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Outdoor Updates: Man accused in fatal stabbing on Appalachian Trail will stand trial

Appalachian Trail in the Roan Highlands – Photo by Joshua Moore on Getty Images

Man accused in fatal stabbing on Appalachian Trail will stand trial

James Jordan, the man accused of killing a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail in May 2019, was deemed competent to stand trail last Thursday, moving the case forward. According to WATE.com, a probable cause and detention hearing has been set for June 25.

Jordan is accused of stabbing and killing Ronald Sanchez, Jr., 43, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, and injuring a female hiker. In October 2019, he was taken to a mental health unit for treatment. Jordan is currently being held in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, VA. 

Major investment in America’s public lands moves closer

Last Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a bipartisan bill permanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in a “cloture” vote. A final vote is expected in the coming days. The bill would provide $900 million annually to America’s public lands as well as $9.5 billion over five years to fix a backlog of maintenance problems plaguing national parks and forests. 

“From local parks and hiking trails to national forests and parks, American’s love their public lands,” Environment America’s Acting President Wendy Wendlandt said in a statement. “The Senate’s decision to bring this to the floor couldn’t come at a more crucial moment. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, people are increasingly looking towards the outdoors for their physical and mental health.”

Largemouth bass stocked into Northeast Cape Fear River after fishery decimated by hurricane

Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recently stocked 134,000 largemouth bass fingerlings into the Northeast Cape Fear River to help jumpstart the fishery after it was decimated by Hurricane Florence in 2018. The stocking was a collaboration between the commission and Team Bassmasters Fishing Club in Wilmington, NC.

“This project started shortly after Hurricane Florence with many local anglers and fishing clubs trying to help at some capacity,” Aaron Dennis, a member of the Team Bassmasters Fishing Club, said in a press release. “We’re just happy to have been able to contribute in this way, promoting the rebound of our local fisheries.”

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