An upstairs bedroom fire damaged furniture and some personal belongings Sunday night at 923 Henry Street.

Fire Chief Gary Corbet said the fire department received the call shortly after 6:30. Firefighters saw smoke coming through a window. They did a search of the building and found no one inside.

The upstairs fire was quickly extinguished. It either started in a couch or a bed and it is believed misuse of smoking materials caused the blaze.

There was superficial damage to the room, Corbet said.

Consideration of the proposal to modify Lafayette Gatling’s payment on the Roanoke Rapids Theatre could come by next Tuesday’s city council work session.

City Manager Paul Sabiston said this morning negotiations with the Chicago businessman continue.

Sabiston announced following a closed session Thursday the city is discussing reducing the monthly payment from $98,000 to $75,000 from March 1 through October.

Following that period the payments would go back to the full amount in November and the difference would be caught up during that time.

Further details were not discussed following the announcement as the arrangements are still be negotiated.

The work session will be held at 5:15 p.m. in the first floor conference room of city hall.

Two people from Connecticut died this morning in a single vehicle crash on Interstate 95.

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An arrest warrant has been issued in a morning murder on Mobley Street, Major Bruce Temple said.

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The bank robbery suspect who shot himself Thursday remains in critical condition at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, the nursing coordinator confirmed.

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