A federal grand jury
indicted an anti-government extremist from Gastonia on charges of conspiring to violate federal firearms laws and other gun and drug charges. According to an affidavit, Walter Eugene Litteral and others were convinced the Jade Helm military exercise in the southwest U.S. was a front for the government to begin enforcing martial law and they planned to lure federal agents onto a piece of land in Clover, South Carolina, and kill them with assault rifles and explosives.
Legislators gave their
final approval for a new budget that will finance the state's government through June 2017 this morning. Governor Pat McCrory has said he will sign the budget into law before a temporary spending plan currently funding the state expires tonight. A handful of Republicans negotiated the budget and it has been criticized by many Democrats. Many of the votes approving the budget were along party lines.
The new state budget, expected to be finally approved by Gov. Pat McCrory today, will place
a $500,00 cap on state funding for future light rail projects. The cap wouldn't affect extension of the current Lynx Blue Line but could stifle proposals for similar projects throughout the city. The NC Department of Transportation will spend a total of about $400 million on the city's two current light-rail projects. City leaders have explored ideas such as building another light rail that would go from Uptown to Matthews and the Union County line.
One person was reportedly
shot at Herrin Avenue and North Davidson Street in NoDa last night around 10 p.m. Police said one person was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. No one was arrested in connection with the shooting.
A
12-year-old autistic boy is safe at home in Union County after wandering away from home yesterday evening and spending the entire night outdoors. Police said the boy wandered off at about 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and was found when he approached deputies near his home around 7 a.m. today.