No Injuries In Downtown Greensboro Explosions
Two explosions in downtown Greensboro on Sunday night sent two manholes shooting skyward.
Greensboro fire officials say the explosions happened in the vicinity of W. Washington St. near the Biltmore Hotel shortly after 8:30pm.
The police department said in a press release the incidents appeared to be caused by a problem with underground electrical wiring.
Police say no one was injured. Several vehicles and the exterior of the Biltmore Hotel were damaged.
Hundreds Attend Memorial Service In NC For Darryl Hunt
A longtime friend of Darryl Hunt says he found a note from the exonerated man that made it clear that he was frustrated and "was just going to check out."
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Hunt friend and supporter Larry Little was among those who spoke Saturday at a service for Hunt, who served 19 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.
Hundreds of people attended the service at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Little says Hunt was suffering from stomach and prostate cancer and that he blamed himself for the breakup of his marriage.
Public Hearing Scheduled On Duke Energy Landfill In Rockingham
State officials have set a public hearing for residents to weigh in on a Duke Energy coal ash landfill in Rockingham County.
The meeting has been scheduled for 6pm Wednesday at the Eden Town Hall.
The News and Record of Greensboro reports the landfill would handle coal ash and other waste from the utility's now-retired Dan River power plant.
The utility is in the process of decommissioning the plant, which will eventually be demolished.
The public comment period lasts until April 17th.
Justice Seeking Use Of Retention Vote Recused From Lawsuit
The North Carolina Supreme Court justice who sought another term this fall using a new up-or-down voting option to approve or reject him won't be judging the constitutionality of that retention election law.
A Supreme Court scheduling order in a lawsuit challenging the law says Associate Justice Bob Edmunds is recused from the case. There were no other details provided.
The court's other six members will hear oral arguments April 13. Trial judges last month struck down the retention law the General Assembly approved last year. The ruling was appealed. Edmunds is the only justice who could use the retention option this year.
NC Writers Tackle Education Spending, Medicaid Expansion
Well-known authors from across North Carolina say Republican policies are damaging the state on several fronts, including voting rights, health care access and public education.
The News & Observer reports that a group including best-selling authors Clyde Edgerton, Allen Gurganus and Margaret Maron gathered at the state Capitol on Saturday to read a statement calling for "a new governor and a new government."
The group called for the state to increase education spending, expand Medicaid and end gerrymandering of legislative districts, among other issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.