DWI charges pending after 3 hurt in crash tied to NC Central homecoming 4:20 AM (4 minutes ago)
ROUGEMONT, N.C. (WNCN) – A driver is facing pending charges after a late-night crash near the Orange County-Person County border sent three people to the hospital on Wednesday, troopers said.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Gray Road just north of Berry Road in Orange County.
The driver was traveling on the roadway before hitting an unoccupied parked vehicle on the shoulder of the road and overturning, NCSHP officials said.
All occupants in the car were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but their injuries are not considered life-threatening, troopers said.
NCSHP officials confirmed that this crash was tied to a large party connected to North Carolina Central University’s homecoming festivities. It’s unknown at this time whether the victims are students or not.
Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash, and driving while impaired charges are currently pending against the driver, according to NCSHP officials.
South Carolina warns new SNAP benefits won't arrive if government shutdown continues 4:15 AM (9 minutes ago)
(WSPA) - The South Carolina Department of Social Services is warning SNAP beneficiaries will not receive their benefits in November if the federal government shutdown continues.
Around 260,000 South Carolina households currently receive SNAP benefits to help pay for food each month.
"Until there is a resolution in Washington, D.C. and the federal government is funded and reopens, SCDSS will not be able to provide the federally funded benefits to new and ongoing SNAP households until further notice," the agency said Wednesday.
DSS said SNAP households can continue to use their EBT card with existing funds at approved SNAP retailers.
The agency also suggested carefully budgeting any remaining funds from previous months and looking to local food banks and food pantries for assistance.
They also suggested locking their EBT cards when not in use, changing their PIN frequently, and turning off the ability to use EBT cards for out-of-state purchases.
To manage your EBT card, visit the South Carolina EBT cardholder portal or use the Connect EBT mobile app.
Trump suggests government owes him 'a lot of money' for federal probes 4:14 AM (10 minutes ago)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has suggested he's entitled to compensation from the federal government over investigations he faced that he claims were politically motivated. Now, the Justice Department that Trump has exerted control over could approve a hefty payout in taxpayer dollars.
The Republican president's comments in the Oval Office on Tuesday have put a spotlight on a law through which people can seek damages if they believe they were wronged by the federal government.
But the potential that the president might take taxpayer money from the same government he leads has raised numerous ethical questions, especially since Trump has made cutting federal spending a top administration priority.
Adding to conflict-of-interest concerns is the fact that top Justice Department officials who would presumably have to sign off on such a settlement previously served as a defense lawyer for the president or his close allies.
Here's a look at Trump's claims and the process that could play out:
How the claims process works
Before reclaiming the White House, Trump filed two claims with the Justice Department seeking $230 million in damages related to the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago property for classified documents and for a separate investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
He filed the claims in 2023 and 2024 under a law that permits individuals to sue federal agencies, like the Justice Department, if they believe they’ve been harmed by employees of those agencies acting within the scope of their duties. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, individuals must first file an administrative claim with the government agency. The agency then has six months to either settle the claim or deny it outright.
If the agency denies the claim or doesn't act on it within that time frame, the person can then file a federal lawsuit. Trump has not yet filed a lawsuit on either claim, even though six months have passed.
The usual source of payments for claims against the government is from what’s known as the Judgment Fund. Treasury Department records show payments from the Judgment Fund over the last year on behalf of a slew of federal agencies related to discrimination claims, violations of the Privacy Act and other matters.
In one recent high-profile case, the Justice Department in 2024 agreed to pay more than $138 million to settle 139 administrative claims brought by people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016.
Why Trump says the government owes him money
Trump has long claimed he was the victim of a weaponized Justice Department that targeted him for political purposes. The Biden administration's Justice Department abandoned both criminal cases it brought against Trump after his White House victory last November because of department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
The president signaled his interest in compensation during a White House appearance last week with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi — telling reporters “I'm suing myself” — even though his claims to date have not been filed as lawsuits. He said he believes the government owes him a “lot of money,” but suggested he could donate any taxpayer money or use it to help pay for a ballroom he’s building at the White House.
One of the administrative claims, filed in August 2024 and reviewed by The Associated Press, seeks $115 million in compensatory and punitive damages over the search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and the resulting case alleging he hoarded classified documents and thwarted government efforts to retrieve them.
It accuses former Attorney General Merrick Garland, former FBI Director Christopher Wray and Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith of harassing and targeting Trump with a “malicious prosecution” in an effort to hurt Trump's bid to reclaim the White House.
The Times said the other claim seeks damages related to the long-concluded Trump-Russia investigation, which continues to infuriate the president.
Defense lawyers for Trump and his allies could have the final say
Trump's claims have raised thorny ethical issues because under Justice Department policy, proposed settlements of more than $4 million must be approved by the deputy attorney general or associate attorney general. Blanche, the deputy attorney general, was one of Trump’s lead defense lawyers in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. And Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward represented Trump’s valet and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the same case.
The department has not said whether Blanche and Woodward would be recused in settlement talks, but said in a statement on Tuesday that “in any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials.” Bondi, in July, however, fired the department’s top official responsible for advising the attorney general and deputy attorney general on ethics issues.
Democrats plan to investigate
Democrats pounced on the news, announcing that Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, would launch an investigation into what they called a “shakedown” that violated the Constitution.
It was not immediately clear what shape that inquiry might take, but it seems unlikely that Raskin or other Democrats will get any cooperation from Justice Department leadership, particularly in the aftermath of a combative congressional appearance that Bondi made earlier this month.
Average family health insurance plan now costs $27k 4:11 AM (13 minutes ago)
(The Hill) — The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance rose for the third year in a row in 2025, approaching an average of almost $27,000 for a family plan, according to an annual survey from KFF released Wednesday.
Family premiums are up 6 percent, or $1,408, from last year, more than double the rate of inflation and similar to the 7 percent increase recorded in each of the previous two years.
On average, workers contributed $6,850 annually to the cost of family coverage, with employers paying the rest.
The annual survey of more than 1,800 small and large employers offers a snapshot of workplace-sponsored health insurance across the country. Nearly half the U.S. population — about 154 million people younger than 65 years — receive health care coverage through their job.
The large increase in premiums is being driven primarily by increased spending on health care. According to the survey, employers are singling out drug prices as a factor contributing to higher premiums in recent years.
Significant shares of firms also cited the prevalence of chronic disease, higher utilization of services and hospital prices.
Among firms with more than 200 employees, more than a third said prescription drug prices contributed “a great deal” to higher premiums in recent years. Chief among them are the popular GLP-1 drugs, which include the weight-loss treatments Wegovy and Zepbound.
Among the biggest firms — those with at least 5,000 workers — 43 percent said they cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss in their largest plan, up from 28 percent in 2024.
“There is a quiet alarm bell going off. With GLP-1s, increases in hospital prices, tariffs and other factors, we expect employer premiums to rise more sharply next year,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a statement.
But the cost of health insurance is more than just premiums. The average deductible for an individual plan is now almost $1,900, compared to $1,773 last year. On average, workers at small firms face deductibles almost $1,000 higher than workers at larger firms.
More than half of covered workers at small firms now face a deductible of at least $2,000, and more than a third face an average single deductible of at least $3,000, the survey found.
KFF said it expects deductibles and other forms of cost-sharing may climb as companies look to push more costs of medical care onto employees.
“Employers have nothing new in their arsenal that can address most of the drivers of their cost increases, and that could well result in an increase in deductibles and other forms of employee cost sharing again, a strategy that neither employers nor employees like but companies resort to in a pinch to hold down premium increases,” Altman said.
Former Charlotte Hornets star arrested in FBI gambling probe 3:59 AM (25 minutes ago)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP) — Former Charlotte Hornets star Terry Rozier was arrested early Thursday as part of an FBI probe into sports betting, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
FBI Director Kash Patel is holding a press conference alongside the Eastern District of New York, announcing the arrests at 10 a.m.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Rozier was under federal investigation in connection with an illegal sports betting scheme in January.
Rozier, who played for the Hornets from 2019 until 2024, is part of a large federal investigation into a group of bettors accused of rigging professional sports games.
Rozier was traded to the Miami Heat in January 2024 and is still currently a part of their roster. The same investigation has already led to one former NBA player, Jontay Porter, facing criminal charges and a prison sentence as well as a lifetime ban from the NBA.
Porter is accused of intentionally manipulating his performance for financial gain and providing confidential information to bettors.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the same group of bettors who arranged for Porter to fix games used “inside information” to wager large amounts of money against Rozier while he played for the Hornets.
The game in question took place on March 23, 2023, at the Smoothie King Center, where the Hornets faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans won the game by a score of 115-96. Rozier, at the time one of the Hornets’ best players, only played 10 minutes before leaving the game with a sore right foot and finished with 5 points. Rozier went on to miss the remainder of Charlotte’s game that season with the injury.
A copy of that day’s injury report from the NBA shows that Rozier was not listed as an injured player for the Hornets heading into that game.
During the 2022-23 season, Rozier played an average of 35.3 minutes per game and averaged 21.1 points per game, according to Basketball-Reference.
The Wall Street Journal reports that sportsbooks were notified of strange activity on “under” bets placed on Rozier to not meet certain benchmarks, such as total points scored or rebounds recorded in that March 2023 game and many stopped accepting bets on Rozier.
Dry, windy conditions; fire danger in the Triad on Thursday 2:38 AM (last hour)
PIEDMONT TRIAD, N.C. (WGHP) — Dry, windy conditions will develop again today, bringing an increased fire danger to the state. Please refrain from burning outdoors.
Sunny skies return to the forecast today and highs will be seasonable, near 68 degrees by this afternoon. A fast-moving area of low pressure is forecast to zip across the state today and it may kick up a few clouds in the late afternoon.
Tonight, skies will stay mostly clear with lows near 40 degrees.
Sunshine takes over for one more day, on Friday! It will be cooler with highs in the mid-60s.
We'll start with sunny skies Saturday morning, but we will end the day with partly cloudy conditions. Sunday is going to be mostly cloudy. Highs both days will be in the lower-60s.
Cloudy, cool conditions are expected as we start the new work week, and showers are going to start to become more likely. Shower chances hover between 50% and 70% Monday through Wednesday, though rain will probably be quite light, amounting to between 1/2 inch and 1 inch over the three-day period. Highs are going to be quite cool, in the mid-50s.
Greensboro mayoral candidates respond to questions on public safety 22 Oct 7:04 PM (9 hours ago)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) -- Marikay Abuzaiter or Robbie Perkins are set to serve as the new mayor of Greensboro as decided by the election on Nov. 4.
The pair sat next to each other on Wednesday night to take questions as part of a mayoral forum hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Greensboro News and Record.
Each candidate is experienced in Greensboro government, but they do have different views on the future of Greensboro and were given pre-screened questions from News and Record staffers.
These are just a sample of what each said on several issues. The newspaper recorded the event.
On homelessness, Perkins said the issue is "gnawing at the community."
“We need to help the homeless people come out of homelessness," Abuzaiter said. "We don’t just want to give them a Band-Aid and give them a meal without seeing what they need.”
On major crime, Abuzaiter said there needs to be no more homicides in Greensboro.
“I personally go out with the Mothers Standing Against Gun Violence because they know the families who have lost people to those gun violence and homicide incidents," she said.
“The biggest threat that we have at this point is obviously gun violence … You’ve also got to look at why it’s happening: gangs, drugs, and ... domestic violence," Perkins said.
On officer-involved shooting settlements:
When asked about officer-involved shooting settlements, Perkins went on to say, “In my era, we didn’t settle many lawsuits. But today is a different time, a different place.”
Abuzaiter said the issue is complicated.
"We might pay $20 million to fight that case even if we believe the officer did no wrong," she said.
Both candidates said they support the greenway and want to make it safe.
Preservation group urges pause in White House East Wing demolition 22 Oct 5:50 PM (10 hours ago)
(The Hill) — A preservation group is pushing for a pause in the demolition of the East Wing of the White House for a $250 million ballroom proposed by President Trump.
“We respectfully urge the Administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes,” National Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Carol Quillen said in a Tuesday statement.
The destruction of a portion of the White House’s East Wing to create the ballroom has hit a nerve among critics, who view it as an overhaul of a historic building for a flashy pet project.
On Monday, photos of an excavator tearing into the White House went viral, resulting in the latest outrage about the president’s efforts to quickly remake Washington, D.C., in his preferred image.
The White House rebuffed criticism of the recent demolition of part of the East Wing on Tuesday, calling it “manufactured outrage.”
In a press release, the White House alleged that the press was “clutching their pearls” over Trump’s planned ballroom, referring to it as “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and renovations.”
The Treasury Department told staff not to share images of the demolition, with employees of the department having a front-seat view of the construction.
Quillen on Tuesday expressed worries that the renovation will change the design of the building.
“We acknowledge the utility of a larger meeting space at the White House, but we are deeply concerned that the massing and height of the proposed new construction will overwhelm the White House itself—it is 55,000 square feet—and may also permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House,” Quillen said in the Tuesday statement.
The Hill has reached out to the National Park Service and White House for comment.
Preparation underway for Lexington Barbecue Festival 22 Oct 3:13 PM (13 hours ago)
LEXINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) -- The Lexington Barbecue Festival returns on Saturday, drawing large crowds for a taste of Lexington-style barbecue.
Restaurants are now getting ready to serve up hundreds of plates.
The countdown is on for three local staples, Speedy’s Barbecue, The Barbecue Center and Stamey’s Barbecue, as they get ready to feed large crowds that will be in the city for the barbecue festival.
“We have to get a lot of things together, but for slaw and dip and cooking the meat all night Friday night ... We've done it so many times ... We pretty much got it down pat. All we need is the customers,” Speedy’s Barbecue Owner Roy Dunn said.
Roy has been part of the festival since the very beginning, watching it grow from a small local event to one that now draws thousands to Main Street in Uptown Lexington.
“I've been in every one of them. I’ll be 80 years old here pretty soon,” Roy said.
His wife, Ella Dunn, said the final stretch before the festival is always the busiest time of year, and they couldn’t do it without a hardworking team.
“We just appreciate everybody that comes to the festival and keeps us going," Ella said.
So far, they’re prepping everything but the meat. That starts cooking Friday night. They met with festival organizers early Wednesday morning to go over final details ahead of Saturday.
“We're just touching base as far as making sure everything's on go ... It's still a little bit of stress and strain on us doing it because it's over and above what we normally do, but I'm looking forward to it,” Roy said.
Visitors are now starting to arrive in the city ahead of Saturday’s big event.
“We have people that come from all over the United States ... So far, we've talked to several families and couples from out of state this week that are spending the week with us here. But I would say the majority of people coming to the festival are coming from out of town,” Lexington Tourism Authority Executive Director Morgan Brinkle said.
The 41st Barbecue Festival has something for everyone, from live music to crafts, family activities and plenty of Lexington-style barbecue.
“We've, historically, seen as many as 200,000 people in town for the day for our one-day barbecue festival, and we just love to see how it's developed and grown,” Brinkle said.
The Lexington Barbecue Festival kicks off Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 5:30 p.m. on Main Street.
Admission is free.
There will be more than 250 vendors and six entertainment stages, and barbecue tents will be set up across nearly nine blocks.
High Point neighbors concerned after homes shot into on Wingo Street: 'If I didn’t get up, I probably would be dead' 22 Oct 3:06 PM (13 hours ago)
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) -- A High Point community is on edge after two homes next to each other were shot at.
The shootings happened along Wingo Street on Monday and Wednesday. Both happened early in the morning.
Many people were startled out of bed. The victims of Monday's shooting are so terrified, they are packing their bags and moving.
As for the people who live in the house that was shot at on Wednesday morning, they say they are lucky that they were not hit.
"It was surreal," a victim said.
There are 10 bullet holes in the living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
The man who lives in the home did not want to show his face on camera out of fear as the suspect is still at large.
He said he was watching TV on the couch and his wife was still in bed when he heard the gunfire.
“It sounded like a warzone … I hollered at my wife and told her to hit the floor," the victim said.
High Point police say the shooting happened at around 5:35 a.m. The victim said it lasted about 15 seconds.
The shooting comes after the house next door was shot at on Monday morning. Teledio Nixon was hit.
“Why? That’s my main question. We are people that just go out and mind our own business,” Nixon said.
Nixon has to live with more than just fear.
“I am already disabled. Now, I can’t use both hands properly,” Nixon said.
Nixon and his family are terrified, and they are moving out.
“The bullet holes went through my pillow on my bed. It went through the walls. If I didn’t get up, I probably would be dead,” Nixon said.
Police say they are still trying to figure out if both shootings are related.
They said a witness from Wednesday's shooting reported seeing a white car. After listening to 911 calls reporting Monday's shooting, FOX8 heard another witness also reporting seeing a white car.
Triad man charged in multi-county child sex crimes investigation 22 Oct 10:49 AM (17 hours ago)
DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A Piedmont Triad man was arrested and charged following a child sex crimes investigation involving multiple counties, according to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
On Oct. 14, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office contacted the Davidson County Sheriff's Office about a child sex crimes investigation in which Shane Dalton York, 33, was accused of committing sex crime offenses across multiple counties.
Following interviews conducted between Oct. 15 and Oct. 17 and with gathered evidence, detectives with the DCSO and ICSO determined York engaged in unlawful sexual activity with at least one juvenile victim in Davidson, Iredell and Stokes Counties.
York was arrested by the DCSO on Friday and charged with three counts of statutory rape of a child and four counts of indecent liberties with a child.
The ICSO also charged York with human trafficking of a child victim, two counts of statutory rape of a child and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.
York was placed in the Davidson County Detention Center with no bond. He is scheduled to appear in Davidson County District Court on Dec. 5 and in Iredell County District Court on December 17.
The investigation is ongoing.
Who is the 'Little Red Man' that haunts Old Salem? 22 Oct 10:38 AM (17 hours ago)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — "Three stories," said Eric Elliott. "Three different time periods."
Eric Elliott was the archivist for the Moravian Archives of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church. During his time as archivist, he collected stories and histories, relying on old documents and records to paint a picture of life in Salem throughout the years.
But there are some stories, no matter how well-documented they are, that may leave you with more questions than answers.
In 2020, Elliott joined FOX8 anchor/reporter Michael Hennessey on a walk through Old Salem and imparted three stories from long before Winston and Salem became one.
The 'Little Red Man'
Old Salem has largely gone unchanged since the 1700s, and, as it turns out, the historical town has more than a few skeletons in its closet.
In 1766, the town's earliest settlers felled the first tree in what would become Salem, North Carolina. It was the third settlement built by the Moravians in Forsyth County with plans to be a church community owned by the church.
"Everybody who lived here had to be church members," Elliott said. "The idea was that, from here, evangelism would spread, commerce would spread to help support the church and its work with missionaries around the world."
What you have to know about early Salem is that, unlike a lot of the Moravian communities in Europe that were focused on communal living, the Moravians began building individual family homes. To keep unmarried men and women apart, there was a "single brothers' house" on one side of the square and a "single sister's house" on the other.
As the community grew, the Moravians began work to expand the single brother's house in 1786. Andreas Kremser was one of those single brothers in Salem. While he was a shoemaker by trade, he stepped in to help expand the initial single brothers' house deeper down, carving a sub-basement in the grounds below the home.
"They had a basement floor, but they wanted to go a little bit deeper for extra storage for the brothers," Elliott said. "In the process of building that sub-basement, they would undercut a bank, a natural bank, and then let the bank fall over on top of itself. That's a little dicey because you have to know how much weight is on the bank, how stable the soil is.
"They made a misjudgment."
Kremser was digging in the trench, undercutting the bank, when it gave away. Soil came down on top of him, burying him. He was pulled free within a few minutes, but not before suffering multiple broken bones and internal injuries. He died a short time later.
"What happened in the years after 1786 is that the brothers, every time they heard a noise down in that sub-basement area, ... every time they heard a tapping, 'Ah, that's brother Kremser,'" Elliott said.
Generations of young men stayed in the single brothers' home up until the early 1820s. It became a home for widows, and it was then, in the early 1900s, that the "Little Red Man" was born.
"There's a tale, then, that a little girl went to visit her grandmother, staying at this home," Elliott said. "And in the process of visiting her, she comes and tells her grandmother, 'Grandmother, grandmother, there's a little man with a red cap and he's begging me to come to see him.'
"Well, nobody believed her. They went outside, they didn't see anything, but then somebody put two and two together. Kremser had a little red cap supposedly when he was buried by this fall, this excavation work."
Her story of the "little man with a red cap" became the legend of "Little Red Man."
Over the years, women would tell stories of the "Little Red Man" every time they heard a strange noise.
"Now, the story goes that the instances of hearing this Little Red Man stopped about the same time they put electricity in the sub-basement, so maybe the shadows in the wall, coupled with the noise, makes that ghost a little more visible than he might be otherwise."
'Something' at the tavern
Richard Starbuck, a longtime employee at the archives, passed away in 2020 a short time before our interview with Elliott. He tells us that one of the projects Starbuck worked on in his time with the archives was a collection of stories from Adelaide Fries, the first archivist to write about the "Little Red Man."
One of those stories Elliott describes as an apocryphal tall tale— "it involves somebody from Texas, so, of course, it's got to be a tall tale"—and it's one that Fries heard from someone who heard it from a tavernkeeper. "Always a twice- and thrice-told tale has got to be believable," Elliott said.
In an unnamed year and an unnamed season, a man arrived at Salem Tavern overcome with exhaustion.
"In his exhaustion, he was clearly too ill to be by himself," Elliott said. "They stayed with him briefly for the night, and during the night he died."
They checked his belongings but found no identification, and so he was buried in the strangers' graveyard in the southern part of the Salem community.
"Wasn't long after that, however, that the help staff around the tavern got very anxious," Elliott said, "because they were saying: 'Something' is making a noise, 'Something' with a capital S. 'Something' is in the hall."
Finally, that mysterious "Something" that lurked near the tavern made itself known. A servant came to the tavernkeeper and said, "'Something' is here. He wants to talk to you.'"
"So the tavernkeeper goes out and, lo and behold," Elliott said. "... I'll let you use whatever Stephen King metaphor for the image which is in your mind, but 'Something' relayed to him the identity of this unknown visitor to the tavern, gave him his name and said, 'He has a brother in Texas. Would you please send his saddlebags to Texas?'"
The tavernkeeper wrote a note to this supposed brother in Texas, and, several weeks later, they received a note back.
"Lo and behold, there was a fellow in Texas," Elliott said. "They sent the belongings to Texas, and mysteriously 'Something' stopped showing up at the tavern."
The 'Cold Spot'
The third story is a tragedy about what is believed to be the first traffic death in Salem.
"You might think that might be with a wagon or with an early automobile," Elliott said. "It actually was with a streetcar in the early aughts."
Elliott says there was a seven-year-old boy known as D.H., little D.H. or David, and he loved, as many children do, to go sledding.
"And on a winter morning, he came down Bank Street in the early aughts, just at the time that the streetcar was coming through and the streetcar hit him," Elliott said. "And the tragedy of that is that the guy who was running the street car was a personal friend of D.H. and his family."
Elliott says D.H. was still conscious when the street car conductor, Ebert, reached his side. D.H. was able to tell the conductor "I know you didn't mean to do it" before he died there in the road.
That place, what seemingly would be the perfect spot for sledding at the steepest part of the street where Main Street and Bank Street intersect, has come to be known as the "Cold Spot."
"Because of what happened there, people identify the coldness they feel on a winter day with that little boy and his story of his passing," Elliott said.
Hear even more
If you’re interested in hearing even more from Eric Elliott, former archivist for the Moravian Archives of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church, we’ve got it all here in the Hauntings in the Piedmont podcast, hosted by FOX8’s Michael Hennessey.
Food Lion parent Ahold Delhaize USA announces $860 million investment in Burlington 22 Oct 9:33 AM (18 hours ago)
BURLINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — The parent company of grocery chain Food Lion is opening a new distribution center in Burlington, expected to create hundreds of new jobs and add up to an $860 million investment in the city.
Gov. Josh Stein announced Wednesday that Ahold Delhaize USA will establish "a modern distribution center" to serve its grocery brands along the East Coast. Ahold Delhaize's suite of brands include Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. The company comprises the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and fourth largest in the nation.
"Food Lion has years of experience feeding North Carolina," Stein said in a statement. "We are excited that Ahold Delhaize USA has chosen to double down on its investment in the state and establish this important new facility in Burlington."
N.C. State Rep. Alan Branson (R-Guilford County) described the plan as “the largest capital investment in the Burlington area in anyone’s memory."
The project is expected to create an initial 120 jobs in Guilford County with an annual payroll impact of more than $10.7 million a year. The facility is expected to create more than 500 jobs in Burlington.
"The investment into this facility is an investment into the customers that trust our brands to nourish their families," said JJ Fleeman, CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA. "Through the new distribution center, ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation will expand their capacity to support Food Lion’s growth in the state, along with bringing new jobs. We’re excited to locate this facility in North Carolina and continue to grow our presence in a state where our companies have done business for more than 65 years."
One North Carolina Fund has granted a $250,000 performance-based grant to Ahold Delhaize's distribution company ADUSA Distribution, LLC, to help facilitate the company’s project in Burlington. The company must meet job creation and capital investment targets before receiving the funds.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026, and operations are expected to begin in 2029.
Locally, the City of Burlington and Guildford County leaders said they have worked hard for many years to make the investment a reality.
While state funding was used to extend the water and sewer lines to the property, the city is utilizing $21.5 million in cash incentives from COVID relief, which they designated for economic growth, to support the distributor in building in the Triad.
Burlington Mayor James Butler also said the city is offering watershed credits. Ultimately, the city is offering some of its own land to the facility, so it sits a little further from the waters of Lake Mackintosh.
Butler said this is one of the biggest things to happen to the eastern Triad in his time working in local leadership.
“I've been in elected politics, either elected or appointed, for 25 years, ... and I've never experienced anything like it. So that's an important piece ... I'd love to see something greater than this next year ... We always want to see what we're capable of doing. We're proud. Burlington is proud,” Butler said.
The distributor said the jobs at the facility will pay above the median income in Guilford County, which is about $60,0000 a year. Butler believes those who land the jobs will experience a great quality of life, given the benefits and pay for the region. He says this is a way the city is pivoting to serve the needs of business and the needs of workers.
“We have a rich textile heritage ... Decades ago, textiles started moving in a different direction, so we had to redefine ourselves. We're very proud to call LabCorp home, and we've worked to redefine ourselves, so I think this is just another step in the redefinition of what Burlington is going to be as we move forward,” Butler said.
The facility will be off Highway 61 at exit 138 of the Interstate-40 and Interstate-85 corridor.
“It's still going to be very aesthetically pleasing and still going to add to the quality of life for the area. But think about the impact of property values and those that are around there, and certainly as communities in the state of North Carolina are growing together along the I-40, I-85 corridor, this is going to be another seamless piece to that,” Butler said.
North Carolina House to form committee after Rep. Cecil Brockman sex crime allegations 22 Oct 8:55 AM (19 hours ago)
RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — The North Carolina House of Representatives is assembling a committee to determine next steps after a sitting legislator was charged with child sex crimes.
On Oct. 8, Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-District 60) was arrested on two counts of indecent liberties and two counts of statutory sex offense, all four charges involving the same 15-year-old victim.
House Speaker Destin Hall (R-District 87) announced Tuesday that he would be appointing a bipartisan House Select committee to review the matter, research precedent and ensure "that a fair and impartial examination of the facts is had," likely on Wednesday.
The House adjourned without announcing the committee, but is scheduled to reconvene on Thursday morning.
House Clerk James White explained the process in an email last week, writing that “expulsion typically involves the formation of a committee to investigate alleged misconduct, report findings, and recommend to the House what action should be taken. Any expulsion would require a vote of the House of Representatives in chamber session.”
Once the committee has been formed, the committee members will take time to examine the policy and procedures, the allegations against Brockman and what steps can be taken from there.
The last time a representative was expelled was in 2008, when Rep. Thomas Wright (D-District 18) was expelled for campaign finance violations. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and sentenced to prison.
According to Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service and professor at Catawba College, the process to expel Wright took over a year, and “it is ultimately up to the chamber to decide the fate of its own members.”
White expanded, saying the length of time an expulsion takes depends on “many factors,” particularly due process. He pointed to Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure, Sec. 562, which reads, “Adequate notice, formal charges and a public hearing with the right to cross-examine witnesses have been held to be necessary components of procedural due process that must be afforded to a member prior to expulsion.”
Previously, Hall had told the Winston-Salem Journal in the wake of Brockman’s arrest that, if he didn’t resign in a “timely” fashion, they would review other options.
The allegations
Prosecutors allege that Brockman was tracking the teen using an app, called 911 when he couldn’t get to the victim’s location and tried to force his way through emergency room doors where the teen was hospitalized. He was initially denied bond because the magistrate said he used his position as a legislator to make contact with the victim. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation, referring it to High Point police, who in turn contacted the State Bureau of Investigation.
It's also alleged that Brockman was living out of state during the summer, with court documents stating he had been evicted from a High Point apartment complex in May and prosecutors alleging that he lived in Atlanta with the victim before moving into another High Point apartment in August. There’s less clarity on whether this violates any existing rules or not.
At last check, Brockman has not resigned and remains a sitting member of the House despite currently being held in jail. He has not paid the $1,050,000 bond he was given when he appeared in court. Brockman remains on committees, including the Agriculture, Health and Education committees.
Brockman was briefly hospitalized immediately following his arrest, appearing in court from the hospital before being returned to jail.
His current term ends in January 2027, and it is likely that if he is not expelled from the House, he will face a challenger during the primaries next year, as he did in 2024.
He is due in court again on Nov. 13.
North Carolina Sen. Norm Wesley Sanderson Jr. (R-District 2) was arrested and charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired on Oct. 18 after a traffic stop.
Woman killed, 1 injured in head-on crash in Wilkes County, troopers say 22 Oct 7:50 AM (20 hours ago)
WILKES COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A woman is dead and another is injured following a crash that happened Wednesday morning, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
At 7 a.m., the NCSHP responded to a fatal crash on NC Highway 16 near Grindstone Lane.
A 2018 Honda CR-V, driven by Kelly Jordan Holleman, 53, of North Wilkesboro, was traveling north on NC 16 when it crossed the centerline and crashed head-on with a 2019 Subaru Forester that was traveling south.
Holleman died at the scene. According to troopers, she was not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the Subaru was critically injured and taken by helicopter to a Winston-Salem medical center.
According to troopers, neither impairment nor speed appears to be a factor in the collision.
No charges will be filed in this case.
Men accused of cattle rustling in Randolph County 22 Oct 6:43 AM (21 hours ago)
RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Two men are facing felony charges after being accused of cattle rustling, according to the Randolph County Sheriff's Office.
On Friday, deputies were informed by the Chatham County Sheriff's Office and the victim that cattle had been stolen from the area of Royal Ridge Road in Ramseur and later sold at the stockyard in Chatham County.
Investigators later sought charges against 34-year-old Randall Ray Burgess and 44-year-old Zachary Banks Todd for felony larceny of cattle.
On Tuesday, the pair was found and taken into custody at the Randolph County Detention Center.
Burgess was given a $20,000 secured bond and had his first appearance in court scheduled for Wednesday.
Todd was also served a warrant in Chatham County for felony obtain property by false pretense, felony identity theft, and felony possession of stolen goods/property related to cattle theft. He was not given a bond due to being out on pre-trial release.
19-year-old charged in drive-by shooting in Winston-Salem 22 Oct 5:55 AM (22 hours ago)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A 19-year-old is in custody following a drive-by shooting that left two people injured in Winston-Salem.
At around 3:34 a.m. on Sunday, officers were called to two separate hospitals after shooting victims arrived at each facility.
Investigators say that a pair of 20-year-old men were standing in a parking area on the 600 block of North Liberty Street when a driver drove by and shot at them. Two unoccupied businesses in the area were also struck by gunfire.
The victims' injuries were non-life-threatening.
The Winston-Salem Police Department's Violent Firearms Investigation Team assumed investigative responsibility for the shooting.
Investigators identified one of the suspects in the shooting after finding the suspect vehicle and executing search warrants on the 5000 block of Shattalon Drive.
That suspect, 19-year-old Brayan Salgado Mojica, turned himself in and was charged with two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury and discharging a firearm from within an enclosure. He is currently being held without bond.
The investigation is still ongoing. There is no further information available at this time.
Man accused of starting fire at Forsyth County Courthouse 22 Oct 4:03 AM (yesterday, 4:03 am)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A man is facing a pair of felony charges after he allegedly started a fire at the Forsyth County Courthouse.
According to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, on Tuesday, around 11:30 a.m., a fire was reported in a men’s restroom at the Forsyth County Courthouse. Personnel located the fire and put it out before any major damage was caused.
The fire department responded to the scene. Everyone in the courthouse was evacuated as a precaution. No one was seriously injured, but a person was taken to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation.
Treymale De’Angelo Harrison, 27, of Winston-Salem, was taken into custody and charged with felony burning of certain public buildings and felony burning of personal property.
Harrison was given a $35,000 secure bond and will appear in court on Wednesday.
“It’s unfortunate that such an incident took place in a building designed for justice and public protection. We are thankful that no one was seriously injured,” Chief Deputy Henry C. Gray, Jr., Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said.
Help us honor North Carolina veterans in FOX8 Salute to Veterans 2025 21 Oct 6:11 AM (yesterday, 6:11 am)
(WGHP) —Join FOX8 as we honor our armed services this November in a Salute to Veterans.
Send a photo of your veteran, along with their branch, years of service, where they are from and some details about them, to veterans@wghp.com. We cannot accept professional photos.
It will be a privilege to honor them in our newscast. Help us to recognize those whose courage and dedication provide the freedom we're blessed to enjoy.
Check back as we add more veterans from throughout the community to our gallery of veterans.