July 10, 2008

ACROSS THE TARHEEL STATE.

CHARLOTTE -- Recents studies show that people in the Tarheel state aren't picking up their cell phones to make a call, but to text. North Carolina is among the most text-savvy states in the South. The study reveals that Charlotte has earned the number one spot across the state as the 'texiest city.'

RALEIGH -- A pared down version of a water management bill has cleared a state House committee, and the chair of the panel says it is difficult to balance the needs of various users. State Rep. Lucy Allen of Louisburg once served as a mayor and led the State's League Of Municipalities.

WARSAW -- Jordan Allen Guy, Ivan Kwane Wallace, and Joleski Floyd have been arrested and charged with first degree murder in connection with the murder of James Kenan High School football player Derrick Barden. Barden was shot last week while standing with a group of people outside Stuart Creek Apartment in Warsaw.

RALEIGH -- State lotteries are facing renewed criticism for continuing to sell scratch-off tickets after the top prizes are gone. When the North Carolina Education Lottery introduced "Line-'em Up" this month...there were 12 top prizes of $3,000 available. Over time as more tickets are sold and prizes claimed, the odds that you'll scratch-off a top winner decline. But Lottery director Tom Shaheen says there's no formal policy that requires they stop selling those tickets once the largest prizes are claimed.

MORGANTON -- Herman Douglas Avery, 66, was acquitted Tuesday of taking indecent liberties with a child. A 15-year-old girl accused Avery of placing his hand between her thighs while in Avery's vehicle on January 10, 2005.

ROANOKE RAPIDS -- The city's letter of intent with South Carolina entertainer Calvin Gilmore is still being debated over whether Gilmore, who runs the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach, should manage The Roanoke Rapids Theatre. Under the terms of the letter, the city would pay Gilmore an annual management fee of $500,000 and an additional 10 percent of the net operating profit up to $1 million, and a 40 percent fee of any net operating profits more than $1 million.

RALEIGH -- North Carolina is the first state in the country to offer a voice recognition system for initial unemployment insurance claims. It is being offered in 18 counties and officials hope to offer it statewide soon. The new system allows people to file an initial claim for unemployment benefits by phone 24 hours a day, through a toll-free number.

LEXINGTON -- Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. announced plans on Wednesday to consolidate its manufacturing facilities in North Carolina. The company will eliminate 350 jobs in Lexington as manufacturing operations are moved to a more modern plant in Robbinsville. The move will add about 200 jobs at the Robbinsville facility.


ACROSS THE PALMETTO STATE

WALLACE -- Marlboro County investigators discovered three meth labs Wednesday afternoon, one of them, active. Authorities say the situation inside the home was so dangerous when they arrived, that they immediately had to close off the site, call in firefighters to assist on the scene, and begin to ventilate the home of the fumes produced by the creation of the drug. Monique Arp and Brandy Paul, will face meth manufacturing charges. Other people could face charges in the investigation also.

DILLON -- Dillon county authorities have arrested and charged 23-year old Asley Locklear with unlawful neglect of a child. This charge comes after a family friend found Locklear’s 2-year old daughter, Cierra Lynn Bruce, drowned in the pool last month while the family was having a cook out.

MYRTLE BEACH -- A casting call for “Survivor 18” will be held Friday, July 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Tanger Outlets on Highway 17, 10835 Kings Road in Myrtle Beach. Official rules and entry forms are available at www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor16/about/casting.php, or can be obtained at the event. You must 18 years of age or older to audition.

LAKE MURRAY -- Officials with the Department of Natural Resources say they have found a body at Lake Murray


SPARTANBURG -- A Spartanburg County man, Irving Twitty, 41, was found guilty of criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for attacking and slashing his estranged wife's face.


Across The Nation
BOULDER, CO -- Newly discovered DNA evidence in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case does not match any Ramsey family members or anyone in law enforcement DNA databases. The father of JonBenet Ramsey was given a letter officially clearing him and his immediate family of any implication in his daughter's murder by the Boulder District Attorney on Wednesday. Click here to read the press releae from the Boulder County District.

SAGINAW, MI -- Rescue crews were called to the scene of a porch roof collapse Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters say a wooden awning fell on a 17-year-old teen. He was able to get himself out from underneath the rubble and was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.

AND IN THE ONLINE WORLD
This week, system administrators across the globe are rushing to fix an Internet-wide security flaw. The issue, discovered in the domain name system, would allow a hacker to gain access to domain name records and redirect traffic to an alternate location. That would mean trying to access something like your bank's Web site could take you instead to a malicious page designed to steal your information.