Another student has died at Appalachian State University. Police say a 23-year-old student passed away Friday night after he was found in distress at an off-campus residence. It was the eighth death of an App State student this academic year.
The Boone Police Department said offers were called for a medical emergency Friday night. Student Michael Schmitt was taken to a hospital where he died. There were no signs of foul play. Schmitt grew up in South Charlotte and was a senior at the university, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Investigators have found no evidence of foul play in any of the deaths. The Observer reports that two have come in traffic accidents, four were suicides and medical examiner’s reports are pending on two others, including Friday’s incident.
FBI INVESTIGATES LETTER SENT TO SAMARITAN'S PURSE
The FBI says it's working with local and state authorities to investigate a suspicious letter containing white powder that was sent to the headquarters of Samaritan's Purse in Boone on Friday. The FBI says that while most letters with white powder are hoaxes, the agency is taking necessary precautions in this investigation. The charity is run by the Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham.
SAILBOAT RESCUE OFF NC COAST
The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued five people from a sailboat after the boat's mast broke about 200 miles off the coast of North Carolina. A command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, was notified Friday afternoon that the 55-foot catamaran Rain Maker suffered a broken mast in 40 mile-per-hour winds and 13-foot seas. It happened about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. A helicopter crew was able to hoist all five boaters from the damaged sailboat. They were taken Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo in good condition.
NC MILITARY CONTRACTORS DIE IN AFGHANISTAN
A North Carolina company says it employed three military contractors who were shot to death earlier this week in Afghanistan. Praetorian Standard of Fayetteville identified the men slain Thursday as Walter Fisher of North Myrtle Beach; Jason Landphair of Fayetteville; and Mathew Fineran of Summerville, South Carolina. The company said a fourth man was wounded, but is expected to survive. The Pentagon reported that the three Defense Department contractors were killed at the Kabul airport by a man in an Afghan uniform. The gunman was killed at the scene.
EXHIBIT FEATURES HIGHWAY PATROL
An exhibit that opened this weekend at North Carolina's history museum is taking a look back at nearly 90 years of the state Highway Patrol. The exhibit looks at the patrol's history and showcases vehicles and other artifacts since the organization's founding. The highway Patrol was founded in 1929 to address the increase of motor vehicle traffic and resulting deaths on the state's highways. The show is free and open until August.
DUKE SPOILS VIRGINIA'S RECORD
In college basketball Saturday night, Duke became the first team to beat Virginia, winning 69 to 63. The loss ended the Cavaliers’ 21-game home winning streak and left Kentucky as the only undefeated team in Division I. Tyus Jones scored 17 points for fourth ranked Duke, including a 3-pointer with about 10 seconds left that helped clinch the win.
Thirteenth-ranked North Carolina led by as many as 18 points, but couldn’t hold on, losing to No. 10 Louisville, 78-68, in overtime.
Davidson also blew a halftime lead, going scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half and losing to St. Joseph’s, 75 to 70.
UNC Charlotte lost to Florida International, 78 to 70, last night at Halton Arena.
In the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets won again, easily beating the Denver Nuggest, 104 to 86. Cody Zeller had 21 points for the Hornets.