News

Tobacco workers employed by Lorillard plan to protest at an FDA meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning in Raleigh. The government is reviewing the safety of menthol cigarettes- Lorillard has a market share of about 35 percent of the product. The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 317-T in Greensboro is organizing the event. Randy Fulk is the union's international representative. He worked for Lorillard Tobacco for more than 36 years:

President Barack Obama will be in North Carolina today visiting students at Forsyth Technical Community College.

President Obama’s visit is the highlight of a year of celebrations at Forsyth Tech. The community college is 50-years-old.  For the first time in the school’s history – Forsyth Tech has more than 10-thousand students enrolled. Many of the students are laid off workers or those insecure about their current jobs.  Gary Green is president of Forsyth Tech. He says President Obama’s visit means a lot.

A new Republican majority on the Wake County Board of Commissioners plans to undo some efforts passed by the old Democratic majority.

A lot is expected to happen later today when the Wake County Commissioners meet for the first time with new members. The Republican Majority will rescind a resolution that expresses “deep concern” over the re-segregation of the Wake County schools.

The county commissioners have financial oversight over the schools.

The anti-re-segregation resolution passed last April.

Three soldiers at Fort Bragg received medals today for their bravery during a recent deployment to Afghanistan. Sargeant First Class Marius Orhon received an Army Commendation Medal with Valor, and Sargeants Erik Crouch and Ryan Schloesser both received Bronze Star Medals with Valor. Crouch is a medic who performed valiantly after his group was attacked by Taliban. Major Matthew Ziglar is the company commander.

The US Labor Department is suing one of the country’s biggest food distributors for discrimination at its Lumberton facility.  

Fifty students will be part of the first class of the East Carolina University School of Dentistry this fall. School officials aim to meet the state's demand for more dentists. North Carolina has the fourth lowest dentist-to-population ratio in the country. The school will open 10 clinics in rural areas across North Carolina. Three of those clinics will be in Sylva, Ahoskie and Elizabeth City. Associate Dean Francis Serio says 4th-year students will spend most of their time treating patients in those clinics.

Chapel Hill town officials are considering permanently moving the public library to University Mall. They voted to put on hold an expansion project at the library’s current site on North Estes Drive. This after the owner of the mall offered to sell the space currently housing Dillard’s department store. Officials estimate the move would save taxpayers close to 4 million dollars.  They say the new location would be more accessible.

Assistant director Mark Bayles has been with the library for 27 years. He speaks fondly of the current location:

Drivers will be subject to new laws taking effect today. Most involve licensing and license plates. One law adds a potential $100 penalty for having a license plate frame that covers important information on the plate. And commercial driver licenses will now expire after five years because of hazardous materials regulations. And more laws go into effect January 1st.

Marge Howell with the DMV says licensing laws are being relaxed for older drivers:

North Carolina's ABC Commission has decided that liquor stores in the state will no longer sell 95% grain alcohol.  The state warehouse currently stocks two 190-proof brands, Everclear and Diesel. A recent study by the Mecklenburg ABC board found that most of its grain liquor is sold at stores near college campuses, where the potent spirits are especially popular.  

State ABC spokeswoman Agnes Stevens says the Commission decided the high-alcohol drinks had no redeeming social value:

Elections officials around the state have started the second phase of vote counting in a Court of Appeals race.

One of this year’s Court of Appeals races is the first statewide contest in the US to use instant runoff voting.  In the general election, voters chose a first, second, and third choice from a field of 13 candidates.   Cressie Thigpen and Doug McCullough were the top two winners as first choice. 

Starting today, elections officials are sorting through ballots on which the first choice was someone else.  Deputy state Elections Director Johnnie McLean:

North Carolina shoppers swarmed shopping centers early this morning to take advantage of Black Friday sales.  No official numbers are available yet, but anecdotal reports say the lines were a little longer than they were last year.  Deep discounts on toys and electronics brought out Black Friday regulars, as well as some first-timers like Cindy Ratkovich. She doesn't usually take part in the early-morning Black Friday madness:

This long holiday shopping weekend is expected to out pace last year. And that includes online shopping.  Scot Wingo likes to track what is called – Cyber Monday – how much money online shoppers spend during the holiday weekend.  Wingo is C-E-O of Channel Advisor. The Morrisville-based company works with over three-thousand online retailers on how to be more efficient and make more money.

Wingo expects double digit online shopping growth: