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Tag: Elizabeth Townsend

  • President Trump, first lady to visit Fort Bragg Friday

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    President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Friday. 

    The president will meet with military families and members of the special forces who took part in the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a news conference Tuesday.  

    Trump is a regular visitor to North Carolina. In December, Trump visited Rocky Mount. The president visited Fort Bragg last summer for a military celebration. 

    Fort Bragg is the home of the Joint Special Operations Command. 

    Last year, the base went through controversial change. It was re-branded as Fort Liberty in 2023, going from a base that carried the name of a former Confederate soldier to Liberty instead. 

    In 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order to reinstating the Bragg name, but this time to honor a World War II paratrooper. 

    Trump’s trip to the base comes as early voting begins in North Carolina’s primary elections. The midterm primary is set for March 3, with a competitive U.S. Senate seat, every U.S. House seat and the entire state legislature up for election.

    President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk from Marine One to board Air Force One, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

     

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    Elizabeth Townsend

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  • Mother Nature continued to ravage North Carolina this year. A look back

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    Hurricane Helene roared through the state’s mountains at the tail end of September 2024, and much of 2025 was spent in recovery-and-rebuild mode. While the previous year left a big aftermath to mop up, 2025 also saw plenty of new weather events that ripped at infrastructure and caused significant damage.

         What You Need To Know

    • 2025 got off to a difficult start with the new year beginning just months after Helene’s fury destroyed mountain communities

    • Springtime saw deadly tornadoes, leading to the deaths of two Asheville boys, and extreme heat plagued North Carolina in the summer

    • The autumn saw the collapse of more than a dozen coastal homes after storms created impacts 

    The year started with much of the state outside of the mountains ending a snow drought from previous winters. In the second half of January, snow even fell along the coast. Wilmington saw its first significant snowfall in seven years with just over 2.5″ in the Port City. 

    Tornadoes spun up in the spring, causing the deaths of two boys when a tree fell on their home, south of Asheville. Summertime brought extreme heat to the Tar Heel state with July being one of the hottest on record for some places, like the Triangle and beyond.

    It was hottest in Raleigh and tied for the hottest in Asheville. It was the second hottest July for Charlotte, Greenville and Lumberton.

    The season also saw an intense storm with strong weather that brought damaging wind gusts and instances of flash flooding. The late June storm hit hardest in Caldwell, northern Iredell and Catawba counties where thousands lost power and dozens of trees fell.

    On the heels of this storm came another as summer was also the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Chantal came through July Fourth weekend and dumped rain that caused significant flooding for central parts of the state and other areas of the Carolinas. The flooding caused millions of dollars of worth of damage in addition to the storm leading to four deaths, producing tornadoes, and prompting scores of water rescues. 

    The storm also brought on record flooding the Haw and Eno rivers.

    In late August, Hurricane Erin passed by North Carolina’s coast well out to sea, but still churned up coastal impacts, including rough surf, with waves up to 20 feet high along the Outer Banks, and coastal flooding that caused erosion. Erin left destruction in its wake, bringing the beach inside some Outer Banks hotels, leaving owners and employees in a cleaning frenzy to prepare for Labor Day weekend.

    Hurricane Humberto came next and was also far out in the ocean when it passed N.C.’s coast but still created dangerous surf during the last leg of the tourist season. The coast couldn’t catch a break as Imelda then came in at the end of September, out to sea too, but still causing trouble in the form of rough seas and flooding. 

    As those storms and others battered the coast, more homes crumbled into the surf along the Outer Banks. According to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 16 houses collapsed in Buxton and Rodanthe this year. 

    While early December saw a rare snow storm, the final months of the year have seen drier than normal conditions in most of North Carolina. Over half of the state is ending the year with a moderate drought. With below average precipitation forecast to continue through the winter months, the drought will be a concern we’ll monitor closely into 2026 as another growing season begins in the spring. 

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    Elizabeth Townsend, Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Greensboro police remember Sgt. Nix, killed off-duty 2 years ago

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    The 30th of December is a sad anniversary for the Greensboro Police Department and the law enforcement community, because today they remember Sergeant Philip Dale Nix, who was shot and killed while trying to stop shoplifting suspects.

    Nix, 50, was off duty when he tried to stop three people from stealing beer at the Sheetz gas station on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax, a community outside of Greensboro.

    Jamere Justice Foster, John Walter Morrison and Zquriah Lepearce Blackwell face charges in Nix’s killing and have yet to go to trial.

    Nix was a 23-year veteran of the Greensboro Police Department, and he was remembered as a devoted victim advocate and mentor. 

     

     

    He led the police department’s family victims unit and worked closely with the Guilford County Family Justice Center.

    “Dale would sit with victims of abuse and look them in the eye and say, you got this, you do not deserve to be hurt, and your life matters,” Sonya Desai, manager of the Family Justice Center, said at his funeral.

    “He had a presence that could calm a victim down in a heartbeat,” she said.

    Since his death, the GPD and others have found ways to pay tribute to him, including, fundraisers for his family and memorial rides.  

     

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    Elizabeth Townsend

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  • Former Raleigh top cop will be Charlotte’s first female police chief

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    Estella Patterson, who formerly led Raleigh’s force, will be the next Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department chief, making her the first woman to hold the title in the Queen City’s history.  

    She will replace Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Chief Johnny Jennings, who announced his retirement at the end of the year in May.

    “The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has a long history of incredible leaders, who have collectively led CMPD to be one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the country and Chief Patterson will continue that tradition,” City of Charlotte Manager Marcus D. Jones said in a news release Friday. “Chief Patterson’s deep experience with CMPD in addition to her recent experience leading the Raleigh Police Department made her an ideal candidate to continue CMPD’s successes but also bring new ideas to further the agency’s growth.”

    Patterson served with Raleigh’s police department from August 2021 to March 2025, and she led the department through big changes, the release states. During her time as Raleigh’s chief, she created a recruitment plan that upped the department’s manpower, taking their vacancy rate from 150 to 40 over three years.

    “I am deeply humbled and honored to return to Charlotte to serve the community and lead CMPD into its next chapter,” Patterson said in the release. “Reducing violent crime and disorder, enhancing community engagement, and increasing employee morale and wellness are among my top priorities. I look forward to working collaboratively with law enforcement partners and community stakeholders to make Charlotte one of the safest cities in the nation.” 

    Patterson also started the Raleigh Police Foundation, and that organization raised $4 million over two years for special projects.  

    Jones said the city included “significant input” from the public during the hiring process. 

    “Charlotte City Council members, as well as leaders from civil rights organizations, community groups and faith-based organizations provided input as part of the search process,” the news release says. 

    Patterson has an extensive history in law enforcement, as well as a military background, serving combat tours in Kosovo and Iraq. She was also twice awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service. She rose to the rank of captain in the armed forces and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.  

    She is set to step into her new role when Jennings retires at the year’s end. Jennings served as the department’s chief since 2020 after becoming with the department since 1992, according to Jones. 

    “It has been an honor and sincere pleasure to serve as Chief of Police for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department,” Jennings said. “I’d like to congratulate Chief Patterson and proudly welcome her back to CMPD as the next Chief of Police. She accomplished great things during her previous tenure here and I’m thrilled that she is returning to lead the department. As an internal candidate with external experience, she brings familiarity with the agency and already-established, strong relationships in the community. I look forward to supporting her and seeing all that she will accomplish for the department and for the City of Charlotte.”  

    Jennings departure comes after he faced controversy last spring over a six-figure settlement from the city after a former city council member sent threatening messages to the chief.  

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    Elizabeth Townsend

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  • Father killed children one by one over four months, N.C. sheriff says

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    A Zebulon man murdered his three kids and one teen stepchild one at a time over the summer and into the fall, according to Johnston County Steve Bizzell.  

       What You Need To Know

    • Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, of Zebulon is charged with killing his three children and one teen stepchild 

    • The Johnston County sheriff gave an update at a press conference Wednesday morning 

    • The sheriff said Dicken’s wife died last year from a miscarriage 

    • The investigation continues, and the motive is unknown

    Bizzell stood with investigators and the Johnston County district attorney and went over the details of the case at a press conference Wednesday morning. 

    Monday night, Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, called 911 and allegedly confessed to killing his four children, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s now charged with four counts of murder, court records show. 

    His three children were ages 6, 9 and 10, and one victim was an 18-year-old stepchild, according to the Chief Deputy of Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Jeff Caldwell. But deputies said they found a 3-year-old child alive in the home on Springtooth Drive in Zebulon. Wednesday morning, Bizzell said that child underwent a medical evaluation and is safe. 

    Bizzell said 6-year-old Leah was Dickens’ first victim, killed in May. He said the second victim was Dicken’s 9-year-old daughter Zoe, killed in August. Dicken’s son, Wellington Delano Dickens IV, 10, was killed between August and September, and his stepson 18-year-old Sean Brasfield was killed in September, the sheriff said. 

    Dicken’s wife and the mother of the children died April 21, 2024 after suffering complications from a miscarriage, and her death was ruled natural, Bizzell said. 

    Few details have been released into what led up to the deaths, and Bizzell said investigators are still trying to determine Dicken’s motive. 

    “I can stand here as a sheriff, a father and a grandfather and tell you there is no reason for a father to kill his children,” Bizzell said. 

    He spoke of the toll it takes on deputies and investigators, particularly ones with families of their own. 

    “I was on the scene yesterday in the rain under a tent,” the sheriff said, describing being there with his investigators and the head of the SBI. “We were there for a purpose.”

    He described it as a “tough” crime scene. 

    “To do what I witnessed yesterday, yes, that’s what we do,” the sheriff said, noting how hard this investigation has been on his deputies and investigators. “We are human too.”

    The State Bureau of Investigation joined the case because of its serious nature. Dickens is being held without bond. His next court appearance is on November 13.

    Johnston County District Attorney Jason Waller said he was called at about midnight on Monday with the news of the deaths and vowed to bring justice to the victims. 

    “My office will honor these children by pursuing justice,” Waller said. 

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    Charles Duncan, Elizabeth Townsend

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  • 911 call includes disturbing details of Zebulon killings

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    A Johnston County man told a 911 operator Monday night that he killed three of his children and a teenage stepson and stored their bodies in the trunk of his car, according to a recording of a 911 call released by the county.

    Monday night, Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, called 911 and allegedly confessed to killing his four children, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s now charged with four counts of murder, court records show.  The children killed were ages 6, 9, 10 and 18, according to authorities.

    What You Need To Know

    • A Johnston County man called 911 Monday night and confessed to killing four of his children 

    • The county released a recording of that call that includes a man, identified as the father, gives details about what happened

    • Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, has been charged with four counts of murder

    • The children killed were ages 6, 9, 10 and 18



    The 911 call lays out gruesome details of how Dickens said he killed the children. The kids were killed one by one over a period of about four months from May to September, authorities said at the press conference Wednesday.

    The call begins with a man, identified by officials as Dickens, saying he has a confession. He tells the operator that he murdered some of his children and says he killed one child by accident after hitting her “excessively,” according to recordings release by the county.

    He goes on to say that he was on drugs when these killings happened.

    “There’s three of them and my stepson. It was my fault,” the man said on the call. “They are in the trunk of my car. In the garage to be specific. I was just out of my mind. Nobody made me do nothing, it was just me. I lost my mind. I was on the drugs, smoking, drinking … everything. I was on mushrooms and stuff. I did coke.”

    “I killed my children. It’s a lot to explain, but in a nutshell it’s all my fault,” he said. “It’s bad. I didn’t like to use knives. It started out with me over-disciplining and leaving them out to eat, it’s a lot of stuff,” he said in the recording.

    “I’d beat them sometimes. They didn’t want to eat sometimes… I didn’t force them to eat. I did a bunch of little things, just a lot of things. I’m trying to do the right thing,” Dickens said on the call.

    When asked if he took any drugs he says he did smoke and have a “sip of champagne.”

    The dispatcher asks him why he did this and he states: “It wasn’t up to me,” he said. “God just informed me, it wasn’t me. I got nervous and I didn’t do it when I was supposed to. I was a coward. I was trying to let my children, it was supposed to be me to take those decisions, and it just spiraled.”

    It isn’t clear on the call whether he is referring to killing the children or confessing to it.

    The sheriff said Dickens’ wife, and the mother of the children, died last year after complications from a miscarriage.

    Dickens is being held without bond and has a court appearance scheduled for next month.

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    Elizabeth Townsend

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  • How to get around as traffic swamps Billie Eilish concerts and N.C. State Fair

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    Traffic is major concern heading into the weekend as North Carolina’s State Fair opens its gates as a nearby arena hosts big concert events.

    Thousands of people will pour into the fairgrounds and also head to Lenovo Center to see pop singer Billie Eilish perform. She is set to hold sold-out concerts, both Thursday and Friday nights, which are not affiliated with the fair event. 

    On Tuesday night, traffic backed up and snarled for hours around the Carter-Finley Stadium where Chris Brown was performing. The stadium is near the fairgrounds and highlighted the traffic trouble yet to come over the weekend when two popular events will collide. 

    Raleigh Police said they have measures in place to direct people and help save time.

    “If the fair is not going on, and I plan on going to an event at Lenovo, and it starts at 7, I’m going to be there at 6. OK, so now you add the fair to that,” Lt. David Davis with Raleigh Police Department said. “I’m going to probably be there at 5. You know, unfortunately that’s a couple hours before an event, but you know what? I’m not going to be stressed out trying to figure out where I’m going to park and just completely ruin the actual environment.”

    Heavily impacted roads include:

    • Hillsborough Street
    • Blue Ridge Road
    • Trinity Road
    • Edwards Mill Road
    • Wade Avenue
    • Western Boulevard
    • I-40

    Travel and parking tips from RPD: 

    • Allow extra travel time
    • Expect significantly increased traffic volumes near the fairgrounds
    • Use Park-and-Ride options
    • Consider alternative transportation to ease congestion: 
    • Bandwidth parking with shuttle: Dogwood Lot
    • N.C. 54 parking with shuttle: Cardinal Lot
    • N.C. by train (Amtrak Service)
    • GoRaleigh Park and Ride Services
    • GoDurham Bus Service

    Safety Reminders:

    • Have a plan: Know your parking, transportation and entry points before you leave home
    • Limit what you bring: Only carry essential items into the fair
    • Secure your vehicle: Do not leave valuables in your car, especially guns
    • Remember: There is no truly secure hiding spot in a vehicle
    • Do not park on highway shoulders: It creates safety hazards for you and others. It obstructs emergency vehicles that rely on shoulder access for rapid response  

     

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    Elizabeth Townsend

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