband’s fatal shooting

CONOVER, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina have charged a woman in the shooting death of her husband. News outlets report a news release from Conover police said they received a call just after midnight on Monday from 31-year-old Brittney Lyfae McCleave, who said she had shot her husband. Officers found 36-year-old Danta Broome at a residence with a gunshot wound. Broome died at a nearby hospital. McCleave requested and was assigned a court-appointed provisional attorney on Monday until another attorney is appointed. The attorney couldn’t be reached for comment. Police say the investigation into the shooting is continuing. 

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