COAST GUARD RESCUE

Coast Guard rescues 2 boaters off North Carolina coast

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — The Coast Guard says it has rescued two boaters after their small boat capsized off the North Carolina coast. A Coast Guard news release said the rescue occurred Saturday night near Cedar Island, which is northeast of Morehead City. They had received information from county dispatchers that the boaters needed help after their boat capsized after taking waves over its side. The Coast Guard used a helicopter and boat along with a local fire department vessel and two civilian boaters to locate the people and assist with the rescue.  After the rescue, the two boaters were taken to emergency medical personnel at the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal.

ALCOHOL LAW ENFORCEMENT

North Carolina alcohol agents arrest nearly 300 in crackdown

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Alcohol Law Enforcement says it arrested nearly 300 people during operations at alcoholic beverage-licensed businesses and other locations as part of a Halloween crackdown. A news release from the Department of Public Safety said that state alcohol agents working with local law enforcement officials arrested 286 people on 700 charges around the state. The agents executed 13 search warrants, seized guns and drugs and made arrests on a mixture of felony, alcoholic beverage and drug charges. Twenty-five licensed businesses were found in violation of state laws and regulations. A Lenoir business lost its alcohol permit after agents determined employees were distributing drugs to patrons, according to the release. 

BODY FOUND IN RESTAURANT

Police: Woman’s body in vacant restaurant probed as homicide

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say a woman’s body was found in a vacant restaurant building and that they are investigating it as a homicide. The Asheville Police Department said in a news release that they were checking a vacant business west of downtown when they discovered the body on Wednesday. They identified the woman as 49-year-old Kimberly Michelle Randall. Detectives believe foul play was involved. The police department said that the killing marks the 10th homicide the department has investigated in 2021. They didn’t release further information about the possible cause of death or how long the body may have been there.

FATAL MULTI-CAR CRASH

Multi-car crash kills pedestrian, damages school bus

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say a crash killed a pedestrian and damaged a school bus with children aboard. Durham Police said in a news release that the crash happened Friday northeast of downtown. Police say a woman driving a Mazda car hit a Hyundai sedan, which caused the second car to hit a pedestrian standing on a sidewalk. The pedestrian was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Police say the Mazda also hit a charter school bus with eight students and a driver aboard; no injuries on the bus were reported. Police say the driver of the Mazda was charged with failure to stop at a red light and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. 

PEDESTRIAN HIT BY TRAIN

Police: Pedestrian killed by train in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —  Police say that a man was killed after he was struck by an Amtrak train in North Carolina. The Raleigh Police Department issued a news release saying that the man was struck around 10 p.m. on Saturday night in a commercial area northwest of N.C. State University campus near Interstate 440. The  man was pronounced dead at the scene. The news release didn’t provide further information on the man’s identity or the circumstances of the collision. Authorities say that Amtrak is leading the investigation into what happened and referred questions to the train operator. Amtrak didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. 

HANDGUN-CLASSROOM

Police: Handgun found in North Carolina classroom

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say that an unloaded handgun was found in an elementary school classroom after it fell out of a student’s pocket. The Winston-Salem Police Department issued a news release saying the gun was discovered around noon on Friday at Mineral Springs Elementary School. The release said that the gun had fallen out of a 12-year-old student’s pocket and was immediately confiscated by a teacher. Further investigation revealed that the gun had been placed in the student’s hooded sweatshirt by another student when he was out of the classroom. Police say the handgun was inoperable and unloaded. No one was hurt. Some students are facing disciplinary action but police said that no charges were being filed. 

TAX PREPARER-FRAUD CHARGE

N. Carolina tax preparer sent to prison for fraud conspiracy

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a North Carolina tax return preparer was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina says court documents and statements made in court showed that from 2012 through 2017, Andrea Pasley of Durham conspired with two others to prepare fraudulent tax returns. Returns prepared by the conspirators claimed false education credits or dependents or manipulated the clients’ income to qualify for larger earned income tax credits. Under the scheme, some clients were charged up to $3,000 for preparing returns.

ELECTION 2022-NORTH CAROLINA-SENATE

Ex-NC Gov. McCrory eyes political comeback with Senate bid

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is among three top Republicans engaged in a hotly contested 2022 U.S. Senate primary. President Donald Trump gave U.S. Rep. Ted Budd a huge boost when he endorsed him in June. Former pastor and U.S. Rep. Mark Walker is seeking to gain the support of the Trump base. McCrory has been the most critical of Trump but insists he has the broadest support network needed to win both the primary and general election. McCrory faces lots of backlash for his long political career and questionable decisions as governor, including signing the transgender bathroom bill.

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