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Judicial Changes Won't Be Acted On Next Week

A North Carolina Senate committee wants debate to continue over replacing judicial election districts and altering how judges are selected in the state.

The debate would continue under a new panel comprised of both House and Senate members.

The Senate-only committee voted Wednesday to ask Senate leader Phil Berger to work with the House to create a new joint panel. The Senate's decision means judicial issues won't be considered during a special General Assembly session next week. Senate Rules Committee Chairman Bill Rabon said more time is needed to get bipartisan support.

Triad-Wide Drug Bust Yields 'Unprecedented' Amount Of Heroin

Law enforcement officials say they've seized an unprecedented amount of heroin in the Triad. Multiple agencies across the region collaborated on the bust.

The six-month drug trafficking investigation led to 10 arrests and the dismantling of a major criminal organization. Eleven kilos of pure heroin were confiscated, alongside eight kilos of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana.

The State Bureau of Investigation partnered with Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Thomasville police departments on the operation. The Guilford and Davidson County sheriff's offices were also involved.

In addition to the narcotics, officers seized guns, cash, cars and jewels appraised at over $400,000.

Forecasters Say Worst-Case Scenario Occurring

The National Weather Service says the worst-case scenarios for snowfall in eastern North Carolina are materializing.

The weather service office in Raleigh said Wednesday it was receiving reports of 3 inches or more of snow in areas southeast of the city. As a result, forecasters expanded a winter-storm warning and increased snowfall totals for the Sandhills region.

According to the latest forecast, accumulations between 2 and 4 inches are expected to lead to hazardous travel conditions in the areas including Moore, Lee, Harnett, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties.

Major snow accumulation is not expected in the Triad, where the main issue will be the wind chill.

Triad Mother, Child Sue DC Police

A Greensboro woman and her son who were pepper-sprayed during protests at last year's presidential inauguration in Washington have joined a lawsuit against the District of Columbia police department.

The News & Observer reports a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in June was amended Wednesday to add Gwen Frisbie-Fulton and her son, who was 10 on Jan. 20, 2016.

The lawsuit accuses officers with the District's Metropolitan Police Department of corralling protesters into a detention area before arresting them. It also says they failed to give a dispersal order before using pepper spray and flash-bang grenades on demonstrators, violating the District's First Amendment Assemblies Act.

Forecasters See NC Continuing Steady Business Growth In 2018

North Carolina corporate and economic leaders predict jobs and company profits will continue to see steady, diverse growth in 2018 even without landing a Toyota auto factory or Amazon headquarters, decisions expected to be announced within months.

The forecasts Wednesday were part of an annual forum organized by the North Carolina Chamber and the state's bankers.

Top state business recruiter Christopher Chung says North Carolina's biggest advantage is that after decades of population growth, the state keeps attracting more and more talented people. Chung says companies are interested in tapping that deepening pool of skilled workers.

Four of the state's top economists agreed that jobs and wages in North Carolina and nationally should increase because of the corporate tax cuts passed by Republicans in Washington last month.

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