As you prepare for your holiday weekend, a big thing to keep in mind is safety, and since many will be traveling this weekend, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg found the 100 most dangerous interstates in the U.S. Since we have time limits, let's just narrow it down to the top five. The fifth-most dangerous highway in the U.S. was Interstate 10 in California, the fourth-most was Interstate 15 in California, the third-most was Interstate 4 in Florida, at number two was Interstate 76 in New Jersey, and at number one for the most dangerous interstate in the country is Interstate 95 in Florida. For all those not traveling out of the state, North Carolina has a dangerous highway as well. U.S. 129 in North Carolina was quoted by AAA of the Carolinas as "the best chance of being killed" in 2008. So, be safe on the roads, and of course, be safe with the fireworks this weekend.
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As you prepare for your holiday weekend, a big thing to keep in mind is safety, and since many will be traveling this weekend, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg found the 100 most dangerous interstates in the U.S. Since we have time limits, let's just narrow it down to the top five. The fifth-most dangerous highway in the U.S. was Interstate 10 in California, the fourth-most was Interstate 15 in California, the third-most was Interstate 4 in Florida, at number two was Interstate 76 in New Jersey, and at number one for the most dangerous interstate in the country is Interstate 95 in Florida. For all those not traveling out of the state, North Carolina has a dangerous highway as well. U.S. 129 in North Carolina was quoted by AAA of the Carolinas as "the best chance of being killed" in 2008. So, be safe on the roads, and of course, be safe with the fireworks this weekend.
Catawba County officials continue to investigate after a young man drowned on Wednesday afternoon. Catawba County Communications received an emergency call at about 12:50pm Wednesday that a man was missing on Lake Hickory near the 5000 block of 16thStreet Drive. Emergency crews were dispatched immediately and arrived on the scene at approximately 1:05pm. Crews confirmed that the person missing was a 26-year-old man. Emergency personnel set up a perimeter and used sonar equipment and a dive team to conduct the search. Nearly 50 emergency personnel from all over assisted in the search and the victim was found and removed from the water around 8pm. An investigation, led by the Catawba County Sheriff's Office, is currently under way to discover how and why the drowning happened.
One of the the best parts of the summer is July 4th and the fun that comes with it, and with Independence Day rapidly approaching, the Hickory Fire Department wants to warn all North Carolina citizens and visitors of ways to make your holiday fun, but safe. First, let's start with cookouts, because that's almost as important as the fireworks: -If you are having a cookout, stay with it. Never leave your grill unattended and make sure you watch your pets and children.
-If you are using charcoal, watch where you dump your ashes. Wet them and stir them to prevent a brush fire!
-Stay aware of weather conditions. Thunderstorms can pop up unexpectedly.
Now for the fireworks:
-Always read and follow directions and labels.
-Children should NEVER be allowed to use fireworks, only a responsible adult.
-Ignite outdoors only and never carry in them in your pocket or shoot them in metal or glass containers.
-NEVER shoot or throw fireworks at another person.
-If the fireworks malfunction, never re-light them. They can explode without warning.
-Purchase fireworks from a reliable dealer.
-Have water handy to extinguish any fires or cool any burns.
-Never shoot fireworks in dry grass areas or near buildings.
-Do not experiment or make your own fireworks.
-Finally, remember all laws and regulations concerning fireworks, and of course, obey them!
For more information on fireworks and summer safety contact the Hickory Fire Department at (828) 323-7420.
As many commuters in Boone have come to realize, the construction in Boone is a hassle and at times confusing, and for one person, that led to them placing their vehicle in a sink hole. According to reports, at approximately 2:50 Friday morning, a woman was not able to follow the path of barrels along the King Street construction near the 194 intersection and took out a number of barrels, crashing into the four to five-foot hole. The woman was not injured, but authorities had to close down the road until dawn, while they removed the car and charges are pending.
Today, marks the 10 year anniversary since former ASU basketball player Rufus Leach died. On June 9th, 2000, 22-year-old Rufus and current teammate at the time Buddy Davis, decided to take a swim in Watauga Lake, but little did anyone know that it would be the last thing Rufus would do in his accomplished life. Rufus drowned on that sad day, attempting to swim about 50 yards from a boat anchored on Lake Watauga to a dock when he suffered a cramp and went under the water. Authorities recovered his body 38 hours later, so deep into the lake that the water was reportedly 38 degrees. Leach had helped lead an Appalachian team to just its second NCAA appearance in school history, and he was ready to play his senior season in the first year of the Holmes center. Unfortunately, the gifted athlete, who led ASU in scoring in his junior season, never had that opportunity, forever changing the landscape of Appalachian basketball. So, for the man that touched our hearts before and after he died, and for the player that entertained us for years and left us wondering what more he could have accomplished, we take this moment to honor the life of Rufus Devon Leach.
The fallout from the Thanksgiving Day car chase that saw three Watauga County Sheriffs arrested continues. First, the suspect involved in that chase, Curtis Len Moore, now has a bench warrant issued for his arrest after failing to appear in court last week on the charges that stemmed from the incident that ended in Johnson City, Tennessee. On the other end, one of the deputies that was involved in the incident, has now been cleared of charges, and was allowed to return to work on Wednesday. Deputy Scott Brown returned to work on Wednesday for the first time since being suspended on December 3rd, after officials say that he was cleared of the incident. Now, the investigation stemmed from a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into three Watauga County Sheriff's actions over whether or not they used excessive force in the pursuit of Moore, that ultimately led to Moore crashing his vehicle. The details of the chase and ensuing crash are still murky, and authorities are remaining silent about the situation until more details are released. What we do know is that Boone Police responded to a domestic dispute at a residence on Junaluska Road at 4pm on Thanksgiving Day. A man had reportedly struck his wife and then ran off in a vehicle. The Watauga County Sheriff's Office was called for backup as the vehicle raced north on U.S. 421. The chase came to an end after Moore lost control of the vehicle and hit a guardrail. Two unidentified deputies remain suspended without pay, pending the investigation. The suspensions were the result of a request by Tennessee district attorney general Tony Clark for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to examine the officer's actions. Clark said the investigation was made after a report that the officers used excessive force at the time of the arrest. The FBI took over the investigation in April, and it's unclear when the investigation will come to an end. However, the Watauga County Sheriff's Office will not take any further action against the two deputies until the FBI reports their findings.
Sticking to that Memorial Day theme, there's nothing better then celebrating our country's freedoms then by grilling out. Unless of course, you can add a nice pool to that, and a pool is exactly what the High Country got. Blowing Rock showed off their new Groover C. Robbins Swimming Complex on Friday to citizens for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. On Saturday, the new pool opened for the first time as kids of all ages came to enjoy the new pool and its commodities. Blowing Rock mayor J.B. Lawrence was on hand for the ribbon-cutting dedication, cutting the ribbon with the big scissors to officially open the complex, and offering his thanks and appreciation to all the donors and supporters. According to Lawrence, various donors helped aid the new complex and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund forked over some change as well, giving a $500,000 grant towards the completion of the facility. The old pool complex was originally built in 1957 and served Blowing Rock until Labor Day weekend of 2009. After it closed, the complex was soon demolished, with the new pool taking its place on the same site. The new swim complex has plenty of amenities to keep families entertained including swimming lanes, a children's play area, water slide, and a splash zone. And if you were wondering who got to take the first dip in the pool, the first official swimmer was Joe Bolash.
With it being Memorial Day Weekend, there are plenty of events scheduled for this weekend. The Watauga Community Band will hold their annual Memorial Concert on Sunday at 3pm at the Rosen Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The Watauga Community band will also perform at a Memorial Day celebration hosted by the High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America on Monday at the Boone Mall beginning at 10am with music and a ceremony at 11am. The event will recognize the work done by service men and women from current war zones, as well as Vietnam, Korea, both World Wars, and any other conflicts in U.S. history. The event will feature a speech by Major General "Skip" McCartney and will recognize all local military organizations as well, including Blue Star Mothers of the High Country. ASU will also be hosting a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday at 7:30am featuring speaker Major Maury A. Williams from Appalachian's Department of Military Science and Leadership. The ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial on the west side of the Doughtery Administration Building. And finally, the American Legion Post Number 130 will host its annual commemorative ceremony on Monday as well at 2pm at the Legion Post on 135 Bear Trail, just off Grand Boulevard in Boone.
With it being Memorial Day weekend, we remember those that served our country to give us our freedom, and celebrate the holiday with family and friends, which means that there will be tons of people on the roads this weekend. So AAA, has finished their annual Memorial Day reports, estimating that there will be 775,000 motorists driving throughout the state this weekend. With gas prices actually down, people will be less hesitant about traveling over the holiday weekend. In fact, gas has fallen 13 cents since it last peaked on May 7th, meaning that while gas prices are still high, trips won't cost as much as originally planned. To help with the flow of traffic, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is halting most road construction on major routes across the state. However, that doesn't mean all construction will be stopped. Interstate 85 South in Guilford County will be down to two lanes at Exit 113 because of construction of the I-73/U.S. 311 Bypass. Also, I-40 going in both directions in Greensboro is also down to two lanes, but it's just from mile marker 213 to 214 for construction on the Bridford Parkway Bridge. The good news though, is that most highway construction will end at 4pm today and resume at 9am on Tuesday. As a warning, the North Carolina Highway Patrol will be out hot and heavy so watch the lead foot if you are traveling because they will be looking for speeders, people texting while driving, and people drinking and driving. So most of all, just be safe if you travel this weekend!
Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation is also joining the governor and the state of North Carolina's observation of May as Electrical Safety Month. In accordance with Governor Bev Perdue's official proclamation, BREMCO is trying to raise awareness for a very serious issue. Each year, improper electricity use and electrical problems cause nearly 55,000 home fires, kill nearly 400 people and injure thousands others, according to the United States Fire Administration. Electrical home fires cause over $995 million in direct losses, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, but with electrical safety education and awareness, the numbers of lost lives, injuries and lost money can be dramatically reduced. BREMCO safety and training manager Ronnie Jewell says, "Recognizing May as Electrical Safety Month has given the electric cooperatives an opportunity to concentrate on the pertinent issue of safe electricity use in North Carolina. May is a perfect time to reacquaint ourselves with some basics, like reading safety instructions on electrical appliances and products, paying attention to safety markings on electrical equipment and checking power cords to see if they are in proper working condition.
