RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new report from the Office of the State Auditor suggests North Carolina could save millions of dollars by eliminating vacant jobs at the state level.

In an audit released Thursday by the OSA, it was found that at the time of the audit there were 8,846 jobs that have been vacant for six months or longer. The audit defines those as long-term vacancies, and the empty positions are spread across 46 of NC’s state agencies.

Of those 8,846 vacancies, 4,515 have been vacant for a least a year, and 190 have been unfilled for more than five years.

Taken all together, these empty positions have generated $1.04 billon, according to the audit’s findings.

“Five years, let’s just be realistic, that position can probably be eliminated,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said.

The audit also suggests cutting unfilled positions, and it goes a step further and provides guidelines for the reallocations of those funds.

“There are places where we need to reinvest, where we can get a return on investment,” Boliek said. “Nursing, other health care professionals across the state of North Carolina, corrections officials. I will agree with the governor, we’ve got to pay corrections department guards and folks that work in our corrections department more money.”

The audit lists the biggest cause for the vacancies as low compensation or unqualified candidates.

Departments with the highest vacancy rates are the NC Department of Health and Human Services, NC Department of Adult Corrections, the NC Department of Transportation and the NC Department of Commerce.

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (Gray News) – Authorities in North Carolina have issued an Amber Alert for a missing Wayne County teenager.

According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, 13-year-old Ariell Denton was reported missing Thursday, and an Amber Alert was sent out just after 4 p.m. local time.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also picked up the alert.

Authorities described the teen as about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds. She has long brown hair and hazel eyes.

Ariell was last seen wearing black-and-white checkered pants, a blue pullover and tennis shoes.

No further information was immediately available.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office urged anyone who may have information about Ariell’s whereabouts to contact the sheriff’s office at 919-580-4064 or call 911.

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Sheriff’s deputies are investigating an alleged break-in and theft last week at the North Carolina home of retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, one of seven people who died in a plane crash last month.

The alleged burglary and forcible entry into the Biffle home in Mooresville was reported Jan. 8, according to an incident report from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Darren Campbell said Wednesday that investigators believe someone entered a safe in the home. In addition to $30,000 in cash and a backpack identified in the incident report as stolen, Campbell said some guns and memorabilia also are gone.

Campbell said no arrests have been made and that no one else was in the home at the time of the alleged crimes. The incident report said the home was last known secure on the afternoon of Jan. 7.

“We’re working the case. We are waiting on some digital evidence,” Campbell said, and he added that interviews also were being conducted.

A business jet carrying Biffle, Biffle’s wife and two children and three others crashed Dec. 18 while trying to return to an airport in Statesville – located about 45 miles north of Charlotte – minutes after taking off from there.

Federal investigators said the Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground short of the runway. Everyone on board died.

No cause of the crash has been released. Biffle was one of three people on board with a pilot’s license. Investigators said during the crash’s immediate aftermath that they didn’t know who the lead pilot was on the flight.

A public memorial service for Biffle, who won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races during his career, and the six others killed is scheduled for Friday morning at a Charlotte arena.

The Associated Press contributed