Tag: priority

GARNER, N.C. (WTVD) — Millbrook at Garner highlights Friday night’s slate of high school football.

It’s a battle of unbeaten teams as the Trojans (2-0) host the 1-0 Wildcats.

“The bottom line is, we understand how important it is to play in here,” said Garner head coach Deron Donald. “We’re not supposed to lose at home. Millbrook is a great program, I know they’re going to come in … our guys understand what’s at stake, how vital this is, how important this is, and so our job is to protect the home turf.”

Even though it’s early in the season, Donald said it was like a playoff environment.

Noting that the history between Millbrook and Garner was “deep” and “rich,” he expected a packed stadium for this key early matchup.

“At the end of the day, we expect to be 1-0, we always say 1-0, so tonight we’re going to do what we’re supposed to do to try to come out with a win,” Donald said.

Other noteworthy games on Friday night include West Johnston (2-0) at Cleveland (2-0), Fuquay-Varina (2-0) at Holly Springs (0-1), Wake Forest (1-1), and at Southeast Raleigh (2-0).

Friday’s Scores

Asheville Roberson 49, Sylva Smoky Mountain 7
Bear Grass 38, Jones County 0
Boonville Starmount 49, East Bend Forbush 0
Burlington Cummings 55, Siler City Jordan-Matthews 8
Canton Pisgah 35, Hampton, Tenn. 0
Cape Fear 31, Fayetteville Sanford 7
Charlotte Providence 56, Gastonia Huss 27
Concord Robinson 49, Concord 7
East Wilkes 49, North Wilkes 0
Farmville Central 61, Pamlico County 6
Gates County 28, Manteo 6
Greensboro Dudley 44, Durham Hillside 0
John Paul II Catholic 53, Father Vincent Capodanno 0
Martin County 52, Pinetown Northside 0
Mitchell County 21, Alleghany County 14
Monroe Union Academy 63, Triangle Math & Science 0
Mooresville 66, West Rowan 0
Mount Airy 56, Surry Central 7
Pender County 67, Rose Hill Union 0
Pikeville Aycock 49, North Lenoir 6
Pungo Christian 42, Swan Quarter Mattamuskeet 18
Richlands 19, East Duplin 0
Roanoke Rapids 35, Mooresville Pine Lake Prep 14
Rolesville 52, East Wake 0
South Pointe, S.C. 63, Ballantyne Ridge 0
Tarboro 75, North Edgecombe 0

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — School safety is on the minds of many here in North Carolina, especially the wake of a mass shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday.

Some school districts in the Triangle area shared with ABC11 what they’re doing to ensure students are safe, including in Wake County.

“We know who enters into our buildings, we have the “See something, Say something” anonymous app where students are able to report things that they may see anonymously,” Wake superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor said. “But if we don’t engage in the human behavior aspect, then that’s what’s going to cause schools to be unsafe.”

So far this year there have been 385 mass shootings as of September 4, including the latest one in Georgia at Apalachee High School which is about 45 minutes from Atlanta. Two students and two teachers were killed in that shooting Wednesday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one with four or more people injured or killed, not including the perpetrator, counted 656 Mass Shootings in 2023, 646 in 2022, 689 in 2021 and 610 in 2020.

Dr. Trump said while some schools have invested in security, such as door locks and metal detectors, it’s also important to focus on people, namely support staff.

“We’re spending too much time on the bells and whistles and shiny objects of technology and products and less and less time on the connectedness,” Trump said. “The training and the people part, that’s really going to make a difference.”

One of the common threads in school shootings involves questions about people’s failures, according to Trump.

“In analyzing the highest profile school shootings, we know that they involve after the fact questions about failures of human factors, people, policies, procedures training, communications,” Trump said. “Were there warning signs? Were school officials prepared? Did everyone respond properly?”

In Durham County, Durham Public Schools said two anonymous tip systems are monitored 24/7, in addition to their standard response protocols.

The following statement from Eva Howard, DPS executive director of safety and security is below.

“Durham Public Schools follows protocols, procedures, and policies that support the safety and security of the Durham Public Schools community. We utilize a robust emergency management program and partnership with local and state first responders, law enforcement, and emergency response personnel.

Durham Public Schools remains proactive in ensuring our community is educated, equipped, and prepared to respond efficiently in the event of an emergency.

Our district provides education and training on our standard response protocols, emergency procedures, district policies, and operating procedures that support us in emergency preparedness.

We also provide resources available to our community such as two anonymous tip systems (Sandy Hook Promise Say Something Anonymous Tip and Motorola Text -a-tip) that are monitored 24/7.

The safety and security of Durham Public Schools remains our top priority and we look to our administrators, staff, students, families, and community for their support. The safety and security of the DPS community is the responsibility of us all.”

Experts say anonymous reporting is one valuable resource to help prevent more mass shootings.

“The good news is we have many cases where kids come forward and tell adults that they trust and these types of incidents are prevented,” Trump said.

“We want to make sure that we recognize those early warning signs, that we get a climate, a culture of safety, where kids come forward and tell adults that they trust because the kids know best about another student that’s having a problem.”

RELATED | Cumberland County school district implement upgraded safety measures

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — The UNC-Chapel Hill fraternity brothers who protected an American flag after it was being pulled down during a pro-Palestinian protest, are being honored on Labor Day.

With the tagline, “Celebrating UNC’s Patriots,” the Flagstock 2024 concert will be somewhere near the UNC campus. The exact location has not been revealed yet because of safety concerns.

Thousands of tickets have been passed out among the 10 fraternities who helped protect the flag.

Starting at 7:30 p.m., several music artists will be performing including Big & Rich, Aaron Lewis and Lee Greenwood. Dance and electronic duo Twinsick will headline the after-party.

Local police, veterans and members of the ROTC will also be recognized at the concert.

A GoFundMe for the event raised about $515,000. ABC11 was told that some of that money would go to local charities.

Flagstock is not connected to UNC and will not be held on campus. UNC released a statement regarding the event, saying in part:

“The University upholds and supports the freedoms of others to assemble, express their thoughts and hold events. The Flagstock event is not a university-sponsored event.”

Back in April

After a clash between pro-Palestinian protesters and law enforcement in Chapel Hill, the protesters moved to UNC’s main quad and removed the American flag, replacing it with the Palestinian one.

A group of UNC fraternity brothers guarded the flag, keeping it from touching the ground. It’s an image and moment that has been talked about for months now.

Some of these fraternity brothers spoke at the Republican National Convention.

MORRISVILLE,N.C. (WTVD) — A child was abducted away from his father at gunpoint Friday afternoon, according to Morrisville Police Department.

Officers began the investigation after responding to an apartment complex on Bloom Road around 2:20 p.m. An AMBER Alert was issued more than 6 hours later for Brandis Tyrone Smith Jr.

“Just very devastating, especially knowing it happened to people that lived here.” That’s what neighbor Stacey Howe said when she heard about the investigation.

The AMBER Alert identifies Smith Jr. as being 4 years old and approximately 3-foot-6, weighing 40 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black shirt with the words “daddy’s boy” across it.

According to police, Deneshia Williams and her boyfriend Jontae Purdie, as well as an unknown man are the main suspects in the crime.

Williams, who is Smith Jr.’s mother, reportedly pointed a gun at the child’s father during the abduction. Police said the child’s father was also physically assaulted by Purdie and the other man.

During that altercation, the child’s father’s girlfriend tried to get Smith Jr. away from the situation. However, before they could escape, police said Williams pointed the gun at the girlfriend and took her wallet.

Williams then took Smith Jr. and left.

“I just feel really bad for the father and the little boy. I’ve run into them a lot. They live below me, and I can just say he’s a really great dad. He works a lot, and his son is just a really cute, smart kid,” Howe said.

Police have sought warrants for the three suspects on charges of assault by pointing a gun, armed robbery and one count of simple assault.

An AMBER Alert was issued shortly after 8:30 p.m. It’s unclear what took hours to get the AMBER Alert activated.

The child was last seen traveling with the three suspects in a blue Nissan Maxima with NC tags (LCN-3940).

The vehicle was believed to be traveling to Fayetteville.

Editor’s note: The initial version of this article identified the child as being 2 years old. That’s what Morrisville Police Department originally reported. The article was changed when the AMBER Alert was issued with different information.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Thursday is a First Alert Day in central North Carolina as severe storms are possible and a heat advisory is in effect.

The day begins with sunny skies and warming temperatures eventually reaching into the upper 90s and feels-like temperatures jumping to 106 degrees.

Storms will not move in until late in the evening. The morning and early afternoon will be dry, but sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight, storms could start popping up.

Not everybody in central North Carolina will see storms, but the storms that do develop could be severe with damaging straight-line wind.

High temperatures drop back down into the low 90s starting Friday, and a low risk for isolated storms remains in place through the weekend

Next week, high temperatures will drop into the 70s, with some lows even flirting with the 50s.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Some home building cues in Durham are obvious, like the latest high-rise residential tower under construction downtown. But in Durham’s Southside community, not far from the gentrified homes that some dreamers wish they could afford, you can hear the echoes of hammers driving nails as crews build the first of ten Habitat for Humanity homes.

The work’s underway days after Vice President Kamala Harris said if her bid for the White House succeeds, she’ll work to provide up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to first-time prospective homeowners.

That possibility makes Reverend Jerome T. Washington smile. His church owns the land where Habitat is building now.

“I was excited,” he said when asked about the Harris proposal. “We meet people every day who are hard-working people who are sincere and wanting homeownership, but it’s out of reach for them. So that idea was a fantastic idea of helping people through the process of becoming a homeowner.”

He knows as Durham attracts more homebuyers from out of town with lots of cash after selling homes in other hot markets, the competition’s led to escalating prices at a time when interest rates are also high.

“And because of the need for affordable housing, our church initially thought of working with developers in building homes, not necessarily affordable housing when we thought about it. So we revisited the idea and realized that the best possible way to do this was a partnership with people who build houses, affordable houses every day,” he said.

So the Mount Vernon Church he pastors formed an alliance with Habitat, and the results can be seen by anyone who drives or walks through the construction zone not far from downtown Durham.

ALSO SEE: Durham County Board of Elections relocates to new office at Shoppes of Hope Valley

“For years, Mount Vernon owned this particular property. As a matter of fact…. it may have been where the old parsonage is,” he said. “But over the years, we’ve acquired properties around this community as we move forward in building affordable housing.”

Plans call for building ten Habitat homes on the property owned by his church. The families who’ll occupy those homes haven’t been selected yet, so there’s still time to apply for one in Durham, or wherever you live if there’s a Habitat build underway.

“First of all, contact Habitat for Humanity,” said Carleena Deonanan of Durham Habitat’s board of directors. “We have on our Website a list of all the things that you need to do in order to qualify. Stay on it, be diligent. Make sure that you’re getting the documents that you need to get. We will work with your homeowner’s services that we are open and we are wanting to work with people. And don’t be discouraged. These are ten beautiful homes, but we have other homes and we have other opportunities for homeownership. So come. If you want to explore homeownership in any way, come to us. We will help.”

The activity’s underway, a short drive away from the abandoned former headquarters of Durham’s police department, where a developer’s plans call for renovating the building as part of a project to provide some affordable units, along with market-priced apartments and a hotel.

“I think the keyword is mixed-use, particularly because of what has happened historically with housing developments and income-based developments. I think it’s a great idea.,” said Reverend Washington. “We took that into consideration…We’re happy to say that Mt. Vernon came down on the right side of history when it came to providing those services because the gospel we embrace calls upon us to be transformed…And so not only are we transforming lives, but we’ll be happy to say we transform communities.”

“They will also be very close to the church. So they will have the outreach of the church of elders, of people in their community. So this is what neighborhoods are about. This is what humanity is about.” Deonanan said. “And when I reflect back on what Habitat was originally built for, the money that came through, Habitat called the Fund for Humanity. I find that to be very, very powerful, because what we’ve done is we’ve taken the energy of resources, and we’ve placed them together with Mt. Vernon Baptist Church for Humanity. So we are really proud, and we ask for other faith-based organizations to consider Habitat for Humanity as they may have land.”

DUNN, N.C. (WTVD) — One person is dead, and three others injured after a multi-car crash in Dunn Friday night.

It happened just before 9 a.m. in the 1000 block of Long Branch Road.

According to investigators, when traveling west on Long Branch, a silver Ford Fusion crossed the center line and hit a Toyota Highlander.

This caused the Toyota to roll over several times and hit a Kia Optima head-on where the car’s passenger flew out of the windshield.

The driver of the Ford died at the scene.

The driver and passenger of the Kia were taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Toyota was also taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

No further information has been released at this time.

APEX, N.C. (WTVD) — Nancy Cattrell is going into her 17th year of teaching. During that time, Cattrell has spent thousands of dollars to get her classroom ready for students.

She’s a science teacher at Apex Friendship High School and this year, for the first time, she’s taking advantage the Wake Ed Partnership’s Tools 4 Schools.

That’s a program set up that allows educators to grab some supplies for free using a point system. However, with more than 10,000 teachers employed in the Wake County Public School System, they are limited in how many items they can take.

SEE ALSO | Back to school guide: Students in Raleigh, Durham and Cumberland Counties return to the classroom

Cattrell said she put a good dent in her list and saved about a $120 using the Tools 4 Schools system.

She couldn’t cross off everything and needed to go to a big box store to get more and get the last remaining things she needed to be ready for the first day of classes.

“I ended up spending $114,” she said.

Cattrell still must go to two other places to completely finish the list, but those purchases will have to wait until her bank account is replenished.

“I’ll have to wait for that first paycheck because teachers don’t get paid over the summer. My last paycheck was in May, so I’m not getting another paycheck until August,” Cattrell said.

The WakeEd Partnership, to a degree, can track the need right now for teachers.

WakeEd Partnership President Keith Poston said in the last two years, the nonprofit has given out $1 million worth of free supplies to teachers.

“The real issue is the lack of state funding,” said Poston. “I wish we didn’t have to exist. I talk to legislators and say ‘Look, put me out of business. We can focus on literacy or career path for students, instead of focusing on notebooks and paper.’”

Real dollars are coming out of salaries and it’s happening as North Carolina recently dropped two spots in the National Education Association’s teacher pay rankings.

Our state is now 38th in nation for teacher pay, with the average salary being nearly $13,000 below the national average.

Cattrell can recoup a sliver of her out-of-pocket costs.

“As teachers, we do get a tax write off of $250,” she said. “I will spend over that every single year.”

She believes in the work and says loved ones keep her going.

“There have been struggles, but I’ve always had an amazing support network. Whether it was my parents or my husband. I’ve been very blessed,” said Cattrell.

The WakeEd Partnership said it is always looking for support from the community.

Tools4Schools accepts donations year-round and at special supply drive events like next weekend’s NC Courage and North Carolina FC soccer matches.

SEE MORE | ABC11 Back to School

HILLABOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) — If Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood had to do it over again, he would’ve called Maleah Williams’ family sooner.

“I beat myself up because I didn’t reach out to them early on and tell them, ‘Hey, this has happened. Are you guys still safe?’” Blackwood told ABC11.

Blackwood said his daughter had gone to school and was close friends with a member of the Williams family.

Maleah, 1, was killed in 2015 in Chapel Hill. The man tried and convicted for that crime was Ramone Alston — the same man who escaped from a prison transport van outside UNC Hillsborough Hospitals a week ago.

“If I’ve learned anything it all it’s to be a little more cognizant of what’s going on outside my periphery when those things happened and I hate it happened like it did,” Blackwood said. “They didn’t open it, it was opened for them.”

Blackwood said he’s perplexed as to why Alston was driven all the way from state prison in Bertie County to Hillsborough for treatment.

The Department of Adult Correction said it contracts with UNC Health to provide care and Alston was following up from a prior appointment with a GI doctor.

“I know there are hospitals between here and Bertie County that they drove by to get here,” he said.

Blackwood said Alston ran away from the parking lot in Hillsborough last Tuesday but couldn’t say specifically whether his alleged accomplice Jacobia Crisp picked him up there or helped him later.

The pair met after he was incarcerated, which is something he said he’d seen before.

“You have one person desperate for companionship,” Blackwood said. “Another person is in desperation in need of some kind of approval and the two meet and they bonded,” he said.

In the future, he’d like to see two things improved.

One of them is reducing how much inmates are moved once they are in custody namely for things such as court appearances.

“We place our deputies and our staff in jeopardy when we are moving inmates,” he said. “We’re also placing that inmate in jeopardy because if he jumps out and runs or she runs, there’s a likelihood they’ll get shot or hurt someone,” Blackwood said.

The other is having a secure zone for corrections officers if they have to take an inmate to the hospital.

He said there are issues with that as well because you could be putting a nurse or doctor in harm’s way.

“If he was intent on escaping and that opportunity didn’t present itself in the parking lot, then he would be intent on finding an opportunity inside which might involve grabbing someone,” Blackwood said.

ABC11 asked if he believed Alston had help on the inside. He didn’t elaborate but said it’s easy for corrections officers or anyone to get complacent, noting it is his job as a leader to remind his staff that these things can happen.

ABC11 also reached out to the Department of Adult Correction for further comment.

HILLSBOROUGH,N.C. (WTVD) — A convicted murderer escaped from North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) custody Tuesday morning, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Ramone Alston, 30, was about to receive care at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus at 7 a.m.. The sheriff’s office said Alston managed to free himself from leg restraints while inside a DAC van in the parking lot of the clinic.

“As they (the officers) pulled up to the back entrance of the hospital and as they were removing Mr. Alston from the vehicle, he broke away from the officers in the parking lot and ran to the woods,” DAC Communications Director Keith Acree said.

Two officers were in charge of getting Alston out of the vehicle and into the hospital for treatment. Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said the two officers chased after Alston when he escaped, but they were not able to keep up with him.

Alston was wearing a gray T-shirt, brown pants and New Balance tennis shoes when he ran from the van. He was last seen with his hands still cuffed in front of him.

“Just at this point, until we learn otherwise, the most distinguishing feature is someone running with a belly chain and handcuffs with a black box,” Orange County Sheriff’s Office Communications Manager Alecia Stemper said. “If you see him, call 911 immediately. Do not approach.”

Alston reportedly has friends and family living in the area. However, it remains unclear if this was a planned escape attempt. The active search is focused on the area around UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus

“He’s either within a five mile radius or he’s in the rest of the world, and we’re searching both,” Blackwood said.

Authorities are focusing their search on areas near the Waterstone neighborhood and UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. The hospital released a statement, saying in part:

“UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus went on lockdown for a short time on Tuesday morning following the escape of a Department of Corrections inmate outside the hospital. The inmate fled from the hospital campus, and law enforcement immediately began searching for him. UNC Hospitals police worked with law enforcement to increase security at the Hillsborough campus. The lockdown was lifted around 8:30 a.m. The safety of our teammates, patients and visitors is the top priority for us. We are grateful for our law enforcement partners’ rapid response.”

Due to the search, the Durham Technical Community College campus in Orange County is on lockdown.

Who is Ramone Alston?

Alston was convicted of shooting and killing 1-year-old Maleah Williams on Christmas Day in 2015. The shooting happened in Chapel Hill. Maleah’s mother told ABC11 then that the children were outside playing with their Christmas toys and she was holding her daughter when someone started firing shots in the area. She was running from the area when she realized a bullet had struck Maleah.

Alston and another man, Pierre Je Bron Moore took a plea deal in 2019. Alston received a life sentence for the child’s murder and Moore received 28 to 34 years.

Other escapees in North Carolina

According to DAC, there are currently 33 escaped inmates on the run from custody in North Carolina.

The most recent escapee is Alston. The longest at-large escapee is Eddie Leonard. He escaped on March 26, 1962. Leonard was in prison on first-degree burglary charges.

Of the 33, all but two escaped in the 1900s. Alston and Delfino Juarez are the only DAC inmates to escape in the 21st century who have not yet been apprehended. Juarez escaped September 30, 2000.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — A new chapter starts for Durham Public Schools.

Starting Monday morning, Dr. Anthony Lewis will lead the Durham Public School district for the next four years.

Dr. Lewis has more than two decades of experience in education. For the last six years, he served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in Kansas.

He was described as caring, and compassionate and to have a high expectation for student scholars.

SEE ALSO | DPS’ new superintendent lays out top priorities, vision: ‘I’m ready to get to work’

Lewis plans to bring that same energy here.

This change in leadership comes after the district faced a months-long salary saga that started earlier this year; a financial error prompted multiple sickouts and protests calling for better pay.

One of Lewis’ goals is to create an environment where educators thrive as some of them feel burnt out.

“We have to make sure that we are addressing their needs, their concerns, communicating with them,” he said, “listening to them to make sure that they feel like their voices are heard.”

Student mental health is also important to Dr. Lewis, who says he wants to make sure there are enough resources and wraparound services for schools.

RELATED | Durham Public Schools Superintendent Pascal Mubenga resigns amid ongoing pay dispute

PARIS — The U.S. women’s basketball team had to overcome its greatest challenge in 32 years before extending its unprecedented run to eight straight Olympic gold medals. Led by A’ja Wilson, the Americans Sunday came away with another victory at the Paris Games, maybe sweeter than any other during the streak.

Wilson scored 21 points and the U.S. survived a last-second shot by Gabby Williams that was just inside the 3-point line to hold off France for a 67-66 win.

No team had been able to push the Americans during this impressive streak of 61 consecutive wins. Only two of those victories had been by single digits before the game against France.

“It’s amazing. It truly is a dynasty that we have built here at USAB has been incredible,” Wilson said. “And I am so proud of the resilience that my team showed. We could have fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. To say I am a two-time gold medalist, I am so blessed.”

The eight straight golds broke a tie with the American men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68. The women’s victory came less than 24 hours after the U.S. men’s team also beat France in the title game. This was the first time in Olympic history that both gold medal games featured the same two teams.

Unlike the men’s game this one came down to the final minute and one last shot by France that was just inside the 3-point line.

The Americans were up 67-64 with 3.9 seconds left after Kahleah Copper hit two free throws. Marine Johannes brought the ball up the court to Williams and the former UConn standout caught the ball just inside the 3-point line and banked in over the outstretched arms of Breanna Stewart for the final margin.

There was a brief delay before the officials signaled that it was a two-point shot, which led to the beginning of a celebration and a lot of happy hugs for the Americans and left the French players standing in disbelief after falling just short.

“Gabby hit some great shots down the end, tough shots,” Wilson said. “We understood what we had in our locker room and leaning on each other and talking to one another and believing that we believed in each other and that’s the greatest thing about it.”

The American players went celebrate with the celebrities sitting courtside that included men’s basketball players LeBron James, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White, along with U.S. women’s greats Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird and Dawn Staley.

Williams, who finished with 19 points, had hit a deep 3 a few seconds earlier to get France within one before Copper’s free throws. She got a consoling hug from Staley.

The victory gave Diana Taurasi a sixth consecutive gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Bird, who won five.

Taurasi, who didn’t play in the gold medal game, has been humble about the potential record, saying she cares more about the team winning then her individual success.

It’s been a trying Olympics for her as she didn’t start any of the knockout phase games, the first time she wasn’t in the opening lineup since the 2004 Olympics.

Australia edged Belgium 85-81 in the bronze medal game earlier Sunday.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Durham Police are investigating a reported shooting in downtown on Wednesday night.

Police responded to the Forest Hills Heights Apartments at 700 S. Mangum Street just after 9 p.m. near Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Police said when officers arrived they found a man with a gunshot wound.

The man was taken to the hospital with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.

About 12 police cars were at the scene, according to an ABC11 breaking news crew.

Anyone with any information can call CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200 or online at www.durhamcrimestoppers.org.

ABC11 is tracking crime and safety across Durham and in your neighborhood