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Vaughan, Wagner Among Winners In Municipal Elections

Results are in from Tuesday's municipal elections.

In Greensboro, incumbent Mayor Nancy Vaughan cruised to a third term, defeating challenger Diane Moffett. In complete but unofficial results, Vaughan won with more than 60 percent of the vote, a feat she also accomplished during the primary last month.

Jay Wagner defeated Bruce Davis to win the High Point mayoral race in one of last night's closest contests.

In Forsyth County, John Wait won the race for mayor of Clemmons, fending off a write-in campaign by former village manager Larry Kirby.

In Charlotte's mayoral race, Vi Lyles handily defeated Kenny Smith, becoming the first African-American woman to run North Carolina's largest city. And In Raleigh, unaffiliated incumbent Nancy McFarlane won a fourth term as mayor of the state's capital city.

Senate Panel On Judiciary's Future Considering Proposed Maps

A proposal by North Carolina House Republicans to redo election districts for trial court judges and local prosecutors is getting a first formal look from the Senate.

A Senate committee created to consider the redrawn lines and other potential judicial election changes meets for the first time Wednesday.

The Republican-controlled panel planned to review the boundaries for Superior and District court seats and for district attorneys that the full House approved last month. At a later meeting, senators are expected to debate whether current head-to-head elections for judgeships should be replaced with a "merit-selection" system, or perhaps be held more frequently.

NC Appeals Court: Lawmakers Can OK Governor's Top Aides

A North Carolina appeals court agrees that state lawmakers can have the last word on confirming Gov. Roy Cooper's top aides.

The state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lower court correctly rejected Cooper's challenge to a new law passed weeks after his election last year. The state Senate unanimously confirmed all eight of Cooper's secretaries this year.

The appeals court agreed that legislators have the power of "advice and consent" of the governor's picks to run agencies. That's similar to Congress's role in reviewing the president's picks for top posts.

Appeals Court Orders New Trial For Convicted Killer

The North Carolina Court of Appeals is ordering a new trial for a man convicted of murder, saying eyewitnesses identified the man after prosecutors improperly led them in naming him.

The Times-News of Burlington reports the court voted 2-1 on Tuesday that Brandon Malone's conviction last year for murder was tainted because two eyewitnesses were improperly shown videos and photographs of Malone about two weeks before the trial.

Malone was convicted last year for first-degree murder in the October 2012 death of Kevette Jones.

Winston-Salem Police Seek Suspect In 2013 Strangulation

Police in Winston-Salem are hoping to identify a suspect in the 2013 strangulation of a woman who died almost a year ago.

Police say that 41-year-old Anita Tuit was found unresponsive in her home in February 2013 after what investigators called a "vicious assault."

Police said Tuit never regained the ability to speak and died at a long-term care facility in Greensboro on Dec. 31. The medical examiner said Monday that her death resulted from the assault.

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