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Today’s stories feature the NC wannabe judge, dressing up like a confederate soldier during his formative years, Bathroom Bill-2nd edition, a standard Foxx no-show in Boone, Cherokee’s no-cannabis K9s, NOAA’s final Helene report, and WNC wildfire updates. I hope you find them worthy of your time.
GOP judge trying to overturn NC high court election dressed in Confederate uniform: report
The North Carolina judge at the heart of a controversial attempt to overturn the state's 2024 Supreme Court election has been implicated in a new personal scandal involving a racist incident from his college days.
According to freelance journalist Bryan Anderson, new evidence shows that when Judge Jefferson Griffin was at the University of North Carolina, his Kappa Alpha fraternity held a traditional "Old South" ball in which the members donned military uniforms from the Confederate rebels during the Civil War. A picture obtained by Anderson shows Griffin among those in the getup.
This photographic evidence "comes at a delicate time for Jefferson Griffin, a Republican appellate judge who is seeking a spot on North Carolina’s highest court," noted the Associated Press. "Griffin, 44, is facing mounting criticism – including from some Republicans – as he seeks to invalidate over 60,000 votes cast in last November’s election, a still undecided contest in which he is trailing the Democratic incumbent by over 700 votes.” <More>
GOP judge’s voter challenge is a reflection of his past embrace of Confederate symbols, critics say
Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin was a member of Kappa Alpha, a fraternity that claims Confederate General Robert E. Lee as its spiritual founder, the AP reported. The wire service obtained a photograph of Griffin posing with other fraternity members at its “Old South” ball in 2001 and a 2000 photograph of Griffin and other fraternity members in front of a Confederate flag.
While Griffin told the AP that his attendance at the ball is not a reflection of who he is today, opponents of his efforts to throw out more than 60,000 votes in his Supreme Court race see a clear line between his past embrace of Confederate symbols and his voter challenges. Griffin is suing the state Board of Elections in an attempt to invalidate enough votes to unseat incumbent Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. Riggs holds a 734-vote lead, which was affirmed in two recounts. Griffin claims the state elections board is counting illegal votes.
In a statement to the AP, Griffin said his attendance at the “Old South” ball was inappropriate.
“I attended a college fraternity event that, in hindsight, was inappropriate and does not reflect the person I am today,” Griffin said in his statement to the AP. “At that time, like many college students, I did not fully grasp such participation’s broader historical and social implications. Since then, I have grown, learned, and dedicated myself to values that promote unity, inclusivity, and respect for all people.” <More>
North Carolina Senate proposal again seeks to bar transgender people from specified public restrooms
Nearly a decade after the “bathroom bill” put the state at the center of a national controversy, a group of Republican state senators are again seeking restrictions on trans people’s use of single-sex facilities.
A group of North Carolina state senators is seeking to enact a new ban on transgender people using bathrooms and other single-sex facilities that correspond to their gender identity, nearly a decade after the state’s infamous 2016 “bathroom bill.”
Filed Tuesday, Senate Bill 516, entitled the “Women’s Safety and Protection Act,” would bar trans people from using unisex restrooms, changing facilities, and sleeping quarters that correspond to their gender identities. It would also define “male” and “female” in state law strictly according to assigned sex at birth and prohibit the modification of sex markers on birth certificates and driver’s licenses.
Introduced by lead sponsors Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell) and Sen. Brad Overcash (R-Gaston), the bill states its purpose as twofold: “to clarify and reconcile the meaning of the terms biological sex, gender, and any other related terms in State law” and to “provide protections for women against sexual assault, harassment, and violence” and other “acts of abuse committed by biological men.”
Joining Sawyer and Overcash in sponsoring the bill are Republican state senators Lisa Barnes, Warren Daniel, Bobby Hanig, and Ralph Hise. Hise and Daniel voted in favor of the House Bill 2 bathroom ban in 2016, while the other sponsors were not yet serving in the legislature. None of the bill’s sponsors responded to a request for comment. <More>
Community members hold town hall in Boone with aims to address concerns with Foxx
BOONE — Constituents gathered in Boone on March 18 for a town hall organized by Indivisible Watauga, hoping to address their concerns with Representative Virginia Foxx. However, Foxx did not attend the event despite organizers saying they sent repeated invitations and requests.
Donna Lisenby, Indivisible Watauga’s committee chair, expressed frustration over Foxx’s absence, citing growing concerns in the community over recent executive actions.
“We had so many people in our community that are really worried by the unconstitutional and illegal executive orders and actions by DOGE and Elon Musk,” Lisenby said. “Folks were looking to exercise representative democracy and reach out to their elected representatives and express their concerns.”
Lisenby and other organizers wrote to Foxx on March 10 requesting a town hall on March 18. They received no reply. A group of constituents had also attempted to speak with Foxx in her office on Feb. 21. Despite multiple efforts — including hand-delivering letters and mailing at least two batches of invitations — organizers said Foxx remained unresponsive. <More>
Cannabis-friendly K-9 Program launched in Cherokee
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Qualla Enterprises, LLC, and Great Smoky Cannabis Company have announced an historic collaboration with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) to establish a new K-9 program. Aimed at addressing critical needs in drug detection while aligning with modern cannabis policies, this initiative underscores our commitment to supporting community safety and innovation.
Recognizing the challenges faced by law enforcement in the region, including limited funding for K-9 programs and the evolving landscape of cannabis legalization, Qualla Enterprises is funding the purchase of a specially trained K-9 for the CIPD. Unlike traditional police dogs, this new K-9 will be trained to detect hard drugs, such as opioids and methamphetamines, while deliberately excluding cannabis detection from its repertoire. This cannabis-friendly approach reflects the realities of legal cannabis in the region and ensures that enforcement efforts are focused on combating the proliferation of dangerous substances.
“It is an honor to partner with the Cherokee Indian Police Department on this initiative,” said Jonee Taylor, culture & community relations manager of Qualla Enterprises, LLC. “By funding this specially trained K-9, we’re addressing a critical gap in regional law enforcement resources while supporting a program that aligns with the legal cannabis industry’s role in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together. This partnership represents the strength of our collective efforts to create a positive impact, and we look forward to the meaningful work ahead.”
The CIPD’s new K-9 will be a fully certified police dog, equipped to assist officers in detecting and preventing the spread of dangerous narcotics–enhancing public safety in Cherokee and surrounding areas. <More>
NOAA releases final Hurricane Helene report
WATAUGA — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its full and final report on Hurricane Helene.
According to the report, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 27.
"The storm brought catastrophic inland flooding, extreme winds, deadly storm surge, and numerous tornadoes that devastated portions of the southeastern United States and the southern Appalachians, the report stated. "Helene is responsible for at least 249 fatalities in the United States (including at least 175 direct deaths), making it the deadliest hurricane in the contiguous U.S. since Katrina in 2005."
The highest measured wind gust from the hurricane occurred in Yancey County on Mt. Mitchell at 92 mph. The second highest wind gust occurred in Watauga County at 88 mph. <More>
Western NC wildfires live updates Saturday, March 29: See the latest from around the region
The worst wildfires in the country right now are burning in Western North Carolina and the South Carolina Upstate Saturday, March 29, 10 days after some of the fires started.
But fires continue to pop up, as was the case Friday with a 4-acre fire in Garren Creek in Buncombe County that firefighters contained.
Hundreds of firefighters from across the country are battling the wildfires around the clock in WNC and the Upstate. Five hundred firefighting personnel have been battling the blazes in Polk County, where some residents have faced mandatory evacuations, as have residents in other counties such as Transylvania. Some homes have been destroyed. Only one injury has been reported.
The largest fire in the region is the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, South Carolina, which doubled in size Friday and crossed the state line into Transylvania County in North Carolina. In North Carolina, large wildfires are burning in Polk County, the Deep Woods and Black Covefires; Swain County, the Alarka Fire; and Haywood County, the Rattlesnake Branch Fire, that has forced the closure of Shining Rock Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest. <More>
Thanks for reading and contributing, wishing all a powerful week.