Lincoln County

An ex-president of a local charity pleaded guilty to charges and was sentenced to prison. A sickness causing explosive diarrhea has reached 145 cases in North Carolina, linked to a parasite in herbs and produce. A woman was rescued after a tree fell on her Huntersville home.

Kevin Joe Turner, former president of L-Town Charities in Lincoln County, pleaded guilty to embezzling over $100,000 and using the charity's funds for unauthorized purchases, including $400,000 in online bets. He was sentenced to 58-82 months in prison and ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution through civil court.

Federal agents, including the ATF, seized 140 firearms in Lincoln County, North Carolina, as part of an investigation into an attempt to traffic weapons to a Mexican drug cartel.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized 140 firearms, including two .50-caliber rifles and a machine gun, from a Lincoln County home. Authorities allege the weapons were intended for smuggling to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. The operation also uncovered evidence of human trafficking, with ATF highlighting the seizure as a victory for border safety.

The ATF seized 140 guns, ammunition, and evidence of human trafficking from a home in Lincoln County, which officials believe is part of a drug cartel armory. The weapons are suspected to be destined for Mexico to support the Sinaloa Cartel.

Heat advisories were issued for nearly all Charlotte-region counties, effective at noon on Thursday, July 2, until 8 p.m. Weather officials warn of heat index values reaching 105-108°F, risking heat-related illnesses.

Crews searched a lake in Burke County after a missing swimmer report, a suspected drunk driver led a police chase following a kidnapping in Lincoln County, and a woman escaped a Charlotte fire by jumping from her apartment. The Charlotte region also faces rising heat, humidity, and storm chances.

A 41-year-old man named Timothy Brittain was accused of kidnapping an unknown woman in Lincoln County, North Carolina, leading police on a chase before being arrested near an antique store. Brittain faces charges including first-degree kidnapping, domestic violence, and driving-related offenses, though no injuries were reported.

Denver metro and eastern plains in Colorado are under a severe thunderstorm watch through Wednesday, with potential for large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Smoky skies from Utah wildfires combined with rising temperatures and moisture are fueling the storms, which are expected to develop Tuesday afternoon and persist into the evening.

Two people were killed in a wrong-way crash on N.C. 16 Highway in Lincoln County when a pickup truck collided head-on with another vehicle. The drivers, Alejandro Gutierrez and Jamar Mishoe, died at the scene. Investigators suspect impairment may have contributed to the crash.

Two people died in a head-on collision between a wrong-way 2017 Ram pickup and a 2021 Mercedes van on N.C. 16 near Sifford Road in Lincoln County. Both drivers, Alejandro Sierra Gutierrez and Jamar Louis Barnett Mishoe, died at the scene, and troopers are investigating if Gutierrez was impaired.

Two men were killed in a wrong-way crash on NC 16 near Sifford Road in Lincoln County, as reported by the NCSHP. The incident occurred just after midnight on Sunday, June 21.

A black bear was spotted in a Gastonia, N.C. neighborhood on June 16, stealing food from a birdfeeder. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission attributed the sighting to juvenile bears seeking territory and urban expansion, advising residents to follow BearWise guidelines to avoid conflicts.

An illegal drug operation was uncovered during a multi-county murder investigation in North Carolina. Rusty Johnson was fatally shot in Catawba County, and Thomas Christopher Banks was arrested for his murder. A psilocybin grow operation and drugs were found in Banks' home, leading to the arrest of Joshua Donald Burns on drug-related charges.

A man is accused of growing illegal psilocybin mushrooms in Lincoln County, which were discovered during a search for a Catawba County murder suspect, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

A small medical plane crashed in New Mexico, killing all four people aboard. The cause of the crash is unknown and the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The flight was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport from Roswell Air Center.