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Regional Briefs: N.C. cities could be hit with increased payments to pension plan
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Published: November 28, 2009
DURHAM -- North Carolina communities already facing tight local budgets may have to spend more to beef up pension plans for municipal workers.
The N.C. League of Municipalities told local governments around the state last week that a decision should come in January on whether cities, towns and counties will have to increase a pension-contribution rate that has been steady for more than 20 years.
Demands for increased pension contributions are blamed mostly on last year's fall in stock values, which damaged the earnings of the pension funds the state maintains for teachers, state workers and other employees.
The suggested increases would push contributions to the N.C. Local Government Retirement System from 4.8 percent to 6.35 percent of payroll for civilian employees and from 5.27 percent to 6.82 percent for sworn law-enforcement officers, league officials said.
Stimulus money goes to N.C. 18
RALEIGH -- Gov. Bev Perdue announced this week that a road project in Alleghany County received $353,963 in federal stimulus money.
The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the money in a contract to Carl Rose & Sons Inc. of Elkin to widen and resurface a half-mile of N.C. 18 from Tayson Road to Osborne Road.
The work includes adding a foot to the width of the highway's northbound and southbound lanes, and extends a widening project on N.C. 18 that took place last year, the DOT said. It will provide a safer route for travelers driving to and from Sparta.
The work is scheduled to begin as early as March 15 and is expected to be completed by Aug. 15.
Woman charged in fatal shooting
STATESVILLE -- A Statesville woman was charged Thursday with murder in the shooting death of her boyfriend, authorities said.
Cheryl Dhonayle Davis, 41, is accused of killing Rodney Herron, 47, who lived with her, according to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. Herron was shot about 6 a.m. and taken to a local hospital, where he died.
Davis was being held last night in the Iredell County Jail, with no bond allowed. She is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Sanitation truck flips, kills one
CHARLOTTE -- A city sanitation truck overturned onto a car in Charlotte yesterday, killing one person and seriously injuring three others.
The Charlotte truck crushed a car with four people inside, authorities said. The truck driver lost control yesterday afternoon while turning right off of Billy Graham Parkway.
Charlotte Fire Capt. Rob Brisley said that one person in the car died at the scene, and two were rescued within minutes. Nearly 50 firefighters worked for 80 minutes to free the fourth person.
Brandi Williams, a spokeswoman for Charlotte, said that the city truck was picking up yard waste. The driver and one of two other workers on the truck were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Officials have not identified anyone in either vehicle.
Man arrested after kidnapping
ASHEVILLE -- Asheville police say that a man kidnapped an elderly woman while she sat in a car outside the Asheville hospital where she was being discharged.
Anthony Blaine Messer, 29, was arrested Wednesday. He is accused of second-degree kidnapping, theft of a motor vehicle and other charges.
A week ago, a 77-year-old woman wearing a gown, house coat and slippers was in the front passenger seat of her car while her daughter went back into Mission Hospital to get something, police said.
Messer hopped into the car and drove to a restaurant, where the told the woman to get out, police said.
The woman said she considered fighting the man even though she was recovering from vascular surgery.
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