A Spartanburg police officer who was injured in a motorcycle crash earlier this week has died from his injuries, the Spartanburg Police Department said in a statement.
The officer, 39-year-old Jason Gregory Harris, was reportedly on his way to help other officers with a call about a burglary when his motorcycle hit a car turning left into a private driveway around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. Troopers say Harris, who was wearing a helmet at the time, was thrown from the bike. He was placed in the hospital with very serious injuries. The coroner's office says he died from his injuries Thursday night.
The police department is asking residents to donate blood on Friday in memory of the officer. The drive was scheduled before Harris' death. On Wednesday, the department said it had received over 50 units of blood.
Wildfire In Western North Carolina Grows To 1,500 Acres
Forest officials say a wildfire is growing in the North Carolina mountains, even as firefighters work to contain the blaze. The U.S. Forest Service says the Dobson Knob Fire in McDowell County now encompasses roughly 2.3 miles, or more than 1,500 acres, of the Pisgah National Forest.
Previously, officials said more than three dozen nearby homes were threatened by the fire, though no evacuations have been ordered. At a community meeting in Marion, NC, on Thursday, officials told residents they believe the fire was started by people, though they have not determined if it was the work of an arsonist.
Lexington Police Search For Woman Making Series Of Fake 911 Calls
Sheriff's deputies in South Carolina are looking for a woman who's made 60 fake 911 calls over the last three weeks. Lexington County authorities say the dispatch center received three more false calls Wednesday night adding to the 57 similar calls they previously received since March 25.
Sheriff Jay Koon says the caller has reported shootings, burglaries, and robberies. None of the calls were real, but deputies have had to check all the reports. Authorities think the woman is using an out-of-service cell phone to place the calls, making them difficult to trace. Deputies believe the calls are coming from the same neighborhood in the county.
Man Sentenced In 2007 Bombing Of North Carolina Walmart
Ten years after a pipe bomb exploded inside a Walmart in Sylva, NC, a man has been found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison for constructing and detonating the explosive device.
According to court records, 49-year-old Larry Bowlsby entered the Walmart store in September of 2007 and placed the homemade bomb in the store's camping section, where he ignited the device and left the area. The bomb exploded, sending five people to the hospital with minor injuries. Bowlsby escaped from the store before law enforcement arrived.
He was later arrested in January of 2008 during a traffic stop, when police found four incendiary devices inside his car. Information gleaned from that arrest led investigators to connect Bowlsby with the 2007 bombing.
