Latest news with #CharlotteMecklenburgSchools
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Ransacking our streets': New U.S. Attorney outlines priorities in western North Carolina
Russ Ferguson was sworn in earlier this year as the new U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and Channel 9's Hunter Sáenz spoke with him one-on-one about what his office is prioritizing in the near future. Ferguson will lead about 100 federal prosecutors, and among the top crimes they'll be focused on are gangs, drugs, and child sexual abuse material. RELATED >> Russ Ferguson named as US Attorney For Ferguson, he's also defending his home turf. 'I was born in Presbyterian Hospital right down here, grew up in Charlotte, went to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools,' Ferguson told Sáenz. He's arguably at the pinnacle of his career after being appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. He said he remembers the call from her office. 'I was sitting in court and my phone was buzzing and buzzing ... it was some of the Justice Department saying the order has been signed by the Attorney General, when can you start?' Ferguson recalled. The former federal prosecutor was sworn in back in March, and he says he's going after crimes that keep families up at night. 'It's the gang activity, the cartels, the shootings into homes --which is largely connected to gangs-- the fentanyl and drugs that are ransacking our streets, and the predators that go after our children,' Ferguson said. Under Ferguson's leadership, his prosecutors have already put three gang members affiliated with MS-13 in prison for decades. But he says gangs full of juveniles are a problem here, too. 'We're not seeing the gangs grow exponentially by the day, because they're recruiting youth and taking direction from other countries, and that is much, much harder to enforce,' Ferguson said. We don't know the specific numbers when it comes to gangs, but one of the growing concerns his office will take on is AI child sexual abuse material. 'Every case we have had has had AI images along with real images, so it's the same perpetrators using AI that are using the images of real children,' Ferguson said. We reported back in April when a Charlotte-based CEO, Daniel Broadway, was convicted of having more than 30,000 AI-generated photos and videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as thousands of real photos and videos, too. 'Imagine being that victim walking into a grocery store knowing that anybody in there could have seen that photo of you,' Ferguson said. 'That is a life-changing thing that we have got to stop.' Right now, his office is using the obscenity law to go after those AI cases. Meanwhile, Ferguson says his prosecutors are still wrapping up COVID-19 fraud cases, some topping millions of dollars. They're already working on fraud cases after Hurricane Helene. (VIDEO >> Only on 9: District attorney says lack of resources delays justice in Charlotte)
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Charlotte-Mecklenburg school leaders consider changing license requirements for bus drivers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools board member said the board is considering changing the laws regarding school bus drivers in North Carolina. District 1 Representative Melisssa Easley updated leaders at the Huntersville Town Council meeting Tuesday night, saying the board was considering pursuing a different type of license for school bus drivers as part of its legislative agenda. Currently, under state law, school bus drivers must have a commercial driver's license, or CDL. Easley noted that CDL holders are being lured away by trucking companies, offering wages that cannot compete with school districts. Charlotte area schools close, announce delays on Thursday due to winter weather 'This is a huge hurdle that we have to do with…having qualified bus drivers,' Easley said Tuesday night. 'They currently need to have a license that's state required, but the bus driver doesn't necessarily need the CDL.' While the idea is something of note for the school system, there were no additional details on what this plan would ultimately look like. CDL licenses come with their own proverbial weight, and can keep costs like liability insurance down for districts. 'Your safety has to be the number one priority,' said State Sen. Caleb Theodros of Mecklenburg County, who is on the Senate Transportation Committee. 'So, what that actually looks like, what the requirements would be like, is something that we have to kind of do our due diligence and continue to do work on.' Theodros noted that districts often pay for CDL holders to get their certifications, but noted the challenges in paying a competitive wage. He also noted that if this were to be pursued legislation in Raleigh, it likely would not be an immediate fix. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
