Nash Co. lynching hoax? | UNC digital ID approved voter ID, GOP sues | Wake Forest candidate debate
Nash Co. lynching hoax? | UNC digital ID approved voter ID, GOP sues | Wake Forest candidate debate
No. 89 — Sep. 8-Sep. 14, 2024
Activists claim "lynching" of black man in Nash Co., black sheriff disagrees
Black man found dead against tree with rope around his neck in NC: 'Not a lynching,' sheriff says - ABC11
As suspicions swell that Black man was lynched in NC, warrant outlines evidence of suicide - N&O
Man found dead near Henderson with rope around neck; family wants transparency in investigation - WRAL
After a viral social media video claiming 21-year-old black truck driver Javion Magee was "hanging from a tree" when he was found found dead this Wednesday in Nash County and accusing law enforcement of withholding information, many on social media have been spreading the narrative that he was "lynched".
However, in an interview with ABC11, Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame (who is also black) rejected this narrative:
There is not a lynching in Vance County. The young man was not dangling from a tree. He was not swinging from a tree. The rope was wrapped around his neck. It was not a noose. There was not a knot in the rope, so therefore, it was not a lynching here in Vance County.
According to a search warrant, video shows that Magee was alone when he had purchased the rope at a local Walmart the night before. Although the preliminary autopsy did not have a "concrete determination" of Magee's cause of death, it did not find "defensive wounds" indicative of a struggle.
All in all, it's too early to know for sure what happened, but I'm sure the vast majority of millions who have seen the social media posts will not see any follow-up once there is more known.
Republicans sue over UNC digital ID approved for November election
Republicans sue State Board of Elections over UNC digital identification - ABC11
GOP sues NC elections board for allowing use of UNC digital IDs for voting - N&O
Republicans sue to stop use of UNC digital ID for voting - WRAL
Republican groups sue state elections board over UNC digital IDs as voter IDs - Carolina Journal
The Republican National Committee and the NC GOP have filed a lawsuit against the NC State Board of Elections over the approval of the "Mobile UNC One Card" digital student/staff ID as qualifying under the state's voter ID law.
Although the law does allow for include "student identification card" or "employee identification card" issued by a state university, the lawsuit argues that the use of the word "card" clearly indicates a physical ID, as opposed to the pixels on the screen of a digital device.
On campus, the digital ID is verified by "swiping or touching", indicating an electronic verification system. There is no indication that voting locations would have the necessary technology to perform this sort of digital verification, instead, poll workers would apparently be expected to visually verify based solely on a device screen.
I don't think I have to explain how much easier it would be to spoof an image on a phone screen in comparison to creating a fraudulent physical ID.
ICYMI
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Superintendent Dr. Nyah Hamlett is being sued by a father-son duo who say she engaged in "malicious prosecution" by obtaining widely-publicized temporary no-contact orders after an incident at the son's graduation in which he called her a "plagiarizing b****".
Kevin Klosty and his son Hunter say Hamlett's civil proceedings against them were "revenge" for their "criticisms of her and of CHCCS" over issues ranging from COVID-19 lockdown policies to a plagiarism scandal; she ultimately dropped the complaints shortly before the pair would have had their first opportunity to defend themselves against her allegations in court.
Full article:
Wake Forest candidate debate
This week, I had the opportunity to attend a debate hosted by the Wake Forest Area Chamber which included candidates from three competitive races in Northern Wake Co.: Senate District 18, House District 35, and Commissioner District 6.
Although the questions for the candidates did involve topics like safety and schools, I was struck by how many shared a common theme: ameliorating the effects of mass (interstate) migration to the area.
Whether it's rising housing costs, transportation infrastructure, or hospital capacity, the negative externalities of new residents coming to the Triangle are often borne by the current residents of the community, or even the state or the whole nation.
Perhaps I am alone in believing that the current inorganic growth via mass migration is not inevitable; there are a number of interests currently working to encourage this trend, including the tax grants to out-of-state corporations by state and local governments, and organizations like the Raleigh Chamber which have been running social media ads in metropolitan areas encouraging migration to Wake County.
In addition to the economic effects of the large-scale incoming migration, the political and cultural effects are not insignificant. One of the candidates mentioned the culture of Wake Forest; I can't help but wonder what cultural continuity a town can even have when over three quarters of the population moved within the last decade.
I have uploaded over an hour from the event over on Twitter/X, where candidates answered questions on the following:
Senate District 18: Ashlee Bryan Adams (R), Brad Hessel (L), Terence Everitt (D)
Transportation/expansion of Capitol Blvd.
Education/school vouchers
Healthcare/Certificate of Need laws
Healthcare/Certificate of Need laws: Mike Schietzelt (R), Evonne S. Hopkins (D)
Growth/infrastructure & economic development
Broadband
Education
Healthcare/Emergency Rooms
Wake Co. Commissioner District 6: Shinica Thomas (D), Jacob Arthur (R)
Safety/Sheriff Department vacancies
Connectivity/transportation
Property taxes/budget
Housing
Wake Co. budget priorities
Another element that stood out to me in the debate was the discussion of the county budget between the incumbent District 6 Commissioner Shinica Thomas and her challenger, Jacob Arthur. 2024 is the first election since Rep. Erin Paré spearheaded a bill to shift the county commissioner's race to election by district; I have rated District 6 as "lean Democrat" district.
Arthur highlighted the necessity of prioritizing how tax dollars are used in the county budget. Thomas responded that the Board of Commissioners already prioritizes, with the budgeting time of year being so stressful that she has passed out and been hospitalized.
However, I was reminded of just how different priorities are on the left to be when Thomas mentioned the "Career in a Year" program for recruiting firefighters. As I reported last year, this program is part of the county government's "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging" program, with the Wake County director of Fire and Emergency Management expressly admitting that they were hoping to recruit a more "diverse pool", meaning "anything other than a white male"