N.C.
Roanoke Rapids Police Say Death of Demetrius Fleming, 38, Found Hanging Aug. 21, Is an Open 'Equivocal' Investigation
Chief Lawrence Wiggins said officers responded to an attempted-suicide call and found Fleming dead and connected to a ligature, and that no cause has been ruled in or out pending an autopsy.
North Carolina Republicans Pick State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom for the NC-11 Ballot; Trump Endorsed Her on Aug. 18
A district GOP committee chose Balkcom on the first ballot on Aug. 10 to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards, who withdrew from his reelection race after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured.
Asheville-Area Craggy Correctional Center Winds Down for Late-Summer Closure; July Budget Set 15.4% Average Raises for Correctional Officers
State prison officials said in May they would close the 250-inmate Woodfin facility because they could not staff it; the enacted state budget raised officer pay, and Gov. Josh Stein has said more closures are possible without further pay action.
Forge Nano Breaks Ground on Morrisville Battery Plant Expansion, Citing More Than 250 Planned Jobs
The company says the expanded Wake County plant will make lithium-ion cells for defense and aerospace customers starting in 2028, backed by a $100 million U.S. Department of Energy award first announced in 2024.
North Carolina's July Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.6% as Household Survey Employment Falls by 21,291
State Commerce Department data released Aug. 21 show the seasonally adjusted rate flat from June while both the number of employed and the number of unemployed North Carolinians declined over the month.
Storms Damage Columbus County Farm, Prompt Tornado Warning for New Hanover and Pender Counties on Aug. 21
Thunderstorms on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 collapsed a shed at a Hallsboro farm, knocked out power to more than 1,000 Columbus County customers, and led the National Weather Service to issue a 25-minute radar-indicated tornado warning near Wilmington.
Zarutska Family Files Wrongful-Death Suit Against Charlotte and Transit Security Contractor
The suit, filed August 21, 2026 in Mecklenburg County, says the city and Professional Security Services understaffed light rail security before the August 22, 2025 killing; neither defendant has answered in court.
Campbell University Student, 19, Charged With Felony Threat of Mass Violence, Released on $100,000 Bond
Harnett County deputies arrested Gabriel Sharlow on Aug. 19 under a North Carolina law against threatening mass violence on school property; the university dismissed him, and no weapons were found on campus.
Raleigh Council Reviews 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Youth Curfew Proposal, With a Vote Set for Sept. 15
The draft ordinance would bar people under 18 from public spaces overnight, with exceptions; it follows July 4 gatherings police estimated at thousands of youths, in which nine people were shot.
NC Legislature Held Its Last Pre-Election Voting Day on Aug. 6, With 54 Bills Enacted So Far in 2026
Lawmakers adopted an adjournment resolution setting a Nov. 16 return date and a list of subjects they may take up then; most House Democrats voted against it.
North Carolina Reports 1,875 School Weapons-Possession Offenses in 2024-25, Lowest Since 2006-07
State data released in February 2026 shows weapons offenses in North Carolina public schools at their lowest recorded level since 2006-07, while districts including Sampson County continue installing weapons-detection systems this August.
NC Rural Infrastructure Authority Approves $4.93 Million in Grants; State Projects $1 Billion in Private Investment, With $900 Million From One Wilson Project
Gov. Josh Stein announced 11 local-government grants totaling $4,933,520 on August 20, 2026, tied to 673 committed jobs — 342 of them newly announced — with most of the projected private investment coming from a single Johnson & Johnson expansion in Wilson.