AP-NC Newswatch

Latest North Carolina News:

BC-NC-CAMPUS-CARJACKING ATTEMPT
Shots fired in carjacking attempt at NC State University
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A man attempting to rob North Carolina State University students fired multiple shots as they fled the scene. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports it happened just after 3:20 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Avent Ferry Complex. Police say a man approached multiple students in a car and attempted to steal their vehicle at gunpoint. When the students drove away, the man fired multiple shots at their car and then ran away. No one was injured during the incident and no items were stolen, police said. The man was last spotted running toward Greek Village and Varsity Drive, officials said.

BC-NC-SMALL EARTHQUAKE-NORTH CAROLINA
Small earthquake reported in western North Carolina
LAUREL PARK, N.C. (AP) – Geologists say a small earthquake struck a county in western North Carolina on Sunday morning. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that the 2.3-magnitude earthquake was reported right before 8 a.m. in Laurel Park in Henderson County, about 26 miles south of Asheville, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake was too small for most people to feel it. Only two people reported the tremor to the USGS. Henderson County isn’t known for earthquakes, but there have been six earthquakes in the past year in the county, according to Earthquake Track. The largest was a 2.5-magnitude earthquake in Marshall on Sept. 25, Earthquake Track reported.

BC-NC-INSURANCE FRAUD-WOMAN CHARGED
North Carolina Insurance Department accuses woman of fraud
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina woman involved in an automobile accident has been charged by the state Department of Insurance of trying to get payment from an insurance company even though her coverage had lapsed. According to a news release, the Greensboro woman’s vehicle was damaged in a crash on Aug. 9. Officials say the woman then called to reinstate the policy and filed the insurance claim. The department says the offenses occurred between Aug. 9 and Oct. 11. The woman is scheduled to appear in a Guilford County court on Dec. 29.

BC-NC-BUILDING COLLAPSE-FATALITY
1 dead after a shed collapsed in Goldsboro, N.C.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) – A person has died after a shed he was moving fell on top of the individual east of Goldsboro, North Carolina. WNCN reports that Wayne County officials said the incident was reported in a neighborhood near Elroy township at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Authorities said that Alex Economy, 64, died in the incident. Officials said the victim was trying to move the shed into his backyard by using jacks and concrete blocks. One of the jacks slipped because of soft ground and the shed fell on the victim, trapping him.

BC-NC-PILOT MOUNTAIN-FIRE
Officials say fire at Pilot Mountain finally contained
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A fire that burned 1,050 acres on Pilot Mountain in Surry County, North Carolina, is finally 100% contained. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that smoke from the mountain will still be visible periodically, but firefighters plan to remove “excess hose and equipment” over the next few days. That’s according to a Forest Service Facebook post. With more dry conditions expected across the state, Forest Service officials on Saturday urged residents to take precautions against unintentionally causing a fire.

HIT-AND-RUN DEATHS
North Carolina police seek motorists in hit-and-run deaths
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Police in North Carolina are looking for two drivers involved in separate hit-and-run accidents in which pedestrians were killed. The Charlotte Observer reports Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Friday that a man struck by a car on Nov. 4 died on Wednesday. The pedestrian, 50-year-old Van Hai Nguyen, was crossing The Plaza when a gray, four-door Acura hit him. The driver fled the scene. Another search continues for the driver who hit and killed a woman on Thanksgiving night. Police said in a news release that 59-year-old Cecilia Wallace was in a crosswalk when a red, two-door Ford Explorer hit her.

SON ASSAULTED-FATHER CHARGED
Police charge North Carolina father in son’s death
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Police in North Carolina have charged a father in the death of his son. Greensboro police say officers responding to a report from a residence on the southwest side of the city on Nov. 20 found 19-year-old Raymon Fernandez with injuries to his head. A news release says Fernandez was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and died on Nov. 27. On Thursday, detectives with the homicide unit charged 34-year-old Alexander Fernandez with second-degree murder. Alexander Fernandez is jailed on a $505,000 bond. It’s not known if he has an attorney.

CHARTER SCHOOL-PRINCIPAL LAWSUIT
Lawsuit: Principal fired for diverse hiring, mask mandate
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A former North Carolina charter school principal says in a lawsuit that he was fired after two months for hiring a culturally diverse staff and his COVID-19 mask mandate. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports Brian Bauer, who filed the lawsuit against Charter Schools USA, said he was hired to lead Cardinal Charter Academy, a tuition-free, K-8 public charter school in Cary, in mid-July, Charter Schools USA is the school’s parent company. According to the lawsuit, Bauer was fired around Sept. 2, shortly after the start of the school year. An attorney for the school’s parent company said it can’t comment on pending litigation.