Horse Shot Dead
Carteret
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2/8/2010 |
Elizabeth Loftin says someone shot her retired race horse in the head.
She says she went to feed her horses Monday afternoon and that's when she discovered someone shot her horse, Breeze. She tells us when animal control and sheriff's deputies arrived they found tracks in the grass. It appeared Breeze had been chased. She feels like this was a personal attack.
"This was a calculated kill. Right between the eyes. How anybody could do something like this is beyond me. But if they'll do this to an animal they'll do it to a person," said Elizabeth Loftin.
The Carteret County Sheriff's Department is investigating. There are no suspects at this time.
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Three-year College Degree
Eastern NC
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2/8/2010 |
A North Carolina college is clearing
the way to earn a college degree in three years instead of four,
saving a year of costs worth $22,000.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Monday that Mount Olive
College is the first in the state offering a coordinated plan to
get motivated students through college faster. The accelerated
program includes extra advising and priority in scheduling courses
in the right order.
College president Philip Kerstetter thinks the accelerated plan
will appeal to only about 5 percent of his students who know
exactly what they want from the first day of college. The private
college is based in Wayne County and has six satellite campuses
from Durham to Wilmington.
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Perdue Aides Criticized
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2/8/2010 |
The head of North Carolina's Republican
Party says two top aides to Gov. Beverly Perdue should resign
because of poor performance.
North Carolina GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer said Monday that
Correction Department Secretary Alvin Keller should step down
because the state still has too few parole officers a year after
the Perdue administration promised to ease the shortage.
Fetzer says Crime Control Secretary Reuben Young should resign
for failing to pursue claims that former Gov. Mike Easley ordered
e-mail messages deleted to prevent them from becoming public.
Fetzer says Perdue can't claim to be a reform governor with the
holdover from the Easley administration still in office.
A Perdue spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking
comment.
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Off and Running
Eastern NC
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2/8/2010 |
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They're off to the races. Candidates for local, state and federal office can start filing to run, and that will continue until February 26th. Incumbent U.S. Senator, Republican Richard Burr is running for a second term, but could face a long list of contenders. The primary elections are on May 4th, and the general election is November 2nd. |
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Onslow Teens Arrested
Onslow
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2/8/2010 |
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Three teens are under arrest, after a string of break-ins. Onslow County authorities say Jacob Bisser and Brandon Bailey broke into a home, stole electronic items, then pawned them. Both 17 year olds from Sneads Ferry face breaking and entering and larceny charges.
The 3rd suspect is 18 year old Jonathan Kalanarhos, also from Sneads Ferry. Officers arrested him on charges of breaking into a home, and stealing a camera and jewelry.
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Stabbing Arrest
Craven
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2/8/2010 |
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Police accuse a man of stabbing another man who tried to break up an argument. They've charged Vincente Hernandez, with assault with a deadly weapon. New Bern Police say he stabbed Pedro Garcia Saturday. They think Garcia tried to break up the fight between Hernandez and another man, and Hernandez stabbed him a few minutes later. Garcia was taken to Pitt County Memorial Hospital. |
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Flood Warnings
Eastern NC
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2/8/2010 |
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Rising waters are prompting several flood warnings. The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Green, Pitt and Martin Counties until further notice. Last Friday's rain caused waterways to surge, putting almost every major river in the eastern half of the state, above flood stage. |
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ECU Frat Loses Charter
Pitt
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2/8/2010 |
A group of fraternity brothers at East Carolina University will no longer call their frat house "home."
Most of them are moving out after the international office of Lambda Chi Alpha took away the local charter in late January.
An ECU Greek life spokesman says the local chapter had a number of issues including financial problems and poor grades.
Specifically, they didn't pay national dues last spring and had the worst G.P.A. of the college's fraternities last fall.
Of the fraternity's nearly 30 members, seven now live in the group's house on Elizabeth Street.
The local president says most of them will move out soon, even though they could stay until May.
Others in the Greek system say it's a way of life they wouldn't want to give-up.
"I'm proud to wear my letters, and I don't know what I would do if I got that taken away from me," said Jordan Bolick, a member Alpha Xi Delta at ECU.
A national Lambda Chi Alpha spokesman says the fraternity will return to campus sometime in the next few years.
That would be after all current members graduate. |
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13 Dead Horses Discovered
Duplin
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2/8/2010 |
The discovery of the dead horses, leads to a violent ending.
It happened a few miles southeast of Mount Olive in Duplin County.
The owners of the property contacted us about what they found at their tenant's home.
John Harvey Smith found the dead horses while walking on his family's property Sunday morning.
Some horses lay on top of each other.
One died with it's head in a bucket.
Sheriff Blake Wallace says they died from starvation and being outside in the cold too long.
Smith said, "A foal or baby colt had died while it was nursing its mom. It was like maybe the mom had collapsed and collapsed on top of the foal, and they were both dead laying there."
Patricia Brewer won't forget what she saw.
She said, "it was horrible. It was awful. It was terrible."
Most of the dead horses were in a small corral and building along Tram Road and some were in the woods.
It appears the horses were eating the bark and branches of some near-by trees to try and survive.
Seven horses were found still alive.
Smith called the Sheriff's Office.
All the horses belonged to Clifton Jacobs.
Sheriff Blake Wallace says health problems might have made it difficult for Jacobs to care for the horses himself.
Deputies also found plenty of feed, but just too late for the dead horses.
The Duplin County special response team prepared for a nasty confrontation at Jacobs's home.
Inside they found Jacobs in a bedroom with a gun.
Deputies say he shot himself in the head right in front of them.
Long before all of this Shelby Hargrove had seen Jacobs with horses.
She could tell he had a connection with them.
Hargrove said, "From what we saw he was very gentile. This was totally out of character from what we had seen of the man. I couldn't hardly believe it."
The area has many horse lovers.
They hope to never see horses like that again.
The surviving horses were taken to a near-by rescue center. |
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Abused Baby Hospitalized
Onslow
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2/8/2010 |
Brandon Gravitt made his first appearance in the Onslow County Courthouse on Monday. His bond raised to $500,000 reflected the gravity of his charges: child abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Deputies said Gravitt's 7 week old son, Lucian, is in critical condition at UNC Hospitals after being abused by his father.
"What we do know in this particular case that the father of this child has abused this child," said Sheriff Ed Brown. "I have to be careful about what I say because this kind of behavior brings out a part of me I really wish it didn't... and that is an anger."
Deputies said the deadly weapon charge against Gravitt must be considered in relation to this particular case. Deputies said an open handed slap from an adult could be fatal for an infant. While Onslow County law enforcement has dealt with many child abuse cases, Gravitt's neighbor told News Channel 12 deputies have this case wrong.
"They're saying Brandon did all this damage to this baby boy and I don't believe any of it," said neighbor Rosemarie Belcher. "Somebody needs to look into Leslie, the wife, because I truly and honestly think that she did it."
New River Air Station Marine Leslie Gravitt could not be reached for comment on the case.
Baby Lucian Gravitt remained in critical condition at the time of publication.
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High School Heating Problems
Beaufort
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2/8/2010 |
A high school in the east is letting out early due to heating problems.
School officials say Washington High School in Beaufort County is letting students out at 12:30 p.m. today. Officials are not sure what is causing the heating problem.
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Nightclub Shooting Arrest
Lenoir
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2/8/2010 |
Kinston officials arrest a man for allegedly shooting his gun inside a crowded nightclub.
Police say Keon Green fired several shots inside the Platinum Club Saturday night. He was arrested when officers responded and found several different fights going on inside.
One man was shot in the leg. Green faces charges of shooting a firearm at a law enforcement officer. He's under a $100,000 bond. |
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Teen Arrested
Onslow
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2/8/2010 |
Deputies arrest a teenager, for allegedly breaking into a home, stealing several electronic items and then pawning them off.
Jacob Bisser, 17, of Sneads Ferry was arrested and faces breaking and entering and larceny charges. He was being held on a $15,000 bond, but has now been released. |
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Mother Attacked By Child
Pitt
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2/8/2010 |
Greenville Police say a mother is assaulted by her own child.
The woman told police she was hit with a blunt object on Friday. She is 64 years old. A police report also states that more than $500 was stolen.
The woman had minor injuries in the attack. |
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Power Still Out
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2/8/2010 |
Thousands of people are still without power in parts of Western North Carolina today.
The power went out on Friday in some areas and authorities say some may not have their power restored until later today. Residents in the Laurel Park neighborhood of Henderson County have been the hardest hit, after ice-coated trees brought down power lines.
An emergency shelter has been set up at the American Red Cross to help those in need. |
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Report: Wife Shoots Husband
Onslow
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2/8/2010 |
A man is in intensive care today after deputies say he was shot by his wife over the weekend in Sneads Ferry.
Witnesses say the two had been arguing earlier in the night when the man allegedly threatened the woman with a shotgun. Reports later show that the woman shot the man once in the chest.
The man is now in intensive care at a Wilmington hospital. The shooting is under investigation. |
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Mountain of Cash!!
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2/8/2010 |
A retired fire department employee is 141-million dollars richer.
Frank Griffin of Asheville is North Carolina's latest multimillionaire.
Griffin came forward Monday to claim his Powerball jackpot.
Griffin plans to take in a single, lump sum that will total about $47
million
after taxes. The winning ticket was one of five he purchased while buying
gas
last week.
The 66-year-old owns a janitorial services company and used to be an
engineer
for the Asheville Fire Department. He says he wants to take care of his
three
children and three grandchildren and take his wife, Loretta, on a trip to
Hawaii.
Griffin says he also is planning to play more golf.
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Police: 7 Week Old Abused
Onslow
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2/8/2010 |
A 7-week-old baby is in the hospital after suffering broken bones from being squeezed and hit.
25-year-old Brandon Gravitt faces several charges of child abuse, incuding inflicting serious injury and assault on a child under 12.
Police say Gravitt squeezed and struck the baby leaving it with multiple fractures.
The baby was treated aboard Camp Lejeune and then taken to the University of North Carolina Hospital at Chapel Hill. |
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Gaming Parlors
Eastern NC
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2/8/2010 |
Planning officials in an eastern North Carolina city are watching gaming parlors emerge in recent months while lawmakers and state courts debate whether they are legal.
The Rocky Mount Telegram reports that the shops sell customers phone cards or Internet time that also allows them to play sweepstakes games - mostly slots and card games. Customers can win prizes, more playing time or cash.
There are seven such locations in Rocky Mount, and some bingo halls have also established the games.
Rocky Mount City Council will consider imposing a moratorium on the so-called sweepstakes cafes on Monday. Planning Director Ann Wall said that will allow officials time to craft regulations.
One cafe owner says he has nothing to hide and that everything
he's doing is legal.
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Election Filing
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2/8/2010 |
North Carolina's campaign season crosses a significant threshold as candidates begin signing up to get on this year's election ballots.
People can file paperwork with the State Board of Elections to become official candidates starting on Monday at noon. The filing period continues until noon February 26. The primary is May 4 and the general election November 2.
The most high-profile race this year will be for U.S. Senate. GOP incumbent Richard Burr wants another six-year term but several Democrats hope to remove him from office.
All 13 seats in the U.S. House delegation are up for election, as are the 170 seats in the General Assembly and dozens of judgeships. Local boards of elections also will collect filings for county and municipal races.
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