Governor Cooper announced on Tuesday another step to help families by

prohibiting utilities from disconnecting people who are unable to pay during

this COVID-19 panademic. The Order applies to electric, gas, water and

wastewater services for the next 60 days. Telecommunication companies

that provide phone, cable and interet services are strongly urged to follow

these same rules.

A preliminary investigation into a Tuesday morning active shooter incident

was conducted by Asheville Police.  Just before 10 o’clock, Police officers

and Buncombe deputies responded to 60 Court Plaza, in downtown Asheville.

The shooter, identified, as 29-year-old Shane Tilman Kent of Asheville,

was armed with a 9mm handgun and fired shots at a law enforcement

officer from an SUV that was not registered to him. Buncombe deputies

responded and confronted Kent, resulting in his death. A press release

from Asheville Police, indicates that a deputy received a non-life

threatening injury to his arm and was treated and released from Mission

Hospital. The SBI has assumed the primary investigatory responsibility.

Two area men face meth charges. Burke deputies last Thursday arrested

48-year-old Leslie Jay Ferrell, Jr., of Windy Woods Road, and charged

him with meth and drug paraphernalia possession. In the second case,

McDowell deputies arrested a Marion man, 38-year-old Joshua Edward

Benge, who was a passenger in a vehicle stop on February 28^th. A search

of Benge turned up 22 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia.

Two Nebo residents face an attempted murder charge. McDowell deputies

responded at 9 p.m. March 23^rd, to a residence in Nebo on Rutherford

Road, in reference to shots being fired. 25-year-old Timothy Michael

Blake Thorne was charged by the Sheriff’s Office with attempted

first-degree murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and

possession of a firearm. 61-year-old Harrison Bascombe Hensley was

charged with attempted first-degree murder and a third Nebo man

21-year-old Skyler Nathaniel Thorne, was charged with accessory after

the fact of attempted first-degree murder.

Lenoir-Rhyne University will be rescheduling its spring commencement.

Originally set for May 7^th in Columbia, May 8^th in Hickory and May 9^th

in Asheville, the new ceremonies are tentatively being planned for August

or September .