ICE Arrests Venezuelan Gang Member Suspect

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested a suspected member of a Venezuelan prison gang in Raleigh on Feb. 8.

Ricardo Padillia-Granadillo, 24, an illegal migrant and suspect in a mass shooting in Chicago, was arrested during an ICE raid at a Raleigh home, where they also found a handgun, ammunition, and 10 other illegal Venezuelan migrants.

Granadillo is also wanted on federal charges for illegal entry into the country near El Paso, Texas in October 2022. At that time, the U.S. Border Patrol paroled him into the country and gave him notice to appear in court.

When Granadillo didn’t show up for his immigration appointment, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued an arrest warrant for him. He’s currently being held on a federal detainer.

USPS Increases Rewards for Mail Crime Arrests

The United States Postal Service’s law enforcement agency has increased rewards for information leading to arrests for crimes against letter carriers and customers’ mail. 

For cases involving the robbery of a letter carrier, the reward increased from $50,000 to $150,000. Cases involving mail theft or other postal crimes offer a reward of $100,000, up from $10,000.

Recent postal crimes in North Carolina include a former USPS employee in Charlotte who worked with two others to steal more than $20 million worth of checks, and a Fayetteville USPS employee who stole more than $750,000 in treasury checks.

Conversely, last June multiple USPS employees were robbed at gunpoint in Greensboro and Charlotte.

RDU and ILM Offer New Direct Flights

Several new direct flights are available at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Wilmington International Airport (ILM), including two new international destinations out of RDU.

Avelo Airlines kicked off direct flights from Montego Bay, Jamaica to RDU Wednesday and will launch direct service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Feb. 22. Each flight is about three hours and will be offered on Wednesdays and Sundays from mid-November through September.

Breeze Airways started nonstop service to Daytona Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, just one week after announcing nonstop flights to Pensacola and Orlando, Fla.; Rochester and Albany, N.Y.; and Memphis, Tenn.

Breeze also announced nonstop flights out of ILM this week to Hartford, Conn.; Orlando and Fort Myers, Fla.; and Providence, R.I.

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➤ Statewide: The North Carolina Senate voted to limit the number of medical procedures the state requires major insurers to cover, which is currently 58. The House of Representatives will take up the bill next. (More)

➤ Statewide: UNC System President Peter Hans has recommended no increase to in-state tuition, saying he is “incredibly proud” that “no other state in the nation can claim nine straight years of no tuition increases.” (More)

➤ Research Triangle Park: Research Triangle Institute (RTI) announced 226 temporary layoffs, including 61 in North Carolina, due to the federal freeze on U.S. foreign assistance. (More)

➤ Wake County: Educators and parents are calling for funds to fix aging HVAC equipment and make repairs in public schools that have caused some schools to dismiss early. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Longtime Democratic activist and fundraiser Jeanette Wallace Hyde died Monday at age 86. She and her late husband were considered a political power couple who entertained the Clintons, former governors, and other party dignitaries. (More)

➤ Burlington: Police used a drone to pick up the heat signature of a missing 81-year-old man suffering from dementia. He was found in a nearby creek and rushed to a medical facility. (More)

➤ Charlotte Hornets’ ownership has expressed support for a potential WNBA expansion team in Charlotte. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes have received significant interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers regarding a Mikko Rantanen trade. (More)

➤ Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton elaborated on his controversial “locker room full of losers” comment, saying that teams are what their record says they are, and the Panthers were 2-14 the season before he was drafted. (More)

➤ Want to stay up-to-date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports? NIL Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis | NHL | PGA 

➤ State commerce officials terminated a jobs grant for Durham-based Smart Wires Inc. after it failed to comply with reporting requirements tied to the incentive. (More)

➤ The General Assembly has reintroduced a bill for a “work-and-save” retirement program for small businesses that would enable employees to invest in traditional or Roth IRAs through an automatic payroll deduction plan. (More)

➤ Variety Wholesalers Inc.’s acquisition of Big Lots stores may keep 46 of them open in North Carolina, according to a recent bankruptcy court filing. (More)

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➤ An 1890s Romeo and Juliet love story in Raleigh that resulted in a forbidden marriage ended with the two being laid to rest side-by-side in historic Oakwood Cemetery. (More)

➤ UNC-Charlotte and East Carolina University achieved Research 1 status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which indicates “very high research activity” and is the highest recognition a doctoral university can receive. (More)

➤ A Fayetteville-based fishing charter caught a 100-pound, 57.5-inch-long catfish in the Cape Fear River on Jan. 29—the largest catfish caught there since 2016. (See Photos)

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Do you trust your USPS mail carrier?

1. Yes
2. No
3. So far…

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever donated to a political campaign?

1. Yes: 48%
2. No: 34%
3. I might someday: 18%

What James Brown song did Prince often play live when performing with North Carolina saxophonist Maceo Parker?

Show me the answer