Stein, Lawmakers File Final Court Briefs

Gov. Josh Stein and Republican legislative leaders filed final briefs Friday ahead of a Nov. 10 showdown at the state Supreme Court.

Stein is challenging laws shifting some of his board and commission appointments to lawmakers and other statewide officials. He’s also fighting a 2024 law requiring him to fill appellate court vacancies from three names picked by the departing judge’s party.

Stein’s lawyers argued the constitution gives that power to the governor alone, calling the 2024 law an attempt to install jurists “selected by partisan political operatives.”

Legislative leaders countered that the constitution lets the General Assembly divide appointments among multiple elected officials. They asked justices to overturn 2016 and 2018 rulings favoring former Govs. Pat McCrory and Roy Cooper.

All five living former governors, three Democrats and two Republicans, back Stein. Republican Auditor Dave Boliek, Labor Commissioner Luke Farley, and several business groups sided with lawmakers.

Jail Officers Charged over Inmate Fight

A Vance County grand jury has indicted five detention officers accused of setting up a fight between two women inmates at the county jail in Henderson.

Each faces a misdemeanor charge of willfully failing to discharge duties tied to the Aug. 12 fight, according to court documents. One of the five, Jessica Alston, was a jail captain with supervisory duties.

Sheriff Curtis Brame said the inmates were “encouraged to fight,” the incident was caught on camera, and all five no longer work for his office. The State Bureau of Investigation is leading the case.

The charges follow a June escape by two inmates and a third letter from state health officials this month warning of unsafe conditions. Brame blamed understaffing and asked county commissioners for money to raise pay.

Cape Fear Region Salutes Veterans

Wilmington’s annual Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, rolling south along N. 3rd Street through downtown.

The route runs from Hanover Street to Market Street, and the city has posted a list of street closures. An hour earlier, Columbus County holds its Veterans Celebration Parade in downtown Whiteville.

On Veterans Day itself, Cape Fear Community College hosts a ceremony at 11:11 a.m. at its downtown Wilmington campus. Army veteran Lauren Tidwell, the college’s dean of career and technical education, will speak, and a Marine Corps color guard will present the colors.

In Brunswick County, employees from the Southport and Shallotte Lowe’s stores gave Oak Island’s Veterans Park a makeover.

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➤ Cherokee: Officers from across the mountains escorted Cherokee Indian Police Detective Jeff Smith from Bryson City to Cherokee on Friday. Smith, with the department since 2011, suffered a fatal medical emergency Oct. 23 while helping pull a fleeing suspect up a riverbank. (See Details)

➤ Charlotte: Polk County deputies served LaKesha Womack, D, NC-14, with a 2020 felony warrant at a campaign event Oct. 11, alleging she never returned a $20,000 rental car. Womack, who’s challenging Rep. Tim Moore, said she’ll address it in court; her date falls a week after Election Day. (More)

➤ Gaston County: Commissioners voted 4-2 to approve the county’s next property revaluation plan as Gastonia homeowners worry rising values will mean bigger tax bills. Commissioner Cathy Cloninger proposed stretching revaluations from every four years to every eight. (See Details)

➤ Statesville: Iredell-Statesville Schools leaders are weighing school mergers, larger class sizes, and teaching position cuts as they try to close a growing budget gap. (More)

➤ Burgaw: Town Council member Michael Pearsall is searching for a bone marrow donor after a September leukemia diagnosis that began when his vision blurred during a flying lesson. Pearsall is black and Asian, two groups underrepresented on national donor registries. (Read Story)

➤ Raleigh: Sanderson High School students aim to raise at least $50,000 for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, topping last year’s roughly $46,000. They’re collecting canned goods during first period and charging admission to schoolwide events. (See Details)

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➤ North Carolina fell 38-35 to No. 1 Miami, with two late onside-kick recoveries wiped out by penalties. UNC’s Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort. (More)

➤ Nate Sheppard rushed for a school-record five touchdowns in Duke’s 47-2 rout of Boston College, NC State rolled past Cal 31-10, and No. 14 Wake Forest crushed Virginia 51-7 for its fifth straight win. (See Scores)

➤ Appalachian State managed just six rushing yards in a 19-3 loss at rival Georgia Southern, its fourth straight defeat against the Eagles. (More)

➤ No. 10 UNC field hockey downed No. 6 Duke 2-1 on Friday to earn the top seed in the upcoming ACC tournament. Head coach Erin Matson is now 10-0 vs. Duke all-time. (More)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is two games away from tying the NHL’s record for longest unbeaten streak to open a season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | WNBA | NHL | NBA | Soccer | Golf

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➤ UNC Asheville’s women’s soccer match against Winthrop paused briefly Wednesday when bears wandered near the field late in the first half. Once play resumed, the Bulldogs won 2-1 to clinch a spot in the Big South tournament. (More)

➤ Thomasville buried a time capsule to mark America’s 250th anniversary, part of a yearlong commemoration organized by the city’s Thomasville 250 Committee. (See Details)

➤ Hallmark Channel’s new original movie, A Grand Biltmore Christmas, filmed at Asheville’s historic Biltmore Estate and starring Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, and Jonathan Frakes, premieres Saturday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. and streams the next day on Hallmark+. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Halloween came with curfews and extra cops as towns braced for a repeat of last year’s teenage mayhem. (Hear More)

➤ Scientists uncovered secrets of Mars’ ancient, watery past inside a rose-colored meteorite found in the Sahara Desert. (Listen Now)

➤  Art experts revealed how beginners could start collecting valuable artwork without spending a fortune. (Podcast Available)

Get a first look at A Grand Biltmore Christmas. 

How many Hallmark movies do you watch each holiday season?

1. At least five
2. Four or fewer
3. None, if I can help it

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you give out “healthy” Halloween treats?

1. Always: 3%
2. I try: 5%
3. Why bother? 57%
4.  I would if I had trick-or-treaters: 35%

What movies, other than Hallmark productions, have been filmed at the Biltmore Estate?

Show me the answer