Free Republic

Kimberly Munley shown in a photo from her Twitter page. The civilian police officer credited with stopping the shooting rampage that killed 13 people at Fort Hood is a Carolina Beach native and graduate of Hoggard High Fort Hood police Sgt. Kimberly Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire Thursday afternoon, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said Friday morning. Cone said Munley shot the gunman four times despite being shot herself. “She happened to encounter the gunman. In an exchange of gunfire, she was wounded but managed to wound him four times,” Cone said. “It was...

Raleigh, N.C. – John Lassiter has taken a 50-46 lead in Public Policy Polling’s final survey of the Charlotte Mayoral race, an outcome that is still within the poll’s margin of error. White undecideds moved in Lassiter’s direction over the final days, giving him a staggering 68-29 lead with that group. Foxx leads 86-12 with African Americans. Lassiter leads 51-40 with independents, continuing a double digit lead he’s shown with those voters in every poll of the race. He’s also winning 17% of the Democratic vote while Foxx is only getting 9% of Republicans to cross over. The primary reason...

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C.-- Police have made an arrest after a team of robbers invaded a home in Rowan County twice in the same week. Timani Starks and Tiffany Horne have been charged with multiple counts of robbery and Starks is also being charged with attempted murder. Investigators say a home on Corriher Grange Road near Highway 152, was first held up Monday night. NewsChannel 36 spoke exclusively with the Deadmon family after the first home invasion. They told us how the robbers forced them to open the safe at gunpoint. Timani Starks and Tiffany Horne They reported the robbery to...

The beauty of the NC Mountains - Fall of 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zayow4PaQr4 This is an account of over 5 years of research and collection of evidence that many of North Carolina's elected county officials have assumed office illegally, and are acting in a CRIMINAL capacity, according to statute, but the Attorney General, having acknowledged the problem, refuses to do anything about it. See for your self. Absent assumption of liability, absent assurance of value, absent offer of recourse. The viewer must decide. FOR A PDF VERSION: www.amossigngraphics.com/movie/abovelaw.pdf

The Ship of Fire On a certain evening every year, at the mouth of the wide Neuse River, a large bright object speeds into view.  It looks like a sailing ship being destroyed by fire, its deck and masts in blazing outline.  The apparition disappears, then reappears, then again disappears for another year.  It burns furiously but is not consumed. It is the ship of the Palatines.  The Palatines were a group of German Protestants who left England in 1710 to settle New Bern.  As the vessel crossed the Atlantic, the prosperous Palatines, pretending to be poor, hid their gold...

EDITORIAL: Easley Performance Not Very ConvincingUpdated: October 29, 2009 at 18:43 pm Larry Leake, chairman of the State Board of Elections, asked a pretty good question Wednesday. A couple of days earlier, on the first day of this week's explosive hearings on alleged campaign spending abuses, former Easley friend and supporter McQueen Campbell had testified in great and dismaying detail. Among other damning allegations, he said he and Easley were part of a bogus scheme to hide the cost of repairs to Easley's private residence by listing them as being for air travel. When a campaign aide expressed concern that...

Hearing on Easley and Democratic Party under way Raleigh | A hearing to investigate the campaign of former Gov. Mike Easley and the state Democratic Party is under way. The State Board of Elections immediately went into closed session Monday to discuss how it will investigate whether Easley’s campaign committee or the state Democratic Party broke campaign finance laws.

The nonsense just posted above, makes me want to puke! Equal voting rights cannot be achieved without the Democrat party? That is like saying equal voting rights cannot be achieved for white voters without the Republican party. Well, all blacks "candidates of choice" are fellow black Democrats? Is that not political racism? Is that not downright wrong? Also, how would that violate their right to elect the candidates they want? Those candidates can still run, the voters can still cast their ballots, perhaps they could call the candidate, and ask "what do you believe, what is your political affiliation, etc.",...

Greensboro, NC -- Greensboro police say an 80-year-old man is not facing charges after he shot and killed a break-in suspect early Wednesday morning. Charles Haithcock called 911 immediately following the shooting of 19-year-old Michael L. Medley who he says broke into his home. Haithcock: "A man broke in on me and pulled a gun. i shot him and he's laying out in the yard." 911 Operator: "Is he breathing?" Haithcock: "I don't know. he broke in the window. He pulled the air conditioning out in the living room. And I heard something and he come back to the bedroom....

SALISBURY, NC (WBTV)- More than 500 people packed St. Paul's Lutheran church in Salisbury Monday to discuss issues surrounding gay marriage and gay clergy. Members from Lutheran churches across North Carolina discussed the possibility of moving away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA voted last month to bless same-sex marriages and allow gay pastors to lead congregations... which left members divided. "We want to provide an avenue for them. For support and encouragement while they work through in their own congregations what they want to do," Pastor Carl haynes says. Clergy members also told us many...

Two brothers were just driving along N.C. 133, near Orton Plantation, on Wednesday morning when they noticed a large snake - different from those native to the area - in the roadway. “We thought it was a rattlesnake,” said Billy Ballard, of Oak Island. But a closer look and, later, an expert opinion revealed it was actually a boa constrictor that stretched at least 7 feet long. The snake had been injured, and a pool of blood circled around its head, Billy Ballard said. So, not wanting the snake to suffer, he and his brother Ronnie picked it up and...

Halifax, N.C. — A New Jersey man who was shot and killed during a home invasion in Halifax Friday morning was likely seeking revenge for a two decade-old domestic dispute, according to Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier. The investigation is ongoing into details of the 1988 dispute between Marcel Alston, of Halifax, and Carlton L. Burgess, 61, of Lumberton, N.J. Frazier said. "It's baffling right now. We've got a lot of loose ends that we've got to try to tie up," said Lt. Bobby Martin, with the Halifax County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said that a knock woke up Alston around...

Another addition to the journals of the absurd… we’ve got a panhandler who was arrested for begging without a permit in North Carolina. The story from WRAL…

A 13-year-old boy was attacked by a fox on Monday afternoon in a wooded area in the Twin Creeks community in Wake Forest. Jesse Frutiger said he was in the woods when the animal approached him and immediately started hissing. He said he threw a rock at the fox and that’s when the animal lunged at him

The state is getting a $17 million federal grant to provide government health insurance to low-income working parents.

A cab driver shot and killed a would-be robber around 10 p.m. Sunday at Carowinds Boulevard and South Tryon Street, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police said. The cab had been dispatched to the Colonial Village apartments at the intersection where he picked up a fare, said Capt. Allan Rutledge, of the Steele Creek Division of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police. The cab driver told authorities that the man he picked up pulled a gun, at which point the driver pulled his own handgun and shot and killed the man, Rutledge said. The driver then called 911. Two handguns were found at the scene and...

George Boggs thought he was doing police a favor last week when he handed over the firearm he kept in his car after he was in a wreck. Boggs has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, and he wanted his handgun secured while he went to the hospital, he said. The permit requires him to notify police of his weapon. On Monday, when he went to the Fayetteville Police Department to retrieve his gun, he couldn't get it back. He was told that police first wanted to fire the gun to see if the spent shell casing and round...

HILLSBOROUGH -- Police do not expect to charge a 65-year-old Faucette Mill Road homeowner who shot an intruder Friday night. "At this point we believe he was acting in self-defense," Lt. Davis Trimmer of the Hillsborough Police Department said Tuesday. "He was alone in his house. He came out and found three men in his living room." The case will be reviewed by the district attorney's office, Trimmer said. More Local & State * DA recuses self from Soles case * Pit bull that chewed off baby's toes is euthanized * Inmate confessed to woman's murder * Woman guilty in...

In the last few months, the ghostly image of Jesus has appeared on a half-eaten Kit Kat bar, a slice of cheese toast and the seat of a Las Vegas toilet. But those miraculous manifestations were all about the size of a driver’s license photo, and even when the evening newscast zoomed in tight, you had to squint to see the savior’s beard. In his latest showing, just off the Boylan Avenue Bridge in Raleigh, N.C., the Prince of Peace shows up 30 feet tall and green. The Kudzu Jesus, Raleigh’s vegetative relic. He snakes up a utility pole, forming...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina consumers are about to feel another pinch in their wallets at the mall, the convenience store and most every retailer in between. The state's sales tax goes up a full penny Tuesday, bringing the total rate charged in most counties to 7.75 percent. At the same time, cigarettes, beer, wine and liquor will have higher excise taxes, all of which are likely to be passed on to retail buyers. Gov. Beverly Perdue agreed to raise these taxes in early August as part of a $991 million package designed to narrow a portion of a budget...

A sex offender was shocked after being arrested for attending church. According to North Carolina law, a sex offender could be forced to serve 12 more years in prison for worship. James Nichols was convicted of attempted rape and taking indecent liberties with a young girl. After serving a six year sentence, Nichols was released in September of 2008. Upon the release, Nichols began attending the Moncure Baptist Church in Chatham County, North Carolina. In March of the following year, he was arrested on the property owned by the church for being within 300 feet of a building with a...

"I love jihad. I love to stand there and fight for the sake of Allah," a voice identified as Boyd said on a recording made in June at Boyd's home....The indictment named 39-year-old Boyd as the suspected ringleader, saying he bought guns, and Boyd's two sons — 20-year-old Zakariya and 22-year-old Dylan. It said some of the men took trips over the past three years to Jordan, Kosovo, Pakistan and Israel "to engage in violent jihad."...Sutton said some of the men recently had scheduled trips, and that Zak Boyd said at some point that he planned to travel to the...

Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' former mistress, went inside the federal courthouse in Raleigh Thursday morning. A grand jury is meeting in the courthouse. FBI agents escorted Hunter into a back entrance ... Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina and two-time presidential candidate, is under investigation to see if campaign funds were illegally paid to Hunter. There is also widespread speculation that Edwards fathered her child.

RALEIGH, N.C. - At least one sheriff's deputy in North Carolina won't have any trouble catching speeders. Multiple media outlets reported Wednesday that the Wake County Sheriff's Department has a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Chevrolet said the car has a top track speed of 198 mph, with a base sticker price of $74,875. Its V8 racing engine generates 505 horsepower. Sheriff's spokeswoman Phyllis Stevens said the car didn't cost the county any money since it was seized from a drug dealer.

RALEIGH -- Many taxpayers may not notice a 1-cent increase in the sales tax. But it will be hard for them to miss another tax increase that may be headed their way: a 2 percent surcharge on everyone's income tax.

Increased sales and sin taxes and an income tax surcharge could raise nearly $1 billion. After more than a month of strained negotiations about how to raise money to offset a gigantic state budget deficit, lawmakers saw a third path Tuesday morning: Raise the tax burden on everybody. The Senate put forth a plan that takes pieces of both the House and Senate proposals without giving either chamber what it really wanted. The proposal calls for increases in sales taxes and sin taxes, as well as a two-year surcharge on corporate and individual income taxes for all taxpayers, to raise...

The Burmese python can grow longer than 20 feet, produce several dozen offspring in a litter and devour small children and pets. In North Carolina, they have a new natural enemy: the lawmaker. There could be thousands of exotic, deadly snakes slithering loose in the state with the potential to harm not just people and animals, but entire ecosystems. But the legislature is likely to give final approval next week to a bill that would restrict the ownership and prevent the escape of venomous and large constrictor snakes, as well other dangerous reptiles. The bill adds provisions to a law...

A Sneads Ferry man who shot a teenager charged with trying to break into the man's home Monday will not be charged, authorities said. Landon Crews, of Crows Nest Lane, shot 18-year-old Cyle Norris early Monday morning. Detectives with the Onslow County Sheriff's Department said Norris was trying to crawl through a broken window when Crews shot him in the right forearm with No. 7 shot from a 12-gauge shotgun. Norris and three other local men were charged with first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy. North Carolina state law says that Crews was within his rights to shoot...

Thanks to the John Locke Foundation, taxpayers will be able to see where some of their state and local taxes are going. The foundation launched the website NC Transparency”. Taxpayers can now check on agencies budgets, salaries, even test scores and school district enrollment.

DURHAM -- As a Durham officer shot Thursday recovers from a second surgery, relatives of the man charged in the shooting say he acted in self-defense. Officer D.J. Youmans remained in stable condition at Duke Hospital Friday. His family has arrived from New York to be with him. "We're just praying a whole lot," Durham Police Chief Jose L. Lopez Sr. said before returning to the hospital Friday afternoon. Youmans, a Durham officer for less than two months, and his training officer, Cpl. B.D. Schnee, were responding to a shots-fired call at the South Square Townhomes on Shannon Road about...

HOLLY HILL – A security alarm went off at a Holly Hill accountant’s residence in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, rousing the sleeping homeowner who grabbed his gunshot, confronted an intruder standing in his doorway and shot the burglar in the shoulder. L. Glenn Littlejohn, 71, of 1244 Peake St. interrupted the suspect, Roosevelt Elmore Jr., at around 4:55 a.m. as Elmore stood in the doorway of Littlejohn’s home, according to police. Holly Hill Police Chief Robert Wunderlich said an unarmed Elmore allegedly forced his way though a doorway into the kitchen of the victim’s home. Littlejohn, after being awakened by...

On July 4 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m., anyone—resident and non-resident—can fish in any public water in North Carolina, including coastal waters, without the purchase of a fishing license or trout privilege license. slideshow On July 4 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m., anyone—resident and non-resident—can fish in any public water in North Carolina, including coastal waters, without the purchase of a fishing license or trout privilege license. All other fishing regulations, such as fish length and daily possession limits, as well as bait and tackle restrictions and park-use fees, apply. Authorized by the N.C. General Assembly and started...

Retailer Amazon.com has cut off its relationship with affiliates in North Carolina effective today, report people who have been involved in the company’s marketing program. Affiliates helped Amazon sell by advertising books, music and other goods on their Web sites. If a customer clicked through those links and bought something on the Web site, the affiliate received a share of that sale. “We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to notify you that your Associates account has been closed as of June 26, 2009,” reads and e-mail Amazon sent to its affiliates today. “This is a direct result of...

A statue toppled by vandals at St. Joseph's. Photo: News 4 CNA STAFF, Jun 25, 2009 / 07:06 am (CNA).- A devastating act of vandalism at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mandarin, Florida last weekend left a total of nine religious statues damaged.  Fr. Daniel Cody, pastor of St. Joseph’s, said that he was disappointed by the incident, but is asking his parishioners to pray for whoever committed the acts.Some statues were only slightly damaged after being pushed from their pedestals, while others were completely destroyed.  Included in the damage was a statue of St. Patrick that cost well...

There are still lots of FReepers who have not chosen to fly their flag. You don't have to provide any additional information, although lots of FReepers have provide pictures, e-mail addresses, and the like, you don't have to! It would be nice if you would at least "fly your flag".This allows other FReepers in your state to FReepmail you to let you know about local FR events - rallies, chapter meetings, and other activist events. Even if you don't plan to participate, it'll keep you informed of what is happening in your state. Now, FLY YOUR FLAGS! Even if you...

The far-left community group NACA just squeezed taxpayer dollars out of the state of North Carolina. NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) is a very aggressive ACORN wannabe and it played a role in the subprime mortgage collapse by using the Community Reinvestment Act to hound banks into lending money to people they should have known wouldn't be able to pay it back. The state's Democratic governor, Bev Perdue, is even bragging about surrendering the $1 million grant from the One North Carolina Fund on her website. The grant is going to help NACA expand its operations. In her press...

The wait was long and by midday, the air conditioning had quit. But about 3,000 people found such conditions well worth tolerating Friday because of what else awaited them at an east Charlotte office park: The prospect of a job. One thousand fourteen jobs, to be precise, with Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America, a community advocacy and homeownership organization that Thursday announced it planned a mass hiring in Charlotte. On Friday, the Boston-based nonprofit began a job fair, which continues today at its local office off Albemarle Road. The plan is to hire about 550 people immediately, and the rest...

WINSTON-SALEM — A resident shot and wounded one of four men who forced themselves into his apartment Tuesday night, police said. About 10:18 p.m., Joseph Tyler Cox, of 5039 Winster Drive, Apt. 203, responded to a knock on the door, according to Winston-Salem police. Four men dressed in dark clothes with their faces concealed forced themselves inside. One was armed with a knife. Cox retrieved a handgun and began to fire at the suspects, police said. Quenton Alphonzo Taylor, 18, of 5489 Country Side Drive, Apt. F, was struck by several rounds, according to police. Cox also shot himself in...

ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. - An undercover raid leads to the shut down of an Alamance County strip club. Sheriff Terry Johnson said in the last five months, more than 700 crimes were committed at the Paradise Club on Hwy. 87 west. "We have video tape and everything else where they're jumping on laps and all kinds of different sexual acts," said Johnson, referring to the club's dancers. Thursday afternoon, the club was raided. Club owners Ronald Davis and his wife Theresa Davis face more than 400 criminal charges, ranging from drug deals to nude dancing. Ronald Davis denies any wrongdoing....

State rejects request for DNA test on 18th-century remains from Bath A Raleigh author is attempting to reopen the 274-year-old estate of a Beaufort County man he thinks was once a member of Blackbeard's pirate crew -- and whose bones may be stored in a box in Raleigh. Kevin P. Duffus, a writer and filmmaker, says he needs access to the estate of Edward Salter, a landowner and merchant who died in 1735, to help confirm that the state has Salter's remains. With the backing of some of Salter's descendants, Duffus is seeking to have DNA testing done on bones...

Breweries and beer drinkers are excited to learn Asheville has tied with Portland, Oregon as America's number one beer city. Asheville's Pisgah Brewery and Highland Brewing Company say they've worked hard to help Asheville achieve that title. But, they say they couldn't do it without a supportive community and beer drinkers who demand the highest quality. The poll was conducted by beer writer Charlie Papazian for www.examiner.com which is located in Baltimore.

Raleigh, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday a local mother's claim that her son is being held under the USA Patriot Act is incorrect.

Latino advocates alarmed by sheriff's talkBy Jordan Green Wednesday, April 29,2009 Sheriff BJ Barnes, considered by some to be the most powerful Republican politician in Guilford County, has found himself at odds with a black-Latino coalition led by clergy and lawyers over his plans to implement the controversial 287(g) program, which delegates federal immigration enforcement authority to local deputies. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is reviewing the program for possible civil rights violations, as members of Congress, including Rep. David Price, the Democrat who represents parts of the Triangle, demand stronger guidelines and accountability. Barnes’ description of his plans for immigration...

For once, I actually agree with Olbermann. Rep. Foxx should indeed apologize. Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tortured and murdered in Wyoming. His story is portrayed in the play and film "The Laramie Project". Personally, I disagree with "hate crime" legislation because all crime can be considered "hateful". Does it really matter why someone is murdered? Murder is by definition a "hate crime". Is there really any need to complicate the laws? That said, Rep. Foxx's comments are truly "despicable", insensitive and shameful.

The state's health director said Monday afternoon that there are suspected cases of swine flu in North Carolina, but declined to say how many cases or where they were located. Dr. Jeffrey Engel said Monday evening that officials are involuntarily isolating patients who may have the virus. He declined to specifically say how many suspected cases were in the state, noting that the number is always changing, and he declined to say where they were located. "We're working very closely with providers, and they are investigating cases on a daily basis," Engel said. "It's a very fluid situation and there...

Hagan Suing Water Authorityby John Hammer Editor April 16, 2009 Your water rates may go up, and your newly elected Democratic US senator may be somewhat responsible; not in her official capacity, but personally. Sen. Kay Hagan's husband, Chip Hagan, and others have filed suit against the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA), which is the owner-operator of the Randleman Dam. The PTRWA board was told Tuesday that this year it was going to have to increase its budget for legal expenses by a considerable margin to pay for the cost of being sued by Hagan and other downstream hydroelectric...

Sadly, after only a few years in office, Donnie Harrison has gone completely native and taken up the bad habits of his predecessor *Socialist Sheriff John Baker*with a letterhead shakedown solicitation of the public to fund the increasingly senile and predatory NC Sheriff Association.

Two men were arrested Tuesday night and charged with disruption of official meetings during the Wilmington City Council hearing on the proposed annexation of the Monkey Junction section of New Hanover County. The charge is a Class 2 misdemeanor and the two were to see a magistrate Tuesday night, police said. Several hundred people showed up for the annexation hearing inside council chambers. Most protesters didn't make it inside for the hearing. Inside chambers there was a considerable police presence, including undercover officers.

N.C. House Panel Would Give 3rd Sex Ed Option -- NonePosted: 3:02 pm EDT April 7, 2009 RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina lawmakers have proposed giving parents a third choice in how public schools teach adolescents about sex -- allowing them to opt of the curriculum. The House Health Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would expand sex education beyond the abstenance-until-marriage focus, which has been the center of the curriculum since the mid-1990s. The bill would allow parents to decide whether their children also learned about contraception in grades seven through nine. The committee decided Tuesday to give parents...