Press Releases

North Carolina will appeal a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House not to grant a major disaster declaration for the May floods and mudslides in western North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said Tuesday.

At approximately 5:46 a.m. today at Tabor Correctional Institution, an inmate was involved in an assault on one correctional employee. The employee was taken to a local medical facility for assessment and treatment of what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries and was released.

An eighth Hurricane Matthew Housing Recovery Application Center opens today in Bladen County to provide assistance to Hurricane Matthew survivors in the surrounding area.

A Wake County Grand Jury has returned indictments charging inmate Jaquan Lane (#1449047) in connection with the violent attack on Central Prison employee Brent Soucier. 

NC Emergency Management today announced that Johnston County will receive $288,223 in federal and state funds through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to elevate two homes that were damaged by Hurricane Matthew’s floodwaters.

North Carolina Emergency Management has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate to help deploy and test three prototype, low-cost flood sensors designed to help bring early flood detection and warning to more communities at a reasonable cost.

Following an internal investigation, a sergeant at Lanesboro Correctional Institution is facing charges tonight for allegedly attempting to bring drugs into the prison. The Polkton Police Department has charged Sgt.

Inmate Matthew Howlett (#0897018) died today at Bertie Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide. He was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 11:55 a.m. Prison medical staff and local paramedics responded and worked to resuscitate the inmate.

North Carolina Emergency Management is using text messages and social media to reach survivors whose homes were impacted by Hurricane Matthew who still have not applied for housing recovery assistance.  The text messages and social media posts will inform people how to call 2-1-1 to apply for state or federal assistance through the Rebuild NC program.

Interim Chief Deputy Secretary Reuben F. Young has named Robert Leon director of Correction Enterprises.