704 Unfiltered

South Carolina's top accountant Richard Eckstrom testified a second time in front of a special Senate Panel Tuesday over a multi-billion dollar accounting error that spanned over a decade. 

Eckstrom responded to accusations that his office was warned by auditors of the error. He said it's the treasurer's responsibility, not his, to reconcile the state's cash balances. 

"That makes sense that that agency responsible for cash would be responsible for making sure those cash balances compore with balances shown in the accounting system," said Eckstrom. 

It comes nearly one week after House Lawmakers filed a Resolution requesting an impeachment inquiry into Eckstrom. 

Eckstrom told legislators in February that his office noticed the problem at the start of the pandemic. He added that the issue had been corrected and that it shouldn't impact their ability to debate the upcoming budget.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/sc-comptroller-general-testifies-calls-for-resignation-mount/101-7210b354-e562-4bf5-9a07-73b8cb436707

Police are searching for a man they say was impaired during a crash that left a man dead in February.

According to the Statesville Police Department, the crash happened on Feb. 24, Gabino Hernandez Nunez was driving a 1995 Honda Civic on E. Broad Street when he crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a 2007 Honda Civic.

The occupants of both vehicles were transported to a local hospital. Hernandez Nunez was released from the hospital but one of the passengers of his car, Juvencio Mata Carbajal, was pronounced dead two days later.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/man-wanted-after-driving-impaired-during-fatal-crash-police-say-statesville-north-carolina-investigation/275-d5053389-d40f-4756-ae9d-6ca5c87f43fe

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! 

Four Americans who traveled to Mexico last week to seek plastic surgery were caught in a deadly shootout before being kidnapped by an armed gang, the FBI said. The group was traveling Friday in a white van with North Carolina plates when they came under fire while entering the city of Matamoros from Brownsville, Texas. One of the people is from Myrtle Beach, according to the FBI. Richard DeVayne joins us with the latest on the case.

FULL STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/four-kidnapped-americans-mexico-health-care/101-654f9684-c4b6-49f1-aa32-7273225fd637

Also on this episode, Kia Murray breaks down the future of TikTok in the U.S. as lawmakers continue to push for a ban on the app over national security concerns. The White House says it's up to Congress to decide the app's fate. Federal officials, along with many state and local governments, have already banned the app from government devices over user privacy concerns.

And finally on #WakeUpCLT To Go, we're asking how far you'd drive to save money on a flight. Charlotte Douglas International Airport was recently ranked in the top 10 for most expensive airports in the U.S. Many people say they're able to save hundreds of dollars by making a short drive to Raleigh or Greenville, but are you willing to spend extra time in the car to save on your trip? Text us at 704-329-3600!

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! 

It's been over eight months since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, giving the power to regulate abortions back to the states. As a result of this decision, state abortion laws since the ruling are all over the spectrum. 

With many states enacting abortion restrictions or bans since the ruling, the states that still provide access to legal abortion have seen a predictable influx of people traveling from other states to access abortion services. 

Findings from a study by the Society of Family Planning's #WeCount project show that, between April and August of 2022, North Carolina was the state with the highest increase in abortions, with a 37% increase.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/post-roe-north-carolina-has-become-abortion-landing-place/275-0d5df947-b04c-4e05-b366-b02bf096006b

Two people were found dead at a home on Sunday in what police say was a murder-suicide.

According to the Gaston County Police Department, officers were called to Mountain Meadows Drive west of Dallas, N.C. around 5:55 a.m. on Sunday for a shooting call.

When they arrived, police found two people dead inside the home. 

Police identified Michelle Walter and Johnnie Walter, Jr. as the people found dead. Investigators determined Johnie Walter killed Michelle Walter before killing himself.

The relationship between Michelle and Johnnie, if any, has not been released at this time.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/murder-suicide-under-investigation-in-gaston-county-dallas-north-carolina-fatal-shooting-death/275-56ff6f3d-1483-41f4-a3ca-eac673a33d4e

And finally on #WakeUpCLT To Go, we're discussing whether employers should use personality tests for hiring. More and more companies are joining the trend, leaning on the $2 billion personality assessment industry to identify the perfect candidates who will both perform well and stick around the workplace. Did your employer require a personality test during the hiring practice? Tell us by texting 704-329-3600!

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 Charlotte teenager last seen leaving Olympic High School has been reported missing, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced Thursday. 

Leana Lang is described by police as a Black 16-year-old who is about five feet and six inches tall weighing about 120 pounds, according to police. She has braids and dark hair color with brown eyes. 

Family members have reasons to be concerned for her safety, according to CMPD. It was not known what the teenager was wearing when she was last seen.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-olymipic-high-school-student-teenager-missing/275-47a12810-5d2a-4ee0-a689-b7a17bbcee6e

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a suspect that fled from police and was later involved in a deadly crash Wednesday evening. 

Around 7:30 p.m. officers attempted to stop a vehicle with a fake tag when the driver sped away from police.

The officer, following the guidelines of CMPD’s pursuit policy, turned off his lights and siren and did not pursue the fleeing vehicle, police said. 

A review of body-worn camera footage shows the officer followed protocol in cutting his lights and siren as soon as the suspect fled in an attempt to prevent harm, according to police.

The suspect continued driving recklessly for about a half mile before hitting another vehicle at Sharon Amity Road and Tarrywood Lane.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/person-wanted-after-fleeing-from-police-causing-deadly-crash-cmpd/275-946544a7-4f7f-4b31-a318-6d6e2965fe89

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! 

Apple announced that as of Wednesday, the Apple store at the Northlake Mall has permanently closed.

Employees from the location will be shifted to work at the Apple Store in the SouthPark area. 

Apple states the move is "in preparation for a new store we plan to open in the Charlotte area early next year," though, it comes just one day after the third shooting happened at the Northlake Mall in the span of around two and a half months.

Apple did not previously announce this location would be closing before Wednesday. The company has not directly stated the shootings are the reason behind the move.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/apple-store-closing-at-northlake-mall-day-after-shootings-at-the-shopping-center-charlotte-north-carolina/275-15a1d0ee-f5af-4ce9-b417-ec21ecb4a1b6

The Charlotte Hornets will have to go the rest of the season without their highest-scoring player.

On Tuesday, the team announced that LaMelo Ball underwent surgery to address a fracture in his right ankle. Ball will miss the rest of the season after undergoing the successful surgery, according to the team.

Ball fractured his right ankle in the third quarter of Charlotte's win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. He has missed over 25 games this season due to injuries on his left ankle.

Despite his absent stints, Ball has been a top contributor for the Hornets this season. Ball leads the current roster in points per game (23.3), assists per game (8.4), and rebounds per game (6.4). Mason Plumlee had 9.7 rebounds per game, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/sports/nba/hornets/lamelo-ball-to-miss-rest-of-the-season-due-to-ankle-injury-charlotte-hornets-nba-basketball-injury-update-terry-rozier/275-9e4c53cb-4834-43c5-9136-08eec830fe5c

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! 

 For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory.

Responding to comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the involvement of the U.S. intelligence community was evidence enough of the “politicization of origin tracing.”

“By rehashing the lab-leak theory, the U.S. will not succeed in discrediting China, and instead, it will only hurt its own credibility,” Mao said.

“We urge the U.S. to respect science and facts ... stop turning origin tracing into something about politics and intelligence, and stop disrupting social solidarity and origins cooperation,” she said.

In an interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday, Wray said, “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in (central China’s) Wuhan.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/china-on-covid-19-lab-leak-theory/507-e0abdb45-d321-4f2d-94a8-a67aa02e4224

The North Carolina Senate on Tuesday passed a medical marijuana legalization bill 36-10.

Tuesday’s voting came at 4 p.m. The bill is largely — but not entirely — the same as the bill that passed last year, when it received ‘Yes’ votes from every Democrat and most Republicans in the Senate.

The bill never moved forward in the House last year, despite the broad bipartisan support it received in the Senate. House GOP leaders weren’t convinced to make it law. Sen. Bill Rabon, a top legislative leader, believes there's more support in the House GOP than last year.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/north-carolina-politics-senate-vote-medical-marijuana-legalization/275-15e7e26e-5d0d-4953-92e0-653f74e70b80

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 Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, which impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced.

So far, Republican-appointed judges have kept the Democratic president's plan from going into effect, and it remains to be seen how the court, dominated 6-3 by conservatives, will respond. The justices have scheduled two hours of arguments in the case Tuesday, though it will probably go longer. The public can listen in on the court’s website beginning at 10 a.m. EST.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/supreme-court-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-case-arguments/507-d2157aff-966d-46ea-b182-063f77aaf316

On Christmas weekend, dozens of Charlotte seniors were displaced from their homes following a devastating flood at the Magnolia Senior Apartments on Beatties Ford Road in North Charlotte.

For the last two months about 60 of them have been staying at local hotels. The city has been covering the hotel costs, but that will end on Tuesday.

Nilka McDonald is trying to come to terms with losing the place she’s called home for the last 3 years.

“The whole thing is, it's umm. It's traumatizing,” she said.

Her unit and several others at the Magnolia Senior Apartments were badly damaged during the flood. Her lease was eventually terminated, and she has since been living at the Residence Inn like many of her former neighbors.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlottes-coverage-of-hotel-fees-for-seniors-displaced-after-flooding-ending-tuesday-magnolia-senior-apartments/275-d292f86d-124e-4ce6-95f1-7873e6ab8feb

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! 

On Christmas weekend, dozens of Charlotte seniors were displaced from their homes following a devastating flood at the Magnolia Senior Apartments on Beatties Ford Road in North Charlotte.

For the last two months about 60 of them have been staying at local hotels. The city has been covering the hotel costs, but that will end on Tuesday.

Nilka McDonald is trying to come to terms with losing the place she’s called home for the last 3 years.

“The whole thing is, it's umm. It's traumatizing,” she said.

Her unit and several others at the Magnolia Senior Apartments were badly damaged during the flood. Her lease was eventually terminated, and she has since been living at the Residence Inn like many of her former neighbors.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlottes-coverage-of-hotel-fees-for-seniors-displaced-after-flooding-ending-tuesday-magnolia-senior-apartments/275-d292f86d-124e-4ce6-95f1-7873e6ab8feb

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! 

Anyone who has traveled through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport recently has no doubt noticed all the construction.

Destination CLT, the $3.1 billion capital investment into the airport, is made up of many different projects to improve capacity. The one passengers will notice first is the expansion of the terminal lobby.

That project started in 2019 and is now halfway done, still on track to open in 2025.

Up until now, that work may have been a slight inconvenience, but airport officials are asking for patience as the next phase will impact travel plans.

“This part of the project is definitely one of the most challenging for us as far as managing the operation every day, the passengers coming through the building and the construction all at the same time,” Jack Christine, Chief Infrastructure Officer for the airport said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/travel/security-checkpoint-b-at-charlotte-airport-closing-next-month-reopen-after-the-busy-summer-travel-season/275-af2be0c1-7634-43f5-a8c5-2ae36ec8bde3

Police are calling a package theft that happened outside a Waxhaw house “strange" and something they’ve never seen before.

On Wednesday evening, a victim, who wishes to not be identified, told WCNC Charlotte a thief was able to snag his brand-new iPhone right out of the hands of a delivery driver as they pulled up to his house. 

The victim's security camera caught the whole exchange on video. He filed a police report with the Union County Sheriff's Office.

Neighbors told WCNC Charlotte it's a quiet neighborhood off Rea Road that never has issues with stolen packages. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/police-suspect-thief-knew-stolen-package-arrive/275-44f8dc54-494e-4b78-ab07-b747ff386835

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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has received a slew of reports detailing break-ins in high-end homes in south Charlotte. The department said the break-ins are possibly connected to South American groups with cases in New York and New Jersey, potentially first documented nearly a decade ago. 

People described the south Charlotte area as their own bubble. It's outside the hustle and bustle of the city center, but this area is being hit with a wave of the unexpected.

There have been multiple reports of break-ins and burglaries in the south Charlotte area. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, CMPD hosted a meeting for residents. WCNC Charlotte obtained slides from the department's presentation.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/south-charlotte-break-ins-cmpd-trends/275-f82848e7-bed1-4542-aec9-1bb4f400c783

 A total of five witnesses testified today on Wednesday during week five of the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. First up was Mark Ball, the defendant's former colleague.

Ball is a partner at Murdaugh's former law firm, now called Parker Law Group, and a family friend of the Murdaughs.

"Knowing Alex for 30 years, do you develop an assessment of his relationship with his family: Maggie, Paul and Buster?" defense attorney Jim Griffin asked.

"Well, I will tell you this. The person I thought I knew loved his family or appeared to love his family very much. He would take their calls, he did all those things," Ball testified. "After September the third, I'm not sure I know that person. But he always seemed to be devoted to everything."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/special-reports/alex-murdaugh/murdaugh-defense-five-witnesses/101-eb203829-0f7a-4eac-b9b5-0d751a342079

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!