VOLUME 10 ISSUE 29 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2025
NSJONLINE.COM
CHARLOTTE AREA TRANSIT SYSTEM VIA AP
Iryna Zarutska, bottom right, sits in front of her attacker, alleged to be Decarlos Brown Jr., on a Charlotte commuter train on Aug. 22.
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Video released in Charlotte stabbing death
BRIEF this week
Federal lawsuit over N.C. voter registrations resolved Raleigh A lawsuit filed by the Trump administration over missing data in North Carolina voter registrations was resolved per a joint motion for a consent judgment order filed on Sept. 3. Under the order, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is prohibited from using voter registration forms and procedures that don’t comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and must regularly update the state’s voter registration records to make sure required data such as driver’s license number and the last four digits of a Social Security number are present and accurate.
USDA OK’s $221M grant for Helene farming recovery Washington, D.C. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden visited North Carolina on Sept. 5 and signed a $221.2 million block grant with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to aid farmers recovering from Hurricane Helene. The funding will cover qualifying infrastructure, timber, market and future revenue losses not addressed by other programs. It is part of the $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025. The USDA is working with 14 states, including North Carolina, to tailor block grants for agricultural recovery following 2024’s severe storms. The program will be administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which will release details for eligible producers in the coming weeks.
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Iryna Zarutska was attacked while on a commuter train
Durham resolution takes on ICE raids The city council’s resolution directs staff to “uphold the 4th Amendment at their workplace” By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The Durham City Council unanimously passed a resolution proclaiming the city to be a “Fourth Amendment Workplace” during its Sept. 5 meeting. “The City of Durham has
historically pursued equity and safety for all residents,” the resolution states, saying “trust and cooperation of all residents” is necessary for the city to run properly before stating the text of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government and requires law enforcement to obtain a probable cause warrant to conduct a search or seizure. See RAIDS, page A3
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Surveillance video showing the stabbing death of a young woman on Charlotte’s light rail system has dominated social media over the past few days. WBTV obtained the footage from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and released an edited version on Sept. 5. Just before 10 p.m. on Aug. 22, police said Ukrainian asylum seeker Iryna Zarutska, 23, was stabbed by 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. in an unprovoked attack. Zarutska, who died from the injuries, was attacked within minutes of taking her seat on the train and stabbed three times, with at least one blow to the neck. She was taking the train to head home after finishing her shift at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria. According to her obituary,
NC Education officials release K-12 testing results Most proficiency scores rose By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The North Carolina K-12 testing results for 2024-25 were released last week, showing some improvements over the previous year. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) released the results during the N.C. State Board of Education’s Sept. 3 meeting. “I’m proud of our students and educators who have worked hard to improve these metrics even as we acknowledge that our students are more than test scores,” said state Superintendent Mo Green.
“While the progress and growth shown in these reports deserves praise, we must continue our work to promote excellence for all students,” Green said. “Our plan is to Achieve Educational Excellence — for every child in North Carolina and to have the best public schools in the nation. I am eager to see this data continue to improve as we work to implement our strategic plan.” The impacts of lost instructional days and testing waivers due to Hurricane Helene on certain districts were noted in the data findings, as was 2024-25 being the first academic year with no COVID-19 federal funding in the mix. See TESTING, page A3
“While the progress and growth shown in these reports deserves praise, we must continue our work to promote excellence for all students.” Mo Green, state superintendent
Zarutska was a “gifted artist” who loved animals and had immigrated to the United States in August 2022 with her mother, sister and brother to escape war in her country. Brown, who is homeless, has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond. A past arrest involving a false 911 call where he told responding officers he was being controlled by a “man-made” substance in his body has led to speculation he suffers from mental illness. Following release of the footage, Charlotte’s Democratic Mayor Vi Lyles issued a lengthy statement that addressed Zarutska’s death in the opening sentence with her “thoughts and prayers” to the young woman’s family and friends. The rest of the statement went on to focus on the homeless and mental health of the assailant. “Charlotte is by and large a safe city,” Lyles said. “CATS, by and large, is a safe See DEATH, page A8