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Tag: north carolina

  • The first impactful winter storm of the year

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    It was a relatively quiet start to 2026, with winter storms bringing heavy snow to the typical snow belts. The hardest-hit states included Michigan and New York, where lake-effect snows have added up, with some areas seeing well over 100 inches.

    What You Need To Know

    • Snow was reported from New Mexico and Texas to Maine

    • Freezing rain and sleet brought icy conditions to Mid-South and South

    • Five tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Florida on Sunday



    However, the Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, and even the Northeast hadn’t seen as active a start. In fact, these regions began the year with temperatures above average, some even having top ten warmest starts to January. But all of that changed on Jan. 23. 

    At one point, a large storm stretched over two-thousand miles, with millions of people under a weather alert.

    Southern snow and ice totals

    Two storm systems merged as arctic air surged south across much of the U.S. By Jan. 23, snow began falling in New Mexico. The highest snowfall accumulated near Bonita Lake, NM., where 31 inches of snow fell. 

    As the storm emerged east of New Mexico into Texas, it picked up moisture from the Gulf. Snow, sleet and freezing rain fell across the South. Dallas and Fort Worth, TX., picked up 1 to 2 inches with bitter cold that followed. 

    Northern Arkansas and Oklahoma saw higher totals, ranging from 6 to 8 inches, with a mix of sleet and freezing rain in parts of Arkansas. 


    Mid-South snow and ice

    By Saturday, Jan. 24, snow and ice moved through the Mid-South, with the heaviest snow occurring Saturday night into Sunday across Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois. 

    With cold air in place in Missouri, snowfall totals range from 5 inches around Kansas City to over a foot of snow south of St. Louis. Kentucky saw snow at the onset before switching to a mix of snow and sleet, which limited the totals. 

    As the storm moved through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio Saturday into Sunday, it was mainly a snow event. Totals ranged from 6 to 9 inches across the region.


    The Northeast and New England snow

    With cold air in place in the north, it was an all-snow event in this region. The storm dumped over a foot of snow onto New York City, with the Boston area picking up nearly two feet of snow Sunday through Monday evening.

    York, Maine, in the southern part of the state, accumulated 20 inches of snow. 


    Mid-Atlantic snow and ice

    Snow fell in parts of the Mid-Atlantic before changing to sleet. Washington D.C. saw nearly 7 inches of snow before it mixed with and changed to sleet. 

    Central North Carolina picked up a few flakes before it mixed with and changed over to sleet. While not as icy as freezing, sleet still caused treacherous road conditions.


    Southeast snow and ice totals

    The colder air was in place in the northern parts of Alabama, Georgia and Upstate South Carolina. Some snow fell at the onset of the storm before mixing with and changing to sleet and freezing rain. Ice Storm Warnings were posted on Sundy and Monday across the region.


    Severe side of the storm

    The National Weather Service confirmed that five tornadoes touched down on Sunday. Four of them in Alabama and one in Florida. The highest rated tornado was an EF2 with winds estimated of 115 mph in Geneva County, Ala. 


    Airport delays

    With all of the intense weather of the pass few days, airport delays and cancelations are prevalent. Here’s the latest below. 


    Cold air remains locked in place for the eastern two-thirds of the country. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Duke Energy warns of scam targeting consumers

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    Duke Energy said it’s aware of a scam going around that’s trying to trick customers.

    Related: Track and report power outages in your area

    Customers have reported receiving a text claiming to be from Duke Energy, saying they will be affected by a scheduled outage. 

    It then asks the recipient to click on a link. 

    “This message did not come from Duke Energy,” Duke Energy wrote in a Facebook post. “Customers should avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from businesses or individuals they do not know, and they should contact Duke Energy directly to discuss their account or visit company communications channels for the latest updates.”

    Duke Energy said it will only use official communication channels to communicate grid conditions. 


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    Lydia Taylor, Spectrum News Staff

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  • Clearing ice from parking lots after winter storm

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    Crews have been working to clear roads and parking lots after a winter storm brought snow, sleet and ice across the state.

    What You Need To Know

    • Craig Whitley, owner of Tim Whitley Hauling and Grading, spent Monday traveling around the Triad to clear parking lots before covering surfaces with salt

    • His company has been in business since 1992 

    • He says weather can be unpredictable this time of year but that preparation is key

    “Parking lots that don’t get completely dried like this one right here, in the morning, it’s going to be a solid sheet of ice,” said Craig Whitley, owner of Tim Whitley Hauling and Grading.

    Whitley knows a thing or two about keeping people safe when inclement weather strikes. His company has been in business since 1992. They help remove ice during the cold months. 

    “This storm wasn’t near as bad as we’ve had some in the past,” he said. “I think [one of the worst] was 2002. We talked about that ice storm that came through. We pushed snow for three or four days. It was pretty bad.”

    Whitley and his crew spent Monday traveling around the Triad, using a skid steer to clear parking lots before covering the surface with salt. His phone has been ringing off the hook as residents try to clean up from the winter storm. 

    “We’ve had a bunch,” he said. “I don’t even know. There’s been so many. I can’t keep up with them. We’ve been to Asheboro, Albemarle, Thomasville, Kernersville and now we’re in High Point.”

    Weather can be a little unpredictable this time of year. That’s why Whitley says preparation is key.

    “Friday and Saturday, we went around a lot of these businesses, like this one, and other ones and we pretreated them with salt,” he said. 

    No matter how long it takes to clear each lot, he enjoys helping clients get back up and running. 

    “It feels good to help them out where they can get back rolling, because if they’re making money, they’re spending money with me,” he said.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Zach Tucker

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  • How weather caused the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger

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    January 28 marks the 40th anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger and its crew of seven astronauts.

    The disaster rattled the country and was later blamed on the failure of O-rings in one of the solid rocket motors.

    Weather played a major role in the Challenger accident, but it was a factor long before that fateful morning in 1986.

    What You Need To Know

    • Multiple weather events played a role leading up to the disaster

    • Cold temperatures caused issues with the solid rocket motor O-rings

    • Strong winds aloft was the final weather event of the tragedy


    The flight of Mission STS-51L, NASA’s designation for the flight, was a special one. It was known as the “Teacher in Space Mission.” Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher from Concord, New Hampshire, would be on the spaceflight. The plan was for her to teach classes from the space shuttle as it orbited the Earth. NASA hoped to spark the interest in space and science with this mission.

    The ship

    The space shuttle selected for the STS-51L flight was the Challenger. At the time, it was the workhorse of the fleet. It had flown more missions than any of the other three shuttles – Columbia, Discovery and Atlantis.

    Bob Self/AP

    Challenger was the second “flight rated” shuttle after Columbia.

    The shuttle made history on multiple flights, including having the first female American astronaut to go into space, Sally Ride, as part of the STS-7 crew in June 1983. Guion Bluford became the first African-American astronaut to fly in space on the STS-8 mission in August 1983. That mission performed the first space shuttle night launch and landing.

    Space Shuttle Challenger, orbiting the Earth, as seen from a camera mounted on the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite. (NASA)

    On the STS-6 mission in April 1983, astronauts did the first spacewalk from a shuttle. The following year in February, the first untethered spacewalk was performed from Challenger, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (basically a backpack using nitrogen jets for propulsion).

    On its previous flights, Challenger had made almost 1,000 orbits of the Earth and traveled almost 26 million miles during its 62 days in space.

    Associated Press

    This would be Challenger’s 10th mission.

    The crew

    Most of the crew on board were space veterans. Shuttle Commander Francis Scobee had flown on Challenger as a pilot in 1984. Mission Specialist Ronald McNair had also flown on Challenger in 1984. Mission Specialist Judith Resnik had been a crew member on the Space Shuttle Discovery’s first flight in 1984. Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka had also flown on Discovery in 1985.

    Shuttle Pilot Michael Smith, Mission Specialist Gregory Jarvis and Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe were all on their first space flights.

    The primary crew for the flight was named a year before the launch on Jan. 27, 1985.

    Problems with the weather

    Before the launch on that cold January morning, there were several instances where weather played a role leading up to the accident.

    The first was when the previous mission, STS-61C, a Space Shuttle Columbia flight, had multiple landing delays while trying to end its mission earlier that January. The weather prevented the orbiter from returning to Earth three times. This led to launch reschedules for Challenger’s flight.

    The next launch reschedule was because of bad weather at the shuttle’s trans-Atlantic abort site at Dakar, Senegal. In the event of an emergency, there were designated runways around the world if the shuttle needed to make an emergency landing after launch.

    The next delay was for weather that never happened. The forecast for January 26 called for “no-go” conditions during the launch window, so NASA officials decided to cancel the planned launch for that day based on the forecast. However, the bad weather never developed and the shuttle could have launched that day.

    All looked “go” for launch on January 27. During orbiter closeout, technicians ran into problems with an exterior hatch handle. By the time they resolved the problem, winds had picked up at Kennedy Space Center and were too strong for an emergency return to launch site abort if necessary.

    Those strong winds were caused by a cold front that would bring freezing temperatures to the launch site the next morning.

    And with that, that stage was set for the events of January 28th.

    Jan. 28

    With the passage of the cold front on Jan. 27, arctic air dropped into Florida, setting record lows across the state. It was this forecast of very cold temperatures that caused concern among scientists and engineers with the space shuttle program.

    The night before the scheduled launch, engineers with Morton-Thiokol, the manufacturer of the shuttle’s solid rocket motors, expressed worries as to how the cold would affect the twin solid rockets attached to either side of the shuttle’s external fuel tank.

    These solid rockets were not one piece, but were segments stacked together to form the rocket. Where the segments came together, rubber O-rings were used to create a tight seal to prevent exhaust gases from leaking at these joints.

    The solid rockets were rated to be flown at temperatures of 39 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Temperatures at the launch pad were expected to drop in the upper teens by the morning of Jan. 28. At 7 a.m., a temperature of 24 degrees was reported at the shuttle’s launch pad.

    Due to the very cold weather, technicians turned on the launch pad fire suppression system at a low rate to prevent freezing during the night. This, in turn, covered the launch pad with ice. That became yet another concern, since ice could break free at launch and damage the shuttle. Especially vulnerable was the Challenger’s thermal heat shield that protected the shuttle during reentry.

    NASA officials saw the ice buildup on the pad and delayed the launch of Challenger to give the ice time to melt.

    Challenger’s liftoff occurred at 11:38 a.m. The temperature was 36 degrees.

    Just after the solid rocket motors ignited, a small puff of black smoke was seen near the right solid rocket booster (SRB). Hot gases from the rocket had slipped past the O-rings in two of the SRB segments.

    Aluminum oxides from used solid fuel in the rocket resealed the breach and the flight continued.

    All appeared normal as the Challenger climbed into the clear January sky.

    About 37 seconds after launch, the shuttle passed through strong wind shear. These high winds increased aerodynamic pressure on the Challenger. This was the highest wind shear ever encountered on a shuttle flight up to that time.

    The forces caused by the shear, along with other planned maneuvers as the ship flew toward orbit, broke the temporary aluminum oxide seal. Hot exhaust from the leak in the SRB joint then escaped through the hole in the rocket’s casing and began to burn a hole in the large external fuel tank.

    At roughly the 73-second mark after launch, the right SRB triggered the rupture of the external fuel tank. Liquid hydrogen and oxygen ignited, and the explosion enveloped the Challenger.

    Though it has been widely reported that the space shuttle “exploded,” that is not the case. Flying faster than the speed of sound, Challenger was thrown off its flight path when the tank exploded. Aerodynamic forces basically tore the shuttle apart.

    The crew never stood a chance. There was no escape option. At the end of the day, we had lost Challenger and its brave crew.

    The investigation

    The space shuttle program was grounded for more than two years as safety improvements were made; better seals on the SRBs, heaters on those seals, and an escape system for astronauts on the shuttle.

    Looking back at the impact of weather on the accident, you have to wonder: If just one of those instances had not occurred, would Challenger and the crew have made it safely into orbit?

    The cold was the main weather factor on Jan. 28, and if the launch had occurred any day before that very cold morning, the O-ring failure would have likely not occurred.

    If Challenger had not flown through the wind shear after launch, would the aluminum oxide seal have held long enough for SRB separation a little over a minute later?

    Accidents are like a chain; each element is a link. You remove any link and you stop the accident from happening.

    The improvements after the accident did make the shuttles safer, though they were still dangerous. Though NASA makes space flight look easy, it is not. There is a lot of risk.

    Beginning with the “Return to Flight” mission of Discovery in the fall 1988, NASA had many years of successful space shuttle flights until the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003. The loss of Columbia was the beginning of the end of the space shuttle program. Flights continued until the final shuttle flight of Atlantis in July 2011.

    Today, the remaining shuttles – Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour and Enterprise – are on display around the country.

    Four decades have passed, but Jan. 28 remains a stark reminder of the dangers of space flight and the role that weather can play not only on a space mission, but in our everyday lives as well.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Chief Meteorologist Gary Stephenson

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  • Thousands of flights canceled as major winter storm moves across the US

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    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.”What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents. “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.”All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.”We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport. More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted. “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.” Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures. “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.”We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.” The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.”Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie. Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow. President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.” Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.”I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.” Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    OKLAHOMA CITY —

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.

    Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.

    “What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”

    Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents.

    “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”

    Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.

    “All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.

    Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

    Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

    In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.

    “We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”

    All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport.

    More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

    After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

    “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.”

    Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.

    Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures.

    “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”

    Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.

    “We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.”

    The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.

    In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.

    “Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie.

    Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

    School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.

    Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.

    Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow.

    President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

    Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.

    “I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.”

    Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

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  • Live blog: Winter storm on the move with more freezing rain in the forecast

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    A winter storm is forecast to bring ice and snow to much of North Carolina this weekend. Get updates from our live blog here.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Commentary: There’s one state in America with no voter registration. How does that work?

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    When he’s not busy slathering the White House in gold or recklessly sundering foreign alliances, President Trump loves to talk about voter fraud.

    Although the incidence is rare — like, spotting-a-pangolin-in-the-wild rare — Trump persistently emits a gaseous cloud of false claims. About rigged voting machines, dead people casting ballots, mail-in votes being manipulated and other fevered figments of his overripe imagination.

    Voting is the most elemental of democratic exercises, a virtuous act residing right up there alongside motherhood and apple pie. But Trump has treated it as a cudgel, something dark and sinister, fueling a partisan divide that has increasingly undermined faith in the accuracy and integrity of our elections.

    One result is a batch of new laws making it harder to vote.

    Since the 2020 presidential election — the most secure in American history, per the Trump administration’s own watchdogs — at least 30 states have enacted more than 100 restrictive laws, according to New York University’s Brennan Center and the Democracy Policy Lab at UC Berkeley, which keep a running tally.

    Texas passed legislation allowing fewer polling places. Mississippi made it harder for people with disabilities to vote by mail. North Carolina shortened the window to return mail ballots.

    In California, state Sen. Carl DeMaio and allies are working to qualify a November ballot measure that would require a government-issued ID to vote, a solution in desperate search of a problem.

    “We have the lowest level of public trust and confidence in our elections that we have ever seen,” the San Diego Republican said in launching the effort, sounding the way someone would by lamenting the damage a fire has done while ignoring the arsonist spreading paint thinner all around.

    Amid all the manufactured hysteria, there is a place that is unique in America, with no voter registration requirement whatsoever.

    If you’re a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older and have lived in North Dakota for 30 days prior to election day, you’re eligible to vote. It’s been that way for more than 70 years, ever since voter registration was abolished in the state in 1951.

    How’s it working?

    Pretty darn well, according to those who’ve observed the system up close.

    “It works excellent,” said Sandy McMerty, North Dakota’s deputy secretary of state.

    “In general, I think most people are happy with this,” political scientist Mark Jendrysik agreed, “because it lowers the record-keeping burdens and saves money.”

    Jendrysik, who teaches at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, said voter registration was abandoned at a time when the state — now redder than the side of a barn — had vigorous two-party competition and, with it, a bipartisan spirit of prairie populism.

    “There was an idea we should make it easier to vote,” Jendrysik said. “We should open up things.”

    What a concept.

    Walk-up voting hasn’t made North Dakota a standout when it comes to casting ballots. In the last three elections, voter turnout has run close to the national average, which puts it in the middle of the pack among states.

    But there also hasn’t been a high incidence of fraud. In 2022, a study by the state auditor’s office found it “exceptionally” unlikely an election in North Dakota could be fraudulently influenced. (Again, like the country as a whole.)

    In fact, Jendrysik said he can’t recall a single case of election fraud being prosecuted in the 26 years he’s lived in North Dakota and followed its politics.

    It’s not as though just anyone can show up and cast a ballot.

    Voting in North Dakota requires a valid form of identification, such as a state-issued driver’s license, a tribal ID or a long-term care certificate. It must be presented each and every election.

    By contrast, a California voter is not required to show identification at a polling place before casting their ballot — though they may be asked to do so if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and their application failed to include certain information. That includes a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

    Could North Dakota’s non-registration system be replicated elsewhere?

    Jendrysik is dubious, especially in today’s political environment.

    North Dakota is a sparsely populated state with hundreds of small communities where, seemingly, everyone knows everyone else. There are about 600,000 eligible voters, which is a lot more manageable number than, say, California’s 30 million adult-age residents. (California has more than a dozen counties with north of half a million registered voters.)

    “It’s unique to this state,” Jendrysik said, “and I think if they hadn’t done it decades ago, it would have never happened.”

    (Fun fact: North Dakota also has no parking meters on its public streets, owing to a state law passed in 1948, according to Jendrysik, who has published two academic papers on the subject.)

    McMerty, of the secretary of state’s office, believes others could emulate North Dakota’s example.

    It would require, she suggested, rigorous data-sharing and close coordination among various state agencies. “We’re updating our voter rolls daily — who’s obtained a driver’s license, births, deaths. That kind of thing,” McMerty said.

    Again, that’s a much easier task in a state with the population the size of North Dakota’s. (About 800,000 at last count.)

    And there’s no particular impetus for others to end their systems of voter registration — unless it could be proved to significantly boost turnout.

    We should be doing all we can to get people to vote and invest in our beleaguered political system. Rather than wasting time chasing shadows and phantoms or indulging the delusions of a sore-loser president.

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    Mark Z. Barabak

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  • Super Bowl 60 is set and it’s a rematch from 11 years ago: Patriots vs. Seahawks

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    NATIONWIDE (AP) — Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold. Two stingy defenses. A second-year head coach vs. a veteran coach in his second act.

    Super Bowl 60 is set and it’s a rematch: The New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

    The Patriots will seek their NFL-record seventh Super Bowl victory when they face the Seahawks on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

    Led by Maye, coach Mike Vrabel and a stifling defense, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago.

    The Patriots (17-3) beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Sunday in the AFC championship game to advance to their 12th Super Bowl.

    Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history. They’re seeking their second Lombardi.

    Darnold, a No. 3 overall pick in 2018 now with his fifth team, played one of his best games to lead the Seahawks to a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. He threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.

    “That doesn’t matter to me,” Darnold said about the doubters he’s proven wrong. “I just come to work every single day with these guys. These guys in the locker room, that’s what it’s about to me, man. The way we’ve come to work ever since April in OTAs, training camp, one day at a time and we’re here. We did it.”

    It was a wacky finish when Brady and the Patriots beat Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll’s Seahawks 11 years ago.

    Brady threw four TD passes and rallied New England from a 10-point deficit to win the fourth of his seven rings when Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line to secure a 28-24 victory on Feb. 1, 2015. Seattle fans still lament why Marshawn Lynch didn’t get the ball on a handoff at the 1.

    “We did not care,” Macdonald said about coming into the season as underdogs in the NFC West behind the Rams and 49ers. “It’s about us. It’s always been about us and what we do and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”

    Maye scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in Denver after a critical turnover by Jarrett Stidham, who made his fifth career start filling in for injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

    “The Pats are back, baby,” Maye said. “Now, gotta win one.”

    Playing through a snowstorm in the second half, Maye only threw for 86 yards and ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and one costly fumble.

    The 23-year-old Maye, a finalist for AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino. He’s the fourth second-year QB in the past seven years to lead his team to the NFL title game. Patrick Mahomes (2018) won it while Joe Burrow (2021) and Brock Purdy (2023) lost.

    Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots in the 2000s, turned the team around in his first season as coach. New England went from 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo to 14-3.

    Vrabel is trying to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a head coach and player for the same team. Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson won Super Bowls playing for one team and coaching another.

    “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year. “I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game, I promise you. It won’t be me that’ll win it and I promise you I’ll do everything that I can and our staff to have them ready for the game.”

    No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They’re tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.

    It’s been a long road back to the top for New England, which came off consecutive four-win seasons and only had one winning season after Brady’s departure in 2020.

    The Patriots have averaged just 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15. New England’s defense has allowed just 26 points in the three games, an average of just 8.7 per game. The only team to allow fewer points in three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who gave up 16.

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    Associated Press

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  • Church services changed, canceled as winter storm approaches North Carolina

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As a winter storm approaches North Carolina, churches and places of worship are altering plans for weekend services.

    The Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh are not requiring Catholics to attend Mass Saturday evening or Sunday.

    “We want to make sure that folks stay safe and do not put themselves in any kind of harm’s way,” Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin said.


    What You Need To Know

    • The Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh are not requiring Catholics to attend Mass Saturday evening or Sunday

    • Catholic pastors will decide if they will cancel or change their Mass schedule amid the storm

    • Some churches plan to stream their services online


    Bishop Michael Martin dispensed Catholics in Western North Carolina from attending Mass this weekend — a decision he does not make often or lightly.

    “The Lord wants us to be safe,” Bishop Martin said. “For any of us, in any given circumstance for whatever reason, if we’re sick or we can’t, God understands that. We want our folks to do what they have to do and to not worry that God’s somehow not loving them, gracing them or giving them all that they need.”

    Bishop Martin is allowing each pastor or administrator to cancel or change their Mass schedule amid the storm. Some are planning to stream Mass online.

    “I think most of our parishioners who can’t come will be able to access Mass from their local parish, or if their parish isn’t live streaming, there are so many other options from around the country and around the world where they can, and are encouraged to, to prayerfully attend mass online,” Bishop Martin said

    First United Methodist Church in Charlotte canceled its Sunday service and has recorded a service that will play online in its place.

    “We’re glad to be able to offer that,” Rev. Dr. Valerie Rosenquist of First United Methodist Church in Charlotte said. “My message to my people is stay home, stay warm and take care of yourselves and each other.”

    While the threat of the storm is making some feel uneasy, spiritual leaders are encouraging North Carolinians to maintain their faith over the coming days.

    “I certainly want everyone in Western North Carolina, no matter whatever their faith affiliation, to know that God is watching them,” Bishop Martin said. “My prayers are with all of our people that they might know God’s presence and that they might be blessed by God’s grace with safety during these days. Amen.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    Chloe Salsameda

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  • Man shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown

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    A man fatally shot by a federal officer in Minnesota worked as an ICU nurse, his parents say

    By The Associated Press undefined

    A federal officer fatally shot a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, according to a hospital record obtained by The Associated Press. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on President Donald Trump to end the crackdown in his state. The Minnesota National Guard, which had been activated earlier by Walz, was assisting local police amid growing protests.

     

    A federal immigration officer fatally shot a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a 37-year-old man was killed but declined to identify him. He added that information about what led up to the shooting was limited. The man was identified by his parents as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse. The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.

    The Minnesota National Guard has been activated by Gov. Tim Walz and is assisting local police amid growing protests. Guard troops are going to both to the shooting site and to a federal building where officials have squared off with protesters daily.

    There have been daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who fired into her vehicle. Pretti was killed just over a mile away from where Good was shot.

    The Latest:

    Family: ‘heartbroken but also very angry’

    Pretti’s family released a statement Saturday evening saying they are “heartbroken but also very angry” and calling him a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse.

    “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed,” the statement said.

    “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.”

    Gun rights group ‘deeply concerned’ about shooting

    While noting that “many critical facts remain unknown,” the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a statement that “there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers” and called for an investigation by both state and federal authorities.

    “Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms — including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights,” the group said. “These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed.”

    Federal officials have said Pretti was armed and officers fired defensively after he approached them during an operation and resisted attempts to disarm him. However bystander videos do not appear to show Pretti holding a weapon.

    The Minneapolis police chief said Pretti had a permit to carry a gun.

    Another evening rally at a park near the scene of Saturday’s shooting

    People chanted “say his name” in memory of Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot earlier in the day by a federal agent.

    One speaker called for sit-ins at congressional offices to urge a halt to funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Another participant said he believes the tide of public opinion is turning in the protesters’ favor.

    Some carried lit candles, and all were bundled up against the frigid nighttime cold.

    After about an hour they went to the scene of the shooting. There were chants of “Resisting ICE is not a crime” and “Observing ICE is not a crime.”

    There were also chants honoring Renee Good, another person who was fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis this month.

    Republican chair of House Homeland Security Committee requests ICE, CBP, USCIS appear before Congress

    Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican who chairs the committee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security, sent a letter to the department requesting three top officials appear for questioning before the committee.

    “As chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, my top priority remains keeping Americans safe and ensuring the Department of Homeland Security can accomplish its core mission,” Garbarino said in a statement. “Congress has an important responsibility to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the people they serve and protect.”

    Garbarino requested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement senior official Todd Lyons, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow appear.

    The public hearing would take place sometime in the next two months. Garbarino previously requested that senior DHS officials appear before the committee in a Jan. 15 letter.

    Schumer: Democrats will block spending bill if it includes Homeland Security funding

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Senate Democrats will not vote for a spending package that includes money for the Department of Homeland Security.

    Schumer’s statement increases the possibility that the government could partially shut down Jan. 30 when funding runs out. Several Democrats said Saturday that they will not vote for the bipartisan package of bills, which will need some Democratic votes to pass.

    Democrats say the legislation, which includes money for a broad swath of government agencies, does not include enough restrictions on ICE.

    Schumer said what is happening in Minnesota is “appalling.”

    “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE,” Schumer said. “I will vote no.”

    Justice Department official says Minnesota leaders ‘created this escalation’

    Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the shooting an “avoidable tragedy” that is the “result of the total failure of Minnesota’s city and state officials who have resisted federal law enforcement and created this escalation.”

    Blanche said in a statement that the Justice Department will “continue to hold those breaking federal law accountable, including those who harass and violently attack law enforcement in the name of protest.”

    The Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation into the shooting with assistance from the FBI. The DOJ has not yet indicated whether it would open a civil rights investigation but declined to do so after the earlier shooting, of Renee Good.

    That was a sharp departure from past administrations, which have moved quickly to probe shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials for potential civil rights offenses.

    Dozens of people pay their respects to protester killed by federal agent

    They lit candles, placed flowers and stood in silence at the vigil Saturday evening. As dark fell, hundreds of people gathered somberly and quietly by the growing memorial at the shooting scene.

    Caleb Spike came from a nearby suburb to show his support and his frustration. “It feels like every day something crazier happens,” he said. “What’s happening in our community is wrong, it’s sickening, it’s disgusting.”

    A nearby doughnut shop and clothing store stayed open to offer a place for people to warm up, as well as water, coffee and snacks.

    Democratic senators come out against funding DHS, raising risk of another shutdown

    Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said Saturday that she too would not vote for legislation in the Senate that would fund the Department of Homeland Security.

    In doing so, Cortez Masto joined fellow Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen. The two moderates broke with their party last year on a vote over the last government shutdown.

    Others like Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii have said in the wake of the shooting that they would oppose a DHS funding bill that is part of a spending package in the Senate that aims to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month.

    Minnesota-born Defense Secretary Hegseth says ICE is greater than Minnesota

    Pete Hegseth posted on the social platform X to thank God for the “patriots” who work for ICE and said, “we have your back 100%.”

    The Pentagon chief added: “Shame on the leadership of Minnesota — and the lunatics in the street. ICE MN.”

    Hegseth was born and raised in Minnesota.

    Nevada Sen. Rosen says she will vote against any government funding package that funds ICE

    Sen. Jacky Rosen, a moderate Democrat from a political swing state, made the announcement Saturday after the fatal shooting in Minneapolis. Rosen was one of eight Democratic senators last year to break ranks with her party and vote with Republicans to move to reopen the government.

    “The abuses of power we are seeing from ICE in Minneapolis and across the country are un-American and cannot be normalized,” Rosen said via the social platform X.

    “Enough is enough. We need to rein in ICE’s out of control conduct,” Rosen said.

    A bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security is part of a package of spending bills that is moving through the Senate to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month.

    Top Democrat on House Homeland Security Committee calls for Noem impeachment

    Congressman Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached and denounced statements from the administration about the man DHS agents killed.

    “Apparently, the Trump administration and its secret police only support the First and Second Amendments when it’s convenient to them,” Thompson said in a statement.

    Thompson called on Democrats in the U.S. Senate to vote against a funding bill for DHS that passed the lower chamber last week. “This is un-American and has to stop,” Thompson said. “The House must immediately take steps to impeach Kristi Noem.”

    Walz excoriates immigration operations in Minnesota

    Walz issued a statement Saturday calling immigration enforcement “organized brutality.”

    “The federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. It is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And today, that campaign claimed yet another life,” Walz said.

    He said the state, and not the federal government, will lead the investigation into the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

    Pretti was shot and killed by federal officers amid an immigration operation.

    “Minnesotans and our local law enforcement have done everything we can to deescalate. The federal government must deescalate. I once again call on the President to remove the 3,000 agents from Minnesota who are sowing chaos and violence.”

    Congressional Democrats sharply criticize DHS chief Kristi Noem

    Congressional Democrats responded with immediate outrage to the killing of another person by federal agents in Minneapolis.

    Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called for ICE to be “abolished” and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached.

    “Trump has created a militarized police force accountable only to him and ready to murder people in our streets. These agents need to leave our cities NOW,” the California Democrat wrote on social media.

    Congressman Brad Schneider, chair of the moderate New Democratic Coalition in the U.S. House, called for an investigation into the shooting and for federal agents to leave Minnesota.

    “Every agent involved in this shooting must be suspended pending a full and independent investigation and ultimately held to account for their actions today,” Schneider said in a statement. “And, Kristi Noem has got to go. She needs to resign or be fired. If not, Congress must act,” the Illinois Democrat continued.

    Man identified who was shot and killed amid Minneapolis immigration operation

    The man who was shot and killed by a federal officer during an immigration operation has been identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti. His parents told The Associated Press that Pretti was an intensive care unit nurse.

    Vance criticizes local authorities for refusing to cooperate with ICE agents

    Vice President JD Vance responded to the shooting in a post on X and said that when he visited Minneapolis this week, “what the ICE agents wanted more than anything was to work with local law enforcement so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand.”

    He accused local officials in Minnesota of ignoring requests from ICE agents to work with them.

    Notably, federal officials refused to cooperate with local officials on an investigation into the shooting death of Renee Good on Jan. 7.

    Store owner opens to help protesters amid freezing temperatures

    Allison Bross opened her fashion store, b. Resale, next to the shooting scene for the protesters to grab food, water, use the restroom, receive medical attention and get a warm break from the frigid temperatures outside.

    “We’re a community-based business, we don’t exist without the community,” she said. “So if we hear someone in our neighborhood is getting hurt, I’m going to be here immediately.”

    Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial at a bus stop next to the site of the shooting was taking shape. People left flowers and lit candles.

    Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office asks for National Guard help

    Sheriff Dawanna Witt has requested assistance from the Minnesota National Guard to support deputies at the Whipple Federal Building so that deputies can be assigned to other areas.

    The Minnesota National Guard’s role is to work in support of local law enforcement and emergency responders, providing additional resources, the sheriff’s office said.

    Their presence is meant to help create a secure environment where all Minnesotans can exercise their rights safely, including the right to peacefully protest.

    “We know this moment is challenging for our community. Remember that our local teams are also part of this community. We respect and protect everyone’s rights to voice concerns and stand up for what they believe in, but we urge all actions to remain peaceful and lawful. Our collective priority remains protecting our neighborhoods and keeping people safe,” a statement said.

    Trump weighs in on the shooting in Minneapolis

    Trump posted to his Truth Social account after a man was killed by federal officers during an immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis. Trump’s statement said:

    “This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go — What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do! Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account? And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota? We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW. Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud.

    “The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!”

    DHS says officers fired ‘defensive shots’

    Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

    She said officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him. O’Hara said police believe the man was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”

    Police chief says man shot and killed was a ‘lawful gun owner’

    O’Hara said the man’s only previous interaction with law enforcement as far as he knew was for traffic tickets.

    “And we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry,” he said.

    Police chief asks public, law enforcement to remain calm

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara appealed for calm, both from the public and from federal law enforcement, following the shooting of a man.

    “Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” the chief said.

    “We urge everyone to remain peaceful. We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened, but we need people to remain peaceful in the area.”

    Police also clarified that the age of the man shot is 37.

    Angry crowd gathers after shooting of man in Minneapolis

    An angry crowd gathered after the shooting and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home.

    One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.

    The intersection where the shooting has been blocked off, and Border Patrol agents are on the scene wielding batons.

    The shooting happened a day after thousands of demonstrators protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city’s streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.

    Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar expresses outrage at shooting

    Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has expressed outrage at the shooting of a man during an immigration operation.

    “Donald Trump and all your lieutenants who ordered this ICE surge: watch the horrific video of the killing today. The world is watching. Thousands of citizens stopped and harassed. Local police no longer able to do their work. Kids hiding. Schools closed. Get ICE out of Minnesota,” Klobuchar said in a message posted on X.

    Minnesota Democrats react to the shooting

    Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith issued a statement after the shooting of a man during an ICE operation. She said, “We are gathering more information, but ICE must leave now so MPD can secure the scene and do their jobs.”

    Rep. Angie Craig said in a statement that she has seen “my own eyes the video of another horrific killing by ICE agents this morning in Minneapolis. This is sickening.

    “The agency is beyond out of control. How much more evidence do my Republican colleagues in Minnesota need to speak out?”

    Minneapolis police chief calls for calm

    Police Chief Brian O’Hara called for protesters who amassed at the scene of a shooting to stay calm and leave the area. “Please do not destroy our own city,” he said at a news conference.

    Rep. Omar releases statement after Minnesota shooting

    Rep. Ilhan Omar issued a statement after the shooting of a man by federal officers in Minnesota.

    “I am absolutely heartbroken, horrified, and appalled that federal agents murdered another member of our community. It is beyond shameful these federal agents are targeting our residents instead of protecting them,” she said in a statement.

    “This isn’t isolated or accidental. The Trump administration is trying to beat us into submission rather than protect us. … This administration cannot continue violating constitutional rights under the guise of immigration enforcement.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Ads falsely say you “must act” for Trump “tariff dividend”

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    An email advertisement claims people can secure President Donald Trump’s $2,000 “tariff payout,” claiming interested parties “must act” to secure the money.

    “Trump’s $2,000 tariff dividend is live but you must act,” says a Jan. 16 email from a group that calls itself Major Gross Profit. The email encourages readers to click a link to secure a $2,000 “tariff payout.” And it notes that “the first checks are just the beginning.” 

    The message has caused U.S. recipients of the message to question whether a tariff payment once promised by President Donald Trump could be forthcoming.  

    In November, Trump pledged to share tariff revenues with Americans in the form of dividends. However, that has yet to happen, and Trump has provided few details about his plan. 

    In other words: The money isn’t yet available. Even if it were, the government probably wouldn’t require most eligible Americans “to act.” It would be unusual for the government to direct people to a third-party in order to access dividends. In the past, including during the COVID-19 pandemic under Trump’s first term, the federal government issued stimulus money to Americans directly. 

    PolitiFact emailed Major Gross Profit but didn’t receive a response. The company’s email names Finance and Investing Traffic, LLC, in Delaware, as its parent company. Finance and Investing Traffic isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit agency that tracks business services. The bureau’s website shows more than two dozen complaints about the company’s tactics, especially spam emails.

    Information technology professionals said the email could pose a cybersecurity threat. 

    Scammers sometimes send emails to people hoping the recipient will share personal information, such as their social security number, said Steven Weisman, a law professor at Bentley University who studies cybersecurity threats. 

    Weisman noted that Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador recently warned Idahoans about unsolicited text messages claiming recipients must act urgently to receive $2,000 tariff rebate checks. “Any message claiming you must respond to receive a payment is a scam,” Labrador said in a consumer alert. 

    The Major Gross Profit email encourages people to click links that will open a new page. Weisman cautioned against that. “In some instances, merely clicking on the link will download malware,” he said. 

    Vassil Roussev, director of the University of New Orleans Cyber Center, clicked on one of the Major Gross Profit email’s links while in a safe technological environment. He sent us a screenshot showing the email redirects to a webpage encouraging people to buy gold from a specific company. “President Trump’s economic revival plan is delivering and the media’s silence proves it,” the webpage claimed.

    No tariff checks approved

    During the first year of his second term, Trump imposed tariffs — which are basically import taxes — on a range of products from other countries, in an effort to raise U.S. revenue. Tariffs are paid by the companies exporting the goods to the U.S. Those companies often pass the added cost to consumers in the form of higher prices.

    The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the legality of Trump’s actions on tariffs, which he instituted using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to go around Congress, a constitutionally questionable strategy. If justices rule against Trump, they could force the government to return some of its tariff revenue — potentially shrinking the pot of money available for dividends. 

    Trump’s tariffs helped the U.S. collect about $189 billion more in tariff revenues in 2025 than it did in 2024, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model. If Trump’s tariffs are left in place, they could raise $2.2 trillion dollars in federal government revenue over the next decade, according to a Jan. 9 analysis by the nonprofit Tax Foundation. That total sum could shrink depending on economic factors, such as how foreign nations respond to the tariffs, Tax Foundation said. 

    In a Nov. 9 social media post, Trump said he would use the revenue to issue “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!)” — a claim he reiterated the next day. 

    Trump didn’t say what the income eligibility requirements might be if the checks are ever sent out. Giving $2,000 to all 340 million Americans would cost the U.S. government $680 billion.

    Speaking to reporters Jan. 20, Trump reiterated his plan to issue $2,000 dividends at some point in the future: “We have so much money coming in from tariffs … we will be able to make a very substantial dividend to the people of our country,” Trump said.

    The Trump administration hasn’t issued any specific guidance on how or when dividends will be issued. When contacted by PolitiFact, the White House declined to immediately provide additional information. 

    In November, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a $2,000 dividend could “come in lots of forms,” such as tax decreases or other savings already achieved through legislation. Kevin Hassett, who Trump appointed as director of the National Economic Council, said in December that Trump would likely need congressional approval to issue the funds. 

    Asked by reporters on Jan. 20 about Hassett’s comments, Trump said he disagreed with his advisor: “I don’t think we would have to go to Congress, but we’ll find out,” Trump said. 

    If the Trump administration does ultimately issue the dividend, history suggests it wouldn’t require people to go through a third party. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration issued economic stimulus checks to people’s bank accounts with no action required for most people.

    “Funds distributed digitally are distributed as direct deposits to taxpayer accounts at financial institutions, not processed by a third party,” said Alex Muresianu, a senior policy analyst at Tax Foundation. 

    The Internal Revenue Service in 2020 sent stimulus payments directly to people’s bank accounts using data filed with the previous year’s tax returns. Those who hadn’t filed tax returns were encouraged to the IRS website for further guidance. 

    Spokespeople for the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS, didn’t respond to requests for more information on Trump’s promised $2,000 dividends.

    Our ruling

    An email advertisement claims that “Trump’s $2,000 tariff dividend is live but” Americans “must act.” Trump hasn’t issued a tariff dividend. And even if the money had been released, the move likely wouldn’t require many people “to act.” Those who would have to take action to access the funds likely wouldn’t have to go through a third party. We rate the claim False.

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

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  • Winter storm’s ‘major impacts’ could last for days, N.C. governor warns

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    As North Carolina begins preparing for a winter storm this weekend, Gov. Josh Stein said impacts from snow and ice could last for days. He said people should prepare for power outages that could last for days. 

    Much of North Carolina could see ice accumulation of a quarter inch or more, which could cause power outages and make travel treacherous. 

    “Our greatest concerns remain for travel and power outages that could last for days,” the governor said. 

    The governor said people should stay off the roads starting Saturday evening. Icy roads could last for days with cold temperatures in the forcast well into next week, he said. 

    Earlier this week, crews with the state Department of Transportation began treating the roads with brine and removing abandoned vehicles from the side of roadways in preparation for icy conditions. 

    Officials say high-rise vehicles have been prepped and are ready to be deployed for any rescue efforts, the forest service is prepared to remove any downed trees and aviation units from the State Highway Patrol and N.C. National Guard are ready to be deployed if necessary.

    Equipment is also being prestaged, Daniel Johnson, the state’s transportation secretary said, in areas that are known trouble spots for rapid response.

    Duke Energy is also bringing in crews from across the country to respond as quickly as possible to any outages that may occur, Stein said. At this time, the governor said there is no estimate as to how many people may lose power across the state, but everything that can be done is being done to ensure it is restored as quickly as possible to those impacted.

    Power outages should not be reported to 911. All outages should be reported directly to the power companies through their websites. The North Carolina Department of Public Saftey has created an interactive map to track power outages across the state, with the number of homes and business impacted. 

    Related: 10 tips to help you get through another winter storm in N.C.

    To help residents prepare for the coming winter storm, North Carolina Emergency Management officials are recommending the following tips:

    • Pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared for what’s expected in your area
    • Keep cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged
    • Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts
    • Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing
    • Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit, and road map
    • Gather emergency supplies for your pet, including leash and care supplies, enough food for several days, and a pet travel carrier
    • Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather
    • Look out for your friends, neighbors, and the elderly during winter weather

    If your power goes out:

    • Ensure generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
    • Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors
    • Properly vent kerosene heaters
    • Use battery-powered sources for light, instead of candles, to reduce the risk of fire

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Justin Pryor, Blair Hamilton

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  • Group builds outdoor pet houses ahead of winter storm

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    GASTON COUNTY, N.C. —  A group of volunteers is filling the gaps to help keep pets safe during the winter storm.

    What You Need To Know

    • AJ’s Landscaping and the Animal League of Gaston County have been building outdoor pet houses for those in need since 2018

    • The group partners with the Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement

    • The initiative aims to keep pets safe during extreme temperatures, including the upcoming winter storm

    • Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement recommends people to bring dogs inside, if not they say outdoor shelter is essential


    Melissa Lawing of AJ’s Landscaping and the Animal League of Gaston County are behind this effort that builds outdoor pet houses and offers straw for pets in need in the community. 

    Since its inception, Lawing said the group has built almost 800 outdoor pet houses. 

    This effort is in partnership with the Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement. 

    Capt. Kyle Yancey said he advises dog owners to bring their dogs inside, whether it’s a garage, home or a storage building during the storm. If that’s not possible, he said outdoor shelter is essential.

    “We always encourage them to have some type of structure with four walls and a roof and preferably off the ground, so that they can have some insulation. So a lot of times the straw can be underneath the house. That helps insulate it. That can be straw inside the house,” Yancey said. 

    Volunteer Amanda Fifield spent part of her Friday helping build outdoor houses for pets ahead of the storm.

    “My biggest concern is they’re not going to have enough shelter, and they’re not going to have any heat, and they’re going to freeze to death,” Fifield said. 

    Fifield said their effort has had an impact in the community.

    “I think it’s making a difference for sure, because the dogs have a place to go,” Fifield said. 

    She recalls seeing the reaction of dogs when she has delivered dog houses and straw with Lawing before. 

    “To see the dogs as soon as they see the dog house or the straw, they just go right in after we get it all settled in, with all the straw and everything. They just go right in, and they’ll sit. Some get really excited, and they’ll jump around and jump in, jump out. You can tell it’s really loved,” Fifield said.

    Kenneth White has noticed the difference firsthand. While he plans to bring his dogs inside of the house during the storm, he’s grateful for the outdoor dog houses and fence the group built for his pets.

    “They have more room to play? They’re a whole lot more calm than they were before. It’s been a really big help,” White said.

    On Friday people were also stopping by AJ’s Landscaping to pick up free straw, including Teresa Christopher. She said she was picking it up for someone else’s dog houses. 

    “If you cannot bring them inside. It is very vital to have it, to try to keep them warm,” Christopher said.

    Fifield, who fosters dogs with medical needs, has witnessed the need for outdoor dog houses this week.

    “The dog that I picked up the other day, he was an outside dog. He’s only five months old, and he was going to weather the storm outside all by himself. It just breaks my heart,” Fifield said. 

    The dog will now stay warm inside during the storm with three other foster dogs and her six dogs. 

    She plans to continue giving back by helping dogs who need an extra helping hand.

    “I just want to do what I can to help out the dogs,” Fifield said.

    The group has 45 houses available this time around. Those interested can contact Gaston Police Animal Care and Enforcement for more information.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Estephany Escobar

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  • College Football Playoff to remain at 12 teams

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    IRVING, Texas — The College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams after the commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten couldn’t come up with a compromise for expansion.

    What You Need To Know

    • The College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams after the commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten couldn’t come up with a compromise for expansion

    • The CFP Management Committee announced Friday the 12-team format would stay the same for the 2026-27 season

    • The decision provides additional time for evaluation and discussion on the current format and potential changes in the future

    • The CFP went from four teams to 12 teams for the 2024 season, and the two most powerful conferences favored further expansion but could not agree on a number

    The CFP Management Committee announced Friday the 12-team format would stay the same for the 2026-27 season. The decision provides additional time for evaluation and discussion on the current format and potential changes in the future.

    The CFP went from four teams to 12 teams for the 2024 season, and the two most powerful conferences favored further expansion but could not agree on a number.

    The SEC pushed for 16 teams, with an emphasis on at-large bids — a format favored by the Power Four leagues other than the Big Ten and most of the smaller conferences that are hoping for access into whatever comes next.

    The Big Ten has pushed for a bracket of up to 24 teams with multiple automatic qualifiers from each conference. It could do away with the need for conference title games and replace them with seeding games to determine, say, two or three of the automatic spots.

    “After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said. “This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change. While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful.”

    The 2026-27 season’s format will feature 12 teams based on conference champions and final ranking by the CFP selection committee. First-round games will be played on campus sites, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals hosted by the CFP bowls, and the national championship game, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 25, 2027.

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  • Gov. Stein and emergency officials discuss preparations ahead of winter storm

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    Preparations are underway across North Carolina for a winter storm that is expected to bring snow, sleet, and accumulating freezing rain to most of the state this weekend, creating hazardous conditions that could last for several days.

    Related: Get the latest information on the winter storm and what’s expected in North Carolina

    After issuing a state of emergency declaration Wednesday, Gov. Josh Stein and other state officials spoke Thursday morning about what is being done to ensure impacts are as minimal as possible. Stein said the storm is expected to be “a massive disruption to people’s lives.”

    “A winter storm is approaching, and now is the time to prepare,” Stein said. “Please get ready. Get everything you need in advance of the storm and have a plan in case your power goes out. I encourage all North Carolinians to stay home and off the roads this weekend unless absolutely necessary so first responders can do their jobs safely and effectively.”

    Officials say the state has already activated its Emergency Response Team, and crews with the Department of Transportation are hitting roadways to pre-treat with brine, restocking salt supplies and making sure equipment is ready for whatever issues the storm may bring. Crews are also in the process of removing any abandoned or disabled vehicles from the sides of roadways, Stein said Thursday.

    “From the mountains to the coast, our crews are already out brining roads and bridges ahead of the winter storm,” said Daniel Johnson, the state’s transportation secretary. “We’re asking everyone to do their part to prepare now and avoid travel once the storm hits so crews can safely clear the roads.”

    Officials say high-rise vehicles have been prepped and are ready to be deployed for any rescue efforts, the forest service is prepared to remove any downed trees and aviation units from the State Highway Patrol and N.C. National Guard are ready to be deployed if necessary.

    Equipment is also being prestaged, Johnson said, in areas that are known trouble spots for rapid response.

    Duke Energy is also bringing in crews from across the country to respond as quickly as possible to any outages that may occur, Stein said. At this time, the governor said there is no estimate as to how many people may lose power across the state, but everything that can be done is being done to ensure it is restored as quickly as possible to those impacted.

    Related: 10 tips to help you get through another winter storm in N.C.

    To help residents prepare for the coming winter storm, North Carolina Emergency Management officials are recommending the following tips:

    • Pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared for what’s expected in your area
    • Keep cell phones, mobile devices, and spare batteries charged
    • Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts
    • Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing
    • Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit, and road map
    • Gather emergency supplies for your pet, including leash and care supplies, enough food for several days, and a pet travel carrier
    • Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather
    • Look out for your friends, neighbors, and the elderly during winter weather

    If your power goes out:

    • Ensure generators are operated outside and away from open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
    • Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas grill indoors
    • Properly vent kerosene heaters
    • Use battery-powered sources for light, instead of candles, to reduce the risk of fire

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Justin Pryor

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  • N.C. campuses preparing for potential winter weather impacts

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Colleges and universities across North Carolina are preparing for potential winter weather that could disrupt travel, classes and campus operations statewide.

    What You Need To Know

    • Weather experts predicting possible icy storm conditions across North Carolina this weekend

    • Several campuses are sharing their plans to keep students, staff and faculty safer amid the winter conditions 

    • Some students said they feel safer knowing their learning institutions are taking steps to protect their campus community


    UNC Charlotte is closely monitoring the forecast inside its Emergency Operations Center.

    Christopher “Chris” Gonyar, the university’s associate vice chancellor for safety and security, said inside the center, UNC Charlotte’s emergency management team prioritizes planning ahead before an extreme weather event arrives.

    “In the summer and spring, we’re looking at thunderstorms and tornadoes,” Gonyar said. “During the winter, we’re looking at snow/ice, wintry precipitation. They gather that information, then I’ll come into the Emergency Operations Center [where] they’ll give me an update or brief on what we expect the day to look like.”

    UNC Charlotte has enrolled over 32,000 students and operates around the clock.

    Gonyar said assessing potential impacts helps guide decisions about classes and events.

    “We have to start making decisions about our campus operations before snow and ice start to fall,” Gonyar said.

    Gonyar said preparation is key with responding to this weekend’s potential winter storm, stating the emergency management team is planning for what appears to be an “impactful winter weather event.”

    “We’re taking a look at what that means for our campus operations. What are we doing about classes on Monday,” Gonyar said.

    “UNC Charlotte has continued to grow over the years, so we are a 24/7, 365-day-a-year campus. It may surprise some folks, but we do have a small number of classes that occur on Sunday, and events over the weekend. We’re planning and preparing for how we maintain those operations or do we recommend those things are postponed.”

    Many students stay on the campus grounds in residence halls that could be impacted by an ice storm.

    “Making sure we have plans in place to continue to provide food and housing for the population that lives on campus,” Gonyar said.  

    Gonyar said safety remains the top priority when making operational decisions.

    “The most important thing to us is the health and safety of the UNC Charlotte community,” Gonyar said. “Every decision we make is guided by that principle.”

    “We would much rather err on the side of making a call considering safety and have it be all rain, then waiting on a decision until it’s too late and putting our community in harm’s way because they tried to get on a road to travel to make it to class or we didn’t cancel an event, so they try to get themselves to that event,” Gonyar said. “We always start with safety and security, then we look at operations and how that will be impacted by the decision that we make.”

    Associate Vice Chancellor for Safety and Security at UNC Charlotte Christopher Gonyar, upper left, is monitoring the looming storm inside the Emergency Operations Center. (Spectrum News 1/Jennier Roberts)

    UNC Charlotte student Xavier Deloach said he is stocking up on essentials and paying close attention to campus updates.

    “Grocery shopping, stack up on food, toilet paper, tissues, lots of water,” Deloach said.

    The business analytics major said he finds comfort in knowing UNC Charlotte has eyes on the potential ice storm.

    “It makes me feel kind of safe they’re taking preparations for everyone,” Deloach said. “Make sure people are not going out here [unnecessarily].”

    The university also operates The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City.

    Gonyar said his team is also planning on ways to ensure that uptown community is safe during the expected weather storm.

    “They do tend to have a lot of larger events that bring in folks from outside the state or community, so we have to think about those things as well. It’s not necessarily just our thousand acres in Northeast Charlotte,” Gonyar said.

    In Union County, Wingate University has been making plans as forecasts raise concerns about freezing rain and sleet.

    The campus serves over 3,600 students across two campuses in the Town of Wingate and in Hendersonville.

    Associate Vice President of Campus Operations Glenda Bebber said their safety remains top priority for the learning institution.

    “We can’t function without taking care of our students,” Bebber said. “They’re our No. 1 priority.”

    Bebber said staff and leaders recently held an emergency preparedness meeting to determine next steps for operations in the event conditions worsen.

    “We have several members across the campus who participated from academics, to operations, campus safety, academic support, dean of students, athletics, to make sure we can keep our students as safe as possible,” Bebber said.

    Bebber said the leaders discussed the best path forward with how many students could be managed safely, in the event a power outage extends beyond a 24-hour period on campus.

    “It’s mainly just a safety issue,” Bebber said. “Can we feed students, keep them warm, what access do they have to internet capabilities,” Bebber said. 

    Wingate has been making several preparations in the event the worst does occur.

    Bebber said her team has 4,000 pounds of ice melt on deck to help create clear pathways to key buildings like the W.T. Harris Dining Hall and the Crowder Welcome Center. Those spaces will serve as campus shelters if power is lost. 

    Glenda Bebber, far left, is the associate vice president of campus operations for Wingate University. Bebber and director of grounds Blake Center are prepping ice melt ahead of the expected winter storm. (Spectrum News 1/Jennifer Roberts)

    Glenda Bebber, far left, the associate vice president of campus operations for Wingate University, and Director of Grounds Blake Center are prepping ice melt ahead of the expected winter storm. (Spectrum News 1/Jennifer Roberts)

    “Our concern at this point is being able to get it out enough, as well as the temperatures for the ice melt to actually be effective,” Bebber said. “We also have several tons of sand on campus, so if the ice melt isn’t being as effective, we are prepared to put out sand to make a path to W.T. Harris Dining Hall, which we are staging to have students come in, serve food and have a warm place to go.”

    Wingate University said “residential facilities do not have generators and will be without power” in the event of an outage event.  

    “We also have some heaters coming in that also have a generator power. We’re staging those [in shelters] to be able to provide additional heat source, should our students need to leave their residence halls or apartments and come somewhere that will be warmer,” Bebber said.

    Grounds crews are also preparing for potential damage from ice.

    “We got more of our hard hats for chainsaws,” said Blake Center, director of grounds at Wingate. “We don’t know if there’s going to be any fallen trees on campus because of the ice, so we went ahead and purchased that. All of our equipment is ready to go, depending on what is going to happen over the next 48-72 hours.” 

    T’Asya Jay is a student athlete at Wingate.

    Jay is currently gearing up for possible power outages and travel challenges.

    “Making sure everything’s charged, enough food in case power goes out, and I’m not able to go anywhere,” Jay said.

    Jay is comforted knowing Wingate Univeristy is taking action ahead of the icy events. 

    “Makes me feel a lot better because I personally did not know they were going to do that,” Jay said. “Knowing they’re taking the right steps and making sure we’re all safe and protected and covered for the weather this weekend is good to know.”  

    In a campus community communications, Wingate University confirmed “classes will be remote on Monday for all programs on both campuses.”

    The university also stated “students are encouraged to have fresh batteries for flashlights and phone charging backup” and “candles or any open flames are strictly forbidden and should not be used.”

    Spectrum News 1 reached out to several additional colleges and universities in the state ahead of the weather events.

    In a statement to our news team, UNC-Chapel Hill Strategic Communications Manager Erin Spandorf said the university is “closely monitoring the potential winter storm expected this weekend and assessing what preparations may be needed.”

    According to the university, that includes “evaluating possible operating condition changes and taking appropriate steps to mitigate ice and/or snow impacts.”

    Livingstone College also released an inclement weather plan, further stating no decisions have been made yet regarding Monday operations.

    The college said it will continue to monitor conditions and share updates as they become available.

    Livingstone also said safety remains the top priority and outlined plans for campus safety and emergency services, meal services, residence hall support and a warming center if power outages occur. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to monitor college email and the school’s website for the latest updates.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    Jennifer Roberts

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  • Teen mass killer pleads guilty to NC rampage that left five dead, including brother, police officer

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    An 18-year-old admitted Wednesday to carrying out a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina, which killed five people – including his older brother and a police officer – pleading guilty to murder and multiple other charges just days before trial.

    The Associated Press reported that Austin David Thompson pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assaulting an officer with a gun.

    Thompson was 15 when prosecutors say he opened fire in his Raleigh neighborhood, killing Thompson’s brother James Thompson, along with 52-year-old Nicole Connors, 29-year-old Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, 34-year-old Mary Marshall and 49-year-old Susan Karnatz. He had been scheduled to face a state murder trial later this month before changing his plea.

    Thompson’s lawyers announced Tuesday that he would plead guilty to all charges after months of pretrial motions seeking to restrict what evidence and testimony prosecutors could present. In court filings, his attorneys said avoiding a trial would “save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible.”

    MISSISSIPPI PROSECUTORS TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY AGAINST MAN ACCUSED OF DEADLY RAMPAGE THAT INCLUDED GIRL, PASTOR

    Austin Thompson is sworn in during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

    Wearing a quarter-zip sweater and slacks, Thompson offered few words as Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway questioned him and formally accepted the guilty pleas.

    Ridgeway scheduled sentencing for Feb. 2, a hearing expected to span several days. Thompson and his attorney confirmed no plea deal was reached with prosecutors.

    Because Thompson was a minor at the time of the shootings, he is not eligible for the death penalty. Ridgeway could impose life sentences without parole, though state law also allows for sentences that make him eligible for parole after at least 25 years. A recent ruling by state appeals judges capped the amount of time juvenile offenders must serve before becoming eligible for parole at 40 years.

    TRIAL UNDERWAY FOR FORMER UVALDE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF SLOW RESPONSE TO SHOOTING

    Austin Thompson in court

    Defense attorney Kellie Mannette touches Austin Thompson’s shoulder during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

    The case was delayed while Thompson recovered from a gunshot wound that Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has said was self-inflicted before his arrest, an injury his attorneys contend caused significant brain damage.

    In court, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Latour outlined the evidence prosecutors would have presented at trial, describing the sequence of events on Oct. 13, 2022.

    Latour said Thompson first shot and then repeatedly stabbed James inside the family’s home in the Hedingham neighborhood. Prosecutors said Thompson then moved through the neighborhood armed with a shotgun and a handgun, killing Connors and then Torres. Another neighbor was wounded and survived.

    SIX KILLED IN SERIES OF MISSISSIPPI SHOOTINGS, INDIVIDUAL IN CUSTODY: REPORTS

    Raleigh Police Department Officer Gabriel Torres

    Raleigh Police Department Officer Gabriel Torres, who was fatally shot in an Oct. 13, 2022, mass shooting. (Fox News Channel)

    Authorities said Thompson later continued the attack on a nearby greenway trail, where he fatally shot Marshall and Karnatz.

    Police said officers eventually located Thompson near McConnell Oliver Drive, where he opened fire, wounding Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark. Multiple officers returned fire, discharging about 23 rounds before Thompson was placed in handcuffs.

    “At the time, he was wearing camouflage clothing and a backpack, and a handgun was in his waistband. The backpack contained various items, including several types of shotgun/rifle ammunition. A sheath for a large knife was found clipped to his belt, and a large hunting knife was found at the front of the outbuilding. A shotgun and shotgun shells were lying on the ground near him,” Raleigh Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said in a report at the time.

    NASHVILLE SHOOTER AUDREY HALE ALLEGEDLY USED FEDERAL STUDENT AID TO BUY GUNS FOR SCHOOL ATTACK

    Tracey Howard attends Austin Thompson's hearing

    Tears well in Tracey Howard’s eyes as he hears a prosecutor describe his wife Nicole Connors’ murder during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

    Wednesday’s hearing offered few new details about Thompson’s motive. His attorneys wrote this week that a brain injury suffered during the case has left him unable to explain why he carried out the shootings.

    Latour said a note written by Thompson addressed why he killed his brother, but the contents were not disclosed in court and were ordered sealed. Latour also said investigators recovered records showing Thompson searched online for information about mass shootings and related topics, evidence the defense said could be challenged at sentencing.

    Robert Steele, the fiancé of Marshall, said after the hearing that Thompson should be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

    “That’s justice,” Steele said. “He took five people’s lives; he tried to take two others.”

    In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun authorities said was found with his son after the attack and received a suspended sentence and probation.

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

    Investigators also seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition – some of them empty – from the Thompson home, according to search warrants. Latour said Thompson and his family were avid hunters.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

    Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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  • Administrators indicted in investigation at Durham elementary school

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    Three administrators with Durham Public Schools were indicted Tuesday in an investigation into a 2024 incident at Eno Valley Elementary School, according to the superintendent. The three were also suspended with pay, officials said.

    Superintendent Anthony Lewis did not give details on what happened, but said the incident happened at the elementary school in November 2024 and was reported to police. Instructional assistants involved in the incident resigned shortly after it was reported, he said. 

    “Because active legal and personnel matters are ongoing, there are limits on what additional details I can share at this time,” Lewis said in an email to parents Wednesday morning.

    “What I want to be clear about is this: nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students. Any matter involving student safety must be handled with urgency, care, and full cooperation,” he said. 

    “Durham Public Schools has established policies and procedures in place to protect student safety and, as our review moves forward, we will reinforce expectations and apply what we learn to ensure those practices meet the high standards families expect and students deserve,” Lewis said.

    He said parents could contact their principal or the DPS public affairs office with any questions or concerns. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Charles Duncan

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  • ICE issues detainer for suspect in deadly Rowan Co. crash

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    ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — The Rowan and Catawba County communities are mourning the loss of a young couple killed in a crash.

    Skylar Provenza, 19, and Fletcher Harris, 20, were killed in a wreck Friday evening. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, the couple was driving on Amity Hill Road in Rowan County when a Chevrolet Silverado crossed the center line and hit them head-on. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Skylar Provenza and Fletcher Harris were killed in a crash Friday

    •  N.C. Highway Patrol said the crash was caused by a driver who was under the influence of alcohol

    •  The man charged for the crash is being held on $5 million bond

    • ICE has issued a detainer for the suspect in the crash


    Troopers said the driver of the Silverado, Juan Alvarado Aguilar, was driving while under the influence of alcohol. In a court hearing Tuesday, prosecutors for the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office said troopers smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Alvarado Aguilar at the crash scene, and that he stumbled before being handcuffed.

    Alvarado Aguilar has been charged with driving while impaired and two counts of felony death by motor vehicle. He was originally granted a $250,000 bond, but prosecutors asked a judge Tuesday to increase his bond due to concerns that he could flee the jurisdiction.

    According to the district attorney’s office, Alvarado Aguilar failed to appear for two previous court hearings for a speeding charge and previous DWI charge. The judge increased Alvarado Aguilar’s bond to $5 million. 

    Prosecutors also confirmed Alvarado Aguilar is in the U.S. illegally. He has been placed under an ICE detainer.

    Friday’s crash has devastated Provenza and Harris’ loved ones. 

    “They were so in love,” Danielle Neal, the owner of Tobo’s Diner, said. “She truly was so happy with him. They were always together. If you saw one, you saw the other.”

    Neal, Provenza’s former employer at Tebo’s Diner, said Skylar had recently finished esthetician school and was preparing to start a new job at a salon.

    “Skylar wasn’t just an employee to us,” Neal said. “She was family. She came in every day with a kind heart, a sweet smile and a great work ethic. I want her to be remembered as beautiful, sweet and kind-hearted.”

    Harris, a junior and goalkeeper for Catawba College’s men’s soccer team, is being remembered for his “infectious personality” and “love for the game.” He spent this past summer playing for Hickory FC, a professional men’s soccer club, and helped lead the team to a national championship.

    “We were very fortunate to have him and feel privileged to have had the time we did with him and, certainly, are heartbroken over what happened,” Jonathan Rink, the vice president of operations for Hickory FC, said. “Every training session was fun that he was present at. Every game day was fun. He just brought such an air of excitement and positivity around everything that he was a part of.”

    A scholarship fund has been created in Harris’ honor at Catawba College.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Chloe Salsameda

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  • Prepare now: 10 tips to help you get through another winter storm in N.C.

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    North Carolina is preparing once again for ice and snow.

    Related: A significant winter storm appears likely for North Carolina this weekend

    Here are some tips to stay safe and make the most out of these winter storms:

    Keeping warm

    A walk after a good snow is beautiful, especially in North Carolina. But you need to layer to really stay warm.

    Here’s the official word from North Carolina Emergency Management: “Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing.”

    A couple of long-sleeved shirts and a sweatshirt under that winter jacket will go a long way to keeping everyone warmer when they go out to play in the snow. Long underwear helps, too.

    Taking care of pets

    Pets should not be left outside in winter storms, especially with the cold temperatures forecast for North Carolina this week.

    People should also make sure they’re stocked up on pet food and any medications their pets need before the storm hits.

    Livestock and other animals should be moved to a covered shelter and make sure they have plenty of food and fresh water. Remember, water bowls and troughs can freeze over when the temperature is well below freezing for too long.

    Supplies

    It’s not just pets who need supplies when a winter storm hits. The run on bread and milk has already begun in North Carolina. The governor this week warned that roads could be treacherous for a couple of days with this storm, so people need to make sure they have food and necessary medications.

    N.C. Emergency Management says homes should have at least three days of supplies in case the power goes out and the roads are bad. People should also have batteries on hand for flashlights and weather radios.

    Charge your devices

    People should make sure they keep their phones, battery packs and any other devices fully charged in case the power goes out.

    Reporting power outages

    If the power goes out, report it to the power company, not by calling 911.

    • Duke Energy: 800-769-3766
    • Duke Energy Progress: 800-419-6356
    • Dominion Energy: 866-366-4357

    The N.C. Department of Public Safety has an interactive map to see how many homes and businesses are without power across the state. The DPS site also has a list of numbers to report outages for other power companies and cooperatives.

    Using generators

    The No. 1 rule for power generators is to keep them outside and away from doors and windows. Generators put out carbon monoxide, which is poisonous.

    Every year the media has a story about someone getting very sick or dying because they were using a generator inside. Just don’t do it.

    Cooking while the power is out

    Using a gas or charcoal grill inside can be just as bad as a generator. Do not use a grill inside.

    But camp stoves and grills can be used to cook outside in the cold as normal.

    School closings and remote days

    Weather could impact many school districts across the state during the first part of next week.

    You can track any closings for your area here: Triangle | Coastal N.C. | Triad  | Charlotte  

    What about going sledding?

    Just because some schools decided to go with remote learning days, some kids will still get outside and play in the snow (at least for areas that get snow and not just an ice storm).

    Sleds have been hard to come by in North Carolina. The retailers who did have them will probably be sold out by now. But there are plenty of alternatives for improvised sleds: pool floats, dining hall trays, lids from big Tupperware bins, and anything else that’s reasonably flat and smooth can coast someone down a hill with the right amount of snow.

    Driving in snow and ice

    All the advice from public officials and meteorologists for those in the path of the winter storm is to stay home and don’t drive. But if you have to drive, here’s are some tips for winter weather driving from AAA:

    • Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice
    • Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads
    • Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop
    • Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal
    • Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it
    • Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly
    • Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill

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    Charles Duncan

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