A man charged in the murder of Forest Acres, South Carolina police officer Greg Alia will appear in court this afternoon for a bond hearing. Alia, 32, and another officer responded to Richland Mall in Forest Acres, near Columbia, yesterday morning responding to a suspicious person call. They reportedly got into a struggle with 34-year-old Jarvis Hall, who allegedly then pulled a stolen gun and shot Alia, who later died. 

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is asking for donations to help care for 23 dogs seized in a police raid of a dogfighting ring in Huntersville on Tuesday. Charges have yet to be filed, but police said they found 16 adult dogs and seven puppies, some of which malnourished and heavily scarred. Investigators said the dogs were living in bad conditions outdoors. They also found a merry-go-round in the house's backyard, which is often used to train fighting dogs. The homeowner's friend said the homeowner is just breeding pit bulls and not fighting them. 

The National Weather Service upgraded Hurricane Joaquin to a Category 3, making it a "major storm," overnight. A Category 3 storm has a maximum 115 miles-per-hour sustained winds. Joaquin is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 before turning northward, but should weaken considerably before passing the North Carolina coast, sending rain and wind in Charlotte's direction. It's current projected path has it making landfall near Baltimore. 

Officials have asked that nobody swim in Lake Norman following a spill of about 1,000 gallons of sewage into the lake yesterday morning. The spill, caused by a mechanical failure at a Denver lift station, lasted about 17 minutes. The lake may be contaminated with fecal coliform in the Lincoln County area, and it is unclear when it will be safe to make contact with water in the area again. 

Recently retired CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe has reportedly taken a job as head of security for a Tampa-based Coca-Cola distribution network that oversees seven sales and distribution centers throughout Florida. Reginald Goins, recently named president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, was a Charlotte-based executive for Coca-Cola during Monroe's tenure as chief of police.