North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has commuted what have been lengthy sentences served by six criminal offenders in state prisons — five of whom were convicted of murder — and granted pardons to two others. One such pardon was issued to Mark Crotts, who was once convicted of murdering an elderly Alamance County couple in 1990.

It’s the holiday season and folks will soon be hearing the familiar jingle from bell-ringers outside of storefronts by volunteers standing beside those iconic Red Kettles where proceeds go directly to the many programs of The Salvation Army.