North Carolina News – January 29

AP-US-CAPITOL-BREACH-WOODSTOCK

‘Just shocked’: A town reckons with charges in Capitol riot

WOODSTOCK, Ohio (AP) — The tiny town of Woodstock, Ohio, was the base for two people who allegedly played big roles in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Residents are still trying to understand how that happened in their don’t blink-or-you’ll-miss-it, one-stoplight burg. It’s the now-shuttered Jolly Roger Bar & Grill that brought the FBI and other investigators to Woodstock in western Ohio. Federal authorities say Army veteran Jessica Watkins tended the bar and recruited members for a local militia group she has said she founded in 2019 and commanded. She and group member Donovan Crowl are now facing years behind prison bars.

OUTER BANKS-BEACH NOURISHMENT

Outer Banks beach nourishment projects total $99M in 1 year

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (AP) — The cost of beach nourishment projects along North Carolina’s Outer Banks will total $99 million. The Virginian-Pilot reported Thursday that the money is the most being spent on the Dare County coast in one year. The beach nourishment projects are being conducted from Duck to Buxton. They’re needed because storms often push the ocean over dunes into neighborhoods. Beaches can also become so narrow that waves at high tide lap at the doorsteps of oceanfront homes. The beaches are the economic engine of the tourism-based economy. But the price tag is raising questions from some about the sustainability of such efforts in the long run.

CAR CRASH-SHOOTING

Police: Man in car crash found with fatal gunshot wounds

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say an investigation into a car crash turned into a homicide probe after officers found that the driver had been shot multiple times. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say officers responding to the single-vehicle crash Thursday night found the man in a black Mercedes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The man was hospitalized and later pronounced dead. His name wasn’t immediately released. Police say the crash happened north of Interstate 485 loop, a commercial area of hotels and restaurants that cater to interstate travelers. Additional details on the wreck and shooting weren’t immediately released.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA

Cooper visits clinic pushing to overcome vaccine hesitancy

PITTSBORO, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s governor has visited a health center in Pittsboro serving a community that has seen some reluctance to get the vaccine. Gov. Roy Cooper and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen want to more aggressively promote vaccine equity for racial and ethnic minorities. Cooper says the state had emphasized speed in its vaccination efforts this past week amid worries it could see its supply cut short. Piedmont Health SeniorCare worked to build trust of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines after it held a town hall to educate its staff members. Cooper believes the center could serve as a model for the state.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOLS

Senate GOP wants bill to require NC in-person class option

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans are drawing up legislation that would require all public school districts to offer in-person instruction of some kind to students. A key GOP legislator said on Thursday that a proposal would be unveiled in the coming days, and that any mandate would give parents the option of sticking with virtual-only learning. School districts have the option to offer in-person classes, but many have stuck with only offering virtual learning due to safety concerns. Worries are growing that some students who have been left out of classrooms are increasingly falling behind. Data suggest transmission rates are low within schools.

EDUCATION BOARD-SOCIAL STUDIES SQUABBLE

Republicans on education board attack social studies plan

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican members of the State Board of Education say that proposed social studies standards are “anti-American” and will teach North Carolina public school students that the nation is oppressive and racist. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the board on Wednesday reviewed new K-12 social studies standards that would have teachers discuss racism, discrimination and the perspectives of marginalized groups. Several GOP board members argued that the new standards are divisive and have a leftist political agenda. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican and the first Black man to hold the position in North Carolina, said the standards would inaccurately teach that the United States is a racist nation.

DEPUTY STANDOFF-ASSAULT

Sheriff: Ex-deputy arrested, charged after 4-hour standoff

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (AP) — Officials say a former North Carolina deputy accused of assaulting his wife was arrested after a four-hour standoff with authorities. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were attempting to serve Brad Woodlief with a warrant and a restraining order Wednesday night when he threatened authorities and refused to leave his home. The sheriff’s office says deputies believed Woodlief was armed and later, a Tactical Response Team used tear gas to end the standoff. Woodlief’s charges include second-degree kidnapping. It’s unclear whether Woodlief has an attorney. Authorities say Woodlief was a Wake County deputy under a previous administration.

AP-NC-NORTH CAROLINA-DEPUTY FIRED-LAWSUIT

Suit: Armed group seeking teen targeted Black woman’s home

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A law firm that advocates for victims of discrimination has filed a lawsuit over an incident last year in which it said a Black woman’s home in North Carolina came under siege by an armed group looking for a missing teenage girl. The Washington-based Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed the suit Tuesday in a Pender County court on behalf of Monica Shepard and her son. It said the group went to the home last May 3, seeking the biracial girl, who had been reported missing earlier that day but was later found safe. An ex-sheriff’s deputy and more than a dozen others are named as defendants.