North Carolina Police: GOP Office Damaged By Fire, Graffiti
Authorities say a retail complex housing a Republican Party office in North Carolina was damaged by fire and graffiti.
A news release on Sunday from the town of Hillsborough says that someone threw a bottle filled with flammable liquid through the window of the Orange County Republican Party headquarters overnight. The release says the substance ignited and damaged furniture before burning out.
The news release says an adjacent building was spray-painted with the words: "Nazi Republicans leave town or else."
Another business owner discovered the damage Sunday morning. Local police are investigating alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
NC Will Extend Voter Registration In 36 Counties
A judge has ordered North Carolina election officials to extend the deadline to register to vote in 36 eastern counties of the state because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Matthew. The order Friday came in response to a lawsuit filed by the North Carolina Democratic Party.
The party sued State Board of Elections executive director Kim Strach in county court Friday, which is the current deadline for voter registration. A hearing on a request to extend registration to next Wednesday was held Friday afternoon.
Strach decided earlier last week to keep the Friday deadline, but told county boards to accept registration applications mailed to them until Wednesday afternoon as long as the applications were dated Friday.
State Says Minimal Coal Ash Disturbed At Wayne County Plant
State inspectors say that erosion from Hurricane Matthew caused only a small amount of coal ash to be released from an inactive storage basin in Wayne County.
The Department of Environmental Quality issued a news release on Saturday saying the amount of coal ash was less than would fit in the bed of a pickup truck. State inspectors say the structure remains intact despite some erosion.
Duke Energy said the material remained very close to the basin.
The state was notified Friday of the erosion at the H.F. Lee plant near the Neuse River.
Duke Energy has said that floodwater rose over inactive basins covered in shrubs, trees and other plants.
The company also said that testing of the river nearby didn't show measurable amounts of coal ash constituents.
North Carolina Buildings Take $1.5B Hit From Matthew Floods
North Carolina estimates that flooding from Hurricane Matthew has caused $1.5 billion in damage to 100,000 homes, businesses and government buildings.
The estimate released late Saturday is part of a growing picture of the storm's financial impact on the state.
John Dorman, an assistant state emergency management director, says computer modeling combined property records, topography and stream gauges to estimate how many feet of water affected a given building — and how much damage the water caused.
With floodwaters yet to recede in some communities, he says the number could fluctuate.
Brees leads Saints past slumping Panthers, 41-38
Drew Brees passed for 465 yards and four touchdowns, Wil Lutz kicked a 52-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, and the New Orleans Saints pulled out a 41-38 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
With his 15th 400-yard game, Brees broke a tie with Peyton Manning for the most all time in the regular season.
Brees also led the Saints (2-3) to a second straight victory while Carolina lost its fourth straight despite the return of quarterback Cam Newton, who missed last week's loss to Tampa Bay because of a concussion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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