Tues., March 10

  • A Raleigh police officer shot 26-year-old JAVIER TORRES following a 911 call saying that he was brandishing a weapon. Acting on social media messages suggesting that Torres was shot in the back over a stolen pizza, protesters gathered en masse at the homes of Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown and Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin before marching downtown. 

Wed., March 11

  • DECK-BROWN blamed “reckless and false information” for the protests that arose following the police shooting of Javier Torres. 
  • KANE REALTY announced that it had begun construction on a 35-story residential tower—the tallest in Raleigh—in North Hills. 
  • GoTriangle hired CHARLES LATUCCA, the transit development head at the Maryland Department of Transportation, to be its new director as the agency tries to move beyond the collapse of light rail. 

Thurs. March 12

  • Greenville’s Reflector reported that, contrary to speculation, HOUSE SPEAKER TIM MOORE has not, in fact, applied for the East Carolina University’s chancellorship. 
  • ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS and CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS effectively canceled classes for two weeks. 
  • DUKE pressured the ACC into calling off its championship tournament after President Vincent Price informed the conference that he was suspending all athletic competition. The NCAA soon canceled March Madness. 
  • UNC-Chapel Hill announced that it would switch to REMOTE LEARNING for the foreseeable future. The entire UNC System followed suit.  
  • OWASA and the CITY OF RALEIGH announced that they would suspend water disconnections due to nonpayment.

Fri., March 13

  • Mark Dorosin edged out fellow incumbent Penny Rich by NINE VOTES in the final count for an Orange County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, reversing initial results that had Rich winning by nine. Rich asked for a recount. 
  • DREAMVILLE FESTIVAL announced its postponement until August. Durham Public Schools announced that its schools will close for two weeks as well. 
  • Durham announced that it, too, will SUSPEND WATER DISCONNECTIONS due to nonpayment. 

Sat., March 14

  • Seven new coronavirus cases are announced in Wake County, including a teacher in Fuquay-Varina. In response, WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS—the lone holdout among local districts—said it would close for two weeks. 
  • Hours later, GOVERNOR COOPER issued an executive order closing schools statewide for two weeks and banning mass gatherings of more than 100 people for a month. 

Mon., March 16

  • DUKE CONTRACT WORKERS demanded that administrators provide them with furlough pay, a promise to reinstate them after the crisis abates, and clear information about whether they intend to meet their obligations toward them.

Tues., March 17

  • Cooper ordered RESTAURANTS AND BARS to close, though restaurants can continue offering takeout and delivery options. His executive order also expanded unemployment insurance to account for people who will now find themselves out of work. 
  • The UNC SYSTEM ordered students off its campuses and reduced housing and dining options.
  • As of Tuesday morning, there were 45 KNOWN CORONAVIRUS CASES in North Carolina.

Contact editor in chief Jeffrey C. Billman at jbillman@indyweek.com. 

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