North Carolina

Famed Race Driver Dick Trickle Dies, Suicide Suspected

Mark Memmott — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52:00 +0000

Dick Trickle, a "short-track hero" in the '70s and '80s who moved to the NASCAR circuit later in his career, died Thursday.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the 71-year-old was killed by "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lincoln County [N.C.] deputies said."

The Observer adds that "in 2001, Trickle's granddaughter Nicole Ann Bowman was killed in a car accident in front of East Lincoln High School.

Sequester Has Air Force Clipping Its Wings

Larry Abramson — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

The Pentagon says the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration could leave the U.S. with a military that is simply unprepared for the most challenging combat missions. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told Congress in April that the military is eating its seed corn.

"The cuts will fall heavily on maintenance and training, which further erodes the readiness of the force and will be costly to regain in the future," he said.

Iconic Gospel Singer George Beverly Shea Dies

Korva Coleman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Grammy-winning gospel singer George Beverly Shea died in Asheville, North Carolina last night after a brief illness. He was 104.

Shea was best known as the singing soloist for Billy Graham, whose organization released a statement mourning Shea's death. Graham says he first met the singer in 1943 in Chicago: "As a young man starting my ministry, I asked Bev if he would join me. He said yes and for over 60 years we had the privilege of ministering together across the country and around the world.

A North Carolina Pie That Elicits An 'Oh My God' Response

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:46:00 +0000

There are days for cake, and days for ice cream and cookies. But every now and then, you crave a different kind of finish to a satisfying meal. Enter Atlantic Beach Pie, a salty and citrusy staple of the North Carolina coast.

Katie Workman is the author of The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket. She says the Atlantic Beach Pie from Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C., is the best pie she's ever had.

U.S. Troops Train For Possible Mission To Secure Syrian Chemical Agents

Tom Bowman — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:16:00 +0000

Several weeks ago, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the U.S. is planning what to do about Syria's vast chemical weapons program once Bashar Assad's regime falls. The Syrians are believed to have hundreds of tons of chemical agents, including sarin, one of the deadliest chemical agents.