In the news ...

The following two news articles of interest popped up in my Facebook feed this morning:

Rep. Robert Brawley has filed a bill to once again allow lobbyists to give unreported gifts to N.C. legislators. House Bill 640 "would roll back many of the ethics reforms passed by state lawmakers in the wake of the Speaker Jim Black scandal of 2006," reports WRAL.com. "The measure would repeal bans on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers and relax requirements that lobbyists disclose such gifts."

Click here for WRAL's full story. I have asked Brawley for a response on Facebook; I'll post an update if he responds.

*** Edited: Rep. Brawley responded on Facebook last night. Here's what he said: 

"All the ethics laws passed after Jim Black went to jail, did nothing but make crooks out of honest people. If a person has integrity they will not be involved in unethical behavior, If they do not have integrity then no law will make them ethical, so I propose to allow people to deal with each other and report it. If the public considers the dealings unacceptable then they can speak with their vote. Much better than forcing it underground and acting as if it does not exist."

Also in the news this morning, WSOC-TV reports that due to contaminant levels, people should limit the number of fish they eat from Lake Norman and Mountain Island Lake. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the report, says the water itself is safe, but it recommends that people eat no more than two meals a month of large-mouth bass and one meal a week of striped bass from Lake Norman. Also from WSOC's report: "The department also recommends that people not eat any channel catfish from Mountain Island Lake ... (and) that pregnant women and young children shouldn't eat largemouth bass or blue catfish from the lake, and everyone else should eat those fish sparingly."

Another woman accuses Iredell deputy of sexual abuse

A third woman has stepped forward, accusing Iredell County Sheriff's Deputy Ben Jenkins of sexual abuse.

The woman - who called the sheriff's office in 2009 to report a domestic dispute with her husband - later decided she did not want her husband to be arrested but wanted deputies to make him stay somewhere else for the night, according to tonight's report on WSOC-TV. The woman - referred to as "Jane Doe 2" - said "Jenkins told her the only way that could happen is if she stripped down naked while he took pictures of her to prove that she had not been physically abused."

For more on this story, click here.

Royal resigns

Chris Royal has resigned, effective immediately, from her post as Iredell County's animal services manager, according to a press release issued by County Manager Ron Smith this morning.

For more, click here.

County to release statement re: animal-services manager

More details on Iredell County Animal Services Manager Chris Royal should be released tomorrow.

Human Resources Director Sandra Gregory declined to comment on Royal's current employment status with the county. Royal was suspended with pay on March 15 pending an investigation into an anonymous letter that alleged Royal has improperly euthanized animals and sold county-impounded livestock for her own personal gain.

Gregory said Iredell County Manager Ron Smith will issue a press release tomorrow afternoon.

A few more details ...

For more details on this week's suspension of Chris Royal, Iredell County's animal-services manager, read the Statesville Record & Landmark's article here.

Iredell's animal-services manager suspended; investigation underway

Iredell County has placed its animal-services manager, Chris Royal, on paid suspension pending the results of an internal investigation.

The investigation is in response to "some reported issues at Animal Services and Control," Iredell County Human Resources Director Sandra Gregory said this morning.

She said Royal was placed on "investigatory suspension" on March 15. "This, of course, is not an indication of Ms. Royal being guilty of any accusations, but rather to allow the management team to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation," Gregory said.

Citing personnel, Gregory said that at this time, "information from the investigation is not public record." She said, however, that the county should be completing its investigation this week. "Perhaps after the investigation is completed, there may potentially be information that can be released to the public."

Redmond a no-show at mediation for sexual-harassment suit; case now moves to court

It appears the sexual-harassment civil case against Iredell County Sheriff's Deputy Ben Jenkins is headed to court, after mediation yesterday proved unsuccessful.

In fact, apparently Sheriff Phil Redmond - who is named in the suit - didn't show up.

Two women - Suzanne Wick and Lisa Mangiardi - say that Jenkins sexually harassed them after they turned to the sheriff's office for help when they found themselves victims of domestic abuse.

They are suing Redmond for failure to investigate Jenkins, who is still employed by the sheriff's office.

A trial could begin as early as January 2014, said Joshua VanKampen, attorney for Wick and Mangiardi.

For more, read this from WSOC-TV.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been created in an effort to garner enough support to move Iredell County's board of commissioners to investigate the Domestic Violence Unit of Iredell County's Sheriff's Department. So far, the petition has more than 4,000 signatures, though it is unclear how many of those are specifically from Iredell County residents.

A Facebook group - "Stop Sexual Abuse of Domestic Violence Victims" - has also been formed.