From the Newsroom: The Times News

Burlington Police Assistant Chief Brian Long stops by to invite the public to four remaining community input sessions the department is hosting as it updates its strategic plan. The current plan was built from meetings held in 2015, and the department used feedback from those to develop iniatives in operation today.

The next meetings are:

6 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 1 - Turrentine Middle School
9 a.m. Sat. Nov. 3 - Dream Center, 1423 N. Church St.
6 p.m. Nov. 27 - Andrews Elementary
6 p.m. Dec. 6 - Blessed Sacrament Church (Spanish session)

RSVP to Iris Caballero at [email protected] or 336-229-3546 if you plan to attend.

Alamance Community College is asking voters to approve $39.6 million for new buildings and improvements to campus. Reporter Jessica Williams gets into the details there, and also talks about the proposed ABSS high school and what would happen to Cummings and Graham (No: They aren't closing!).

The weirdest news story of the day left a lot of us scratching our heads and laughing at the macabre. Reporters Jessica Williams and Kate Croxton join Digital Editor Michael Abernethy for quick takes on this bizarre story out of Northern California.

Can you pre-register to vote when you get your driver license at 16 or 17?
Do felons in N.C. have to have their rights restored before they can vote?
These shouldn't be difficult questions, but information given to voters and the public have only muddied them.
Reporter Isaac Groves has spent the week trying to find clarity on two issues for people registering to vote in North Carolina and Alamance County. As of Thursday night, he was still trying to get answers from the state and officials.

Burlington's Economic Development Director Peter Bishop talks about the American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Team visit Wednesday, Sept. 19 - Friday, Sept. 21.

Basically, we're getting $200,000 of in-kind design and architectural study for the vacant 23-acre site that was once a hub of Burlington industry and economy. The team will take public comments and ideas during sessions Wednesday.

Find out more at BurlingtonNC.gov/WesternElectric, and leave your ideas there if you can't make it. Peter Bishop can be reached at [email protected].

A recording of the 911 call reporting a disturbance and at least one shot fired before deputies were dispatched to Oak Grove Church Road near Liberty late May 2. Billy Carson Pike Jr. was later shot 15 times by three deputies, an autopsy showed. 

Morgan Lasater, the city of Burlington's community engagement manager, talks about how the city and numerous departments are getting ready for Hurricane Florence.
More information at #BTNnow and BurlingtonNC.gov.

Police turned into aggressors at Aug. 30 dueling protests on UNC's campus.
Online editor Michael Abernethy and Kate Croxton recount what they witnessed and experienced Thursday night -- with audio from the scene -- including being among those pepper sprayed by police.

4:00 - police presence
4:20 - Dance party on the quad
5:50 - Interview with UNC freshmen at the scene
7:30 - ACTBAC arrives
9:00 - Police barricades, and who were and weren't allowed inside
11:00 - Interview with Madeline Murnion, "flabberghasted" by the scene
13:30 - Confederate flag "parachute"
14:30 - ACTBAC's exit
16:30 - Police pepper spray nonviolent crowd
19:20 - On-scene: moments before the pepper spray
20:00 - Pepper spray hits crowd, causes Kate's respiratory attack
23:00 - Will police be held accountable for attacking protesters?
25:50 - Whose freedom of speech was protected Aug. 30?
30:00 - Pepper spray turned us from objective observers into part of the story

Digital Editor Michael Abernethy and Reporter Isaac Groves talk about the toppling of the UNC Confederate monument, the rhetoric on Alamance County-based ACTBAC's Facebook page, our recollections of being students on campus with the monument, and what's being done to protect Graham's monument from violence and vandalism.

Burlington police lead telecommunicator Tatiana Verdeck gives her father's final radio call.