Wild Winter Weather Continues This Week

A line of severe thunderstorms on Sunday kicked off a week of wild weather that includes a chance of snow on Wednesday.

Wind gusts reached 61 mph in Fayetteville and 59 mph in the Triangle Sunday. Dozens of flights were delayed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

By noon on Sunday, power outages had impacted nearly 58,000 households. Temperatures reached the 60s Sunday afternoon before dipping down into the 30s overnight.

Another weather system could bring snow, sleet, or rain to much of the state Wednesday. If the storm takes a coastal track, the chance for snow increases.

FBI Targets Cult-Like Group Linked to NC

The FBI has linked three computer scientists who previously lived in a Chapel Hill duplex to a cult-like group responsible for six homicides in Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California. Among those killed was U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland.

The group calls themselves “Zizians” due to shared anarchist beliefs promoted by a blogger from Alaska who goes by “Ziz.” The blogger, 34-year-old Jack LaSota, is a former NASA intern who identifies as a female and is still at large.

LaSota and two followers—Washington state native Teresa Youngblut, 21, and German citizen Felix Bauckholt, 28, who was listed as “Ophelia” in court documents—had been living in Chapel Hill where their landlord noticed the three would take late-night walks wearing long black coats.

Bauckholt died in the shootout that killed Maland. Youngblut, who faces two weapons charges in connection with the killing, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Feb. 7.

House Weighs Speed, Alcohol, and Voter Bills 

North Carolina House lawmakers filed several bills last week. A bipartisan group proposed increasing the maximum speed limit from 70 to 75 mph. If passed, the bill would give NCDOT the right to raise the speed limit on interstate and toll roads.

Another bill with bipartisan support proposes lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from .08 to .05. It would also increase guidance for law enforcement to collect samples from suspected drunk drivers and give repeat offenders a chance to earn their licenses back.

A Republican-proposed bill would make it a misdemeanor for voter registration drive organizers to hand out real registration forms, and require drives to be registered with county boards of elections. The bill has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.

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➤ Statewide: Supreme Court candidate Allison Riggs and the state elections board requested to move Jefferson Griffin’s ballot challenge directly to the state Supreme Court, bypassing the Court of Appeals despite its expedited timeline. (More)

➤ Western NC: FEMA blamed a “system error” for extending hotel stays from Feb. 20 to March 7 for Hurricane Helene victims deemed ineligible for the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program. The agency announced it will honor the March 7 extension. (More)

➤ Raleigh: NC State Executive Vice Chancellor Warwick Arden implemented an immediate hiring freeze Friday due to the “uncertain impacts” of President Trump’s executive orders and “potential shutdown” of the federal government. (More)

➤ Outer Banks: Seven of eight confirmed bird flu cases in North Carolina are near the Outer Banks. Biologists believe the cases are specific to waterfowl, shorebirds, and birds of prey. (More)

➤ Pittsboro: Soaring egg prices have prompted residents to start their own backyard flocks, causing chicks to sell out at a local feed store, where they cost $6 each. (More)

➤ Apex: Police named two suspects in a DWI chase that resulted in a head-on collision following an armed robbery at Dick’s Sporting Goods Saturday. A third suspect is still on the run. (Watch Video)

➤ Charlotte native William Byron became the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win the Daytona 500 two years in a row. (More)

➤ No. 12 UNC women’s basketball got a thrilling come-from-behind win at home Sunday, defeating rival No. 10 NC State 66-65. UNC moves to 11-3 in the ACC and NC State is now 12-2. (More)

➤ NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that the Charlotte Hornets never filed an official protest of the league’s action to rescind one of the team’s attempted trade deadline deals. (More)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes stars Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho combined for two points to help Team Finland defeat Team Sweden 4-3 and remain alive in the 4 Nations Face-Off. (More)

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

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➤ Garner Amazon workers rejected efforts to unionize after 2,447 employees (74.7%) voted against the effort. (More)

➤ JCPenney’s Asheville Mall store is one of eight closing nationwide due to expiring lease agreements, market conditions, and other factors. (More)

➤ Darling Ingredients will lay off 44 drivers and seven managers at its Anson County chemical plant. The company plans to hire third-party company J.B. Hunt to take over its transportation needs. (More)

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➤ A Marian University study determined that Wilmington ranked first and Raleigh ranked fourth on a list of cities where residents are least likely to catch a cold, thanks to population density, access to healthcare, air quality, and other factors. (See List)

➤ The FBI honored two Raleigh police officers for saving two people from drowning in the Neuse River last summer. (See Photos)

➤ Holly Springs law enforcement rescued and stabilized a male bald eagle Thursday morning that had been hit and injured by a vehicle on Old Holly Springs Apex Road. (Watch Video)

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Should North Carolina’s maximum speed limit be raised from 70 to 75 mph?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only on major highways
4. Not sure

Friday’s Results:

 Do you trust your USPS mail carrier?

1. Yes: 54%
2. No: 24%
3. So far: 22%

What North Carolina body of water is known as a bald eagle stronghold?

Show me the answer