Wilmington, NC News

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) — Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said Monday that three former staffers on Governor Beverly Perdue’s election campaign have been indicted on at total of five felony charges.

Trawick Hamilton Stubbs and Julia Lee Sitton face obstruction of justice and filing false reports charges. Peter Anthony Reichard faces a single count of filing a false report.

The announcement follows an investigation that has lasted more than a year.

(Copyright ©2011 WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

By MICHAEL BIESECKER
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A Wake County grand jury has indicted former campaign workers and a donor of North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue as part of an investigation into previously undisclosed flights leading up to her 2008 election victory.

Grand jurors handed up indictments Monday in state court against Trawick H. “Buzzy” Stubbs Jr., Peter Reichard and Juleigh Sitton.

The charges come more than a year after Wake County prosecutor Colon Willoughby said he would investigate payments of air travel for the campaign following a State Board of Elections probe of Perdue’s campaign committee. The State Board of Elections fined her committee $30,000.

Perdue is seeking re-election in 2012.

A grand jury in February charged a Morganton man over allegations he deceived Perdue’s campaign by hiding the source of money used for a flight.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Gov. Bev Perdue and North Carolina’s Cherokee tribe have reached an agreement to allow live card dealers at the tribe’s casino in the mountains in exchange for a cut of revenues from the new games going to local school districts.

Perdue’s office said an amended compact Monday with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has been signed by the governor and the tribe’s principal chief.

Now lawmakers meeting in Raleigh for a couple of days must decide whether they have time to loosen gambling laws separate from this compact so the tribe could offer live poker and blackjack.

Tribal leaders and Perdue’s office have been negotiating for months on expanding beyond electronic and video games now offered at the Harrah’s Cherokee casino. The change could generate 400 new jobs.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-11-28-11 1210EST

WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) — The early start to Black Friday brought some great deals to the table after this Thanksgiving, but at the Walmart in Whiteville, it also brought violence.

According to an incident report, a Whiteville police officer was on patrol at Walmart around 10:30 p.m. Thursday when a fight broke out in the toy section.

Zakia Myrah Pierre (above left), 23, and Alma Juanita Robinson (above right), 24, are charged with simple affray. Both women say the other started the fight with words and fists.

According to the report, Pierre says she heard Robinson say, “There goes that hoe (sic).” She says Robinson then calm toward her, Pierre took off her jacket, Robinson started to hit her, and Pierre hit back.

Robinson told police Pierre yelled, “What’s up?” and started to swing at her, and that’s when Robinson swung back.

A judge will have the final say when the duo heads back to court in February.

Both women are out of jail on $1,000 unsecured bond.