Happy Thursday, everyone! Here’s a look at some of

today’s

top headlines in North Carolina:

1. Election protests continue as Gov. Pat McCrory’s re-election campaign formally files paperwork in eleven more counties. This comes the same day that the Durham County Board of Elections voted to have a second hearing concerning its results and handling of 94,159 votes that were manually entered. OK, but back to the other protets—According to the N&O the protests were filed because his “re-election campaign alleges fraudulent absentee voting may have benefited Democratic candidates in more counties.”

Here’s more:

“These voter fraud concerns must be addressed before the results of the election can be finalized,” Russell Peck, McCrory’s campaign manager, said in a news release about the 11 new complaints.

Cooper campaign spokesman Ford Porter said there’s no evidence behind the allegations.

“It is absolutely shameful that Gov. McCrory would make these unfounded claims,” Cooper campaign spokesman Ford Porter said. “This is the worst kind of misinformation campaign meant to undermine the results of an election the Governor has lost.”

A protest has been filed in Halifax County and the additional complaints are being filed in Wake, Durham, Franklin, Vance, Edgecombe, Guilford, Northampton, Nash, Robeson and Warren counties, according to McCrory’s campaign.

Concerns about duplicate handwriting on mail-in ballots are at issue in Halifax County and Bladen County. The campaign also points to money flowing from the state Democratic Party to local groups in Bladen and the 11 other counties to promote voter turnout.

2. A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges Harnett County deputies have a pattern of using excessive force. The lawsuit was filed by five county residents and the family of a man who was killed by Harnett County deputies last year.

From WRAL:

The filing states that the plaintiffs suffered bodily injuries, pain, suffering, wrongful arrests or loss of life as a result of a violation of their rights by Harnett County deputies.John Livingston, 33, was shot and killed on the front porch of his Spring Lake home on Nov. 15. An autopsy ruled that he had cocaine and alcohol in his system when he got into a dispute with Deputy Nicholas Kehaigas, who was investigating a reported assault.

[…]

The lawsuit claims that Kehaigas had a personal vendetta against the man they were looking for and had seen the man outside Livingston’s home several weeks earlier. It claims Kehigas and Deputy John Werbelow intentionally responded to the wrong home and Kehigas gained entry by positioning his body and boot inside the doorframe so that Livingston could not close the door.

“Defendants Kehagias and Werebelow acted intentionally, willfully, maliciously, negligently and with reckless disregard for and deliberate indifference to Livingston’s rights and physical and mental well-being by physically assaulting, threatening and killing Livingston,” the lawsuit states.

According to the filing, Kehagias had numerous prior incidents of excessive force, aggressive behavior and overuse of resisting, delaying or obstructing charges arising from encounters with Harnett County citizens.

3. The wildfire blazing in the western part of the state continue to burn, and triangle-area fire and rescue crews are helping to stop the fires from spreading. The fires have spread across 49,112 acres of land thus far, and it doesn’t seem as though they’re letting up as they reach Lake Lure and Party Rock in Rutherford County.

Durham has already sent eight firefighters to help, but this morning another crew of eight set out to join the crews. The first group was set to be stationed for seventy-two hours. The second crew will also stay for seventy-two hours.

Here’s more from WNCN:

Capt. Sean Boone with the Durham Fire Department said crews are heading out to the wildfires because they were asked and are ready and willing to help.

“Durham had the manpower and the state was asking for help and we’re glad to go help,” he said. “Whatever they need us to do, we’ll do.”

Durham isn’t the only local department sending fire crews to the area. Many have already been sent from Durham, in addition to crews from Wake and Orange counties.

On Tuesday, the Chapel Hill Fire Department sent four more firefighters to relieve another crew.

Chief Matthew Sullivan said he believed it’s their responsibility to send more crews if they’re able.

“That’s our responsibility. I think it’s our responsibility as a community in North Carolina to provide. We have assets and we’re blessed with nice weather right now, but we’ve also had our own share of disasters where we’ve received support from other agencies so we want to return that favor,” he said

4. Basketball legend Micahel Jordan to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom.

From the N&O:

President Barack Obama will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on basketball superstar Michael Jordan, now the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA franchise, the White House announced Wednesday.

Jordan is among 21 individuals who will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor on Nov. 22.

In the announcement, the White House described Jordan as “one of the greatest athletes of all time.”

That’s all for now! Enjoy your day, folks.