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Bear cubs were yanked from a tree so a group could take photos with them, a North Carolina video shows.

One of the two cubs was later found scared and favoring a front paw, a condition an expert believes was the result of the group’s “unnecessary and irresponsible” interaction. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said it hopes the other baby finds its mom since it depends on her to survive.

“Even if you don’t see the mother bear, she could be nearby, and the cubs are waiting for her to return,” the expert, game mammals and surveys supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel, said in an April 18 news release. “By trying to capture a bear cub, you may cause it to become orphaned, injured or both, as we saw occur in this incident.”

Bear Cub Harassed from N.C. Wildlife on Vimeo.

The moments were caught on camera at an apartment complex in the popular mountain town of Asheville. Officials responded to the area April 16 after a report of people “seen pulling two bear cubs from a tree and taking photos of themselves with the cubs.”

Video shows people reaching for the cubs on branches before a person grabs one of them.

“She’s holding it!” someone can be heard saying as the group member with the bear posed for pictures.

“Poor thing!” a person said when a cub scurried away toward the end of the minute-long clip.

Wildlife officials said the bears broke loose after one of them bit someone. One cub was found at a retention pond and sent to a rehabilitation center.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened,” Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s BearWise coordinator, said in the release. “It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering.”

An investigation into the video continues. In the meantime, officials urged people to keep their distance from bears and avoid taking pictures with them.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs told WLOS, referring to the cub taken to rehab. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

Black bears live in the eastern and western parts of North Carolina, often in swamps or woods. The animals typically stay away from humans, though food and trash can bring them closer to people, the commission wrote on its website.

Bears tend to be more active in the spring as they leave their dens. If you see a cub alone, it likely means its mom is looking for food and will come back soon, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Visitors will go through four “knowledge stations” and get a stamp to complete their “Earth Passport."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Earth Day will be celebrated by over a billion people worldwide in more than 193 countries on Monday.

This year for the first time, the Charlotte Museum of History in east Charlotte is the location for the city's festivities on Saturday. Charlotte’s largest annual Earth Day celebration is all about sustainability and how everyone can get involved with preserving our environment.

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Charlotte-based nonprofits like CleanAIRE NC and Sol Nation are hosting the event in partnership with the museum. Dozens of exhibitors representing Charlotte-based organizations and businesses will be part of the one-day celebration.

Nolan Dohm is the museum’s programs and exhibits manager. He encourages all family members to come and participate on Earth Day.

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"It's just going to be so special because a lot of folks don't know we're out here, and we've got a whole 8 acres out here on a historic site for people to explore," Dohm said.

Credit: WCNC Charlotte

Charlotte Museum of History

Visitors will “travel” through four “knowledge stations” hosted by local organizations. After each activity, travelers will receive a stamp to complete their “Earth Passport."

"We're going to be full," Dohm said of how many people he expects at the event. "They're going to learn about Earth, air, water and health ... we're going to have performances, we're going to have food, we're going to have interactive stations and workshops, a little bit for everybody here."

Charlotte’s Earth Day celebration will bring together community members to help create lifelong connections with nature. Those who attend will have a chance to connect with environmentally conscious organizations and businesses from the Queen City.

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"It's not just about learning, it's about taking that knowledge and doing something with it, so coloring in a postcard to write to your representatives for more clean energy," Dohm said. "We're also going to have a documentary film screening, also the Catawba Nation will be here for that."

All activities take place between 12 and 8 p.m. on Saturday. Visit the Charlotte Earth Day website for more information.

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WAKE FOREST, N.C. — During celebrations of the Akins’ 20-year anniversary, Southeastern announced a new endowment in honor of Mrs. Charlotte Akin. The Charlotte Akin Student Aid Fund will supply financial assistance to full-time students who have received care from the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia. Resourcing these students is not only an embodiment of Southeastern’s mission to equip Great Commission students but also an expression of the heart that Mrs. Akin and numerous Southeastern alumni have for the work of BCH.

The fund’s name recognizes and honors the impact of the Baptist Children’s Home on Mrs. Akin’s life and faith. From the ages of 9 to 18, Mrs. Akin lived at the BCH in Georgia, and it was during this time that she came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior at age 11. Five years later, also during her stay at the BCH, Charlotte met her future husband, Danny Akin. Since then, BCH ministry has remained dear to Mrs. Akin’s heart, making this fund a fitting way to honor her heart for serving children.

Southeastern is deeply grateful for the impact that BCH had on Mrs. Akin’s life and conversion and also for the impact that she continues to have on the students God brings to Southeastern.

“Charlotte has selflessly and tirelessly served the Southeastern community with a gracious heart,” shared daughter-in-law Kari Akin during a celebratory banquet this week. Kari added, “Her hospitality goes above and beyond. She’s gladly opened up her home for countless graduation receptions, faculty parties, donor events, bridal and baby showers, chapel speakers, students, and the list could go on.”

Like Mrs. Akin, many Southeastern students are drawn to BCH ministry and are committed to making disciples in that context as they seek to fulfill the Great Commission and make the love of Jesus known.

“Southeastern has laid out a solid foundation so that I may pursue the ministry the Lord has allowed me to be a part of,” shared Southeastern alumnus Luis Quintanar. “I love serving with BCH because I have an opportunity to share the gospel with so many kids. Unfortunately, the majority of our children do not come from godly households, but I find myself in a unique situation in which I can provide a place of worship and a place for our children to learn about Jesus. What I love about this ministry is that I have the ability to make church a constant in the lives of my kids at BCH.”

Luis’ wife, Stephanie Quintanar, is also a graduate of Southeastern and serves as a foster parent trainer and licenser with BCH. In this role she has been able to work side-by-side with parents wanting to foster children, and through this she has seen God’s handiwork on display. “Southeastern helped to prepare me to see this as gospel ministry and to pursue strong, Christ-centered relationships with these families as I train and license them to foster,” Stephanie shared.

Another Southeastern alumni serving with BCH is Kevin Qualls, an MDiv graduate and current DMin student. He enrolled in the doctor of ministry program in order to become further equipped for his current role at BCH as the Vice President of Development.

“My time at Southeastern was so foundational in all the places the Lord has called me to serve,” Kevin shared, “but especially in the last eight years at Christian Adoption Services and the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina. The evangelism and mission classes stand out as to my role in living out James 1:27 and Matthew 25:40 to care for widows and orphans and also to care for the least of these.”

It is Southeastern’s prayer that The Charlotte Akin Student Aid Fund would provide many opportunities of theological education for students coming out of BCH and that our students would continue to find ways to serve such organizations, caring for those in need and making disciples through the truth of the gospel.

To contribute to The Charlotte Akin Student Aid Fund or learn how you can honor the Akins with a gift to Southeastern, please visit our 20 for 20 webpage.

Firefighters were able to control the fire in about an hour, but one mayday call was transmitted, and a firefighter was safely removed from the house.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three firefighters were hurt after responding to a fire in north Charlotte early Thursday morning. The fire was intentionally set, according to the fire department.

Around 2:45 a.m., Charlotte Fire Department crews responded to Grimes Street after a house fire was reported. By around 3 a.m., a second alarm had been called on the fire after a "mayday" was called, meaning a firefighter was in immediate danger.

All firefighters were instructed to evacuate the building at this time, and crews transitioned to a defensive approach.

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Firefighters were able to control the fire in about an hour.

The three injured firefighters were taken to a nearby hospital. All have serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

STRUCTURE FIRE UPDATE: 2800 block Grimes St. Charlotte firefighters controlled the fire in 60 minutes. 1 mayday was transmitted and firefighter safely removed. 3 firefighters transported to area hospital. 2nd alarm companies are back in service. pic.twitter.com/E1CzCTkwcF

— Charlotte Fire Dept (@CharlotteFD) April 18, 2024

Three people and a pet were safely evacuated from the home, none were injured. The fire department said the family was able to get out safely due to having working smoke detectors.

Charlotte Fire told WCNC Charlotte its firefighters train for these types of situations and they followed the right procedure.

Investigators have determined the fire was intentionally set.

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As in other parts of the U.S., it is illegal to possess, sell or smoke marijuana in North Carolina, but there are a few cannabis-based substances that you are allowed to have in the state.

In 2018, hemp became legal nationwide as part of the federal Farm Bill. North Carolina state law also allows any cannabis product sourced from hemp with less than a .3% delta-9 THC concentration.

“All of that, hemp and marijuana, is all the same plant. It’s all cannabis sativa. There’s no difference. The only difference is the levels of cannabinoids within them,” Phil Dixon, the Public Defense Education director at the UNC School of Government, previously said in a blog post.

In North Carolina, the rules for what’s legal — in terms of marijuana and hemp — are tied to the concentration of delta-9 THC. If it has more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, it’s considered illegal marijuana, Dixon says. Anything with less than that amount is considered hemp.

So how do the legal products compare to what’s illegal? Here’s a breakdown of some of the substances that are and aren’t allowed in North Carolina.

CBD, formally known as cannabidiol, is a compound found in marijuana, but it does not cause a high, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Since the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act, CBD — which can be sourced from hemp or non-hemp plants — has been commonly marketed in foods, oils, lotions, capsules, cosmetics and other products.

According to the CDC, research is still being done to learn more about how CBD affects the body, but warns that liver damage, drowsiness, diarrhea, plus changes in appetite and mood are some of the potential side effects that you could experience when using CBD.

“There is a lot we do not know about CBD. Currently, we do not know how CBD use affects a person over time,” the CDC’s website says. “We also do not know how different modes of CBD use (smoking, vaping, eating, applying to skin, etc.) affect a person.”

Similar to CBD, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is another cannabinoid found in marijuana, but this one the CDC describes as “impairing or mind-altering.”

“THC is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state,” the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says. “Some cannabis plants contain very little THC. Under U.S. law, these plants are considered ‘industrial hemp’ rather than marijuana.”

There are different types of THC, The News & Observer previously reported, like delta-8 THC, delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC. Even though delta-8 and delta-10 are less potent than delta-9, the legality of the substances is a little unclear, depending on how much THC is actually in a product or if it’s synthetic, which is also illegal. But even what the state counts as synthetic also isn’t clear, Dixon told The Observer.

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February 10, 2022 12:05 PM

Marijuana, the dried flowers, leaves, stems and seeds of the cannabis plant, contains more than 100 cannabinoids, such as CBD and THC, the CDC says.

The substance is commonly smoked in joints, blunts, bongs and electronic vapes, or made into foods and drinks as edibles. It is legalized for medical purposes in more than half of U.S. states.

But health officials say the drug can impact people differently based on several different factors, including a person’s genetics, previous drug history and how the drug is taken. So while more states are legalizing it for medical purposes, there’s still a lot of work being done to learn about its benefits and risks.

“For example, smoked marijuana may damage your lungs and respiratory system. Certain compounds in marijuana products may affect your brain or body in harmful ways,” the CDC’s website says. “Research on the medical use of marijuana is still in early stages, and much remains unknown about the plant and how it interacts with the body. “

News & Observer reporter Korie Dean contributed to this story.

This story was originally published April 17, 2024, 5:00 AM.

Chyna Blackmon is a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA.