Coronavirus

A Harnett County City of Raleigh employee in late 30s succumbed to coronavirus

A Harnett County resident in his late 30s succumbed to the coronavirus Thursday, a news release from Harnett County stated.

A statement from City Manager Ruffin Hall said an employee named Adrian Grubbs, who was in his late 30s, had died. He worked for the city for 17 years. The city did not confirm whether Grubbs died from the corononavirus, citing HIPAA privacy regulations.

Grubbs worked for the Solid Waste Services. He was loved by his family and friends, the release said.

Grubbs also had an underlying medical condition and died of complications from COVID-19, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

North Carolina reported its first deaths Wednesday, saying a person from Cabarrus County died Tuesday from complications associated with the virus. The person was in their late 70s and had several medical conditions, Gov. Roy Cooper said.

A second person in their 60s from Virginia who was traveling through North Carolina also died.

North Carolina officials updated the state’s total number of reported cases to more than 600 on Thursday morning.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 1:35 PM with the headline "A Harnett County City of Raleigh employee in late 30s succumbed to coronavirus."

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Steve Wiseman
The News & Observer
Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989. 
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