North Carolina News – December 17

AP-NC-GM FACILITY-TROOP CARRIER

GM is renovating NC facility to build US Army troop carrier

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — General Motors says it’s renovating a GM building in North Carolina to support production a military trooper carrier. The announcement was made Thursday GM Defense LLC, which is a subsidiary of General Motors. The facility is located in Concord, which is out Charlotte. The troop carrier that is going to be built is called an Infantry Squad Vehicle. The company says it’s a light and agile all-terrain carrier that can transport a nine-soldier infantry squad. The carriers are based off the architecture of the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck. The vehicle will be light enough to be sling loaded from a Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a Chinook helicopter.

OFFICER KILLED

North Carolina officer, armed person both killed in gunfire

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a North Carolina police officer and a person with a weapon were killed in an exchange of gunfire that wounded a second officer. The Concord Police Department said the wounded officer was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries after the shooting in Concord late Wednesday evening. Police did not release any identities or say what led to the shooting. A news conference is planned for Thursday morning. The department says the officer’s death is “devastating not only to the member’s family and loved ones but every police officer across the city, state, and country.”

ARMY RECRUITMENT STATION-SHOOTING

Police: Man rejected by Army shot at recruitment center

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a North Carolina man shot at an Army recruiting station after being rejected from joining the Armed Forces branch. James Alexander Cooper faces several charges, including six counts of assault. An Army spokeswoman told The News & Observer that no one was wounded during the shooting, though the gunfire damaged the building’s entrance. Greensboro police say 36-year-old Cooper was arrested at the scene Monday and also had “several orders for arrest related to previous charges.” Army officials say Cooper had applied to join the Army but was disqualified. It’s unclear why he was rejected. It’s also unclear whether Cooper has an attorney.

HOG WASTE-SMITHFIELD

NC court order threatens executive branch power over funds

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina Court of Appeals panel’s ruling threatens the ability of elected executive branch leaders to control non-tax dollars without legislative permission. The panel’s majority ruled this week that Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein had to deposit money paid annually by Smithfield Foods as part of an agreement over hog waste into the state’s coffers. The money had been held in a private bank account for grants designed to enhance the state’s environment. The state Supreme Court upheld the Smithfield arrangement in April with the attorney general. The lower-level appeals court’s decision could mean the General Assembly can decide specifics of how to spend millions received.

WINTRY WEATHER

‘If not one thing, it’s another’: Storm rolls into Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) — A major snowstorm has rolled into the Northeast at a key moment in the coronavirus pandemic. It’s coming days into the beginning of a massive vaccination campaign and in the thick of a virus surge that has throngs of people seeking tests per day. The storm is poised to drop as much as 2 feet of snow in some places by Thursday, and the pandemic is adding new complexities to officials’ preparations, from deciding whether to close testing sites to figuring out how to handle plowing amid outdoor dining platforms in New York City streets. Still, officials say they don’t expect the winter blast to disrupt vaccine distribution.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA-AIRBNB

Airbnb suspends North Carolina listings over COVID-19 rules

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Airbnb says it has suspended listings across North Carolina for violating its party guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said in emails sent to The Associated Press that 21 listings in the Research Triangle area were suspended, as well as 17 listings in the Triad and 20 listings in Charlotte. Viviana Jordan, North Carolina public policy manager for Airbnb, said in a news release that North Carolina has banned large gatherings because of the pandemic for several months. The company said its actions target a small minority of hosts who have previously been warned about responsible hosting or have otherwise violated company policies.

MIDSHIPMAN-DROWNING

Naval Academy midshipman dies in drowning accident on leave

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A 22-year-old midshipman died in a hotel pool drowning accident while he was on leave from the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland. The Naval Academy said in a statement Wednesday that John Johnson, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, died Monday in Park City, Utah. Police reports say Johnson was with friends at a resort outdoor pool when he didn’t resurface. Friends jumped in the pool, pulled him out and performed CPR. He later died at a hospital. Officials said Johnson was a member of the 29th Company and served as a platoon commander. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Association Leadership Award in 2019.

BC-VA-WINTRY WEATHER-VIRGINIA

Wintry weather snaps tree limbs, creates outages in Virginia

A multi-faceted winter storm has coated parts of Virginia with snow, sleet and freezing rain, taking down tree limbs, creating power outages and leading officials to warn motorists against travel. Officials in Charlottesville say tree limbs came down in parts of the city. Dominion Energy reports more than 8,100 customers were without power by mid-afternoon, many of them in the Shenandoah Valley. Virginia State Police said that as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, troopers had responded to approximately 200 crashes and 125 disabled vehicles. A single-vehicle accident on Interstate 81 around 7:45 a.m. killed a North Carolina man, and state police said slick road conditions were a factor.