FATAL STABBING-MOTHER

North Carolina man charged in mother’s stabbing death

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina sheriff’s office says a man has been arrested and charged in his mother’s stabbing death. According to news outlets, deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office were called to a location in Kannapolis on Monday about a possible stabbing. When they arrived, they found the body of 55-year-old Julie Bostian Corriher lying in the yard near an outdoor camper. Deputies located 24-year-old Hayden Perry Jones just down the street and took him into custody. Jones is charged with murder and is jailed without bond.

UCLA THREATS-MISSED SIGNS

Red flags trailed ex-UCLA lecturer across elite universities

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A trail of red flags about his behavior toward women followed Matthew Harris on an academic journey that took him to three of the nation’s most prestigious universities — Duke, Cornell and then the University of California, Los Angeles. Last week, a SWAT team in Colorado arrested Harris after he allegedly emailed an 800-page manifesto and posted videos threatening violence against dozens of people at UCLA. In online class reviews, interviews and emails obtained by The Associated Press, current and former students at all three universities alleged negligence by the schools for letting Harris slide, despite his concerning conduct. He is expected to appear in federal court on Tuesday.

REDISTRICTING-NORTH CAROLINA

N. Carolina Republicans cautious after redistricting order

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s top legislative Democrats are praising a redistricting ruling by the state Supreme Court that overturned congressional and General Assembly districts as illegal partisan gerrymanders. But exactly how new lines must be formed and analyzed to meet constitutional muster remained murky on Monday. Friday’s order striking down the boundaries said a more detailed opinion would follow. The order gives the legislature until Feb. 18 to submit new plans to a lower court. The Supreme Court promised to have a final decision on those replacement boundaries by Feb. 23. House Speaker Tim Moore said he expected legislative votes on new maps next week. 

FERTILIZER PLANT FIRE

Fertilizer plant fire smoldering; residents returning home

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Residents who live near a North Carolina fertilizer plant that has been burning for more than a week are returning home. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that officials reduced the evacuation zone Sunday after determining that the risk of a large explosion had greatly diminished. The Winston Weaver plant began burning a week ago Monday, affecting more than 6,500 residents. A nearby elementary school closed for in-person learning and Wake Forest University canceled classes because of the fire. Nearly 500 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored at the fertilizer plant — almost three times the amount that exploded at a Texas plant in 2013, killing 15 people. 

WINTER WEATHER-NORTH CAROLINA

Woman dies in North Carolina crash blamed on icy weather

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. State Highway Patrol says a woman was killed in a traffic accident which apparently resulted from freezing rain that made roads slick and created problems across central portions of the state. News outlets report the patrol says 64-year-old Irma Poso of East Bend was killed on Monday when her vehicle swerved off the road just west of Winston-Salem and hit a tree. Poso died at the scene. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office says a other crash on Interstate 40 west of downtown Winston-Salem involved at least 10 cars and resulted from roads made slick by ice. 

DRUG CHARGES-FOUR ARRESTED

4 North Carolina residents arrested on numerous drug charges

NEW BERN, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say four North Carolina residents accused of being drug suppliers are facing a variety of charges and are jailed on bonds up to $5 million after a drug raid that followed a traffic stop. News outlets report a traffic stop conducted by deputies with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 1 turned up illegal drugs and led to a search warrant. At a home in Havelock, deputies found a pound of methamphetamine, 13 pounds (5.8 kg) of cocaine, seven grams of heroin, some marijuana, two guns and $3,000. Two of the four, Xzavier Morris and Kimberly Smith, both of Harlowe, are jailed on $5 million bond apiece. 

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS-THREE KILLED

3 killed in 2 traffic accidents in North Carolina capital

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Police say three people were killed in two separate traffic accidents within hours of each other in North Carolina’s capital city. News outlets report Raleigh police said two people died late Sunday night after two cars crashed into trees on Brier Creek Parkway near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. In the other accident, an AAA auto club member called for assistance on Interstate 540.. The motorist was standing outside their vehicles when they were hit by a third car. It’s not known if the driver whose car struck the two people stayed at the scene.

ESCAPE-DEATHS

Sheriff: 2 Tennessee inmates who fled die in North Carolina

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Tennessee say two inmates who fled jail with another man have died in North Carolina. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office says 38-year-old Tobias Wayne Carr and 45-year-old Timothy Allen Sarver died in Wilmington, North Carolina. The sheriff’s office says according to preliminary information, the men led authorities on a pursuit following a convenience store robbery in another part of North Carolina, and the vehicle was disabled. No other details were immediately released. The sheriff’s office said 50-year-old Johnny Shane Brown remained at large. The sheriff’s office says the three men escaped from the Sullivan County Jail on Friday morning.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.