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Regional Briefs: Florida man dies in collision on U.S. 21
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Published: November 22, 2009
ELKIN -- A Florida man died yesterday when he drove his pickup the wrong way on U.S. 21 near Interstate 77 in Elkin and collided with a tractor-trailer, the N.C. Highway Patrol said.
Jacob Daniel Griggs, 26, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., died at the scene, Trooper Brent Jones said.
Jones said that Griggs was traveling south in the northbound lane.
Charles Beal, 47, of Greensboro, the driver of the tractor-trailer, had just taken Exit 83 off the interstate onto U.S. 21 when the wreck occurred about 1:54 a.m.
Beal was taken to Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Jones said.
No charges will be filed in the incident, which is still under investigation.
Effort to exclude independent voters in GOP primaries rejected
RALEIGH -- Republican primaries in North Carolina will continue to be open to unaffiliated voters.
GOP spokesman Jordan Shaw says that the party's executive committee overwhelmingly rejected a resolution that would allow only Republicans to pick the party's nominees.
Voters unaffiliated with a party have been helping to choose who runs on the GOP ticket since 1988.
Republicans pushing for the change argued that party members should be the ones picking their nominees because independents are more inclined to back moderates.
But many state leaders worried that changing the rules could damage Republican chances to win elections in 2010.
Unaffiliated voters have been allowed in Democratic primaries since 1996.
Judge rules that sheriff facing charges can stay on the job
LINCOLNTON -- A judge's ruling means that a North Carolina sheriff facing obstruction-of-justice charges can keep his job for now.
Judge Richard Boner of Superior Court on Friday refused to suspend Sheriff Tim Daugherty, saying that there is no proof that Daugherty isn't performing his duties.
The all-Republican Lincoln County Board of Commissioners asked the county attorney to make the request to suspend the sheriff, who is a Democrat.
Daugherty has been indicted on two counts of felony obstruction of justice. He is accused of covering up a fixed drunken-driving investigation. His trial is set for January.
Man gets life term in killing of convenience-store clerk
GREENSBORO -- A man was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of killing a Greensboro convenience-store clerk in front of the clerk's 13-year-old son.
A jury took two hours Friday to find Raytheon Williams, 20, guilty of first-degree murder.
One of Williams' co-defendants testified that Williams talked about shooting Satwinder Singh, 50, during the store robbery to get respect from his gang.
Authorities say that three men were involved in the robbery in November 2006.
Prosecutors offered a plea deal to Arthur Burton III, 21, in exchange for his testimony, and he will spend at least 21 years in prison. A murder charge is still pending against Shawn McIlvain, 18.
Mrs. Claus banned from Raleigh Christmas parade
RALEIGH -- Santa Claus was fine at the Raleigh Christmas parade yesterday, but Mrs. Claus had to stay away.
Organizers of the parade said that they were just following policy, because children would be confused if there were two people in the parade in Santa garb.
Mrs. Claus wasn't happy. Debra Goldman says she was allowed to wear her gray wig and long red dress in the parade last year.
John Odom says that last year, organizers didn't know that Goldman was dressing as Mrs. Claus. This year, she had sent out a news release.
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