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Amber Alert Issued For Missing Forsyth County Girl
An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 15-year-old Forsyth County girl, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Cassidy Ann Bottoms is believed to be abducted by two men and was last seen in Winston-Salem.
Bottoms is described as standing 5'1″ and weighing around 114 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black tube top, gray and blue palm tree leggings and black Converse shoes. She also has a scar on her left lower lip.
Deputies believe Deshawn Townes and Joffey Cutler took her and that the group may be riding in a silver 2010 Nissan Altima with North Carolina plate BBP-4246.
Anyone with information about Bottoms' whereabouts is asked to contact the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office at (336) 727-2112 or call 911.
Public Employee Pension, Health Benefits Phase-Out Debated
Some North Carolina state senators are trying to phase out traditional public employee pensions and government retiree health coverage to prevent the state's shortfall for those financial obligations from worsening.
Senate Republicans revived debate Wednesday over the future of employee retirement benefits by discussing their bill in committee.
The state has unfunded retiree health coverage liabilities, and there's also a gap between pension funds now in hand and what the state's obligated to pay current and future retiree pensioners. Those financial obligations total roughly $60 billion.
Officials Investigate Death Of Inmate At Forsyth County Jail
State and local authorities are investigating the death of an inmate held in a North Carolina jail.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports a statement from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office says 39-year-old Deshawn Lamont Coley experienced a medical problem on Tuesday and became unresponsive.
According to the sheriff's office, medical personnel were summoned and performed CPR, but Coley couldn't be revived. His body was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for a post-mortem examination.
Coley was serving a six-month sentence following his conviction on April 20 for driving while intoxicated.
Anheuser-Busch Purchases Wicked Weed Craft Brewery
Anheuser-Busch will purchase North Carolina brewery Wicked Weed and add it to its craft and import brand unit.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reports the beverage giant announced the acquisition Wednesday. Wicked Weed, established in 2012, will join brands such as Stella Artois and Devils Backbone in The High End business unit, founded in 2015.
Wicked Weed co-founder and head blender Walt Dickinson says the Asheville brewery doesn't anticipate major changes or limitation to its creative freedom and will continue to retain significant autonomy upon finalization of the sale.
The North Carolina brewery has created nearly 600 different beers since its founding. It owns and operates four facilities in Asheville.
Poison Center Cites Jump In Snake Bites In North Carolina
The number of North Carolina residents bitten by snakes in April increased nearly four-fold over the same period in 2016, and officials say mild winter weather may be to blame.
The Carolinas Poison Control Center says in a news release that it received 71 calls about snake bites last month, compared to 19 calls in April 2016.
According to the release, the center receives about 10 times the number of calls about copperhead bites than all other snake species combined. Copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and the coral snake are the venomous species native to North Carolina. The center said copperheads are the most plentiful.
Wake Forest Dismisses QB Kearns For Breaking Team Rules
Wake Forest has dismissed backup quarterback Kyle Kearns from the team for a violation of team rules.
Coach Dave Clawson announced the dismissal Wednesday. The school's news release didn't specify the nature of the violation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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