WFAE Local Content

A former CMS teacher serving time for statutory rape has been killed in prison. The NC Department of Adult Corrections said this week that 60-year-old Ernest Nichols was found unresponsive at Greene Correctional Institution, outside Goldsboro. The death is being investigated as a homicide. Nichols was a teacher at Ranson Middle School prior to his 2011 conviction.Greene Correctional is a minimum-security prison facility for inmates nearing the end of their sentences. Nichols was projected to be released in two years.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the state's first flu death yesterday in this year's flu season.According to officials, an adult in the western part of the state died of complications related to the flu in the first week of October. Last year the state reported 544 flu-related deaths last year, the most since 2009. Officials are urging people to get their flu shot as soon as possible. Last week health officials released a standing order to allow retail pharmacists to test for influenza along with providing immediate treatment medications to reduce to severity of the illness.

A developer has filed plans to build apartments in uptown as part of a new development adjacent to Bank of America Stadium called the Iron District. The Charlotte Business Journal reports Trammel Crow Companies is seeking permits for a six-story, 355-unit apartment building on West Morehead Street. The development is also expected to include office towers, shops and restaurants.

Robert Dawkins of Action NC on the pitfalls of the proposed sales tax increase to pay for transit and transportation

A $100,000 fee attached to new H1-B visa applications by the Trump administration is causing concerns for international students in Charlotte and employers looking to hire foreign workers.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis pushes back on Attorney General Pam Bondi, telling her he’s struggling to make sense of National Guard Deployments. Charlotte hires a new city attorney. Charlotte City Council’s Transportation and Planning Committee opts not to advance part of the process for forming a new transit authority. And a big proposal from Tepper Sports.

Duke Energy has released its projections for future energy demands. But energy policy experts disagree on what those projections mean for North Carolina’s grid infrastructure.

Shannon Binns of Sustain Charlotte discusses why he believes raising Mecklenburg's sales tax for transit and transportation is a good idea.

The stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail renewed conversations about the need for mental health treatment and led some leaders to examine the involuntary commitment process for people who pose a danger to themselves and others. A crime bill recently passed by the legislature takes steps in that direction and we examine how the involuntary commitment process works and where it might go wrong.

The Brooklyn Nightclub and Lounge in uptown Charlotte has surrendered its alcohol permits following two deadly shootouts at the club in recent months. In July, two people were killed in a shooting outside the club on Caldwell Street, and in September, another person was killed in a shootout between two groups. The club has been closed since Oct. 3.

Lancaster County Schools Superintendent Raashad Fitzpatrick is stepping down after two years on the job. In a letter to staff, Fitzpatrick says he needs to spend time with his aging parents in Spartanburg who are facing health challenges. The Rock Hill Herald reports the district’s first black superintendent since integration is leaving at the end of 2025 to become Cherokee County schools superintendent. Lancaster County Schools plans to hire a search firm to help pick Fitzpatrick’s replacement.

South Carolina's measles outbreak is now confirmed to be in Spartanburg County as the state's public health department reported two new cases of the highly-contagious virus.