THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. NEW AT NOON REYNOLDS AMERICAN IS EXPANDING ITS FOOTPRINT IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD, THE COMPANY ANNOUNCING TODAY IT PLANS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION OF SMOKELESS PRODUCTS AT ITS TOBACCOVILLE FACILITY. REYNOLDS AMERICAN SAYS THAT MOVE WILL CREATE ABOUT 300 NEW JOBS IN A VARIETY OF ROLES. THE FACILITY ALREADY HAS MORE THAN 2,000,000FT OF FINISHED FLOOR SPACE. NEW AT NOON TWO DAVIDSON COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE TRYING TO BECOME ONE AT A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING THIS MORNING, LEADERS FROM THE MIDWAY AND GUM TREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS MADE THE CASE THAT A MERGER WOULD INCREASE SAFETY FOR THE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS THAT THEY BOTH SERVE. OUR ERIN BURNETT HAS A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THIS WILL ALL WORK. FIRE OFFICIALS TELL ME THAT THIS IS A MOVE THAT THEY’VE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR YEARS, AND IT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SPREAD MORE RESOURCES AMONG A GREATER COVERAGE AREA. LEADERS SAY THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN RESPONDING TO CASES AND TRAINING TOGETHER SINCE 2017, AND SUPPLEMENTING CREWS WITH VOLUNTEERS. BUT THEY SAY COMBINING THE DEPARTMENTS WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SAVE MONEY AND SPREAD OUT THEIR FULL TIME STAFF. WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME STAFFING FOR THEM, AND SO THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE. AND THEN THEY’RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE A BETTER STRATEGICALLY PLACED FIRE STATION TO COVER A PART OF THE DISTRICT. WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO SAVE ON INSURANCE, MAINTENANCE, FUEL USAGE, ALL OF THAT. CONSOLIDATING DEPARTMENTS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE MIDWAY AND GUM TREE INSURANCE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNITS. SO THEY SAY RESIDENTS WOULD SEE SHORTER RESPONSE TIMES FOR ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES. AND TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, RESIDENTS IN THE GUM TREE SERVICE AREA WOULD SEE A TAX INCREASE OF ABOUT A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. DAVIDSON COUNTY LEADERS WILL VOTE ON THE MERGER AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 9TH AND IF APPROVED, THE TWO DEPARTMENTS WOULD BECOME ONE MIDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT. ON JULY 1ST IN DAVIDSON COUNTY. I’M ERIN BURNETT. WXII 12 NEWS. AND STATE LAWMAKERS IN GUILFORD COUNTY ARE HOLDING A TOWN HALL MEETING FOR RESIDENTS TO SHARE CONCERNS AND GIVE FEEDBACK. THE TOWN HALL IS AT 6 P.M. AT THE MELVIN MUNICIPAL BUILDING THAT IS ON WASHINGTON STREET IN GREENSBORO. STATE HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS HOPE TO CREATE OPEN COMMUNICATION, MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO BE HEARD. NEW AT NOON, TWO MEN ARE BEHIND BARS IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY IN CONNECTION TO AN OVERDOSE DEATH. DEPUTIES SAY ON MARCH 25TH, THEY WENT TO A HOME IN MADISON TO INVESTIGATE THE DEATH OF THOMAS GIBSON JUNIOR. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THAT HE DIED FROM AN OVERDOSE. THREE DAYS LATER, DEPUTIES ARRESTED AND CHARGED 31 YEAR OLD ALLEN BONDURANT AND 62 YEAR OLD BRADLEY EVANS. BOTH MEN ARE CHARGED WITH DEATH BY DISTRIBUTION. OFFICIALS SAY BONDURANT IS ALSO FACING SEVERAL DRUG RELATED CHARGES. ALSO NEW AT NOON, A LEXINGTON MAN WILL SPEND THE NEXT 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CHILD SEX CRIMES. OFFICIALS SAY 25 YEAR-OLD JOSHUA ROJAS PLED GUILTY TO FIVE DIFFERENT CHARGES. HE WAS ARRESTED IN JANUARY OF 2024 AFTER A SEARCH WARRANT WAS EXECUTED AT HIS HOME DUE TO A CYBER TIP. INVESTIGATORS FOUND ROJAS WAS PROFITING FROM THE ONLINE SALES OF CHILD SEX ABUSE MATERIALS TO 75 SUSPECTS ACROSS THE U.S. AND CANADA. WE ARE TOLD 201