MISSING MAN FOUND ALIVE
Missing man found alive after 8 nights in forest
HAVELOCK, N.C. (AP) — A man who went missing in Croatan National Forest has been found alive after eight nights in the woods.The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday that 20-year-old Joshua Clauson walked out of a wooded area near a home in Newport and the homeowner called authorities. Officials say Clauson was out for a walk May 29 with a family member when they got lost and then separated. The relative found his way out by following the sounds of passing vehicles, but officials say crews looked for Clauson from the air and on the ground for five days without success.Clauson was taken to a hospital in rough condition, but he’s expected to be okay.
INFANT SHOT
Infant accidentally shot during domestic dispute
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say an infant was accidentally shot during a domestic dispute in Charlotte. Multiple news outlets reported that the 1-year-old was shot in the hand Saturday during an altercation between two family members. The reports did not say how the family members were related to the child. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the child’s injury appeared to be non-life-threatening. WCNC-TV reported that one person was arrested. The child was transported to a local hospital to be treated.
GRADUATION PARTIES-SHOOTINGS
Two teens shot at graduation party in Rocky Mount
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) — Police say two teens were shot at a graduation party in Rocky Mount after an argument escalated into violence. WRAL-TV reports that Rocky Mount police responded to a shooting at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. A 19-year-old man was taken to UNC Nash Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead. A 17-year-old was shot in the face, then fled to a McDonald’s. He was taken to Vidant Healthcare Greenville, where he was listed in critical condition. It was the second fatal shooting at a graduation party over the weekend. On Friday, an 18-year-old was fatally shot in Sanford during a graduation party in a hotel room. A 16-year-old has been charged.
AP-VIRUS-OUTBREAK
Another COVID side effect: Many kids head to summer school
As the second school year disrupted by the pandemic winds down, summer school plans are taking shape around the country. An influx of federal funding included in COVID-19 rescue legislation is letting districts broaden programming and offer spots to more students than ever before. The Biden administration is requiring states to pour at least $1.2 billion into summer enrichment programs. Districts also must reserve at least 20% of the windfall to address learning loss, which could include summer school, with a focus on students who have been most affected by the shift away from in-person learning.
AP-US-POST-OFFICE-CHIEF
‘Get used to me’: Postmaster evokes Trump style in Biden era
WASHINGTON (AP) — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is uninterested in the niceties of Washington. The wealthy longtime businessman prides himself as a problem solver ready to disrupt an unwieldy bureaucracy. He’s also facing growing legal troubles. As he approaches his first anniversary at the helm of the U.S. Postal Service, DeJoy is under mounting pressure to resign. Instead he’s promoting a 10-year plan to remake the service and telling critics: “Get used to me.” Democrats are worried that he’s purposefully undermining the post office, which is critical to the conduct of elections. While there were complaints about mail delays affecting some balloting and counting, fears of widespread electoral disruptions from DeJoy’s changes mostly proved unfounded.
NOOSE FOUND
Merck probing discovery of noose at North Carolina plant
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — A published report says pharmaceutical maker Merck & Co. is investigating how a noose ended up on the campus of its plant in Durham, North Carolina. The News & Observer reports that a contractor found “a rope fashioned as a noose” at a construction project at the site, according to an email obtained by the newspaper. The email said the rope was immediately removed. Merck operates a 262-acre facility in north Durham. The email from site management said such acts will not be tolerated and anyone found responsible will be dealt with “swiftly and severely.”
REPUBLICAN AGENDA
Trump’s grievances cloud Republican agenda heading into 2022
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republicans are fighting to seize control of Congress. Just don’t ask what they’d do if they win. Look no further for evidence of the GOP’s muddled governing agenda than battleground North Carolina, where party leaders packed into a convention hall Saturday night to cheer former President Donald Trump. Even with a high-stakes U.S. Senate election looming, the Republicans at the event were united not by any consistent set of conservative policies or principles, but by Trump’s groundless grievances about the 2020 election and his attacks against critics in both parties. In successful midterm elections of past years, Republicans scored big gains after staking out clear positions on health care, federal spending and crime.
DEPUTY FIRED-DWI
Sheriff’s deputy fired after patrol car crash, DWI charge
NEWTON, N.C. (AP) — An off-duty sheriff’s deputy in North Carolina has been fired after he crashed his patrol car and was charged with driving while impaired. The Charlotte Observer reports that Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown announced the firing in a Facebook post Friday. The sheriff’s post said the deputy crashed after picking up his assigned vehicle from a maintenance appointment near Newton, about 45 miles northwest of Charlotte. The sheriff did not name the deputy in his post and did not say when the crash happened. The North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the single-car crash and filed the DWI charge.
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