10/31/2022 PM News Break

By Holly Hodges

In local news, AppHealthCare will discontinue drive-thru COVID testing at the Watauga location tomorrow, November first. According to reports from the Watauga Democrat, people with symptoms and in need of a test are asked to call AppHealthCare to schedule a sick visit. Alleghany and Ashe County’s AppHealthCare locations have offered similar programs since April 2022. The shift in the testing model at the Watauga location is in response to the decreased demand for testing. If you have insurance, your insurance will be billed. If you are uninsured or unable to pay, AppHealthCare is offering a sliding fee discount program as well as payment plans. AppHealthCare will be offering appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 until 11 a.m.

In North Carolina news, police have seized multiple THC edibles from stores in High Point for packaging which infringed on pre-existing trademarks. According to reports from FOX 8, seized products included bongs, vape cartridges, gummies, and more. According to High Point police, they joined forces with the NC Department of Secretary of State, the NC Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, the ALE and Homeland Security to check several tobacco and vape stores specifically for trademark violations. Store owners and employees voluntarily surrendered over 8,000 products which cost close to 50-thousand-dollars. The stores were issued a warning.

In international news, officials in Seoul are being criticized for their response to crowds rushing in an alley on Saturday in Itaewon resulting in at least 100 people dying. According to witnesses, people rushed through a downhill alley which quickly became clogged before people began to topple over each other creating a domino-like effect. According to reports from the Associated Press, the national government in South Korea insisted that there was no way to predict that the crowd would get out of control. The Halloween events in Itaewon were anticipated to have crowds reaching upwards of 100,000. Only 137 police officers were dispatched to deal with crowd control which people are saying was far too low. The district mayor issued a statement Monday that her office would deploy “all administrative resources” to support the injured and families of the victims.

Today’s weather is brought to you by Ray’s Weather Center at Booneweather.com. Today is going to be mostly cloudy and foggy with some scattered rain showers throughout the day. It’s going to be slightly cooler today with a high of 59 degrees and a low of 47 degrees so you might want to bring a coat and an umbrella with you if you plan to do any trick-or-treating or attend any Halloween parties tonight.