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Tag: Blair Hamilton

  • Winter storm’s ‘major impacts’ could last for days, N.C. governor warns

    As North Carolina begins preparing for a winter storm this weekend, Gov. Josh Stein said impacts from snow and ice could last for days. He said people should prepare for power outages that could last for days. 

    Much of North Carolina could see ice accumulation of a quarter inch or more, which could cause power outages and make travel treacherous. 

    “Our greatest concerns remain for travel and power outages that could last for days,” the governor said. 

    The governor said people should stay off the roads starting Saturday evening. Icy roads could last for days with cold temperatures in the forcast well into next week, he said. 

    Earlier this week, crews with the state Department of Transportation began treating the roads with brine and removing abandoned vehicles from the side of roadways in preparation for icy conditions. 

    Officials say high-rise vehicles have been prepped and are ready to be deployed for any rescue efforts, the forest service is prepared to remove any downed trees and aviation units from the State Highway Patrol and N.C. National Guard are ready to be deployed if necessary.

    Equipment is also being prestaged, Daniel Johnson, the state’s transportation secretary said, in areas that are known trouble spots for rapid response.

    Duke Energy is also bringing in crews from across the country to respond as quickly as possible to any outages that may occur, Stein said. At this time, the governor said there is no estimate as to how many people may lose power across the state, but everything that can be done is being done to ensure it is restored as quickly as possible to those impacted.

    Power outages should not be reported to 911. All outages should be reported directly to the power companies through their websites. The North Carolina Department of Public Saftey has created an interactive map to track power outages across the state, with the number of homes and business impacted. 

    Related: 10 tips to help you get through another winter storm in N.C.

    To help residents prepare for the coming winter storm, North Carolina Emergency Management officials are recommending the following tips:

    • Pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared for what’s expected in your area
    • Keep cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged
    • Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts
    • Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing
    • Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit, and road map
    • Gather emergency supplies for your pet, including leash and care supplies, enough food for several days, and a pet travel carrier
    • Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather
    • Look out for your friends, neighbors, and the elderly during winter weather

    If your power goes out:

    • Ensure generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
    • Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors
    • Properly vent kerosene heaters
    • Use battery-powered sources for light, instead of candles, to reduce the risk of fire

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Justin Pryor, Blair Hamilton

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  • N.C. Children’s receives $25 million from Coca-Cola Consolidated

    A $25 million gift from Coca-Cola Consolidated has been given to North Carolina Children’s, the state’s first child exclusive health system, supporting children through behavioral healthcare. 

    N.C. Children’s is aiming to raise $1 billion in private funding to build its future 230-acre Apex-based hospital. The project had previously received $320 million from state legislators.

    What You Need To Know

    • North Carolina Children’s was established in 2025 by UNC Health and Duke Health as a children exclusive healthcare system

    • The Coca-Cola Consolidation donated $25 million towards the $1 billion private funding goal for N.C. Children’s new hospital

    • The N.C. Children’s hospital will be based in Apex, with construction beginning in 2027. It is anticipated to open in the early 2030s

    “We are deeply grateful to the entire Coca-Cola Consolidated family for this wonderful gift,” Dr. Wesley Burks, Chair of the N.C. Children’s Board of Directors, said in a news release. 

    “Their partnership will change children’s lives by allowing NC Children’s to build and expand behavioral health programs across the full continuum of care,” Burks said.

    In 2025, NC Children’s was established as a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health, creating the first standalone children’s hospital in the Carolinas. 

    NC Children’s announced the future facility will have approximately 570 hospital beds, with more than 100 beds in a children’s behavior-focused center. 

    The main UNC Children’s campus has 166 beds, while the main Duke Children’s campus has 202 beds, each including those in specialized units for intensive care.

    With this gift from Coca-Cola, NC Children’s plans to create a hospital that attends to the medical, emotional, psychological and social well-being of children and families, according to the news release.

    Coca-Cola Consolidated has been headquartered in Charlotte for over 124 years, and is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the country. 

    “At Coca-Cola Consolidated, serving others is at the heart of our purpose,” Morgan Everett, Vice Chair of Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Board of Directors, said in the news release. 

    “We are honored to collaborate with NC Children’s to establish a state-of-the-art hospital dedicated to delivering comprehensive care to children in need—both within our community and beyond,” Everett said.

    The future hospital will be located in Apex, at the intersection of US-1 and NC-540. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the hospital anticipated to open by the early 2030s. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Blair Hamilton

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  • Sacred Cherokee mound to be returned after more than 200 years

    The ownership of a sacred Cherokee Mound is set to return to the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) after a unanimous vote Monday. 

       What You Need To Know

    • A sacred mound is now set to return Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI)

    • The Noquisiyi Mound, also known as the Nikwasi Mound, is in Franklin, North Carolina

    • Returning ownership of the mound to the EBCI will ensure proper stewardship and preservation

    The Noquisiyi Mound, also known as the Nikwasi Mound, located in Franklin, N.C., is a site of historical and cultural significance for the EBCI, but has not been owned by the tribe for more than 200 years. 

    “I am proud of the work that led us here, and I am grateful to see Nikwasi returned to where it belongs, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,”  Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a news release.

    Noquisiyi was once a Cherokee town that sat along what is now called the Little Tennessee River, appearing on maps as early as the 1500s. Today, this area is now known as the town of Franklin. 

    The Cherokee people were displaced from the land after facing attacks during both the Anglo-Cherokee War and the Cherokee-American wars in the 1700s, according to a Noquisi Initiative press release.

    Map of Cherokee Territory, 1760. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

    After the displacement, the 1819 Treaty of Washington allowed for Na Ka Rebecca, a Cherokee woman, and her husband, Gideon Morris, to claim 640 acres around the mound, the press release explains. 

    However, the 1835 Treaty of New Echota revoked the couple’s ownership through the forcible removal of the Cherokee people from their land, better known as the Trail of Tears. 

    In 1946, plans from the private owner to flatten the mound raised alarms in the community, causing the Town of Franklin to purchase the mound in order to preserve it. 

    According to Hicks, in 2012, town workers sprayed weed killer on the mound in efforts to change out the grass variety.

    “This, unfortunately, left the mound brown and exposed,” Hicks said in a news release.

    “That moment made clear how vulnerable this place was and became the catalyst for our renewed push to bring Nikwasi under our care,” he said.

    In 2016, the EBCI created the Noquisi Initiative as a way to encourage the preservation and advocacy of the mound, while seeking to regain ownership. 

    Ten years after the formation of the Noquisi Initiative, the Franklin Town Council voted unanimously to restore ownership to the EBCI. 

    “This fight was about standing our ground and continuing to say what needed to be said,” Hicks stated.

    “That this land belongs to the Cherokee people and we are the ones responsible for its care, protection, and future,” he said. 

    Returning ownership of the mound to the EBCI will ensure proper stewardship and preservation, as guided by the values of the Cherokee people.

    Photo courtesy Noquisi Institute

    Photo courtesy Noquisi Institute

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Blair Hamilton

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  • One shot after ‘ding-dong ditch’ prank in North Carolina

    One person was shot in the leg by a homeowner Saturday night after engaging in a late night prank with a group of friends, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Deputies with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office responded to gunshots in a nearby neighborhood as they were doing a traffic stop

    • A car was found with open doors, broken glass and bullet holes. Five people under the age of 18 were found nearby, one with a gunshot wound to the leg

    • Criag Steven Mason, 59, was arrested for allegedly shooting at the vehicle, striking the minor

    Sheriff Darren Campbell said Craig Steven Mason, 59, identified himself as the shooter, and was arrested on Monday. The victim was only described as a “juvenile” by the sheriff’s office. 

    “Mason told detectives he observed a vehicle driving through the neighborhood with no headlights on, and he fired multiple rounds toward the vehicle as it passed,” Campbell said. 

    “The vehicle was struck four times, with one round striking the juvenile passenger,” he said.

    Deputies from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office were already in the area doing a traffic stop when they heard the shooting in a nearby neighborhood. 

    The deputies came across a vehicle with open doors, shattered glass on the ground and bullet holes, the sheriff’s office said.

    Five people under the age of 18 were found by deputies in a nearby field, one laying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg. 

    After speaking with witnesses and examining evidence, the sheriff’s office said the group was playing “ding-dong ditch,” and did not go near Mason’s residence.

    Mason told deputies he had been sleeping when he heard loud noises coming outside, and retrieved his handgun before going to see what was happening.

    Deputies arrested Mason and charged him with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, four counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

    Mason is currently being held without bond and the sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Blair Hamilton

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  • Zebulon bank robbery suspect with alleged bomb arrested after police shootout

    A man flashed a bomb during a bank robbery in Zebulon Friday morning and took off with cash but was later arrested in a store parking lot after getting into a shootout with police, according to officials.    

    What You Need To Know

    • On Friday, Dec. 26th, officers responded to reports of an armed robbery at a Zebulon Bank

    • Willie McGee Jr. flashed an alleged bomb to the bank teller before fleeing with more than $3,200 in a white semi-truck

    • Officers arrested McGee in a Rocky Mount parking lot after a shootout. Only McGee sustained injuries 

    On Dec. 26, Willie McGee Jr, demanded a First Citizens Bank teller hand over cash, or he would activate a C- 4 explosive, police said. He was originally facing charges related to just the robbery, but authorities added more over the weekend in connection to the shootout with police, officials said.

    “As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank – he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror.” 

    Willie McGee Jr. shoots at police in a Rocky Mount parking lot after armed robbery of a Zebulon Bank. (USDOJ)

    McGee left the Zebulon bank with more than $3,200 in a white semi-truck, police said. But later that day, Rocky Mount Police officers got tips about the truck sitting in a Hobby Lobby parking lot.   

    Police confronted McGee there, and he climbed out and started shooting at them with an AR 5.56 rifle, authorities said. Officers shot back and hit McGee. His condition was listed as stable on Monday, and he is expected to recover, according to police.   

    “Thankfully, no law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the arrest,” Katie Holcomb Vollmer, public affairs officer, said in a news release.

    McGee is charged with bank robbery and discharging a firearm. He is also now charged with two counts of attempted murder and other charges related to firing at police, officials said.

    The SBI, ATF and FBI are also investigating and said no explosives were found.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Blair Hamilton

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  • Lumbee Tribe set to recieve Federal Recognition

    After more than 100 years pursuing full federal recognition, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is set to receive recognition. The National Defense Authorization Act, which includes provisions to recognize the Lumbee, passed the U.S. House and Senate and heads to the president’s desk. 

    Who are the Lumbee?

    The Lumbee Tribe, or the People of the Dark Water, is a group of Indigenous people whose tribal complex is in Pembroke, North Carolina. 

    The ancestors of the Lumbee came from various tribal backgrounds, sheltering together while seeking safety along the Lumber River, also known as the Lumbee River, through times of colonization, disease and war, according to the tribe’s website.

    They were recognized by the state of North Carolina as an Indigenous tribe in 1885.

    Today, the tribe consists of almost 60,000 members and their tribal territory spans four counties — Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland — their website states. 

    What difference will federal recognition make?

    Gaining federal recognition is a milestone for any Indigenous tribe. 

    With federal recognition, the Lumbee Tribe will now be allowed to access resources, such as the Indian Health Service, the ability to take land into trust and the rights of self-governance.

    Federal recognition also allows for the Lumbee to be covered by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). 

    Part of NAGPRA requires federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to work with recognized Indigenous tribes in returning human remains and cultural objects.

    Prior to federal recognition, if the Lumbee wanted to have any items or ancestral remains repatriated, a federally recognized tribe would have to work with the Lumbee on a joint request for repatriation, according to the Department of the Interior. 

    Why has it taken so long to become federally recognized?

    Since 1888, the Lumbee Tribe has been working toward federal recognition, but their efforts have been rejected by the government. 

    In 1956, Congress recognized the Lumbee as an Indigenous tribe, but denied them of any federal benefits that are associated with federal recognition, which they have been fighting for since. 

    During their 137-year push for recognition, they have received backlash from other tribes. 

    The Eastern Band of Cherokee, North Carolina’s only federally recognized tribe, has opposed the recognition of the Lumbee out of fear that the federal grants given to recognized tribes would decrease. 

    However, the backlash the Lumbee has received comes from tribes across the nation, not just the Eastern Band of Cherokee. 

    Critics from other tribes claim that the Lumbee do not have a clear historical or genealogical background that proves their Indigenous history, according to a letter sent to Congress by the Eastern Band of Cherokee and eight additional tribes in 2022.

    Historically, the Lumbee were accepting of inter-tribal and inter-racial marriages – with the formation of the tribe originating from their ancestors of different tribal backgrounds seeking safety.  

    According to the tribe’s website, the Lumbee counter this argument by explaining that they come from “survivors of tribal nations from the Algonquian, Iroquoian and Siouan language families, including the Cheraw and other affected tribes.”

    Will the Lumbee be allowed to participate in gaming?

    With federal recognition, the Lumbee will now be allowed to create a reservation. This is crucial in determining whether they can open a casino.

    Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, only federally recognized tribes with tribal sovereignty are legally allowed to build and open casinos, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission.

    This means that any casinos that a federally recognized tribe wishes to build must be on the tribe’s own reservation.

    While the Lumbee have said that gaming is the least of their concerns while fighting for recognition, legally the tribe can now participate. 

    Will the Lumbee legally be allowed to grow and sell marijuana?

    Due to tribal sovereignty, it is possible that the Lumbee will be legally allowed to sell marijuana, but only on tribal land. 

    In North Carolina, it remains illegal to grow, use or sell marijuana. 

    However, in 2021, it was legalized for the Eastern Band of Cherokee to sell medical marijuana on tribal land. In 2023, a referendum was passed to allow the sale of recreational marijuana as well. 

    So, if the Lumbee choose to allow the growth and sale of marijuana, their tribal sovereignty could make it legal. 

    What will the process look like from here/what’s next?

    With the National Defense Authorization Act receiving a 77-20 Senate vote Wednesday, it was sent to President Donald Trump’s desk, where it awaits his signature. 

    Trump has previously expressed his support of federally recognizing the Lumbee Tribe. 

    After Trump signs the act, the Lumbee will be able to control their own economic growth with the establishment of a reservation. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    Blair Hamilton

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