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Workers began the process of removing the cracked support beam of the Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Wednesday following nearly two weeks of inspections.

Carowinds announced that cranes were assembled at the park Wednesday to hold the coaster's track in place while workers remove the cracked support beam. A new beam built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the manufacturer of Fury 325, is expected to be delivered to the park Thursday for installation.

"Our skilled associates will diligently install the column, ensuring precise alignment and securely fastening the track/column connection," a Carowinds statement reads. 

After originally telling the Associated Press that the crack may have started at least six to 10 days before a viral video was shared, North Carolina Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson told WCNC Charlotte on Wednesday that officials aren't sure when it formed, but they're investigating and hope to learn more once the beam is removed from the ride.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/carowinds-fury-325-roller-coaster-crack-repair-cranes-support-beam-replacement-charlotte/275-93109968-e293-456b-a357-4761d1f69882

A preliminary report has been released detailing what caused a plane to land without front landing gear at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport last month. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary findings Tuesday. 

The report states a fractured upper lock link, a mechanism of the landing gear system, prevented the nose landing gear from functioning properly.

Delta Air Lines flight 1092, a Boeing 7171-200 aircraft, was en route to Charlotte from Atlanta on June 28 when the plane was forced to land without the nose gear.

None of the 104 passengers or flight crew were hurt during the landing, which was captured on video by multiple passengers.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/ntsb-report-released-plane-landed-without-nose-gear-charlotte-north-carolina-plane-lands-without-landing-gear/275-a573e5f2-779a-43ae-94ab-5ac0b59f4676

The outer loop of Interstate 485 reopened after a deadly crash near Pineville-Matthews Road closed the highway for hours Tuesday afternoon, officials said. 

Charlotte Fire Department units responded to a crash on the outer loop near Park Road around 12:30 p.m. It happened just past the exit for Pineville-Matthews Road near the Carolina Place Mall. Medic confirmed one person was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The outer loop opened around 2:45 p.m., significantly earlier than some estimates expected. At one point, DriveNC.gov estimated the road would be closed until 5:30 p.m. 

It was one of multiple separate crashes on I-485 in that area Tuesday. Just before 7 p.m., one person was seriously injured in a crash, according to Mecklenburg EMS.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/major-delays-on-i-485-outer-loop-after-crash-near-pineville-matthews-road/275-dac15b6a-5cd4-4c18-b2fb-cbb5a2456a9f

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

A Cleveland County deputy was hurt when a suspect attacked him with a piece of rebar Monday morning, investigators said. 

Capt. Jody Seagle was investigating a suspicious vehicle on Curt Ledford Road around 8 a.m. when the suspect assaulted him, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office (CCSO).

Chief Deputy Durwin Briscoe said Seagle was on his way to work when Seagle noticed a suspicious vehicle off a dirt path. He said no one was inside the vehicle, but when Seagle left his car to investigate, the suspect hit him in the back of the head with a steel rod.

Briscoe said the officer and suspect began fighting before the suspect drove away.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/cleveland-county-deputy-attacked-suspect-on-the-run/275-ef85306d-6cbf-4c34-958f-575ffb2ef1c5

A 17-year-old was arrested after a shooting in Rock Hill sent one person to the hospital, police said. 

Rock Hill officers responded to a reported shooting at a home on Fieldcrest Circle, not far from the Carolina Gardens at Rock Hill assisted living facility, around 11:30 a.m. Monday. When officers arrived, they found a person who had been shot in the abdomen. The victim was rushed to Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for treatment.

Officers found the suspect, only identified as a 17-year-old boy, outside the house and arrested him. Rock Hill police haven't named the suspect or announced his charges at this time.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/rock-hill-south-carolina-shooting-investigation-teenager-arrested/275-0bd9c30b-bd37-4103-a747-c7b26dc9ff49

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

The Kannapolis Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of their coworkers.

Matt Goodman died while off-duty on Saturday morning, Kannapolis Fire Chief Tracy Winecoff announced on Sunday. Goodman's cause of death was not released.

Winecoff said that Goodman was assigned to a station in the Royal Oaks community of Kannapolis and noted he was affiliated with other volunteer departments in Iredell County. 

Winecoff said the city will grieve Goodman and remember his years of dedicated service.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/kannapolis-firefighter-dies-off-duty-remembered-for-his-service-north-carolina-firefighter-passes-away/275-2607aeee-4a71-4f24-a80b-d665c09f161c

The Powerball jackpot rose from $615 million to $650 million after nobody won the big prize Saturday night. 

Not everyone is going away empty-handed, though — the lottery game said three tickets sold in California, Colorado and Illinois matched all five white balls to win $1 million. 

The lottery game hasn't seen a grand prize winner since April 19, when a winning ticket for $252 million was sold in Ohio. Jackpot winners have the option to be paid out the full amount over 29 years, or choose the smaller cash option. The cash option for the next drawing on Monday is $328.3 million.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/powerball-numbers-july-8-2023/507-8b861f23-6af8-4af8-94d2-af4fd815d62c

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

Two people are in jail after a missing Laurens, South Carolina woman's body was found dead along Mangum School Road in a rural area in South Carolina just south of the state line. 

However, investigators said there was evidence to suggest that the crime occurred in Union County, North Carolina before the body was taken to be left about 20 feet off the side of the road.

The Union County Sheriff's Office received a report on Sunday that 18-year-old Kierstyn Makennah Williamson was believed to be at a home on Bethpage Lane in Monroe. Williamson's family reported her missing to the Laurens Police Department after they were unable to contact her on June 30, investigators said. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/missing-south-carolina-woman-found-dead-monroe-north-carolina-suspects-arrested/275-53d65806-3d0c-4d44-9b72-3ca10f3bd5ac

More than 30 people were arrested or cited after a huge brawl broke out at a Fourth of July celebration at Romare Bearden Park in Uptown, police announced Wednesday. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings confirmed that of the 32 people who were cited or arrested, 17 were minors. The parents or guardians of 15 arrested minors were cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, CMPD said. The suspects are facing numerous charges, including disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting a public officer, assault on a government official, and possession of a firearm on city property. 

Jennings said it started when a group of teenagers lit illegal fireworks and started fights. He said some of the suspects were running through the crowd wearing masks, causing panic in the park. Jenning condemned their actions, saying that's "not who Charlotte is," and credited officers and staff for keeping things under control.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/firearms-seized-people-arrested-after-uptown-fourth-of-july-celebrations-charlotte-north-carolina/275-699dce5b-b9ee-4a89-9bf3-aadbbf122145

The company that manufactured the Fury 325 roller coaster is at Carowinds Tuesday to inspect the ride after a large crack was found in one of the track's support beams last week. 

A spokesperson from Bolliger & Mabillard, the firm that designed and manufactured Fury 325, confirmed to WCNC Charlotte that a representative was at the park Tuesday. Bolliger & Mabillard has built custom coasters for theme parks around the world since its founding in 1988. The company is credited for developing the inverted roller coaster. 

"We will continue to work closely with Carowinds to determine the cause, the repair and the reopening of the coaster," the statement reads. "Please rest assured that safety is our top priority."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/fury-325-carowinds-crack-support-beam-manufacturer-inspection-damage/275-c0bdbd8a-5b9c-4268-b0fc-3d2b6a7ef028

Police arrested multiple people in the aftermath of Fourth of July celebrations on Tuesday.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says officers were present around Uptown after fireworks events on Tuesday night to ensure the safety of people for everyone in attendance.

Police say they intervened in fights between juveniles and made numerous arrests in Uptown. Four firearms were seized during this investigation, police said.

Medic says nobody was injured during these incidents.

Thousands gathered in Uptown on Tuesday to watch the Charlotte Knights' Fourth of July celebration at Truist Field. A massive fireworks show was held at the stadium after the Knights game.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/firearms-seized-people-arrested-after-uptown-fourth-of-july-celebrations-charlotte-north-carolina/275-699dce5b-b9ee-4a89-9bf3-aadbbf122145

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

A man was shot and killed in Salisbury Sunday night, police said. 

Salisbury police responded to a reported shooting along West Jake Alexander Boulevard near Grants Creek around 11:45 p.m. When officers got to the area, they found 49-year-old Otha Keith Sherill suffering from a gunshot wound. Sherill was rushed to a hospital where he died from his injuries. 

Salisbury detectives haven't released any suspect information at this time and no arrests have been made. The Salisbury Police Department said this shooting appears to be an isolated incident and there is no active threat to the public at this time. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/salisbury-north-carolina-homicide-investigation-jake-alexander-boulevard/275-790a9458-f8c1-4f02-96c1-a9302845de74

And on a special holiday edition of #WakeUpCLT To Go, meteorologist Chris Mulcahy and Larry Sprinkle have your complete Fourth of July forecast and look ahead to a scorching week in the Carolinas.

Mecklenburg County has revoked the fireworks permit for the U.S. National Whitewater Center's July Fourth celebration. The center also separately announced the fireworks show on July 3 will also not be happening.

WCNC Charlotte received the following statement from Mecklenburg County when we first asked about the permit for the July 4 show being pulled:

"Mecklenburg County has communicated to the Whitewater Center the fireworks permit for 7/4 has been rescinded and the permit for 7/3 is approved."

The Whitewater Center's website previously advertised fireworks happening at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3. However, it has since been updated to reflect the new cancellations. The Center's official Facebook page also confirmed the new details.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/us-national-whitewater-center-july-fourth-fireworks-permit-pulled-mecklenburg-county/275-8337b167-1f82-4f8f-8eea-df7a214e106c

Gunfire erupted at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday — killing two people, wounding 28 and leaving an extensive crime scene that marred the U.S. holiday weekend, police said. Three of the wounded were in critical condition and more than a dozen were under 18.

The shooting took place just after 12:30 a.m. when at least two people opened fire at a block party in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city, said Richard Worley, Baltimore's acting police commissioner. No arrests had been made by late afternoon. It wasn't clear if the shooting was targeted or random, Worley said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/baltimore-mass-shooting/507-e2d1ca71-7e01-4d13-b6fa-28ab0525b4cb

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

A record number of North Carolinians is expected to travel for the Fourth of July holiday, AAA predicts. 

Nearly 1.5 million people will travel at least 50 miles between Friday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 4. That's 60,000 more travelers than last year's record, AAA data shows.

The travel bug has bit Americans nationwide this year with an estimated 50.7 million people traveling for July Fourth. That's nearly 2 million more than last year and almost 1.8 million more than the record set in 2019.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/travel/fourth-of-july-busy-travel-season-charlotte-north-carolina-record-number-drivers/275-edf99610-6b6d-4d59-bbd6-27a995d21680