And they aren't the only ones who are concerned -- so are Army officials.

"I do worry slightly about a potential backlash," said General George Casey, the Army chief of staff.

"We don't want people to be afraid of us. We're ordinary people," said Khalilah Sabra of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation of North Carolina.

Many are afraid that the references to Major Nidal Hasan's Muslim background will create problems for all Muslims in this country.

"Even though we're Muslims, we're Americans too, and we would like to be able to detach Islam from this situation because one has nothing to do with the other," explains Sabra.

Fort Bragg has a large Muslim population of soldiers and their families.

"This incident has affected them as it would any other soldier regardless of the religion," said Ft. Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum.

And Ft. Bragg wants its soldiers to realize there was no religious connection to actions attributed to Major Hasan.

"He happened to be Muslim. He could have been Baptist, Jewish or Catholic. His religion is not the issue," said McCollum.

But some Triangle residents believe media reports have implied that his religion was connected to the shootings.

"I guess it would lead people to believe that had something to do with it, and if it's not the case they should not be saying it," said Scott Loyek of Raleigh.

"I think the media looks for anything these days," said Kelly Reid. "I don't know there's a connection between the incident and his name, but the media sees a candied apple and hands it to their audience."

Reid says her brother is in the Army and ironically left Ft. Hood just six hours before the shootings.

And Reid says the stresses on her brother and other soldiers who've seen combat are difficult for most people to imagine because their lifestyles are so different from what most folks are used to.

Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight wrote a letter Friday to Senate Democrats asking them to support Nesbitt as the next majority leader. The Asheville Citizen-Times obtained a copy of the letter.

A Basnight spokesman didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The majority leader's job is open because Sen. Tony Rand announced this week he was leaving the Legislature to become head of the state patrol commission.

Basnight said Nesbitt had worked tirelessly during his 30-year legislative career to bring jobs and economic opportunity to the entire state and has done it with "compassion, commitment and integrity."

The state and local tax exempt products-including appliances like washers, freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwashers, and thermostats-meet federal guidelines for energy efficiency.

Generally, the Energy Star appliances cost more than less efficient models, but they should save money in the long run by trimming utility bills and making owners eligible for tax credits.

Energy Star appliances that are intended to be used for a business or as rentals are not part of the Tax Free Holiday offer.

The holiday runs from 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in November, through 11:59 the following Sunday.

Click here to learn more.

Friday, college presidents, community members and students met in Durham to try to turn that around.

"Truthfully we need more college graduates," NC Community College System President Scott Ralls said. "As a nation we've fallen behind."

The state community college system held its Fifth Annual Minority Male Mentoring Conference Friday.

More than half of all Hispanic and African-American high school graduates enroll in community colleges.

You don't have to tell Cedric Bettis that mentoring can make a difference.

The Durham Tech alumnus had already dropped out of college once when he went back and decided to enroll in their minority mentoring program.

"It made me feel welcome," Bettis said of the experience. "It gave me an opportunity to engage with like minded people in a similar situation."

The goal of the conference was simply to fine tune the mentoring programs at different colleges to graduate more minority students.

"We're there to serve all of our students," James Sprunt Community College President Lawrence Rouse said. "We want to make sure our minority males are just as successful as any other students on our campus."

The state community college system estimates that if graduation rates of minority students rose to that of white students by 2020, the state would add over $5 billion to the economy.

The development is now called Olive Chapel Park after being taken over by the GreenHawk Corporation in Raleigh.

Homeowner Catherine Kelly said it's been a long time coming.

"So far my impression had been good and I'm excited they're taking the project over," Kelly said.

Craig Briner of GreenHawk Corporation said they have already knocked down three townhomes that were unsafe, cut down all the weeds and cleaned up the property.

"There were a lot of storm water issues, a fair amount of landscaping and there was mold in the club house and pool," Briner said.

They are also in the process of renovating anything inside the home that was damaged because of the neglect.

Briner said the townhomes will be on the market by the end of the month and the existing homes by mid-December. He said the next step is to build new houses.

Town Planning Director Dianne Khin said they're working with the developers on plans.

"The town has been working with the developers in getting the plan ready to move forward with new buildings," Khin said.

And those new buildings Briner said will be a bit smaller than the original homes like the one Kelly lives in.

Although Kelly said she's relieved and excited to soon see some new neighbors she does have a concern.

"When we bought this house it was the smallest floor plan but now it's going to be one the biggest houses so property value is a concern," Kelly said.

Briner said once completed, the 100 new homes will range from $200 thousand to $400 thousand dollars.

The average cost of the original homes was around a half a million dollars and up.

The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that Philip Morris, Lorillard and R.J. Reynolds tobacco companies could stop making payments to those growers through a 1999 agreement. The agreement says the companies could reduce their payments when Congress agreed to a buyout for quota owners in 2004.

The justices ruled the states entered the agreement knowing the payments would end as a result of a quota buyout.

Maryland's Department of Agriculture says farmers in that state and in Pennsylvania would have received $22 million had a trial court ruling been upheld.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Detectives say 50-year-old Joseph Clayton Southerland allegedly drove his truck along side a school bus while exposing himself and masturbating.

Students on the bus, who range between the ages of five and 11, said they witnessed the crime on several separate occasions.

Southerland was identified after a witness wrote down the license plate number of the vehicle and reported the incident to police.

He is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $60,000 secured bond. Southerland is expected to make his first court appearance on Nov. 9.

Police say Masjid Ibad Ar-Rahman, located at 3034 Fayetteville Street, sustained damage to the property during the morning of November 2.

Several windows and doors were broken. Reports indicate that two flat screen monitors, a printer and a personal computer were taken.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Investigator K.D. Emanuel at 560-4415 ext. 29306 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.

Wanda McPhaul, spokeswoman for Cumberland County Schools, said Terry Sanford High School principal Diane Antolak was suspended Wednesday and is cooperating with the investigation.

School officials did not provide further details about the allegations. The Fayetteville Observer reports that the allegations do not involve student-athletes.

Assistant Principal Robert Guzman has been appointed to take over until the investigation is complete.

The wreck report states a truck owned by WCA of NC was attempting to make a left turn onto Wake Forest Rd. when the top of the bed made contact with a traffic light. The truck driver admitted that the lift bed was not working properly, but still drove the vehicle.

Police directed cars and small trucks through the intersection and traffic flow was generally being maintained in all directions.

Due to the low-hanging wires, tall vehicles -- such as 18-wheelers -- could not pass through a portion of Wake Forest Road near the intersection for several hours.

As of 4:23 p.m., normal traffic flow had been restored in the area of the accident.

Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered to police about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.

Click here for Live Coverage from WESH

She said investigators did not know why Rodriguez targeted the engineering firm where he once worked.

"This is a tragedy no doubt about it, especially on the heels of the tragedy in Fort Hood that is on our minds," she said. "I'm just glad we don't have any more fatalities or any more injuries than we currently have."

People streamed out of the 16-story Legion Place office building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices while the gunman was on the loose.

Mike Bernof, a spokesman for Reynolds Smith & Hill, the transportation engineering consulting firm where Rodriguez was an engineer, told CNN Rodriguez was released in June 2007 for performance issues. He could not say what those issues were. The firm performs transportation engineering work for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Gerry Gilgo, who works on the floor where the shooting occurred, told The Associated Press she was meeting a co-worker at the elevators for lunch.

"She yelled, 'There are gunshots! There are gunshots! Get back in your office,"' Gilgo said.

Will Halpern, an attorney on the building's 17th floor, was among the last group to be evacuated. He said the lobby was filled with about 20 officers in SWAT gear, carrying assault weapons, ready to search.

Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and nearby schools were locked down until the gunman was caught.

Rows of ambulances lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.

Fayetteville Police Department spokeswoman Theresa Chance said Friday the 74-minute delay in dispatching officers is part of an internal investigation.

Authorities say William Maxwell shot and killed 43-year-old wife Kathryn and their two teenage children on Monday. The first of two 911 calls captured someone quietly moaning before a gunshot erupts.

Chance said officers were ordered to the scene nine minutes before Kathryn Maxwell's parents made a second 911 call reporting they saw bodies and blood through a window.

Wanda Barbour told The Star-News of Wilmington that she knew Sgt. Kimberly Munley was involved when she heard a female officer at Fort Hood had shot and wounded Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

"When they said a female officer, a little part of me just knew," Barbour told the newspaper. "She is a very great person with a great spirit."

Officials say 34-year-old Munley, who was wounded, ended the crisis. She was recovering Friday in stable condition.

"We're just so grateful and thankful to the Lord that she's safe," Barbour said. "Our hearts just ache for the loss of others, too, and hers, too. She's still upset about that."

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire Thursday afternoon. Cone said Munley shot the gunman several times despite being shot herself.

"She happened to encounter the gunman. In an exchange of gunfire, she was wounded but managed to wound him four times," Cone said. "It was an amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer."

Munley is the daughter of Dennis Barbour, a former mayor of Carolina Beach. The coastal town is about 15 miles south of Wilmington.

Wrightsville Beach Police Chief John Carey said Munley, who worked for the force from 2000 to 2002 before moving away from the area, was a petite officer who worked well with others.

"She was a very personable officer. She got along good with everyone," he said. "She wasn't afraid of anything."

Carey said Munley joined the force in March 2000 as a reserve officer. She later became a permanent employee in fall of that year.

"She was a good shot," Carey said of Munley's shooting and training. "Her abilities and the training that she got here hopefully had a lot to do with preparing her for that situation."

Carey said several of his officers, who have kept in touch with Munley over the years, spoke with her earlier Friday. He said she's still recovering from her wounds, which include a shot to her thigh. But he said everyone on the force is proud.

"I think everybody here is," he said. "We're just thankful she was able to intervene."

Authorities said the 39-year-old Hasan went on a shooting spree Thursday that left 13 people dead at the Texas post. He was among 30 people wounded and remained hospitalized on a ventilator on Friday. All but two of the injured were still hospitalized, and all were in stable condition.

Wanda Barbour told the newspaper she and her husband are heading to Texas.

A message left by The Associated Press at the Barbour home was not immediately returned.

Dave Spencer, principal at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C., said he knew Munley as a student athlete who was involved in several academic and community service-oriented clubs before graduating in 1993.

"She was just a very well-rounded student athlete," Spencer said of Munley's participation in volleyball and softball. "She's the type of kid that stands out, even 16, 17 years later."

Spencer said the school will briefly honor Munley during a football match against a rival team Friday night.

"Anyone is going to be surprised when they know someone who takes such a heroic step," he said. "But if you remember the kind of young person she was, you could easily understand it."

WECT: NC Native Credited With Stopping Ft. Hood Shooter 

Officials at the Onslow County base said 21-year-old Pvt. Jonathan Law was in military custody Friday for a homicide that happened earlier in the day.

Officials gave no other details of what happened, the name of the victim, the suspect's home town or the specific charge. The base said information about the victim will be made available after the slain Marine's family has been notified.

Law is a supply administration clerk who joined the Marines in August 2006. He served in Iraq from August 2007 to March 2008.

Johnston Communications say the accident was reported shortly before 11:30 a.m. Friday. The accident occurred on Hwy 301 just north of the I-95 Interchange.

All lanes in both directions were closed after a logging truck and tractor trailer collided. The roads were re-opened at 3:45 p.m.

No other information about the accident was provided by officials.

One lane of Kildaire Farm Road will be closed Friday for sewer line work.

The area affected is northbound lanes of the road, between Loch Highlands Drive and Steep Bank Drove.

Crews will shut down the outside lane at 9 a.m. Friday and will remain closed until Saturday night.

Read Full Story

According to investigators William "Billy" Maxwell shot and killed his wife Kathryn and children Cameron and Conner inside their home.

The investigation is ongoing but some questions were answered during the funeral.

With the family's permission, Reverend John Cook shared that Billy Maxwell had seemed troubled and thought someone was monitoring his phone calls and might be tracking him. As of late Monday afternoon, Cook said Billy had agreed the thoughts might not make sense and would get professional help.

"We had every indication that there would be a Tuesday for the Maxwell family," Cook said. "All of us, even those closest to Billy, did not know just how sick Billy was."

Cook said the family is not angry.

"The absolute last thing that the real Billy Maxwell would do is hurt his wife or the children that he loved," Cook said.

Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville was packed with family and friends attending the funeral.

Cameron and Connor Maxwell's best friends gave their eulogy. Connor's best friend, Ashton Hurley, said they shared their dreams with each other.

"She loved the beach and the mountains, and we wanted to attend Appalachian State together next fall," Hurley said.

Cameron's best friend, Tyler Reitz, said Cameron told him the two of them would play basketball for Carolina one day.

"I know cam is in a better place right now, looking down on us playing basketball with his dad," Reitz said.

The Maxwell family was laid to rest during a private ceremony.

Fayetteville police are investigating why there was more than an hour long delay in sending officers to the scene of the triple murder-suicide.

There were two 911 calls reported; and 9 minutes before the second 911 call, officers were ordered to the Maxwell home but they arrived 74 minutes later after the second call.

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Read Coverage From The Fayetteville Observer
Full Coverage: Fayetteville Family Found Dead

Officers responded to call at 314 West Park Dr. around 8 p.m. on Monday.

Upon arrival, officers found a woman, a man and two teenagers dead in the home. The victims had been identified as William Maxwell Jr., who would have turned 48 this month, Kathryn Maxwell, 43, Conner Maxwell, 17, and Cameron Maxwell, 15.

Conner and Cameron Maxwell attended Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville and the family were members of Synder Memorial Baptist Church in the Haymount area. 

"Billy, if you knew him, loved his family. Everybody knew that. That's what makes this so tragic," said John Cook, pastor of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, where every member of the family was active. "Obviously something tragic was going on for this to happen."

Friends and neighbors say the Maxwells were a friendly family who kept a meticulous yard and were active in their church and their children's religious high school.

William Maxwell was a builder and land developer who built residential subdivisions in Cumberland and Harnett counties, said John McKinney of Fayetteville, who described himself as Maxwell's business partner and friend for more than a decade.

"He was a devout Christian and I really loved his family," McKinney said. William Maxwell also owned a couple of local car washes, while his wife Kathryn was a stay-at-home mother who taught Sunday school at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville.

Son Cameron Maxwell attended 9th grade at Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville and his sister Conner was a senior. The school is affiliated with Village Baptist Church. "We're obviously very saddened by this tragic event and we're really concentrating right now on just meeting the needs of the students and staff at the school," said Lou Nelon, the church administrator. "Those kids were very well loved and respected. They were very well known here in town," Nelon said.

"They were just wonderful people, active in their church," said neighbor Kay Edwards, who has lived next door since 1994, when she moved back into the home where she grew up and where her 94-year-old mother still lives. "They were just good neighbors."

Edwards said she would often see family members walking their small dog through the quiet, leafy neighborhood.

"We're just all in shock," she said Tuesday. "You could not imagine this happening."

On Tuesday Evening, about 800 people gathered at the family's church for a candle-light memorial.

Pastor John Cook of the Snyder Memorial Baptist Church told those in attendance, "We have suffered an unspeakable loss as a community. "There’s not a person here tonight who is not hurting; not a person here tonight who wouldn’t do anything to help the family in their loss."

Cook said that's why it was important for people to come together as a community.

During the service several people shared stories and fond memories of the family.

NBC 17 Precision Traffic

The court reached that conclusion in a 5-2 decision reinstating a $15 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of a 14-year-old North Carolina girl who died in a car crash during a sleepover with a friend in the Richmond area in December 2004.

The case now goes back to Henrico County Circuit Court to determine whether Paul and Paula McDonough should be held accountable for the death of Jaimee Elizabeth Kellermann of Wake Forest, N.C.

Mark J. Krudys, attorney for Jaimee's father Michael H. Kellermann, said the Supreme Court "memorialized what most parents already feel: that when they have a young child in their care, they should exercise caution. I would have frankly been very saddened if the court did not find there is such a duty."

Julie Palmer, an attorney for the McDonoughs, said she was disappointed by the ruling. However, she said the lawsuit is in its early stages and the evidence "will be dramatically different" than the allegations. She added that "we are confident the defendants will be fully absolved of any responsibility."

According to the complaint, the McDonoughs asked if Jaimee could spend the night with their daughter Becka. The Kellermanns agreed but said their daughter was not allowed to ride with young drivers -- or, as Michael Kellermann put it: "No boys with cars." Paula McDonough allegedly told Kellermann not to worry, she would take care of Jaimee.

That night, Paula McDonough dropped the girls off at the mall where they met up with another girl and two boys, including 17-year-old Nathan DeFrank. After the group attended a movie, Becka called home and got her mother's permission for DeFrank to drive her and Jaimee home, according to the lawsuit.

Jaimee and the third girl did not want to go with DeFrank but were unable to get another ride. On the way home, according to the complaint, DeFrank drove "wildly" at up to 80 mph on winding two-lane road while Jaimee frantically text-messaged her father and a friend, saying she was afraid.

DeFrank lost control of the car and slammed into a tree. Jaimee died at a hospital the next morning.

Henrico County Circuit Judge Daniel T. Balfour dismissed the Kellermanns' lawsuit, agreeing with the McDonoughs that they had no legal duty to Jaimee.

The Supreme Court said that if it too agreed with the McDonoughs, "such holding would yield absurd results." For example, Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell Sr. wrote in the majority opinion, an adult who agreed to supervise a group of 4-year-olds could allow them to play on a busy street or play with loaded guns without being subject to liability.

However, Justice Lawrence Koontz wrote in a dissenting opinion that the majority went too far in saying host parents could be held responsible for the criminal acts of a third party. Justice Cynthia Kinser also dissented.

Angelo Womack, of Raleigh, was arrested Oct. 30 at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, where he and the victim are both students. The victim was treated and released from WakeMed.

Womack, who remains in jail, allegedly entered a classroom and struck the victim with a hammer.

He was originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon and intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Those charges were upgraded to attempted murder.

"I used to do protective services for Bobby and Whitney, Alicia Keys, and Earth, Wind and Fire," he said with a smile on his face, looking out at the corner of Angier Ave. and Driver St. "I've seen a lot in my life but I've never seen anything like northeast Durham."

What started as Joe's Big Hot Dogs will morph into restaurant, Internet café and grocery store at the first of this year. He's one of several business owners who have taken interest in a section of Durham once known for having the highest crime rate in town.

"There's some really decent people here and they need a second shot," Bushfan said. "Most of them think they're stuck in a rut because they're in a negative area; but that's all about to end as far as I'm concerned."

Research from the Durham Police Department shows that extra patrols in the "Bull's Eye" area have paid off. From May 2006 to April 2007, there were 929 total violent gun crime incidents citywide. Nineteen percent, or 184 of them, happened in the Bull's Eye target area. In the next year, there were 851 incidents citywide and 130 (15.28 percent) in the Bull's Eye. But over this last year, according to records, there were 770 incidents citywide and 113 (14.68 percent) in the Bull's Eye.

"While such crimes are down 17.1 percent citywide," the report reads, "they are down 38.6 percent in the target area, which is continuing to be a less concentrated area of gun violence within the City."

But those who grew up there and have recently taken interest in coming back for business know changing perceptions is going to be tough.

"East Durham has changed since I grew up here," said Sandra Rorie, who is well-known as ‘Nana.' "It's been one of the neighborhoods that appears it's kind of been shut off."

Rorie said she wanted to make a difference when she opened Nana's Café two months ago.

"I think it's going to take more people believing in east Durham," she said.

Nathaniel Harris, who was working on housing construction for New Beginnings ministry, said slow progress that everyone is making in the Bull's Eye makes a difference in morale.

"It just brings more structure -- good structure -- to the neighborhood," he said. "It inspires a lot of people in the area; gives back hope."

 Contact Josh Green, NBC 17 News Reporter:
jgreen@wncn.com

The Department of Health and Human Services suspended the license of Judy's Home Care on Laura Duncan Road after finding there was inadequate supervision, soiled diapers on a couch, frayed electrical wires and exposed wood with small nails where a carpet had been ripped out. Those are just four of 17 violations that were found.

But Jackie Quirk with the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center said this is not the norm.

"Child care actually can be a positive environment for many children," Quirk said.

Quirk said there are some quick tips for parents.

"Families should go to the North Carolina Division of child care Web site. They have many resources for parents to choose quality child care. They have programs listed by their star rating and a checklist for families so they know what questions to ask," Quirk said.

She also said families should visit the center before making a decision.

Parent Katherine Gaertner said parents should continue to drop by even once their child is enrolled in the program.

"I would always tell parents -- surprise visits. Safety is definitely number one," Gaertner said.

Quirk agreed that visits are a must.

"An open door policy is required in North Carolina, and it's a good idea," Quirk said.

Both agree that communication about a child's habits -- like sleeping, eating and playing - is the key.

"The more parents and providers can work together, the safer the environment will be for the child," Quirk said.

But Quirk said if a parent feels their child is at risk, they should take them out of the facility immediately and find a new day care provider.

To learn more about child care facilities click here.

At least 33 game development companies have a presence in the Triangle, with many making this area their headquarters.

They cite the proximity of RTP and computer science departments at area universities.

One of those companies has a new twist to a program that could bring people into the industry from around the world.

Epic Games, based in Cary, is famous for titles such as "Gears of War."

Thursday, they announced that the same programming that created that game is being made available to everyone at no charge, under the Unreal Development Kit banner.

"It's free for non-commercial use, so anybody can pick it up, learn how to create a game," said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic. "They can create something they can give away for free."

This same kind of programming has been around for a while, but only to people who bought certain Epic games; this new free-for-all distribution means a lot more of it will start showing up in places like the classroom.

"That now sort of de-couples the relationship between the process of development and buying the game and having to have the particular game to run the things that you produce," said Michael Young, associate professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University.

Young said he has been using Unreal programming for a while, but this is a unique change.

Epic makes no bones about it: they're hoping to attract young talent with the announcement.

"They download it for free and start building a resume, a real resume that shows us what they can really do," said Rein.

Epic is tripling in size, by adding more than 100,000 square feet to its Cary headquarters. More importantly, it's recruiting in a time when many businesses have been scaling back.

At any given time, they may have 10 to 12 openings.

Experts say that's a testament to the strength of the game development industry in the area.

"Even in a challenging economic environment, we still see people coming into the Triangle, bringing their studios or locating headquarters here," said Young.

Young says it's something he's seeing in the computer science program, too, where next year they're set to graduate the first students from NC State's popular new game development degree.

Wider access to the Unreal Development Kit, though, means more developers vying for those jobs.

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Keep up with the stories Chris Cowperthwaite is working on every day: http://twitter.com/CCowperthwaite.

Contact him at ccowperthwaite@wncn.com.