Family's Home Shot Up
Onslow
11/20/2009 |
Gunfire and ricocheting bullets in a quiet Richlands community surprised one family in particular. There home was shot up Monday night becuase robbers were after their neighbor.
It all started when a group of men attacked Doyle Philipson.
"Dude, I was watching TV. I was sitting at my house watching TV." Philipson said the attack caught him off guard. "They knew I had money. I had met one of them-- they were friends of a friend."
Doyle Philipson is remains scared for his safety and did not want any photos or footage of his face to hit local media.
Two of the five men accused of trying to rob Philipson are in custody of the Onslow County Sheriff's Department.
Devondre Cuffee and Leroy Burford told deputies they went to Philipson's house to rob him of drugs. Philipson denies that he sells drugs.
Sheriff Ed Brown said that Philipson wrestled a gun away from one of the five robbers and discharged as much ammunition as he could.
With some seriously bleeding wounds from the scuffle in the house and the bullets that grazed his skin, Philipson made it out of the duplex he was in on Francktown Road and across the road, and the gunfire followed him.
A 911 tape tells the tale of how the father who lived in that home acted quickly to protect his family, and helped save Philipson's life.
Two small children were inside at the time. Bullet holes are still visible on the outside of the home around the front door and the garage.
Although Philipson remains shaken about the incident and apologetic to the family, Sheriff Brown says Philipson knew his attackers, and the lesson learned here is to be careful the company you keep.
"I say this in all fairness, when you have associates that have the attitude that they'll come rob you of your drugs-- you need to change your associates."
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No Court In New Courtrooms
Craven
11/20/2009 |
There's a problem with the brand new 31 million dollar Judicial Center in Craven County.
The complex has a new jail to house almost 300 inmates, offices for deputies, and two courtrooms.
Right now it's not legal to hold court there.
The Judicial Center is outside the New Bern city limits.
That means the state legislature must pass a law to allow court there and right now there's no push to change the law.
Sheriff Jerry Monette says, "It's really a minor detail, but I don't know how willing our legislature is to do that. We'll have to see where we're at with that. There's going to have to be some coming together before its all said and done."
Deputies will have to drive inmates back and forth to the courthouse in downtown New Bern for court hearings.
The Sheriff expects to move inmates into the new jail next month. |
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No Court In New Courtrooms
Craven
11/20/2009 |
There's a problem with the brand new 31 million dollar Judicial Center in Craven County.
The complex has a new jail to house almost 300 inmates, offices for deputies, and two courtrooms, but right now it's not legal to hold court there.
The Judicial Center is outside the New Bern City limits that means the state legislature must pass a law to allow court there.
Right now there's no push to change the law.
Sheriff Jerry Monette says, "It's really a minor detail, but I don't know how willing our legislature is to do that. We'll have to see where we're at with that. There's going to have to be some coming together before its all said and done."
Deputies will have to drive inmates back and forth to the courthouse in downtown New Bern for court hearings.
The sheriff expects to move inmates into the new jail next month. |
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Boil Water Advisory Lifted
Onslow
11/20/2009 |
ONWASA has lifted the boil water advisory issued Thursday for residents in
the Bear Creek area. Laboratory testing confirmed that the water system was ready to return to normal.
Approximately 350 people were affected by the water outage and boil water advisory including those on Shellrock Landing, Shellrock Lane, Leslie Drive, Peninsula Manor Road, Oyster Lane, and Pond Drive.
The boil water advisory was issued as a precaution due to the loss of pressure associated with the water leak caused by excessive rain and a road wash out. Although there were no indications of contamination, ONWASA’s top priority is the safety and health of customers and the advisory
was strictly a precaution.
This morning the testing confirmed no contamination or presence of harmful bacteria in the water system, and the boil water advisory was lifted. |
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UPDATE: New Charges
11/20/2009 |
Police in North Carolina say a man already accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old girl also raped and asphyxiated her.
Authorities said Thursday night the additional charges were being filed against Mario McNeill, the man accused of taking Shaniya Davis from her Fayetteville home. Her body was found Monday alongside a road in Lee County after nearly a week.
A search warrant says McNeill picked the girl up in front of the home and drove her to a hotel where she was last seen alive.
The girl's mother, Antoinette Davis, is charged with trafficking her daughter and child abuse involving prostitution.
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ECU Tuition Hike
Pitt
11/20/2009 |
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The ECU Board of Trustees will be recommending a tuition increase of 3.6-percent to the state's General Assembly. The actual increase will be decided by the assembly - and they are recommending an 8-percent hike in tuition rates. |
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Man Shot While Walking
Edgecombe
11/20/2009 |
Police are searching for two suspects in a shooting.
Gary Beaver was walking down the street in Rocky Mount when two men approached him. The men shot him several times in the legs, back, and neck and ran away.
Beaver was taken to Nash General Hospital, and then transported to Pitt Memorial Hospital. He is in critical condition.
Police are still investigating. They do not know the motive for the shooting. |
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Family Terrorized
Onslow
11/19/2009 |
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Onslow County deputies have arrested two suspects in a drive-by shooting. Devondre Cuffee and Leroy Burford are in jail on several charges, including armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and discharging firearm into occupied property.
Deputies are still searching for Michael Burt, Jr. He faces similar charges. If you have any information, call the Onslow County Sheriff's Office at 910-455-3113. |
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Emerald Isle Flooding
Carteret
11/19/2009 |
Coast Guard Road on Emerald Isle is a mess. The streets are still flooded with more than a food of water after several storms.
The town had to use pumps to get storm water out of the streets.
The ground was so saturated with water, the only solution for this area was to pump the water right into the ocean.
The state has some tough regulations against that, but after a tour of Coast Guard Road, officials saw how bad the flooding was and gave the town to go-ahead.
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Can't Leave Home
Onslow
11/19/2009 |
Most kids who live off Shell Rock Landing Road in the Bear Creek area stayed home from school on Thursday. Some parents stayed home from work, too. Nobody was playing hookie-- they just could not leave their homes.
The one road that led out of the area collapsed on Thursday morning.
Department of Transportation officials told News Channel 12 that all the rain water that Onslow County received on Wednesday flooded out the fill dirt under a previously repaired patch of that road. Once that dirt washed out, a six inch water main pipe was left unsupported, and it broke. That extra water from the pipe gushed and tore through the rest of the dirt under the roadway. Without any solid ground underneath it, the road collapsed.
The gaping hole showed layers of dirt and rock from a previous fill and even remnants of the wooden bridge that stood there long before traffic rode down the street.
"Forget the showers," said Doc Thompson, who had his two daughter home from school that day. "Forget the dishes!"
Water was shut off for about 350 residents in the area for a little more than four hours due to the break in the water main.
Chris Lee told us he had an excused absence from school. So he hung out by the big opening and talked with neighbors who all gathered around the nearly five foot deep hole.
"This is like, the biggest thing that's ever happened in Bear Creek."
Lee showed us his garden where water was nearly knee-high.
"Looked like it was floating this morning when I got up!"
Lee also took the day off to enjoy a little skim boarding right in the back yard.
The Bear Creek area is still under a boil water advisory while ONWASA waits for water testing results. Residents are advised to boil any water used for consumption, including drinking water, ice, and any water used to cook.
DOT crews said the road is now open for passage, but it is only a temporary fix.
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