RALEIGH -- Three state agencies will receive a combined $34 million more because Gov. Bev Perdue's administration is freeing up money that it initially held back this year because of budget worries.
Perdue's office said yesterday that it is loosening in part her August order that 5 percent of the money allocated in this year's state budget be held back to make sure that government had money to pay its bills.
The community-college system will receive $19.5 million more to handle an influx in jobless students wanting to be retrained. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will get more money for some social-service programs and the Smart Start early-childhood initiative.
Perdue's budget office also freed up $4.7 million for the court system.
Two Fort Bragg soldiers among dead in Afghanistan copter crash
FORT BRAGG -- The Pentagon has released the names of seven soldiers killed in the crash of a helicopter in Afghanistan, including two based at North Carolina's Fort Bragg.
Two soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg were killed in the Oct. 26 crash. They were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
The other five soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, near Savannah, Ga.
They were Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah; Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.; and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
Appelate court blocks order forcing Easley aide's testimony
RALEIGH -- The N.C. Court of Appeals has blocked an order that prevented the State Board of Elections this week from forcing a former aide to former Gov. Mike Easley to testify.
The appeals court issued a stay yesterday on a Wake County judge's order that quashed the board's subpoena of Ruffin Poole, Easley's former legal counsel.
Poole filed a petition Monday asking a judge to block enforcement of the subpoena as the board investigated Easley's campaign and the N.C. Democratic Party. The judge agreed but put the reasons under seal. It wasn't clear whether Poole will appeal to the N.C. Supreme Court.
Davidson among counties to get stimulus cash to help renters
CHARLOTTE -- Davidson County and four other counties hit hard by unemployment will share $1.4 million in federal stimulus money to prevent hurting families from becoming homeless.
The project focuses on both the homeless and struggling renters in Cabarrus, Davidson, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties. All five counties have double-digit unemployment rates, with Rowan being the highest at 12.8 percent.
Community Link, an affordable-housing group, will manage the money awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Group President Floyd Davis says that the aid should start by mid-November and is expected to help at least 150 individuals and families in each of the next three years.
UNC-TV announces changes regarding two of its channels
UNC-TV is changing two of its channels on Sunday. UNC-NC (504 on Time Warner Cable, 263 in the Triad) will become UNC-EX, The Explorer Channel, and will focus on travel, culture, science, nature, history and outdoor programming. The digital cable-only channel UNC-ED (503 on Time Warner Cable) is changing to UNC-MX, with a mix of programming including public affairs and how-to shows.
West Carolina's marching band gets invitation to Rose Parade
CULLOWHEE -- Western Carolina University's marching band has topped off an award as one of the country's best with an invitation to play in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.
The Pride of the Mountains band won the Sudler Trophy, the nation's highest honor for collegiate marching bands.
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