Category: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Local News
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LAKE LURE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene brought unpreceded, devastating flooding to Lake Lure, the town has announced a timeline for the full restoration and reopening of the lake for which it’s named.
Since last October 2024, town officials have worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to address the immense damage left behind by the once-in-a-thousand-year storm Sept. 27, 2024. Under FEMA’s direction, the USACE has led restoration efforts with critical support from AshBritt Environmental and numerous local contractors, who have worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day for nearly a full year.
The USACE has identified Oct. 31 as the target date for completing their work restoring the lake basin and related shoreline. The town says this milestone represents not only the near-completion of a massive engineering and environmental recovery effort, but also the beginning of a new chapter for the Lake Lure community.
“The Town of Lake Lure is forever grateful to FEMA, the USACE, AshBritt, and the many local contractors and crew members who made this progress possible,” said Mayor Carol Pritchett. “We could never have addressed the scale of destruction from Hurricane Helene without their remarkable support, expertise, and compassion.”
With restoration efforts nearing completion, the town aims to welcome residents and visitors back to a fully restored Lake Lure by late spring 2026.
Before the lake can be refilled to its full pond level of 990.5 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL), several critical infrastructure projects must be completed at specific lake levels. These projects are essential to ensure the long-term safety, accessibility, and resilience of Lake Lure.
March 1, 2026: Achieve the lake level of 978.5 MSL (12 feet below full pond), allowing regional and collegiate rowing teams to return for spring training.
May 1, 2026: Reach full pond (990.5 MSL) and officially reopen Lake Lure for public use.
These target dates are contingent upon the completion of work by USACE,successful completion of infrastructure work at the required lake levels, and weather conditions. Note that the current lake level is approximately 968 MSL, 22.5 feet below full pond.
In addition to reopening the lake, Lake Lure officials will be working to restore Morse Park and nearby Town facilities.
The town is currently awaiting a FEMA determination in order to progress with plans for Town Hall, the Welcome Center, the Washburn Marina, the Marina building and marine gas pump.
The Lake Lure Beach Building water lines were destroyed by flooding associated with Hurricane Helene. Town officials have developed a plan to restore the water lines. The building is slated to be cleaned and reopened by summer 2026.
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — An elderly fisherman fell off a dock at Wilson Bay Park after a guardrail broke. Julian Santiago is being deemed a hero after saving the man from the alligator-infested waters.
The older man was struggling to stay above water and get to safety, but Santiago fortunately saw the man and immediately helped.
“I heard someone screaming, it was a guy like 72 years old,” Santiago said. “There was nothing to do but get him out.”
Santiago was with his son at the time the fisherman fell into the dock.
Watch Eyewitness News, First Alert Weather, and original programming.
CHATHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — A major search is underway Thursday morning after a person fell into Jordan Lake.
It happened around 1:30 a.m. Authorities say the person fell from the Highway 64 bridge.
Eyewitness News is one the scene, where there is a search boat and a drone is flying above the area. A K-9 team is also searching along Hwy 64 near the water.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A Wake County educator who dedicated decades of her life to her students is being remembered Wednesday, while the man who faces charges connected to the Wake Forest shooting that killed her appeared in court.
18-year-old Dexter Mills, Jr. faces a murder charge in connection to the fatal shooting of former Rolesville High School principal Ericka Lucas.
Wake County teen faces a judge
Mills was assigned a public defender in court Wednesday, and a judge ordered that he be held without bond.
As previously reported, he also faces a charge for possession of a stolen firearm from Franklin County. It’s not clear if that weapon was used in the fatal shooting on August 29th.
During his hearing, Mills tried speaking to several people in the audience. Some of them spoke with ABC11 after the hearing and identified themselves as his relatives.
Dasia Gill identified herself as his aunt and said they’re all distraught by what happened.
“Like I said, everybody is really family in the neighborhood that we stay in, but it’s a sad situation,” she said.
As previously reported, police also arrested a 16-year-old in connection with the shooting investigation. The teen’s charges have been upgraded to a murder charge.
Police say Lucas was not the intended target when shots rang out on East Nelson Avenue last month.
Gill says she was there when the shooting happened, and shared details about the shooting that previously had not been reported by officials.
ABC11 reached out to Wake Forest police for clarity, and asked if the department could comment on the claims made by the family.
Wake Forest police say the investigation is ongoing and could not comment on the claims.
Mills is due back in court on October 1.
A resilient educator remembered
56-year-old Lucas worked as a Wake County educator for more than 30 years.
She started off in 1991 as a teacher at Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School.
Lucas held multiple positions, including as assistant principal and principal, at various schools throughout the district.
Most notably, her former colleague Sebastian Shipp says she was the first principal of Rolesville High School.
Shipp is now the assistant principal at Millbrook Magnet High School.
He says Lucas’s time in that role made a lasting impact on students, and says Lucas understood the impact she could have in that role.
“For every student that she touched, particularly students of color, it allowed those students to really be seen,” he said. “She knew who she was as an African American educator, and being in a unique role as an African American principal.”
Shipp says the impact Lucas had on her students is part of the reason why her loss is such a loss for all of Wake County.
“She never let a student leave her presence without understanding that they had the capability of doing anything that they wanted or dreamed to do,” he said. “She lived, not just as a person, but as a great educator.”
“Ericka Lucas’s life was a testament to the power of care, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our youth. As a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, she exemplified sisterhood, service, and community uplift, leaving behind a legacy of love, resilience, and empowerment,” Jamial Black, Director of Roots of Wisdom Scholars said. “Her memory will live on in the students she uplifted, the families she supported, and the community she strengthened.”
Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.
No one was in custody Wednesday evening as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.”
‘It needs to stop’: NC Republicans and Democrats condemn fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk
Politicians from across North Carolina offered condolences to Kirk’s family after he was shot and killed at the event.
Prayers for Kirk and his family poured in from all sides of the political spectrum. Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and RNC Chair Mark Whatley, the top two candidates for Thom Tillis’s Senate seat in 2026, condemned the attack on Kirk and political violence in all forms.
“Violence must have no place in our country, and we should all remember our common humanity,” Cooper posted on X. “I am praying for [Charlie] Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
“I will miss my friend, but know he is with our lord and Saviour right now being told, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,” Whatley posted.
“Charlie was a fearless voice for freedom and an inspiration to a new generation of Americans,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 9th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Tim Moore, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 14th congressional district and former speaker of the NC House, said Kirk’s death is “what happens when you dehumanize those you disagree with.”
“Kirk was a warrior for what he believed in. It’s sick and un-American to call for or celebrate violence against someone you disagree with,” Moore said. “It needs to stop.”
This sentiment was shared across party lines.
“Political violence has no place in our country. Ever,” said Deborah Ross, a Democrat representing North Carolina’s 2nd congressional district.
‘Puts us on high alert’: Former Wake County Sheriff discusses challenges of protecting open political events
Donnie Harrison, a former sheriff of Wake County in North Carolina, told WRAL reporter Eric Miller that anyone working to secure a political rally in North Carolina, where a high-profile Senate race is expected to play out in 2026, will have to pay more attention to threats in the wake of the shooting.
“It still puts us on high alert every time,” Harrison said, adding that the public also plays a role in helping authorities maintain a safe environment and toning down violent rhetoric.
“I don’t know how to say it, other than it’s just getting bad,” Harrison said.
The news was surprising to UNC student Hadi Rahim, who said he debated Kirk when the conservative activist came to UNC’s campus in 2024, adding he now feels less comfortable at political events.
“I think I’m very outspoken about my political beliefs. I, honestly, didn’t feel safe,” Rahim said.
Kirk was shot while he was debating with people at a college campus event at Utah Valley University. Videos show Kirk had been taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked.
Kirk responded, “Too many.”
The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
At the time he was shot, Kirk was speaking in the throng in a low area surrounded by campus buildings.
Jeff Long, chief of Utah Valley University Police Department, says six officers were working at Kirk’s campus event, and more than 3,000 people were in attendance. Long said law enforcement tries to get the “bases covered.” But he added, “Unfortunately, today we didn’t, and because of that we have this tragic incident.”
Students, meanwhile, told The Associated Press they saw no metal detectors or bag checks. The amount of security appeared consistent with other speaking engagements on Kirk’s national tour.
While Rahim said the shooting made him reconsider his own political commentary on places like YouTube, he said it shouldn’t stop people from talking about politics.
“I realized that’s exactly what the shooter would want,” Rahim said.
‘I would call this political violence’: Rising violence against political figures a growing concern in the US
Elon University Political Science Professor Jason Husser called Wednesday’s shooting a growing problem across the country.
“This was a person who had a very prominent political position,” Husser said. “He was talking about politics on a stage when he was assassinated. I would call this political violence.”
Mark Walker, a former North Carolina congressman who knew Kirk, said he felt Kirk’s position put the conservative activist in some danger.
“I was with him last July at the convention. In the way that he set up his speeches, the way he would engage, he would have a security team,” Walker said.
Pelosi, a Democrat, posted that “the horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.”
“74% of North Carolinians were at least somewhat to very concerned about violence breaking out,” Husser said. “What we’ve seen today, even though this is arguably not election-related violence, it’s still violence against a political figure, is that the majority of North Carolinians were right to be worried.”
Husser said he hopes Kirk’s death can serve as a moment to shine a light on the growing risks of political violence.
“I do hope that our political leaders will take this as a moment to really shine a light on the things that unite us together, and not use this as an opportunity to divide even further,” Husser said.
The New York Times, The Associated Press, WRAL reporters Eric Miller and Heidi Kirk, and WRAL multiplatform producer Joseph Ochoa contributed to this story.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is building a new dorm for the first time in decades, and taxpayers are footing the $110 million bill. The project will include two buildings for 700 students in the area of Jackson Hall on the north side of campus.
To some, that price tag feels steep.
For comparison, Raleigh’s FNB Tower, a 22-story luxury skyscraper on prime real estate with 239 apartments, retail, office space, a gym, yoga studio, outdoor pool, and a dog-washing station, cost $116 million when it was built five years ago.
The last time UNC built dorms on its main campus was back in 2002. That project produced four dorms housing a combined 960 students for about $47 million. Today, 20 years later, UNC will spend more than double the money to house about two-thirds as many students.
Even UNC trustees expressed concern.
“We were kind of shocked with the pricing being over $100 million for 700 beds,” said Marty Kotis, who chairs the university’s Budget and Finance Committee and works professionally in real estate development.
The math breaks down to more than $150,000 per bed or more than $300,000 per dorm room, since most are doubles. It’s close to the cost of buying a home in the Triangle. Triangle MLS data shows the median sales price was $424,700 in August 2025 for central North Carolina’s 19 counties.
Kotis said the rising costs are partly due to regulations.
“We talked about a need for reform and regulation regarding some of the requirements that are imposed on the university by state and federal regulations and how that can drive the cost higher,” he said.
Additionally, UNC says it takes a 50-year approach to construction, which means spending more on materials and design up front to ensure durability. This is a higher standard than most private projects.
But Kotis pointed out one major difference from the private sector is how public institutions negotiate costs.
“In the private sector, you might meet with a variety of contractors and architects and discuss how to cost-effectively build your project,” Kotis said. “In the public sector, you don’t discuss pricing much at all. You don’t discuss their fees.”
It’s part of a system called “qualification-based selection.” Universities hire teams before negotiating price. Since UNC sets its budget based on past university projects, at Chapel Hill and elsewhere, the price isn’t set by local demand. It’s based on what other schools were willing to pay.
Institutions help create and control the market and then use it to justify costs.
“The numbers were just kind of ‘funny numbers,’” Kotis said. “They weren’t really tied to the market.”
However, UNC maintains that it’s staying on trend with national benchmarks. The university shared a document showing other dorm projects with similar costs, including a $33 million dorm at Virginia Tech, a $118 million dorm at the University of Texas at Austin and a $326 million project at the University of Florida.
While dorm construction may be getting more expensive, it’s also getting more competitive. Many new buildings include more than study lounges but maker studios with 3D printers, design software, virtual reality suites, art studios, gaming rooms and mindfulness centers.
“It is a Taj Mahal mentality,” Kotis said. “Other schools have a climbing wall, then you need a climbing wall. Other schools have a sushi restaurant, then you need a sushi restaurant.
“it has become a little bit too much.”
All of this comes as families continue to struggle with the broader cost of college.
The annual cost for in-state undergraduate students for the 2025-26 school year is $27,766, according to UNC’s website. It includes the cost of tuition, fees, housing, food, books, supplies, travel loan fees and personal expenses.
UNC offers financial aid, but the cutoff for full support can be lower than expected. Families earning more than $100,000 per year often pay full price without other scholarships.
Consider a family of five earning $125,000 each year. After covering mortgage payments, cars, insurance, kids’ sports, braces, medical bills, property taxes, retirement and everything else, saving $300,000 for three children to attend UNC could feel out of reach.
The North Carolina Constitution states that “the University of North Carolina … as far as practicable … be extended to the people of the State free of expense.” That clause is interpreted to mean public higher education should be as affordable as possible.
To the university’s credit, tuition hasn’t increased in nine years. UNC is consistently ranked as one of the most affordable public universities in the country. In 2023, the school reported that 73% of undergraduates graduated without any student loan debt compared to a national average of 45%.
Data from the Education Data Initiative shows the average student loan debt may be as high as $42,673 in the U.S. In North Carolina, the data shows the average federal student loan debt is $38,929 in North Carolina.
Plus, many Gen Z borrowers say it’s delaying their ability to get married, start families or buy homes.
As for the $110 million dorm, it may not be an outlier. The university says inflation and construction costs have risen 2.3 times since 2002. Adjusted for that, the 2002 dorm project would cost $108 million today, almost identical to the new one.
Have thoughts on this topic? Email Dan Haggerty at Dan@wral.com.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — From newspapers to magazines to websites, most of us have many ways to learn about current events and what’s going on in our communities.
But for people who are blind or have trouble reading print, getting that information can be more difficult. The North Carolina Reading Service offers thousands of people access to information and connection with their community.
From a studio in Raleigh, to homes across the state, the North Carolina Reading Service makes news, entertainment, and information accessible to people who can’t see a screen or flip through a newspaper or magazine.
“Where else can you go to get a newspaper read to you?” said Noah Long, who is blind and has cerebral palsy.
Throughout his life, Long has learned to adapt. He reads and types on his computer using a braille keyboard and display. He operates his television with voice commands. He learns of community news, gets tips on adaptive technology, and enjoys entertainment from a website or smart speaker, thanks to the North Carolina Reading Service.
John Feddersen is one of about 130 volunteers who lend their voices behind the microphone to the North Carolina Reading Service. After retiring from a career with the North Carolina Symphony, he found the nonprofit to be a good fit.
“I had an aptitude for reading without making too many ‘umms’ and things,” he said. “I always read to my daughter when she was growing up and I like to talk.”
Tara Racine, executive director of the reading service, said, “Volunteers come in and read news and information for listeners at home who can tune in to hear what’s happening in their communities or what’s been written in their favorite journals, [and] various news sources.
“For a lot of our listeners, this would be the only way that they can access some of this information,” she continued. “Daily newspapers, monthly magazines are things that may not ever make it into braille, may not be usable with adaptive technology, so we make that information accessible when it otherwise might not be.”
In addition to major and community newspapers from cities and towns in North Carolina, the reading service offers movie and restaurant reviews, along with various magazines, and journal articles for listeners. There are a number of podcasts as well.
The service operates 24-hours-a day with three live broadcasts on weekdays, two on Saturdays, and one on Sundays, as well as several recorded programs. Some are geared at children and teenagers.
“My favorite program on the reading service is called ‘Tech Tips’,” Long said. “I like to keep up with what’s going on in the tech world in terms of blindness and visual impairment.”
Long has grown to know the voices of many of the volunteers who read, who provide a sense of familiarity that can’t be found in AI or text-to-speech. According to Long, that provides a sense of community and connection.
“I look at the reading service as a second family,” he said. “When you listen to it, you know that someone that you know is going to be there reading to you.”
The nonprofit relies on volunteers and donations and its biggest fundraiser is coming up this month.
The 2025 New Visions Gala will takes place on Sept. 19 in the Glenwood Ballroom at the Crabtree Marriott. The deadline to buy tickets is Thursday, Sept. 11.
Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, has died after he was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump said on social media. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
A single shot was fired on the Orem campus toward Kirk, a visiting speaker, shortly after noon, the school said.
Law enforcement officer works at Utah Valley University, where right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump, was shot during an event, in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025.
Jim Urquhart/Reuters
“He was hit and taken from the location by his security,” the university said.
A suspect in the shooting remains at large, according to Orem police, who are supporting Utah Valley University in the investigation. The university had previously said a suspect was in custody.
Kirk, 31, was taken to a hospital after being shot, according to Turning Point USA, which said “with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gun shot” during the campus event.
“We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers,” the organization said.
The father of two young children was a Trump confidant at the forefront of a burgeoning conservative youth movement. Known as the “Trump whisperer,” Kirk was deeply involved in vetting top positions for the administration following the election and was in constant communication with top advisers and the president himself.
“It’s horrific. It’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen,” Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
“He was a great guy,” Trump said. “He was a good man. He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him.”
FBI and ATF agents are on the scene, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency “stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
In this July 15, 2024, file photo, CEO of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE
There was a discussion about shootings when the single shot was fired.
Utah Valley student Luke Pitman, who witnesses the shooting, told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX that he heard a “big bang.”
“We thought it was confetti. Then, everyone started ducking down,” he told the station. “And then, I look over at Charlie Kirk and I see blood coming from his neck.”
Utah Sen. Mike Lee said he is “tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely.”
“Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there,” he said on social media earlier Wednesday.
U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk appears at a Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah, U.S. September 10, 2025.
Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters
Vice President JD Vance called Kirk “a genuinely good guy and a young father” while urging prayers in the aftermath of the shooting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he is being briefed “following the violence directed at Charlie Kirk” during the conservative political activist’s visit to the campus.
“Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life. Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act,” he said on X.
The university was the first stop this fall for Turning Point USA’s “The American Comeback Tour,” which is traveling to multiple college campuses around the country.
In this May 28, 2025, file photo, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk stands in the back of the room as President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, FILE
An event featuring Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday was expected to include a “prove me wrong” table, according to the tour’s website.
Ahead of Kirk’s visit to Utah Valley University, some students started an online petition asking university administrators to stop him from coming.
The tour has planned stops in Utah, Colorado, Minneapolis, Virginia and elsewhere, according to its website.
Utah Valley University’s campus is closed and classes have been canceled until further notice, the school said. There is no call to shelter in place at this time, according to Orem Mayor Dave Young, who urged those to report anything suspicious to police.
“We are devastated by today’s events,” Young said in a statement. “This type of violence should never happen anywhere, let alone in our community. This is in direct opposition to our values, which include family, unity, respect and faith.”
Law enforcement officers work at Utah Valley University, where right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump, was shot during an event, in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025.
Jim Urquhart/Reuters
The incident sparked immediate condemnation from leaders on both sides of the political aisle.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now,” Former President Joe Biden said. “Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said on X.
Fellow Democratic governor, California’s Gavin Newsom, said on X that the “attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said the “attack was sickening and heartbreaking, and there is no place — ever — for violence in American politics.”
Trump has ordered all American flags throughout the country to be lowered to half-staff through Sunday evening in Kirk’s honor.
Kirk had two children, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, with his wife, Erika.
He was considered a huge star on the far right by many conservative pundits and seen as leading the next generation of Trump’s MAGA movement.
He founded the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA in 2012, at the age of 18.
The group helped to promote Trump, especially with high school and college-age voters. The group and Kirk had a huge following with conservatives, particularly men, and he was able to parlay that popularity into support for Trump’s campaign.
During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Kirk spoke to an enthusiastic crowd as one of the youngest speakers. He was the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC.
“Charlie Kirk was a father, husband, and dedicated patriot who spent his life defending conservative values and inspiring young Americans,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “Our hearts break for his wife, children, loved ones, and countless supporters across the country. The horrifying violence at Utah Valley University that took the life of Charlie Kirk is utterly appalling. Republicans and Democrats alike must stand united in condemning this brutality that has no place in America.”
ABC News’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Durham police found a woman dead inside an apartment after a
man surrendered himself to officers during a barricade situation on Wednesday
afternoon.
Officers responded around 12:32 p.m. Wednesday to Laurel
Springs Drive near Crooked Creek Parkway in Durham.
Officers set up a perimeter and tried to contact the man,
police said. The man eventually surrendered and officers took him into custody.
Durham police said it appears to be an isolated incident.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Durham
police at 919-560-4440 extension 29529.
People can also call CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200 or submit
a tip online. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to
arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life, scientists reported Wednesday.
They stressed that in-depth analysis is needed of the sample gathered there by Perseverance – ideally in labs on Earth – before reaching any conclusions.
Roaming Mars since 2021, the rover cannot directly detect life. Instead, it carries a drill to penetrate rocks and tubes to hold the samples gathered from places judged most suitable for hosting life billions of years ago. The samples are awaiting retrieval to Earth – an ambitious plan that’s on hold as NASA seeks cheaper, quicker options.
Calling it an “exciting discovery,” a pair of scientists who were not involved in the study – SETI Institute’s Janice Bishop and the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Mario Parente – were quick to point out that non-biological processes could be responsible.
“That’s part of the reason why we can’t go so far as to say, ‘A-ha, this is proof positive of life,”’ lead researcher Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University told The Associated Press. “All we can say is one of the possible explanations is microbial life, but there could be other ways to make this set of features that we see.”
Either way, Hurowitz said it’s the best, most compelling candidate yet in the rover’s search for potential signs of long-ago life. It was the 25th sample gathered; the tally is now up to 30, with six more to go.
“It would be amazing to be able to demonstrate conclusively that these features were formed by something that was alive on another planet billions of years ago, right?” Hurowitz said. But even if that’s not the case, it’s “a valuable lesson in all of the ways that nature can conspire to fool us.”
Collected last summer, the sample is from reddish, clay-rich mudstones in Neretva Vallis, a river channel that once carried water into Jezero Crater. This outcrop of sedimentary rock, known as the Bright Angel formation, was surveyed by Perseverance’s science instruments before the drill came out.
Along with organic carbon, a building block of life, Hurowitz and his team found minuscule specks, dubbed poppy seeds and leopard spots, that were enriched with iron phosphate and iron sulfide. On Earth, these chemical compounds are the byproducts when microorganisms chomp down on organic matter.
The findings appeared in the journal Nature.
Ten of the titanium sample tubes were placed on the Martian surface a few years ago as a backup to the rest aboard the rover, the main target in NASA’s still fuzzy return mission.
When Perseverance launched in 2020, NASA expected the samples back on Earth by the early 2030s. But that date slipped into the 2040s as costs swelled to $11 billion, stalling the retrieval effort.
Until the samples are transported off of Mars by robotic spacecraft or astronauts, scientists will have to rely on Earthly stand-ins and lab experiments to evaluate the feasibility of ancient Martian life, according to Hurowitz.
On Earth, microorganisms commonly interact with minerals in Antarctic lakes.
“There is no evidence of microbes on Mars today, but if any had been present on ancient Mars, they too might have reduced sulfate minerals to form sulfides in such a lake at Jezero Crater,” Bishop and Parente wrote in an accompanying editorial.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) – The family of Iryna Zarutska, the woman who was murdered on the Blue Line train on Aug. 22, is calling for justice and public safety reform.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was stabbed to death while riding the light rail, just minutes from her home. The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., was charged with first-degree murder and on Tuesday, the federal causing a death on a mass transportation system.
Zarutska’s family is being represented by Charlotte law firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen. The statement comes a day after a wave of national attention and criticism to Charlotte officials more than two weeks after the crime occured.
They say she had built a new life in Charlotte after moving here three years ago. She was working full-time at a local pizzeria — she was wearing a shirt for it at the time of her killing — while attending community college to improve her English.
“That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon,” they said. “Her loved ones became alarmed when she did not arrive to her apartment at the anticipated time and her phone’s location alerted them that she was still at the station. Upon arriving at the station, they were devastated to learn that Iryna had died at the scene.”
The train’s surveillance footage was released to the public on Friday. The family is urging the public and media to “respect Iryna’s dignity and their grief” by not sharing the footage of her killing.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,” said a family spokesperson. “Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way. No family should have to go through this.”
Seeking change
The family’s immediate priority is to ensure the man responsible for Zarutska’s murder is brought to justice and remains behind bars. However, they are also calling attention to public safety, sharing concerns over a perceived lack of:
Security presence on the CATS Blue Line,
Oversight in the contract between CATS and Professional Security Services (PSS), and
Further safety measures.
The family is demanding a full investigation into the circumstances leading up to Zarutska’s death, alleging including lapses in security protocols and failures within the public transportation system.
“This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night,” said the family. “We are committed to making sure this never happens again.”
On Monday, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced immediate changes to security on CATS properties, including adding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers.
“These changes will allow CATS to fully execute the transit system policing plan, including the Blue Line,” she said.
Brown is being held in the Mecklenburg County jail without bond.
Brown, now charged in the deadly stabbing on the Blue Line train on August 22, was free that night on a written promise to appear in a nonviolent misdemeanor case involving misuse of 911.
Officers arrested Brown in January after he told them someone gave him a man-made material that controlled when he ate, walked, and talked. Court documents show he got upset with officers when they said they couldn’t help him. In July, a judge in that case ordered a psych evaluation, which had not happened by August 22.
Brown’s criminal record shows three misdemeanors between 2007 and 2009 for simple assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a public officer. He’s served time for two violent felonies.
In 2014, Brown was convicted of felony breaking and entering, and he served 30 days in jail followed by 24 months of supervised probation. While on probation, he was convicted of assaulting and stealing from a man using a handgun. Brown served a little more than five years in state prison, got out in September of 2020, and was on parole for one year.
Fast forward to now, Brown is being held in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, charged with murder while awaiting transfer to Central Regional Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility where experts will evaluate his mental capacity.
A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office told Queen City News she doesn’t know when he’ll be moved there.
It has also sparked intense political debate across all levels of government from Charlotte to Raleigh to Washington and beyond.
The incident has led to questions about decisions made by officials in North Carolina’s criminal justice system. Charlotte’s mayor and transit leaders have come under fire. And it’s become a new storyline in what is expected to be a hard-fought Senate race in this battleground state.
Everyone from President Donald Trump to the state auditor has weighed in.
Here are answers to some basic questions about the incident — and why it’s receiving so much attention from political leaders.
Q: What happened?
The incident happened on Aug. 22. Police say a female passenger entered a light-rail train and took a seat in front of a male passenger. Minutes later, without any apparent interaction, he pulled out a pocketknife, stood and slashed her in the neck, investigators say. Passengers screamed and scattered as she collapsed. The incident was caught on surveillance video.
Q: Who is the victim?
The victim is Iryna Zarutska, police said, a 23-year-old Ukrainian who lived in Charlotte. Zarutska, a native of Kyiv, entered the U.S. through a program called “Uniting for Ukraine,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
This undated photo posted to Instagram on June 9, 2025, by Iryna Zarutska shows a picture of herself. (Iryna Zarutska via AP)
The program, created by the Biden administration after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, offered a pathway for Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. temporarily. Zarutska came to the U.S. in August 2022, federal officials said. She was “hoping for a new beginning,” according to a GoFundMe account launched after her death.
Russ Ferguson, the U.S. attorney for North Carolina’s Western District, told reporters Tuesday that Zarutska quickly settled into the Charlotte community. She worked at a senior center, worked at a pizzeria, took care of animals, and had recently moved in with her partner, Ferguson said in a press conference.
Q: Who is the suspect?
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, faces state and federal murder charges for Zarutska’s death. He has been arrested more than a dozen times and suffers from mental health issues, his mother told WSOC-TV in Charlotte. She told WSOC that she sought psychiatric help for Brown after he started to say “weird things,” but that she had to kick him out of her house after he became aggressive toward her.
This booking photo provided by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, shows Decarlos Brown Jr., who is charged with the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
In January, Brown was arrested after repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital, claiming people were trying to control him. A judge released him without bail.
On Aug. 29, days after his stabbing arrest, a judge in Charlotte ordered Brown committed to a prison mental hospital for up to 60 days, so that he could be reviewed for a determination of whether he’s mentally fit to stand trial.
Q: If the suspect was already facing charges, why was he free?
Brown has been charged with multiple crimes in the past. Some charges were dismissed but others ended in convictions, court records show, including for several felonies related to thefts committed in 2013 and 2014, which landed him in prison from 2015 to 2020. One of those convictions was for an armed robbery.
Since his release from prison, court records show a 2022 financial dispute with the government over a $2,500 bond forfeiture and the allegation of misusing the 911 system earlier this year, but no allegations of serious crimes until the alleged murder last month.
When he was arrested earlier this year over the 911 call, he was released from jail with no bail, on a promise to appear back in court. That’s a common procedure for low-level crimes, but the decision is now coming under scrutiny due to the fatal outcome.
Q: Why is the Charlotte stabbing getting so much attention now?
The Aug. 22 incident is getting lots of attention now in large part because of the gruesome video, which was only released on Friday.
Its release comes at a time when the Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to crack down on violent crime in some U.S. cities. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in June, sent troops to Washington, D.C., last month and has threatened to send them to Chicago as well.
Zarutska isn’t the only person to be fatally stabbed on public transit this year or even in August. Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said last month that a man sat behind a stranger on a public bus before “slicing her throat” in an unprovoked and random attack on Aug. 3.
Q: What does the killing have to do with North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race?
The video has emerged amid a high-profile U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, considered a battleground state for both parties in next year’s midterm elections. And politicians have used the incident as an opportunity to blame opponents and push their own agendas.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, isn’t seeking reelection. Michael Whatley and Don Brown, who are seeking the GOP nomination for the seat, say Democratic policies played a role in the homicide — singling out former Gov. Roy Cooper, who’s considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
Trump, who has endorsed Whatley in the race, has also weighed in. He said Cooper is to blame for the stabbing, writing on social media that “her blood is on the hands of Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper.”
No governor in North Carolina, or in any other state, has any say over who goes to prison. They do have some power on who gets out because they can issue pardons or commutations. Cooper did neither in this case. In a statement to the press, the White House pointed to the state Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice that Cooper created by executive order in 2020. The White House noted that the group’s report called on the criminal justice system to eliminate cash bail and promote alternatives to arrest.
The Cooper campaign pushed back on Republican criticism, noting that the task force had no legal authority over any criminal cases or whether an individual was released early from prison.
“This was a heartbreaking, despicable act of evil and Iryna Zarutska’s family and loved ones are in our prayers,” Cooper’s campaign said in a statement, adding: “Roy Cooper knows North Carolinians need to be safe in their communities; he spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and drug dealers, increasing the penalties for violence against law enforcement, and keeping thousands of criminals off the streets and behind bars.”
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-NC, joined in Tuesday to point the blame at Republicans — saying more money needed to be pumped into local police departments to respond to violence and prosecute criminals.
“It’s completely shameful that the Trump administration has proposed gutting millions in funding for the Department of Justice, FBI, and other federal entities that help local law enforcement respond to crime,” Ross said. “It’s time for Republicans in Congress to work with Democrats to fund government agencies and ensure our local communities have the federal support they need to protect public safety.”
Q: What is the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, and why are Republicans focused on it?
For weeks, the killing received little attention — outside of local media — until Republicans seized on it in hopes of attacking Cooper. Trump’s comment followed similar remarks by Whatley, who also blamed the murder on Cooper’s support of the racial equity task force.
Cooper created the group in response to national outcry over police brutality. In May 2020, a Minneapolis police officer was recorded on video choking a Minnesota man named George Floyd to death. Cooper created the task force less than a month later, appointing two fellow high-ranking Democrats to lead it: Josh Stein, who was then the attorney general and is now governor, and Anita Earls, a state Supreme Court justice who is up for reelection in 2026.
Earls and Stein worked with police officers, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, civil rights activists, professors and others on the task force to come up with a set of recommended reforms to policing, the courts and prisons — plus broader topics such as improved mental health services for people before, during or after any time spent behind bars.
Republicans were highly critical of the group. Most of its recommendations, which required support from the GOP-led state legislature, have never been enacted.
Q: What do we know about allegations of ‘soft-on-crime’ policies?
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday issued a statement about the case, blaming “failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.” She didn’t identify which policies she was talking about. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) explicitly blamed Cooper’s 2020 task force for having “kept Zarutska’s killer on the streets.”
However, the racial equity task force didn’t release its first report until December 2020, after Brown had already been released from prison. And while the task force did make some recommendations on sentencing reform and bail reform, those suggestions haven’t been approved by the Republican-led legislature.
Tillis, who lives outside of Charlotte, issued a statement on “the tragic consequences when weak-on-crime judges and prosecutors fail to hold violent, repeat offenders accountable.”
Court records show that both of Brown’s legal issues in the five years since his release from prison are ongoing. The 911-misuse charge remains pending under current District Attorney Spencer Merriweather, a Democrat, who also has separately raised the amount Brown owes for the bond from $2,500 to $3,084.31, citing interest. Court records also show Mecklenburg County sheriff’s deputies tried to repossess Brown’s property to cover the debt in 2023, but the deputies said they couldn’t find anything.
Most of Brown’s criminal record is from a period from 2011 to 2014, during which time he was arrested numerous times, culminating in his prison stint. At that time the top elected prosecutor in Charlotte was Andrew Murray, a Republican, who Trump would later appoint in 2017 to be the lead federal prosecutor in the Western District of North Carolina.
Trump noted Brown’s prior criminal history in a video statement released by the White House Tuesday, saying Zarutska “was slaughtered by a deranged monster who was roaming free after 14 prior arrests.”
Murray, who now serves as the elected district attorney for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties following his federal service in the first Trump administration, told WRAL in an interview Tuesday that he didn’t remember Brown from those cases more than a decade ago.
“All I can tell you is I tried to find justice in the community when I was DA,” Murray said. “Tried to follow the facts and certainly get convictions where they were warranted.”
Q: Are Stein and Earls also being criticized?
Stein and Earls are also receiving criticism for their roles on the task force Cooper created. Politics are also a motivator here. Earls’ reelection bid next year is viewed as the next-most-important race on the 2026 ballot, behind the U.S. Senate race. Republicans currently hold a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court. Democrats are hoping to flip it back in 2028, starting by defending Earls’ seat next year.
The NCGOP wrote on social media Tuesday that “Earls’ life’s work has been to undermine law enforcement and coddle criminals.”
Earls, a longtime civil rights attorney and the only Black justice on the state’s highest court, has often said her brother’s killing — for which no one was ever convicted — is one of the driving forces behind her legal career.
Stein, meanwhile, has used the Charlotte stabbing to call on the state legislature to approve his budget proposal. Republican leaders are at an impasse over a new state budget, which was due by July 1. Stein’s plan contains larger raises and signing bonuses for state employees, including state law enforcement officers, than GOP lawmakers have proposed.
“We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe,” Stein wrote on social media Monday. That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package.”
Q: How are Republican lawmakers and other officials responding?
Republican lawmakers have previously made it clear they will not pass the Democratic governor’s budget, with its higher raises for state law enforcement officers and others. They’ve also called on Stein to shut down the racial equity task force.
Senate leader Phil Berger said Monday that he’s working on legislation to shut down the task force and ban any future governor from starting similar task forces. Such a move would likely be met with legal challenges. Similar attempts have been criticized as an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
The GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee is also probing the matter.
“Our investigators are aggressively pursuing the failures that led to the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte,” committee leaders said in a post on social media. “Her death was 100% preventable, and we will leave no stone unturned until justice is served and safety is restored in NC.”
Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek said Tuesday that he plans to investigate the safety of the Charlotte Area Transit System. He’s expected to focus on private security, metrics and data used by CATS to monitor safety, and the CATS safety and security budget.
Q: What do Charlotte leaders say?
State lawmakers have a long history of tussling with individual cities, particularly Charlotte. House Speaker Destin Hall indicated more attempts to encroach on local control could be coming.
During an appearance on Fox News Tuesday, Hall blamed the incident in part on “left-wing defund-the-police policies” in Charlotte. He criticized Democratic local officials, calling them soft on crime, and said Brown should have been behind bars. Hall said he would look into Charlotte’s budget, local pretrial procedures, and the magistrate who released Brown on a promise that he would appear in court on charges he faced prior to the murder charge.
“He never should have been on the train that night,” Hall said.
Charlotte has increased security along its transit lines in response to the fatal stabbing, Mayor Vi Lyles said in a letter to the city’s residents. The Democratic mayor’s letter was also critical of the court system, echoing some of the critics of the city’s response.
Lyles called the killing “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates,” saying the city’s officers arrest people who are then quickly released.
Lyles has also called for bipartisan solutions to repeat offenders and getting people treatment for mental illness.
Edwin Peacock III, one of the city council’s two Republicans, is calling on Charlotte to crack down on people who haven’t paid to ride. Leaders of Charlotte’s transit system told city leaders that they don’t believe Brown purchased a ticket to ride the train the night of Zarutska’s death, WSOC reported.
In an Aug. 29 video posted to social media, Peacock talked about his experience riding the train — saying no one checked his ticket. “Would consistent fare checks or a stronger presence [of law enforcement] help prevent crime and disorder?” Peacock said. “I believe the answer is yes.”
Charlotte City Council elections are scheduled for November, and the stabbing — and how to prevent future crimes on the rail system — could become a top issue for candidates.
ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A man was arrested on Tuesday after a fatal shooting in Asheboro last month, according to an Asheboro Police Department news release.
On August 30 at 7:06 p.m., officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of a Marshalls on East Dixie Drive.
Police were told one person was shot at the scene, and another person, later identified as Branson Russell, who was involved left the scene in a red Ford F-250.
Officers found Alexander Benitez-Hernandez, 23, had been shot and rendered aid until medical personnel arrived. Officers said he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, the Ford was found on East Salisbury Street, where officers conducted a traffic stop.
The driver had been shot in the leg and was identified as being involved in the shooting. He was taken to a hospital.
Police say Benitez-Hernandez and Russell started arguing inside a business. Russell then waited outside for Benitez-Hernandez.
Benitez-Hernandez reportedly shot Russell in the lower leg then ran toward his vehicle.
Russell got in his vehicle and retrieved a .30-30 rifle as he drove toward Benitez-Hernandez’s vehicle.
He then fired one shot from the rifle and hit Benitez-Hernandez in the back, police say.
On Monday, a grand jury was convened in Randolph County. The facts of the case were presented to the jury, which returned a true bill of indictment against Russell for second-degree murder.
He was taken into custody around 3 p.m. on Tuesday and served with the indictment and jailed with no bond.
Paul’s season of ‘The Bachelorette’ premieres in 2026. Her other show, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ drops Nov. 13 on Hulu
LOS ANGELES — From #Momtok to the Mansion!
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul has been named the next “Bachelorette.”
The announcement was made on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. On Tuesday, host Alex Cooper teased a big announcement.
It’s a shakeup that’s sure to get Bachelor Nation talking.
Paul is a single mother of three who is known as the creator of #MomTok, a group of Mormon moms who went viral on TikTok. Their content and their stories led to the creation of the Hulu series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which is now going on its third season.
She’s been known to grab a headline or two, including her part in a scandal that led to the end of her first marriage. Her relationship with Dakota Mortensen, the father of her third child, had its ups and downs and it’s all played out in front of the cameras.
On The Red Carpet spoke to Paul at the season two premiere of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” in May. She told us then that she’s been dealing with the chaos of her life by healing through therapy.
“An immense amount of therapy does help you get the tools to learn how to navigate the situation. One, living it and two having to watch it and live it again. I now have all the tools,” she said.
Whether it’s on social media or on her show, Paul has been unapologetically herself. She’s raw, she’s real and now she is ready for another shot at finding love.
The new season of “The Bachelorette” will premiere next year on ABC and stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
But you’ll see more of Paul when season three of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” premieres November 13 on Hulu.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the conference
schedules for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season.
The regular season tips off on Nov. 3, while conference play
starts on Dec. 30.
Jon Scheyer is entering his fourth season as Duke’s head
coach.
Duke is coming off a Final Four appearance. However, many of
the key contributors to the 2024-25 Blue Devils team are now in the NBA,
including first overall pick Flagg.
Duke has talented incoming freshmen class, which includes
twins Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer along with Nikolas Khamenia, Sebastian
Wilkins and Dame Sarr. The Boozer twins are the sons of former Duke star Carlos
Boozer.
Meanwhile, Hubert Davis is entering his fifth season as UNC’s
head coach. The Tar Heels got knocked out of the first round of the 2025 NCAA
Tournament.
UNC returns guard Seth Trimble and brings in highly touted freshman
Caleb Wilson, a 6’10” forward from Atlanta.
Will Wade enters his first year as NC State’s basketball
coach, taking over for Kevin Keatts.
Wade coached McNeese to two consecutive appearances in the
NCAA Tournament.
NC State has several transfers. It includes All-Big 12
player Darrion Williams, a transfer from Texas Tech. It also includes former
UNC forward Ven-Allen Lubin and former Michigan State guard Tre Holloman.
