BASNIGHT-RESOLUTION

Late NC political giant Basnight remembered by ex-colleagues

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former colleagues of the late Senate leader Marc Basnight gathered to remember his contributions to North Carolina and view a portrait to hang in the Senate chamber. Gov. Roy Cooper was among more than 30 former senators who attended a floor meeting Tuesday that passed a resolution in memory of Basnight. He died in December at age 73. The Outer Banks Democrat served nine two-year terms as Senate president pro tempore, making him the longest-serving head of a legislative body in North Carolina history. Former colleagues recalled his commitment to higher education, health care and the environment. 

MAN DEAD-FRONT YARD

Police find North Carolina man shot to death in front yard

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina police department says a man was found shot to death in the front yard of his home. Winston-Salem police said in a news release on Monday that officers responding to a call south of downtown found 23-year-old Nicolas McGregor lying in a front yard with apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and pronounced McGregor dead. So far, there have been no arrests in the case. Police say McGregor’s death marks the 25th homicide in Winston-Salem in 2021, compared to 23 at the same time in 2020.

FRAUD CHARGE-REFUND SCHEME

Prosecutors: Man defrauded Amazon out of $290,000 by returns

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice say a North Carolina man scammed Amazon out of nearly $300,000 by seeking refunds for products that he never actually returned. The Charlotte Observer reports court filings show Hudson Hamrick of Charlotte was charged Monday with wire fraud. Hamrick is accused of making more than 300 fraudulent transactions between October 2016 and some time last year. According to charging documents, Hamrick would order an expensive product from Amazon, file a return and receive a full refund. But the product he sent back was a cheaper version that was often broken and worth less than what he received.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA

Union Co. to comply with COVID protocols amid lawsuit threat

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Union County Public Schools said Monday it will follow COVID-19 quarantining procedures the state is requiring. The development came a week after the school district allowed most of its more than 7,000 quarantined students to go back into the classroom before their 14-day isolation period had expired as long as they weren’t symptomatic or infected. The district remains one of a small handful in the state not compelling students or staff to wear masks. The local school board has also decided to let the county health department assume primary responsibility for contact tracing.

ALCOHOL BOARD CHAIRMAN

Head of North Carolina alcohol board resigns, cites stress

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The chairman of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has resigned from the board, citing anxiety over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the agency’s recent challenges with liquor distribution. A.D. “Zander” Guy submitted his resignation on Friday to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. He was at the job for over four years. WBTV first reported Guy’s resignation. He told The Associated Press on Monday that recent events led he and his wife to reassess his service, including the liquor supply troubles and the deaths of people around him due to COVID-19. He previously served as chairman while Beverly Perdue was governor. 

HOUSE FIRE-ASSAULT CHARGE

North Carolina man accused of assaulting firemen during fire

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man who they say assaulted firefighters as they fought a fire at his North Carolina home. News outlets report the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office says firefighters were inside a home in Belvoir on Sept. 9 when a man identified as 40-year-old Desmond Spencer entered and began fighting them. The sheriff’s office says a deputy used a taser to subdue the homeowner after a struggle. Deputies arrested Spencer and charged him with assault on a government official and probation violation. He’s jailed on a $35,000 bond and it’s not known if he has an attorney.

FATAL SHOOTING-WOMAN’S DEATH

Police: North Carolina woman fatally shot, hit by car

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Police say a woman in a North Carolina city has died after she was shot and hit by a car. Greensboro police say in a news release that officers responding to a call about an assault on Sunday found 33-year-old Keyoka Robinson lying in the street with a gunshot wound. Police say Robinson, who died at a local hospital, was also hit by a car while she was in the roadway, but investigators don’t believe that Robinson being hit by the car contributed to her death. Police said the driver of the car remained at the scene and wasn’t charged.

HEAD-ON CRASH-TWO KILLED

Two dead in head-on collision in North Carolina city

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Police say two people were killed in a head-on collision in a North Carolina city. Winston-Salem police say in a news release that a car driven by 23-year-old William Gentry Bates was traveling east on Hanes Mall Boulevard on Sunday evening when his car crossed the center median and collided head-on with a car driven by 60-year-old Michael Brent Sutton. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Police say a passenger in the car driven by Bates was hospitalized with serious injuries. Investigators don’t know why Bates crossed the center line.

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