By Jenna Guzman & Hunter Bostain
In local news, the Blowing Rock Town Manager will be leaving his role next month. According to The Watauga Democrat, Shane Fox, the current town manager for Blowing Rock, will leave this role May 31. After he leaves this role, Fox will serve as the Alexander County manager starting June 7th.
In state news, Carowinds amusement park will be enforcing a chaperone policy. According to The Charlotte Observer, guests aged 15 or younger are no longer allowed to be in the park without a chaperone. Beginning Saturday, April 22nd, people 15 and younger must be with someone aged 21 or older to enter and remain in the park after 4 P.M. This policy comes after an increase of incidents of “unruly and inappropriate behavior” at the parks over the past two years, Carowinds stated on their website and social media accounts on Thursday. Under this new policy, chaperones can only chaperone 10 or less children, chaperones must show a valid ID, and the chaperone must be present in the park. The policy exempts 15-year-olds or people younger who work at the park, however, they must have their work ID.
In national news, the North Carolina man accused of shooting a 6-year-old girl and her family was arrested. According to NPR, 24-year-old Robert Louis Singletary turned himself into a Sheriff's Office in Tampa, Florida, two days after shooting at a 6-year-old and her parents after a ball rolled into his yard. Singletary turned himself in about 600 miles away from where the actual shooting took place, which was in Gaston County, North Carolina. According to NPR, authorities have charged Singletary with “four counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury.” According to NPR, Singletary already has a criminal history. He will be appearing in court Friday in Florida. The 6-year-old was released from the hospital, the mother had an injured elbow, and the father remains in serious condition at the hospital.
Now onto sports.
As always starting off with App State sports the App State softball team squares off against conference opponent Georgia State at home this weekend in a three-game series. Games start this afternoon at 4 PM followed by a game on Saturday at 6:30 PM, and Sunday at 1 PM. App State baseball is also home this weekend taking on conference opponent Old Dominion in a three-game series. Games start this afternoon at 6 PM, followed by a game on Saturday at 3 PM, and Sunday at 1 PM.
In professional sports, the Stanley Cup playoffs continue this afternoon with the Hurricanes and Islanders facing off at 7, The Bruins and Panthers playing at 7:30, The Stars and Wild facing off at 9:30, and the Oilers and Kings squaring off at 10:00. The NBA playoffs are also going on with the Celtics and Hawks playing at 7, The Cavaliers and Knicks playing at 8:30, and the Nuggets and Timberwolves playing at 9:30 tonight. And last but not least the Atlanta Braves are back in action tonight starting a three-game series against the Houston Astros at 7:20.
Today’s weather is courtesy of Booneweather.com. Today is a warm and sunny day with a high of 72 degrees and a low of 46.