VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024
the
BRIEF this week
Early voting for primary runoffs underway Raleigh Early in-person voting started last Thursday across North Carolina for next month’s runoff elections, including one congressional and two statewide primary contests. Voters are choosing this fall’s Republican nominees for lieutenant governor, state auditor and the 13th Congressional District seat. These May 14 runoffs, also known as second primaries, occurred because the candidate with the most votes in the March 5 primaries for these races failed to receive more than 30% of the vote. The second-place candidate had to formally ask for a runoff. The lieutenant governor’s GOP runoff is between Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill, while the nomination for state auditor is between Jack Clark and Dave Boliek. Kelly Daughtry and Brad Knott are seeking the 13th District nomination. These GOP primary runoffs are open to all registered Republicans in the state, or in the case of the congressional race, registered Republicans within the 13th District. Unaffiliated voters who either didn’t vote or voted Republican in the March primaries also can participate. Early voting in all 100 counties continues through May 11.
MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUEZ / THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER VIA AP
Multiple law enforcement vehicles respond in the neighborhood Monday where several officers were shot in Charlotte.
4 officers killed, 4 more wounded in Charlotte shooting
Service held for late N.C. Chief Judge Martin Raleigh A memorial service was held Friday for former North Carolina Court of Appeals Chief Judge John C. Martin, who died earlier this month at age 80. Martin died peacefully at his Raleigh home on April 9, according to an obituary from the Brown-Wynne Funeral Home working with the family. Gov. Roy Cooper ordered that North Carolina and U.S. flags be lowered at state facilities starting Thursday until Friday night in Martin’s honor. A Durham native who attended Wake Forest University law school and served briefly on the Durham City Council, Martin was first appointed as a Superior Court judge in 1977. He was elected to the intermediatelevel Court of Appeals in 1984 and ultimately served on the court for more than 24 years, including 10 as chief judge from 2004 until he retired in 2014. Martin also had served as chairman of the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission and president of the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal. Martin is survived by his wife, five children and nine grandchildren.
The U.S. Marshals Task Force was attempting to serve a warrant
NCInnovation fires back at right-leaning think tank The John Locke Foundation has been critical of NCInnovation for more than a year By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Over the past year, a nonprofit organization funded by the General Assembly to focus on “accelerating commercialized innovation from North Carolina’s universities” has been receiving criticism from a fellow nonprofit. NCInnovation (NCI) was established in 2020 and given $500 million in nonrecurring funding across the biennium through the “NCInnovation Reserve Fund” as part of the 2022-23 budget. Of the appropriation, NCI may use $50 million of the endowment as investment income in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and $90 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. NCI, per its website, wants to address North Carolina being ranked 20th in the nation when it comes to innovation despite having a “world-class university system” as well as ranking “near the top of peer states in re-
search and development funding,” and has attracted top talent. The initial Senate bill proposed funding the initiative with $1.425 billion in nonrecurring funds. Following the Senate’s proposal, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon offered strong support. “With business all over the world we understand that innovation and scale begins locally, which is why we thought it especially important to support North Carolina’s entrepreneurial development through NCInnovation,” Dimon said. “This model holds great promise to expand North Carolina’s technology commercialization and serve as a blueprint to expand American innovation.” The John Locke Foundation (JLF), a conservative think tank and nonprofit in Raleigh, has essentially accused the funding of being an example of government picking winners and losers. JLF has been critical of taxpayer dollars being used to “acquire equity in private companies,” claiming it will “certainly blur the lines between See LOCKE, page A2
cles smashed into it, ripping off windows and entire doorways that were left broken. Several armored vehicles were parked across yards, some with tree By Erik Verduzco branches dangling off them. and Peter Smith The U.S. Marshals Task The Associated Press Force was fired on by the wanted suspect as they approached CHARLOTTE — Four law the house and the man was officers serving a warrant for killed in the front yard, Jena felon wanted for possessing nings said. His name was not a firearm were killed released, but the chief and four other offisaid he was wanted as cers were wounded in a felon illegally posa shootout Monday at sessing a weapon. “Today we a Charlotte home, poA second person lost some lice said. then fired on officers Some of the offi- heroes that from inside the home cers who rushed to where a high-powered the Charlotte neigh- are out rifle was found, Jenborhood to rescue the there simply nings added. first wave of downed A woman and a officers were wound- trying to 17-year-old male were ed as a second shooter keep our found in the home afbegan firing on them the standoff. The community ter after they killed the two are being queswanted man, Char- safe.” tioned, Jennings said. lotte-Mecklenburg The Marshal’s SerPolice Chief Johnny Johnny vice confirmed one of Jennings, CMPD its agents was killed. Jennings said. “Today we lost some police chief Two officers from the heroes who were out state Department of simply trying to keep our com- Adult Correction also were munity safe,” Jennings said at killed, said North Carolina a news conference. Gov. Roy Cooper. The goverAfter a three-hour standoff, nor was in Charlotte and was the suburban Charlotte home was torn open. Armored vehi- See SHOOTING, page A3
Cooper releases final budget proposal The outgoing governor plans more than $34.5 billion in spending By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
CHRIS SEWARD / NEWS AND OBSERVER VIA AP
NCInnovation board member Art Pope, pictured in 2014, sent a February email to the state auditor questioning the bookkeeping of the General Assembly-funded nonprofit.
RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper released the final budget proposal of his twoterm tenure on April 24. The 223-page proposal is for FY 2024-2025 and has more than $34.5 billion in appropriations. “This budget is an opportunity to build on our state’s momentum and make up ground in areas like public education, quality child care and clean drinking water, where legislators have fallen short,” Cooper said in a press
release. “As the number one state to do business in the country for two years in a row, we have the formula for success in our high-quality public schools, talented workforce and thriving economy,” Cooper said. “We must make targeted investments strengthening public education, boosting economic development, and See COOPER, page A2
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