Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning. Click here to sign-up.
Charges Against Jose Charles Dropped
Charges against a Greensboro teenager involved in a controversial incident with police have been dropped. The case of 16-year-old Jose Charles led to demands of increased transparency in the city.
Charles was taken into custody following a confrontation with police during a city July 4 celebration last year. He was charged with four crimes, including resisting and assaulting an officer.
Police say they acted appropriately during the arrest. Supporters have questioned that. Last week, they shut down a city council meeting, pushing for the release of police body cam footage.
In court, the charges connected to the confrontation were dismissed after Charles pleaded guilty to unrelated breaking and entering offenses.
Duke Energy Spars With Civil Rights Museum Over Power Bills
Duke Energy could cut power to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in a dispute over an $18,000 credit deposit. Museum officials have turned to the North Carolina Utilities Commission for help.
Museum officials sent a letter to the Commission in April, asking it to block Duke's attempt to collect the deposit, and suggesting that the company is meddling in Greensboro race relations and colluding with city officials.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan issued a statement Thursday saying the dispute between the museum and Duke Energy is a "private matter." She said statements suggesting the city was involved are "completely baseless.”
Museum CEO John Swaine says Duke turned off the museum's lights for several hours in February - the museum's busiest period because of Black History Month. He says the nonprofit's account is now current.
Senate Gives Final OK To Budget Plan; Debate Heads To House
The North Carolina Senate has completed work on its state budget proposal for the next two years.
The Republican-controlled Senate gave final approval to its spending plan early Friday. The vote margin was similar to a party-line vote Thursday evening, when the chamber gave its initial OK. The budget debate next heads to the House.
Legislature Overrides Veto Of NC Hog Farm Protection
The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature has again overridden a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, this one on legislation limiting civil awards for neighbors who sue hog and chicken operations because of displeasure from the smells nearby.
The Senate completed the override Thursday, a day after the House also agreed the bill should become law despite Cooper's objections.
The measure covers private nuisance actions against farming and forestry operations by restricting compensatory damages by those who sue over the animal waste and odors.
Civil Rights Should Be Part Of UNC's Mission, Speakers Say
The head of a center founded at the University of North Carolina to represent the poor and disenfranchised says those who want to strip the center of its ability to file lawsuits should consider the school's history.
Ted Shaw spoke Thursday in Chapel Hill about the proposal that would affect institutions such as the UNC Center for Civil Rights and law clinics at N.C. Central University in Durham. Shaw is director of the UNC center.
Shaw pointed out that UNC still protects the statue known as "Silent Sam," which honors students who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. He says it should balance that training with a new generations of civil rights lawyers, who need in-courtroom experience.
Mayor Of North Carolina City Found Dead At Home
The mayor of Hickory has been found dead at his home.
Hickory City Manager Warren Wood said in a news release that police found Mayor Rudy Wright dead at his home around 2:40 p.m. Thursday.
Wood said in the release that while police are investigating the mayor's death, there are no indications of suspicious circumstances.
Wright had served as the city's mayor since 2001.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.