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Wintry Weather Arrives In The Triad

An Arctic wave of wintry weather is expected to spread snow across the width of North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast.

Schools closed early Tuesday from the Tennessee border to Asheville ahead of the rush of snow and cold. Forecasters said up to 4 inches could fall in central North Carolina, with a couple of inches expected around Raleigh and father east.

Gov. Roy Cooper declared a statewide emergency Tuesday to allow him to deploy resources ahead of trouble.

Wintry weather is expected to continue in the Triad until midday, with 1-3 more inches of snow expected.

Federal Judges Won't Delay Requiring North Carolina Remap

Judges who struck down North Carolina's congressional map for excessive partisanship have refused to delay their order telling Republican state lawmakers to draw new lines by next week.

Tuesday's decision by the three-judge federal panel was expected, given that the judges wrote 200-plus pages last week explaining why the boundaries are illegal political gerrymanders violating the U.S. Constitution.

GOP legislators already have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the order's enforcement. That request is pending.

Health Chief: Progress Underway At Mental Health Agency

North Carolina's top health official says she's pleased with changes underway at a regional mental health agency her department took over temporarily following a string of spending and executive compensation decisions slammed by auditors and lawmakers.

Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen updated a General Assembly oversight committee Tuesday on what's happening at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions. The Cardinal board of directors was replaced last month but Cohen says the 20 members have not yet been seated while they received training.

Cohen did not give a specific date when Cardinal's new board and its executive team would formally take the agency's reins again but says the time is getting close. She says top Cardinal management is developing a corrective plan designed to ensure past problems don't recur.

Commission: Former Trooper Must Pay $1.2M For Fatal Wreck

A former state Highway Patrol trooper has been ordered to pay more than $1 million for actions that caused a fatal wreck almost eight years ago.

The News & Record reports a deputy commissioner for the North Carolina Industrial Commission ordered the payment for a wreck in May 2010 on Interstate 85 in Guilford County.

Killed in the wreck were 55-year-old Sandra Allmond and 9-year-old Taylor Strange.

Former Trooper J.D. Goodnight was ordered to pay more than $1.2 million to the Allmond family. Evidence showed that the trooper's car was traveling at 95 mph when it hit the car driven by Sandra Allmond.

Court: Judges Must Offer Chance To Object To Attorney Fees

A North Carolina court says convicted criminals can dispute the cost for their court-appointed attorney with a judge if they're told to pay up.

The state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that trial judges must tell defendants they can challenge their attorneys' fees.

The court said defendants are told to let their lawyer do their talking during the trial, so they might not know they can voice objections if they think their attorney is charging fees that are unreasonable for the time or effort involved in the case.

The decision comes in the case of Charles Friend, who was convicted in Catawba County of burglary and stabbing a friend. He was told to pay $1,750 for his lawyer and is serving a sentence of more than five years.

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