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COVID-19 vaccines are reaching more arms and the rate of people catching the virus in Buncombe County is falling.
At a community update May 18 before the county Board of Commissioners, Public Health Director Stacie Saunders said new COVID-19 cases and metrics such as test positivity have declined as vaccination rates climb. Overall, our metrics are looking very encouraging, she said. Our hard work as a community is certainly evident as we see those metrics change.
Saunders credited the county s commitment to the three Ws and executive orders and outreach across the county, but she encouraged people to get vaccinated if they haven t yet, and to stay safe.
North Carolina school psychologist charged with sex crime
May 17, 2021 GMT
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) A psychologist for a North Carolina school district has been charged with sexually exploiting a minor, according to authorities.
Chris Reid, 69, a Buncombe County Schools worker, was charged Thursday with one count of the felony, the county sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Sheriff’s officials said Reid was taken into custody after investigators seized phones, computers and other electronic devices from his home while executing a search warrant. Additional charges could come after the State Bureau of Investigation performs a forensic examination of the devices, the sheriff’s office said.
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Chris Reid, a school psychologist for Buncombe County Schools, was charged May 13 with one count of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a felony.
Reid, 69, of Candler, was arrested by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and remains in the Buncombe County Detention Center on a $15,000 bond.
According to a news release by the Buncombe County Sheriff s Office, a search warrant was also executed the evening of May 13 on Reid’s residence to obtain his phones, computers and other electronic devices.
The Sheriff’s Office will conduct a forensic examination of the devices with the assistance of the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, according to the release, which might result in further charges.
Covid-19 cluster identified at high school
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) Buncombe County Schools announced Friday, May 14, that a COVID-19 cluster was identified at Enka High School.
School officials say seven lab-confirmed cases were linked to one another. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services defines a cluster as five or more plausibly linked cases over a 14-day period.
Contact tracing was performed by Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS), and all school-related close contacts have been notified individually and given further guidance, school officials say.
“The areas related to these cases have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized,” a news release from the BCS said. “Operations at Enka High will continue as usual, and we will keep you apprised of further updates.”