Attorney General’s Office Joins SBI Probe

A special prosecutor from North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office has been appointed to handle a case involving Buncombe County’s Pretrial Services program after Ryan Ricky Houston committed multiple crimes while on pretrial release.

Authorities say Houston stabbed his girlfriend, Malerie Crisp, invaded a home, assaulted the homeowner, and stole three vehicles during a multi-county crime spree before dying in a fiery wrong-way crash in August 2024. Crisp also died from her injuries.

District Attorney Todd Williams asked the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to look into the resignation of Houston’s pretrial services coordinator, Rasnelly Vargas, who quit shortly after Houston’s death, citing potential conflicts of interest involving staff statements.

Court records show that an hour before Houston crashed, his electronic monitoring device stopped, prompting a violation report. In August, an open records report uncovered 244 monitoring issues involving Houston over a one-year period ending in August 2024.

Kidnapping Suspect Alleges Drug Debts

Two of three people indicted by federal officers for kidnapping a Garner woman and her 11-month-old daughter on April 28 appeared in federal court Monday.

Miguel Angel Duran Duran, 23, and Eleodoro Estrada-Hernandez, 37, are charged with kidnapping and aiding and abetting. Miguel’s sister, Paola Duran Duran, 25, faces the same charges but was not in court.

An FBI special agent said the suspects told law enforcement that Estrada-Hernandez initiated contact with the Duran Duran siblings about collecting drug debts on behalf of someone in Mexico. Judge Brian Meyers said there was enough probable cause to continue the case.

Estrada-Hernandez was remanded into custody after waiving his right to a detention hearing. Miguel Duran Duran was not given the option for release and remains in federal custody on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. All three suspects are in the country illegally.

PGA Championship Tees Off Thursday

Many of the world’s top golfers are descending on Charlotte this week as Quail Hollow Club hosts the PGA Championship for the first time since 2017. The 107th PGA Championship tees off on Thursday with one round per day and the final round on Sunday.

Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy leads a field that includes defending PGA champ Xander Schauffele, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Ryan Fox, and others. Tiger Woods will miss this year’s tournament due to an Achilles injury.

Storms caused practice round delays on Tuesday and could threaten Thursday tee times. Stay updated on the latest weather delays here.

If you’re heading to the tournament, here are nine things to know about Quail Hollow Club, a regular PGA TOUR stop and host of this year’s major.

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➤ Asheville Police say no charges are being filed against U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards after they received and investigated a report that he had assaulted a person. (More)

➤ Raleigh: State Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs was sworn in for an eight-year term Tuesday by her fellow Democrat on the court, Justice Anita Earls, ending a six-month legal battle over contested ballots. (More)

➤ Edgecombe County: The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Pinetops early Tuesday morning as severe weather moved through the area. (Watch Report)

➤ Brunswick County: Bobby Max Lowery, 48, was charged with setting an unsupervised debris fire that sparked the Sunset Road Fire in Boiling Spring Lakes on May 2. The fire had burned 1,331 acres and was 83% contained as of Monday evening. (More)

➤ Charlotte East Language Academy’s principal informed parents that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity occurred near the school’s drop-off line on Monday, though school officials haven’t confirmed whether an arrest was made or a student was affected. (More)

➤ Wake County’s school board got to see three new mobile command vehicles Tuesday that will be used to coordinate emergency response efforts in school safety situations. (More)

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➤ The Charlotte Hornets landed the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery, which could put them out of range to draft Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, a projected top-two pick. (More)

➤ Duke, UNC, and Elon all made the field for the 64-team NCAA softball tournament, which is set to kick off on Friday. (More)

➤ UNC football received a portal commitment Monday night from former Florida State linebacker Timir Hickman-Collins, a redshirt freshman who has four years of eligibility and adds depth to a thin linebacker group. (More)

➤ Sign up here in one click to receive NIL Wire to stay up-to-date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports. 

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL | NCAAB | Soccer

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➤ JetZero confirmed that Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro is one of three finalists for its new factory location, which would create as many as 10,000 jobs. (More)

➤ A new report on 900 small family-owned farms in Western North Carolina found that 86% suffered physical damage from Hurricane Helene and incurred an average cleanup and recovery cost of $40,000. (More)

➤ A $22.5 million rail yard at the Port of Wilmington, set to finish next year, will add four tracks and boost capacity to more than 50,000 rail container moves annually. (More)

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➤ The North Carolina House passed bills last week to expand recreational fishing of red snapper and flounder, designate the osprey as the state raptor, and name the loggerhead turtle as the state saltwater reptile. (More)

➤ Salisbury’s annual Cheerwine Festival is this Saturday in celebration of the cherry-flavored soft drink’s roots and headquarters there. Music acts include the Next Level Band, The Boy Band Review, and others. (More)

➤ Twisted Sister rock legend Dee Snider and his family left Los Angeles for North Carolina and have settled in Oak Ridge, where they plan to build a family compound and start a movie production company. (More)

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Will you watch the PGA Championship in Charlotte this week?

1. Yes, every day
2. Not planning to
3. I may catch some of it
4. I’ll be there in person

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you planned a summer vacation?

1. Yes: 40%
2. No: 40%
3. Hoping to: 20%

What North Carolina mountain can be seen from the Granite Quarry Overlook in Surry County?

Show me the answer