By Mark Starling Red Zone Counties Dropping In North Carolina (Raleigh, NC) -- COVID-19 numbers are continuing to drop for the better in North Carolina. The Department of Health and Human Services reports there are only 37 counties in the red zone, which is a reduction of more than half from two weeks ago. More than 23-hundred new cases were reported in Monday's numbers, which is well below recent averages. The positivity rate is down to around six-percent. Man Dies In Shootout With McDowell County Deputies (McDowell County, NC) -- The SBI is investigating a deadly deputy-involved shooting in McDowell County. The sheriff's office says a shootout erupted on Monday morning during a traffic stop in the Nebo community. One of the car's occupants was killed, while another occupant and a deputy were injured in the shooting. The injured suspect is now in jail under a 200-thousand-dollar bond for being an accessory to attempted murder.