One man’s treasure is
another man’s pile of tires

 

SMITHFIELD (AP) — The News & Observer of Raleigh reports Rockside Tire has been setting up a pyramid-shaped stack of tires with lights, ornaments and a brightly lit star in Garner. Now the shop has set up a holiday tree in Smithfield and some people don’t like it.

Store owner Charlie Hansen says the tree is creative, but Town Councilman Charles Williams has asked the local fire department to see if it’s legal to have what he calls a “pile of tires” near a wooden building.

Smithfield Fire Chief Patrick Harris says he can’t find any local rules that would make the display illegal. But he says he will check with the state fire
marshal to see if the tires should be removed.

 

NC energy panel continues work on fracking regs 

 

RALEIGH (AP) — A panel responsible for developing regulations that would allow for expanded North Carolina inland energy exploration is meeting to review issues like managing waste, environmental standards and water use.

The former state mining commission was reconstituted last summer to address potential exploration methods such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

 

Repaving begins at S-curves on storm-damaged NC 12 

 

RODANTHE (AP) — The portion of highway along North Carolina’s Outer Banks that Superstorm Sandy damaged remains on schedule to reopen by Christmas Day, with workers beginning to repave the road.

Workers with the state Transportation Department began repaving the section of N.C. 12 at the S-curves just north of Rodanthe on Pea Island on Monday.

DOT officials say they expect the road to reopen by Christmas Day. After the reopening, crews will continue to fill sandbags and rebuild dunes.

NC high school student
accused of tweeting threat 

 

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — Authorities in Onslow County have arrested a high school senior for making threats against his school through Twitter.

The Daily News of Jacksonville reports that the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office said 17-year-old Bryan Holley is charged with making a false report of mass violence on education property.

An arrest warrant said Holley said on Twitter that he was going to “do a mass shooting at Richlands High School and everyone should wear bulletproof vests.”

 

 

Thieves take 30 manhole
covers in Bessemer City 

 

BESSEMER CITY (AP) — Police in Bessemer City are looking for thieves that have taken about 30 manhole covers in the past week.

The Gaston Gazette reported the stolen manhole covers are valued at about $90 each.

The first thefts were discovered Dec. 11 with another group of covers taken the next day.

City manager James Inman says the covers have been taken from off-road areas so no cars have been damaged.

Cast iron goes for about $12 per 100 pounds.

 

Man arrested in
Salisbury with 8 guns 

 

SALISBURY (AP) — A man with eight guns in his vehicle has been arrested after a road-rage incident involving an off-duty North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper.

The Salisbury Post reported that 44-year-old Richard Stevenson Miller Jr. is charged with assault by pointing a gun, weapons violations and aggressive driving.

Trooper Jason Page told police he had he encountered a sports utility vehicle driving erratically Friday afternoon.

Page says at one point, the driver pointed a gun at the officer and his girlfriend.