News

It was nearly two years ago that U.S. Airways flight 1549 bound for Charlotte had to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River. Everyone on board survived what was called a miracle landing. This week the plane is making one last journey to the Queen City where it will go on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Shawn Dorsch is the president of the facility. He says the plane will arrive Friday for a special event with the crew and passengers including Captain Sullenberger before going on public display Sunday. 

John Edwards' indictment today marks the beginning of what may be a long courtroom battle over whether or not he violated campaign finance laws. Some North Carolinians who worked on his campaigns say regardless of the legal outcome, they still feel betrayed by the affair he conducted with his mistress when he was a presidential candidate in 2008. Linda Gunter is the President of Democratic Women of Wake County. 

Educators across the state are reacting to the state budget making its way through the legislature today. 

 Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata prepared his budget on the premise that the state’s largest school district would receive 5 percent less than it did the previous year from the state. The current budget is more like 6 percent. But Tata isn’t complaining. 

The Beaver Queen Pageant is a mix of costumes, excess and shady dealings. It boasts participants with names like Scarlett O'Beavah and Cherry Cherry Bang Bang DaBeava. Saturday is the 7th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant, and it's all for a good cause: raising money for the Durham-based Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.

Therese Fowler’s new novel “Exposure” (Ballantine Books/2011) is a Romeo-and-Juliet story with a modern twist. Eighteen-year-old Anthony is involved in a secret relationship with 17-year-old Amelia. When Amelia’s father finds naked photos of Anthony on his daughter’s computer, the boy faces potentially devastating legal consequences. The plot is one that mirrors real life. Fowler's son was arrested for sending nude photos to his girlfriend when he was 19.

Archeologist Shawn Patch loves his job. But sometimes, he needs an outlet for the music he hears in his head. He put together an acoustic duo a few years ago, and then started adding musicians. That duo has now grown to a full-fledged Americana band called The Radials. They’ll be at the Broad Street Cafe in Durham tomorrow. Doors open at 5 p.m.

 Lawmakers in the state House have approved a bill that would allow companies offering small loans to increase their interest rates. Jessica Jones reports the companies often target military customers. 

The Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center has released 41 turtles on Topsail Island. More than 4 hundred school children came from surrounding counties to watch yesterday's event. The turtles were escorted down the beach and gently returned to their ocean home. Many of the turtles that were released had been found stunned in last winter's cold water. Jean Beasley, the center's director, said sea turtles are crucial to human survival.

 The State Board of Education voted unanimously on a resolution that sharply criticizes the budget passed by the state senate today. They say it will lead to thousands of teachers and teacher assistants being laid off. 

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival has canceled its fall season for the first time in 34 years. Administrators made the decision in light of the state budget proposal, which cuts essentially all state funds for the festival. About 15 percent of the organization's $1.1 million budget comes from the state. Artistic director Pedro Silva says the festival has to start looking for other sources of funding as the next fiscal year approaches.