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28 Jan F.I.T. & P.H.A.T. CARDIO PARTY FUNDRAISER 2012 HAS BEGUN AND IT?S TIME TO GET OUR WORKOUT ON!! YOU?RE INVITED AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO JOIN US FOR THE LARGEST FAMILY…

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28 Jan Charlotte Bobcats vs. Washington Wizards Everyone?s ecstatic that the NBA is back an action, and that means Tickets to the Bobcats vs. Wizards game are as popular as …

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28 Jan Business of Movies Part 1: Hollywood to Dollywood The GayCharlotte Film Series launches a three-part presentation ?Breaking In: The Business of Movies? with the documentary H…

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Race for governor grows

The race to replace Gov. Bev Perdue is growing days after her announcement Thursday that she would not seek re-election.

Perdue is expected to address more than 500 Democratic leaders from around the state at a dinner in downtown Greensboro.

It will be a friendly audience; these are all Democrats who have supported her campaign and her vision over the years.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts told Eyewitness News that she's hoping to hear Perdue outline her plans for her remaining months in office.

"I'd like to hear her talk about the successes, and talk about the continuing struggle and how she is going to continue to fight because she's got the rest of the year to serve in that role, to work with the legislature, to try to get some initiatives through," Roberts said.

Roberts says she was surprised by Perdue's decision, and and like Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Roberts said she is giving thoughtful consideration for a gubernatorial run.

Earlier Saturday in Greensboro, NC Rep. Bill Faison formally announced his candidacy. The Orange County Democrat said when it comes to fixing problems with education and job creation, he's the man for the job.

Faison joins Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton in the race, meaning there will definitely be a Democratic primary in May.

Dalton joined the race within hours of Perdue's announcement.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, who plans to announce his candidacy Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:09:26 -0500}

NC’s Speaker of the House ‘resigns’ from ‘progressive liberal media’

In an odd statement from Rep. Thom Tillis, the State Speaker of the House told media Saturday he was “embracing (the) reality” of a media allegedly controlled by the left-wing.

Jordan Shaw, Tillis' spokesman, said Eyewitness News was the first news agency to inform him of Rep. Tillis' email.

Shaw does not think this message was targeted directly at the media and said all of his supporters received the email Saturdaymorning. Tillis also posted a link to the statement on his Facebook page.

“His message is in response to some stories that have had a tangible bias in them,” Shaw said.

According to Shaw, Tillis has had some “heartburn” from the media in the past and believes that some reports are left-winged and show clear bias. Shaw said his job puts him in a hard position. There are a collection of reporters who work directly with the elected officials in Raleigh every day and he thinks there are examples of press bias.

He also said, “There are examples of the press doing what we think they should do, which is reporting the facts.”

Shaw said Tillis will not sugarcoat what he feels and also enjoys being in conversation on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook.

"The phrase 'I resign myself to the fact that the press is going to be biased' is just a phrase, and nothing else. In the end, Tillis is not resigning from his position; but he is allegedly resigning from accepting that the media reports unbiased stories," Shaw said.

Around 2 p.m. Saturday, Shaw said he had spoken with Tillis who told him the resignation was a "tongue-in-cheek effort at a joke."

“Speaker Tillis is a very outspoken and direct person,” Shaw said.

Shaw initially attributed the released from Tillis as having been potentially triggered by an interaction, possibly even with the press. However, he later said Tillis told him nothing had triggered the statement, he was just using his website, Facebook and Twitter to engage as many people as possible on a Saturday.

"It's just his personality," Shaw said.

Tillis has not issued a subsequent statement outlining what a resignation from the media means for the Speaker’s office. He has committed to a phone call interview Saturday afternoon.

Here is his statement:

"Friends, 

I have concluded that most (but not all) of the mainstream media will not report on a balanced basis.  Either through deadline calls, sloppy reporting, and/or momentary memory lapses, many will continue to report with a bias towards a liberal or progressive liberal stance.  You need only peruse their blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts to see clear evidence of this.  The continued partisan and sometimes ruthless antics of the left aided by some in the mainstream press, will continue to threaten or stifle legitimate efforts to improve the situation in North Carolina for all involved. 

Therefore, effective today, I have resigned myself to embracing this reality and making the best of it.

Wait a minute, you weren't thinking something else were you?  In fact, my resignation has inspired me to adapt an old joke I heard years ago--all in fun.

A newspaper reporter saw a man walking out of the Democratic National Convention when he saw a vicious pit bull had broken away from its owner.  The dog was charging a small child who would have almost certainly been killed but the man grabbed the dog and threw it over a ledge to its death.

The reporter rushed up to the man and said, "Sir, you are a true hero.  Tomorrow the headlines will read BRAVE DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST RISKS LIFE TO SAVE TODDLER."

The man said "Actually, I'm a republican."

The reporter said "Okay but it still was brave so we will run with LOCAL CITIZEN ADVERTS DOG BITE."

The man said "That is very nice of you but in the spirit of full disclosure I must tell you I am the republican Speaker of the House in North Carolina and I'm just leaving a peaceful protest at the Democratic Convention."

The reporter looked at the man, closed his notebook, and walked away.

The next morning the headlines read "RIGHT WING EXTREMIST PROTESTER KILLS FAMILY PET."

Have a great weekend,  Thom T."

The statement was posted on Tillis' website, Facebook page and sent to media outlets across the state.

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:10:35 -0500}

Police search for two people suspected in armed robberies; customer beaten

Granite Falls police are looking for two men they suspect of beating a customer during an armed robbery.

Investigators said two men robbed the Citgo Convenience store on South Main Street, just off Highway 321 at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. When responding officers arrived on scene, they found the clerk uninjured and a 59-year-old customer beaten.

Paula Carlton, an employee of the store told Eyewitness News that two masked robbers came in the store and said, “Get down, give me everything you have.”

The gunmen got away with $300 worth of lottery tickets and cash.

Before leaving, one of the gunmen kicked the male customer and struck him on the head with a gun. The victim was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"It may have been that he was standing too close, standing up, or didn't back away fast enough," said Sgt. Roger Crosby of Granite Falls Police Department.

Store video surveillance caught the robbery on camera.

Investigators said 30 minutes earlier, two men robbed the Dairy Freeze Restaurant on Main Street at gunpoint. Police believe both robberies are connected.

Police said one of the robbers is described as being 5-feet 7-inches to 5-feet 10-inches tall with a black mustache wearing a dark colored hoodie, camouflage pants and black shoes. The other gunman is described as a 5-feet 10-inches white male, wearing a dark colored hoodie, green pants and flip flops.

Witnesses said the two men fled the scene in a white passenger car.

Anyone with information in either of the crimes are asked to call police at the Hudson police at 828-728-5021 or the Granite Falls police at 828-396-3358.

_{Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:49:23 -0500}

News Source: MedleyStory More Local News Stories