RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Saint Augustine’s University is moving to remote classes on April 1.
The school notified staff yesterday, according to a SAU professor who has taught at the school for many years.
This comes after the Raleigh HBCU continues to work through a financial crisis and keep its accreditation. ABC11 learned exclusively on Monday that several key alumni organizations from Saint Augustine’s University officially called for the resignation of the entire Board of Trustees.
The groups sent a signed resolution titled “#SAVESAU” that asks every single member of the Board of Trustees to step down amid issues with finances and SAU losing its accreditation.
ABC11 has been covering the financial issues at Saint Augustine’s for weeks. The university owes millions of dollars to the IRS, hundreds of thousands to different organizations in unpaid bills, and a financial audit from 2021 showed roughly $10 million of its budget is unsupported.
The university’s accreditation was also revoked by the accreditation board, and the school is fighting to keep it through arbitration and potentially even litigation.
Alumni want answers about how the school got to this point, and from the resolution Monday, it’s clear they want new leadership at the helm to save the university.
ABC11 reached out to Saint Augustine’s officials about this resolution for comment but did not hear back.
ABC11 expects to learn more about the specifics of the resolution on Tuesday.
The Globetrotters have been bringing fun and joy to families for nearly a century, according to their website.
On April 17, the team will play at Raleigh’s PNC Arena at 7 p.m. for their 2024 world tour. They will also stop in Fayetteville on April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum.
Known as the world’s basketball team, the Globetrotters will perform in over 400 cities across 25 countries in 2024.
WASHINGTON (WTVD) — Michael O’Connell kept NC State’s NCAA tournament hopes alive by the slimmest of margins, banking in a wild 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Then, DJ Burns Jr. took over in the extra time as the Wolfpack stunned Virginia 73-65 in a raucous ACC Tournament semifinal Friday night.
The Wolfpack looked dead in the water Friday night with four seconds left before O-Connell’s prayer kissed the backboard and nestled softly into the net to send the game to extra time and the Wolfpack bench and fans into delirium.
“I had a direct view of it,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “As it went up I was like, man, that shot is going in, it’s going in, and then luckily it did and obviously sent us to overtime.”
NC State’s Michael O’Connell shoots the miracle 3-pointer over Virginia guard Isaac McKneely to tie the game 58-58 and send it to overtime.
Nick Wass
The 10th-seeded Wolfpack (21-14) are one victory from pulling off an epic five-wins-in-five-days run for the ACC’s automatic bid, and if they do it, they’ll remember this escape for a while. With the score 58-55, Isaac Mckneely missed the front end of a 1-and-1 for Virginia. O’Connell rushed the ball up the left sideline and shot a high-archer in front of his team’s bench.that will long be remembered in Raleigh.
It was the second straight night a team made a shot at the buzzer against Virginia to force overtime, but on Thursday the Cavaliers were able to beat Boston College.
NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. shoots against Virginia forward Jordan Minor on Friday night in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Nick Wass
“They got momentum because we missed the free throw and they were coming down, and once they got down we did not want to foul in the act of shooting,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “We just were worried about that.”
In overtime, it was the Burns Jr. show. Time and again, N.C. State would give the ball to the 6-foot-9, 275-pound post player, who would slowly back his way down, he and his defender repeatedly bouncing off each other. Burns scored seven points in overtime and 19 in the game on 8-of-11 shooting.
The Wolfpack take on old rival and top-seeded North Carolina for the tournament championship on Saturday night. The Tar Heels swept the regular season meetings.
NC State’s DJ Horne drives past Virginia’s Reece Beekman on Friday night in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Nick Wass
Perhaps feeling the fatigue of playing four games in four nights, N.C. State shot just 3 of 17 from 3-point range, but O’Connell made the one the Wolfpack needed, and the Cavaliers (23-10) were done in by their poor free-throw shooting.
With 1:10 remaining, Virginia had a five-point lead, and after a flagrant foul called on Burns, the Cavaliers got two shots and the ball. Reece Beekman missed both attempts though, and when he was fouled on the ensuing possession, Beekman made only one of two.
Then Ryan Dunn fouled a 3-point shooter, and Casey Morsell made all three free throws to cut the lead to three.
After a defensive stop, N.C. State had a chance to tie, but when Morsell missed a 3-pointer and Mckneely rebounded, Virginia needed one free throw to ice the game. It never came.
The teams split their regular season meetings, each winning at home but in an arena full of Cavaliers fans, the Wolfpack won the one that mattered most.
The Wolfpack and Cavaliers look to book their spot in Saturday night’s ACC championship game.
UNC 72, PITT 65
Top-seeded North Carolina survived a stern test Friday night against fourth-seeded Pitt 72-65 to advance to the ACC Tournament championship game.
The No. 4 Tar Heels (27-6), who also hope to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, inched closer to that goal and will look for a first ACC title since 2016 on Saturday night.
Armando Bacot and RJ Davis provided the bulk of the offense for the Tar Heels. Davis led the team with 25 points and Bacot was strong in the paint with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Armando Bacot hangs on the rim after scoring two of his 19 points against Pitt on Friday night at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
“RJ, he’s been our closer all year and he hit some huge shots,” Bacot said.
Davis and Bacot scored UNC’s final 18 points of the game.
“Just super excited to get a chance to play in the championship,” said Bacot. “It was a tough game, and it got close down in the stretch and I think me and RJ just really wanted to make plays so we can win the game.”
The Panthers led by as many as nine in the first half and kept punching back until late, tying it at 62 with about four minutes left until Davis hit just his second 3-pointer to put the Tar Heels ahead.
After seven lead changes throughout, they never trailed again, with Davis grabbing a crucial rebound and hitting a long 3 in the final minutes to help put it away. The unanimous ACC Player of the Year scored 19 of his points in the second half.
“The player of the year stepped up and made plays,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “You have to tip your hat to him. He made a deep 3, a 28-footer, some pullups. He just made plays.”
Carlton Carrington led Pitt with 24 points, and Jaland Lowe had 17. The Panthers, who were up early thanks to some hot 3-point shooting, were hurt by three fouls in the first 14 minutes on Federiko Federiko, keeping the center on the bench for long periods.
UNC’s tenacious defense made life hard for Pitt star Blake Hinson, who made only 2 of 12 shots and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Nick Wass
The Tar Heels never let Pitt’s Blake Hinson get into a rhythm, harassing him into a 2-for-12 shooting night. Hinson missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
“All year, I’ve been taking pride in trying to be the best defensive big man in the country,” Bacot said. “And today, it’s always tough playing against them because they’ve got so many skilled guards, they’ve got bigs that can shoot, so today we had to switch, and after the first half, I was a little sloppy, in the second half I wanted to take the challenge and thought I did a good job.”
UNC, winners of eight consecutive games, will face old rival NC State in the final. The Tar Heels won both regular season matchups against the Wolfpack.
“We set goals in the beginning of the year, and for us to be one more game away means a lot,” Davis said. “But the job’s not finished.”
The Panthers (22-11) now wait to see whether they get invited to the NCAA tournament.
“We’ll see if we’re in,” Capel said. “We have become a really good basketball team. We could be a team that could be dangerous in the tournament.”
Guard Ishmael Leggett added, “I 100% believe that we’re an NCAA Tournament team, regardless of what anybody says.”
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — Standing behind a podium inside the Terry Sanford Federal Building, Hannah Johnson shared the emotional highs and lows of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.
“I went through several transfers with several embryos, went through several miscarriages, delivered stillborn twins two years ago. Then in August of last year, I got to hold my miracle baby. His name is Ellis. So for us, me and my husband, IVF was life-changing,” explained Johnson.
She was one of three IVF patients to speak at a press conference Thursday, calling on state and federal protections for IVF access.
“I think that’s what we need to continue to do, is to educate people on what IVF is and the types of people that need it. There is a huge population out there that their dream is to have kids that just cannot do it naturally,” said Lauren Garrett, a mother and IVF nurse.
“I can’t even imagine now not being able to go through IVF and not having both of my babies,” added Ashlee Beal, also a mother.
“The ruling is already beginning to have far-reaching and devastating effects for thousands of people in the region and could inspire similar lawsuits on fetal personhood in other states,” explained Jillian Riley, who works with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
It’s common for women to create more embryos than are ultimately used, with families responsible for paying annual storage fees.
“Most couples discard embryos, but this is not a decision that is ever taken lightly. I see many patients continue to store their embryos for years after they’ve completed their family, until they are ready to have closure and signed consents to discard the embryos. If a decision like the one in Alabama was to happen here in North Carolina, IVF clinics would not be able to freeze embryos and modern fertility care would be unavailable to the people of North Carolina,” said Dr. Meaghan Bowling, who works at Carolina Conceptions in Raleigh.
Wednesday, New York Representative Marc Molinaro became the first Republican to co-sponsor the Access to Family Building Act, which would ensure federal protections for IVF.
“It is time to codify the right to IVF care,” said Rep. Deborah Ross.
Reproductive rights are expected to be a key campaign issue during the 2024 election, just a year after the North Carolina Legislature passed new abortion restrictions.
“From abortion bans to attacks on contraception and now threats to IVF, women are fed up with politicians trying to dictate their health care choices. Not only does this decision endanger reproductive health care, but it can also have serious repercussions for doctors and how they practice medicine and for the advancement of new scientific and medical discoveries, many of which are happening in the Research Triangle right now,” Ross said.
“When the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, we saw the risks coming. We knew that reproductive freedom was on the line. Unfortunately, in North Carolina and throughout this country, we’ve seen these fears play out,” said Attorney General Josh Stein, who is running for Governor.
He called on state lawmakers to address IVF.
“The General Assembly could alleviate all of that anxiety when they come back into session this April by passing a law that makes it crystal clear that IVF is protected here in North Carolina. And I urge them to do so,” said Stein.
ABC 11 reached out to House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate President Phil Berger, and Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s campaign team (Robinson is running against Stein in the gubernatorial election) for interviews to discuss this issue. None were available, but each sent statements:
Rep. Moore, who said the Legislature will not bring up a bill during the short session to address IVF, wrote: “In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments can be a beneficial option for many families facing infertility or other challenges, which is why I support access to IVF. Thankfully, IVF treatments are legal under state law. In fact, I find it disappointing that Democrats would employ such dishonest fear tactics in order to distract from their party’s failed record on immigration, crime, and inflation. Any assertion that IVF access is in jeopardy in North Carolina or requires any additional codification is entirely false.”
Sen. Berger: “Our current laws do not endanger access to IVF treatments. For pandering politicians like Josh Stein, who support abortions of healthy babies up until the moment of birth, to suggest otherwise is fearmongering. I support women and families having access to IVF and will take any necessary steps to ensure that will continue to be the case.”
Mike Lonergan, Communications Director – Mark Robinson for Governor: “Mark Robinson wants to turn North Carolina into a destination state for life by creating a culture that will do more to support families that choose life – and this certainly includes protecting IVF. It is important to know that Democrats are trying to manufacture a campaign issue out of an out-of-state court ruling that doesn’t even apply to the people of North Carolina.”
WASHINGTON (WTVD) — NC State put together one of its most complete performances of the season in routing Syracuse 83-65 in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack led 35-32 at the half. Syracuse opened the second half on a 7-2 spurt for a 39-37 advantage but N.C. State answered with a 21-4 run for a 58-43 lead with 12:33 remaining.
DJ Horne scored 11 points during that stretch and capped it with a dunk. Jaydon Taylor made a pair of 3-pointers. The Orange pulled within 60-50 but didn’t get closer.
NC State’s Michael O’Connell and DJ Burns Jr. celebrate after O’Connell hit a 3-pointer Wednesday against Syracuse.
Alex Brandon
The Wolfpack scored 30 points from 19 Syracuse turnovers.
“We’ve just been as locked in as we can be,” Horne said. “I feel like we’ve been locked in as we have been all season and going into this tournament, we just kind of went in with a why-not-us mindset, and I think we’re showcasing that right now.”
NC State (19-14) had dropped both games to Syracuse in the regular season but this third meeting was drastically different and revenge was sweet.
After winning two consecutive games in the tournament, it doesn’t; get easier for Kevin Keatts’ squad, which advances to face No. 2-seeded Duke at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
NC State forward Mohamed Diarra battles for a rebound with Syracuse guard Justin Taylor on Wednesday at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
But just like in an opening-round win against Louisville, it was a total team effort for the Wolfpack, which had four players in double figures and got 14 rebounds, eight points and six assists from Mo Diarra. Jayden Taylor scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Michael ‘Connell made all three of his 3-point attempts and finished with 16 points. DJ Burns Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Horne, N.C. State’s leading scorer, scored all 16 of his points in the second half. The 6-foot-1 senior injured his hip in the regular-season finale at Pittsburgh and did not play in the Wolfpack’s win against Louisville.
“I’m feeling good,” Horne said. “To get hurt, with the last couple of games of my season … it was definitely tough on me mentally but my teammates, my coaches, the staff, they did a great job of me getting treatment and making sure my head stayed in it, and I’m glad we were able to come out here and get this win.”
Judah Mintz scored 21 points to lead No. 7 seed Syracuse (20-12). Maliq Brown, Chris Bell and Quadir Copeland added 11 points apiece.
FLORIDA STATE 86, VIRGINIA TECH 76
Round 2 of the ACC Tournament got underway Wednesday with ninth-seeded Florida State taking down No. 8 seed Virginia Tech 86-76.
The Seminoles (17-15) advance to play No. 1 seeded North Carolina (25-6) That game will be a noon tip-off Thursday and can be seen on ESPN.
Florida State dropped both regular-season meetings with the Tar Heels, 78-70 on the road and 75-68 at home. Florida State hasn’t beaten North Carolina since the 2020-21 season.
Virginia Tech center Lynn Kidd battles Florida State forward Baba Miller underneath the rim at the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
Susan Walsh
Jamir Watkins scored 12 of his career-high 34 points in the final three minutes and Jalen Warley added 18 points to help Florida State pull away in the second half.
Watkins was 9 of 15 from the field and 14 of 17 at the free-throw line to set a program record for points in an ACC Tournament game. He also had 11 rebounds and four steals. Warley made 8 of his 10 shots as Florida State shot 54% from the field.
Virginia Tech was 4-of-17 shooting in the opening 17 minutes of the second half. The Hokies also finished with 13 turnovers, leading to 25 points for the Seminoles.
Tyler Nickel sank a long 3-pointer with 7:28 left to tie it at 57-all, but Virginia Tech did not make another field goal until Sean Pedulla’s basket with 2:42 left to pull within 71-62.
Florida State took advantage of back-to-back Virginia Tech turnovers with layups by Warley and Primo Spears to take a 63-58 lead with 5:01 left. Another steal under the basket led to Warley’s fast-break layup to make it 68-58 at 3:06.
Each team turned it over on an inbounds play and Watkins was fouled before making two free throws at 2:49. Watkins added two more free throws at 2:30 and had an alley-oop dunk at 2:11 for a 74-65 lead.
Spears finished with 10 points for the Seminoles.
Pedulla scored 24 points, Nickel added 18 and MJ Collins had 15 for Virginia Tech.
Both teams shot 55% or better from the field in the first half. Virginia Tech shot 64% (16 of 25), despite going 4 of 11 from 3-point range, in the first half before finishing at 49%.
The Hokies fell to 18-14 and now wait for a possible NIT bid.
WAKE FOREST 72, NOTRE DAME 59
Kevin Miller scored 17 points, Hunter Sallis added 14 and Andrew Carr had a double-double as fifth-seeded Wake Forest handled 12-seed Notre Dame.
The Demon Deacons (20-12) will take on fourth-seeded Pitt in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Wake Forest lost to Pitt 77-72 in January before rolling past the Panthers 91-58 at home the next month. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Wake Forest and guard Hunter Sallis powered their way past Notre Dame on Wednesday at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
Carr had 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks and Cameron Hildreth scored eight of his 10 points in the second half. Wake Forest shot 46%, outscored Notre Dame 15-7 off turnovers, 16-7 on second-chance points and 38-14 in the paint.
ACC rookie of the year Markus Burton scored 21 points, making 12 of 12 from the line but only 4 of 16 from the floor for the Fighting Irish. Tae Davis added 16 points and Carey Booth 11. Braeden Shrewsberry, who led Notre Dame with 23 points in their 84-80 first-round win over Georgia Tech, had just five points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Irish shot just 29%, 20% in the second half.
Davis made 7 of 8 free throws for all of Notre Dame’s scoring early in the first half as the Fighting Irish went over six minutes without a field goal until a Davis bucket. Wake Forest took advantage, extending its six-point halftime lead to 16 midway through the second half with a 13-4 run during which Hildreth turned a steal into a three-point play and added a 3-pointer. Notre Dame didn’t get closer than nine thereafter.
Sallis hit a 3-pointer to open the game and the Demon Deacons led throughout. They were up by as many as 14 before the Fighting Irish worked their way back to trail 40-34 at halftime.
The Fighting Irish finished 13-20.
The final game of the night features Boston College (18-14) vs. Clemson (21-10) at 9:30 p.m. That game is on ESPNU.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Saint Augustine’s University released new details about its push to regain accreditation.
The university posted to its website, laying out exactly where arbitration stands.
Arbitration is the last remaining step for the university to keep its accreditation with The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). That group previously ruled that the school had not done its part to stay accredited and then ruled against the school in an appeal of that initial decision.
Now, Saint Augustine’s said it filed its Letter of Arbitration to SACSCOC on March 8 and the group received it on March 11.
By rule, the arbitration proceedings must wrap up within 90 days
ABC11’s Akilah Davis is speaking with students, staff and other members of the Falcon community. She’ll have reaction tonight on ABC11.
He also admitted he is not sure they will make the next one.
Saint Augustine’s Interim President Dr. Marcus Burgess discussed the university’s ongoing troubles, future in a conversation with ABC11.
A work-study student who wanted to remain anonymous said they were two paychecks behind.
“I feel as if it’s very absurd. A lot of students are distraught judging by the fact that we do expect to get paid for our hard work,” the student said.
While the crisis has affected some students and their plans at the school, some students said off camera they remain hopeful Saint Augustine’s will keep its doors open.
“I love my school, so I really am praying that everything goes good with it and everything goes through,” the student said. “I honestly do think that is going to get better because they are already making the steps and doing the things and taking the precautions to get everything on track.”
The school is also continuing to fight to return to full accreditation.
In a statement following the denial, Burgess said seniors will graduate and financial aid will be honored. He also announced the school will engage in arbitration and adhere to the outlined procedures.
In the meantime, Saint Augustine’s will remain an accredited university.
Burgess said if arbitration doesn’t go in the school’s favor, it’s already looking at other accreditation agencies.
Saint Augustine’s Interim President said Friday morning that seniors will still graduate and financial aid will be honored.
“We have already done our orientation with TRACS,” Burgess said. “We’re feverishly working to ensure we can get through the applicant stage to the candidacy stage. If we can get that to happen, then we can receive Title 4 funding.”
Transnational Association of Christina Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is an accrediting agency in Virginia.
The president of TRACS confirmed with ABC11 that Saint Augustine’s has completed the application orientation.
There are several steps to move from one accreditation agency to another, including an approval letter from the US Department of Education.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Sports betting has finally arrived in North Carolina, but how do you get in on the fun?
There are eight different mobile apps approved for use across the state as of launch day. Each one of them has various promotional deals offering free bonus bets or other incentives to get you to sign up and place your first wagers.
You can click on the links below to visit each app’s website or download the app to your phone.
DraftKings — New customers get $250 in Bonus Bets after making first $5 wager
FanDuel — New customers get $200 in Bonus Bets after making first $5 wager
BetMGM — New customers get $150 in Bonus Bets after making first $5 wager
Bet365 — Get $150 in Bonus Bets after your first $5 wager OR get up to $1,000 back if your first wager loses
Fanatics — This is the official sportsbook of the Carolina Hurricanes. When you sign up, you’ll get 10 days of matched Bonus Bets, up to $100 each
Underdog Sports Wagering — First Bet Mulligan: Get up to $1,000 back if you lose your first wager
Caesars Sportsbook — When you make your first wager of $10 or more, you’ll get $250 in Bonus Bets
This comes just a day before the start of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament and a little more than a week before the start of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments.
Those tournaments, historically, are some of the most heavily wagered on sporting events of the year.
“(North Carolina sportsbooks) stand to make about $7 to 10 million in March. After March, sports betting slows way down. But between April through June of the coming year, that they will probably generate another $15 to $18 million in tax revenue is what we project. So North Carolina is going to do really well because it’s their first year — (not just) because they have a broad sports fan base — but because of when they’re launching,” NCSharp.com Managing Editor Tyler Andrews said.
North Carolina is the 38th state to legalize sports gambling and the 30th to allow for mobile gaming.
According to the American Gaming Association, Americans wagered just under $120 billion last year – a record figure. Part of that jump was fueled by five new states launching legalized gaming. Those states accounted for about 14% of all gambling revenue.
Despite the excitement, the North Carolina Lottery Commission knows sports betting can open the door to gambling addiction for some. So, they’ve put proactive measures in place for that reason.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina primary voters were choosing potential successors to term-limited Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday, with the Democratic attorney general and the Republican lieutenant governor among those seeking to advance to what is expected to be an expensive and competitive fall campaign.
Five Democrats and three Republicans were competing for their parties’ gubernatorial nominations in the nation’s ninth-largest state, which is also a likely presidential battleground this year.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham are seeking the GOP nomination. The Democratic field includes Attorney General Josh Stein – who received Cooper’s endorsement – former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan and three other candidates who’ve spent very little.
Robinson, who would be the state’s first Black governor, formally received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement during the weekend at a rally. Trump called him “Martin Luther King on steroids,” comparing his speaking abilities to those of the late civil rights leader.
Robinson has consistently been the Republican frontrunner in the race, but recently his opponents have been hitting the airwaves challenging some of his more controversial comments.
North Carolina is poised to be one of the most competitive states this fall as President Joe Biden and Trump appear headed toward a likely rematch. The governor’s race could have implications for the presidential contest if Democrats can tap into controversies surrounding Trump and Robinson to portray the Republicans as out of step with the state’s urban areas and with unaffiliated voters, who are now the state’s largest voting group.
Cooper, a Democrat first elected governor in 2016, has continued a long run of Democratic dominance in the governor’s mansion in a Southern state that otherwise has shifted rightward. The GOP has won only one gubernatorial race since 1992.
A general election victory by a Republican would essentially neuter veto power that Cooper has used a record number of times to block additional abortion restrictions, stricter requirements for voters and other policies backed by conservatives. GOP legislators have been able to override many of Cooper’s vetoes, however.
Robinson, who has a working-class background, is a favorite of the party’s GOP base. While he raised more money overall than primary rivals, Folwell and Graham have used personal funds toward late-campaign media buys. They’ve questioned Robinson’s general-election electability, particularly in light of his rhetoric while lieutenant governor and for comments he made on social media before entering politics.
Stein, the son of a civil rights lawyer, is by far the largest fundraiser in the race. His campaign committee collected more than $19.1 million and had $12.7 million in cash in mid-February, according to the most recent campaign report summaries filed.
“I’m excited. Election days are always great because it’s an opportunity for people to choose the government, the people who represent them,” Stein said. “And I’m excited about the campaign we’re running. It’s about building a brighter future for North Carolina to deliver on the promise of our state to our people, which is that if you work hard, you can succeed no matter where you live in this state.”
Stein, who would be the state’s first Jewish governor if elected, would largely seek to continue Cooper’s agenda to increase public education funding and promote clean energy industries. The former state legislator was narrowly elected attorney general in 2016 and has focused recently on protecting citizens from polluters, illegal drugs and high electric bills.
“What service is all about trying to help people live the life that they want,” Stein said. “And we can help people have better schools, safer communities and an economy that works for everybody. That’s what my campaign is about. That’s what I want to do as governor. And that’s a message that works for people who are Republican, who are Democratic or who are unaffiliated.”
Robinson, who is already the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, has dismissed what the left calls climate change as “junk science,” and has fought teachers who he says have assigned inappropriate reading materials on racism and sexuality to young pupils. Robinson has said making education leaders accountable and teaching students the basics are among his policy goals if elected.
Before Tuesday, more than 690,000 people had cast early in-person and mail-in ballots in North Carolina, where voters also were choosing nominees for other statewide executive and appellate court positions.
ABC11’s Anthony Wilson and The Associated Press contributed.
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — A new wave of scams is targeting customers looking to get into the action of sports betting.
Starting March 11, you’ll be able to legally place a bet on your favorite sports team in North Carolina and you should be aware of who you’re giving your money to. Scammers are always looking for ways to get your money, and when it comes to sports betting don’t get caught up in the excitement and ignore the red flags on imposter sports betting websites.
March 1st is the first day you can create an account and deposit money into online sportsbooks, so you are ready to place your bet on March 11. When you find a sports betting website, do your research.
Nick Hill with the BBB of Eastern Carolinas says, “A lot of the scams that we’re anticipating are these scammers who create copycat websites and copycat services that mimic these real and legitimate sites and apps.”
Hill says the BBB Scam Tracker is seeing reports from consumers who accidentally registered with scam sports betting websites and apps. Hill says the fakes lure you in with too-good-to-be-true deals. “Maybe sign-up deals or guarantee winnings with their bets. Just know that nobody can guarantee winnings and that will be a for sure sign of a scam,” Hill adds.
One consumer filed a BBB Scam Tracker complaint that states: after seeing an ad online about a 1 for 1 deposit match, they put in $500, but their complaint alleges the match was far less valuable than their $500 and when it came time to withdraw their money, their account was locked and couldn’t get their $500 bucks back.
Hill says, “Before you place your bet, you really need to read the fine print on incentives and the terms and conditions.”
Also on any website, look for the lock symbol and HTTPS, that means the website is secure. Also know that even on legitimate sports betting websites, you might not get access to your winnings. “Make sure that you know that these companies and apps can freeze your winnings for any number of reasons if they deem that you have displayed unusual playing patterns,”
Hill says.
Research is always key when it comes to your money. The biggest thing you need to watch out for are copycat websites, that make big promises like everyone is a winner, or that if you lose they will refund your money.
FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (WTVD) — There are new details about how Fort Liberty will be impacted by major cuts in the U.S. Army.
The Army says the cuts involving 24,000 positions nationwide will “impact spaces but not faces” at Fort Liberty– meaning they plan to eliminate redundant positions but soldiers will not be let go.
A representative for Special Operations Command at Fort Liberty tells ABC11 this is a “massive transformation” for the Army, and says it’s the largest in 40 years.
The U.S. Army says positions are being cut to streamline its efforts. It also says it is upgrading its weapons systems and focusing on large-scale combat. The 18th Airborne says it will get newly repurposed units for air defense and indirect fire protection, and that its cavalry squadron is being eliminated. But those soldiers will get to transfer within the infantry brigade.
A statement from Col. Mary Ricks reads in part: “(S) service members are not being asked to leave and jobs are not being removed. This is a strategic decision to re-structure our formations, maximize lethality, and prepare us for the future fight.”
Meanwhile, Special Operations Command at Fort Liberty says almost 3,000 of the reductions nationwide will be Special Ops positions. But it’s still unclear how many of those cuts will be at Fort Liberty.
Colonel Mike Burns says in a statement: “For USASOC, our reductions prioritize unrealized growth, headquarters elements, and historically vacant or hard-to-fill positions. It’s important to note that the reductions are spaces and not faces. So, while some of those billets are here at Fort Liberty, there are no physical moves occurring.”
One veteran tells ABC11 that service members probably won’t be phased much by the changes.
“The soldiers are constantly moving anywhere from 2 to 3 to 4 years, anyway, to different units. So them being asked to move to another unit–if it’s within their job, that’s what they signed up to do. They’re here to support the U.S. Army,” says Retired Sergeant Major Antonio Underwood.
Army leaders say they’re working to have at least 470,000 active soldiers by 2029–almost 20,000 more than the Army has right now.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A strong cold front will barrel through the Triangle late Wednesday bringing the potential for a squall line of gusty showers and isolated storms. This will be followed by a rapid change to colder weather.
There is now a level 1 severe weather risk from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. for parts of the Triangle. Damaging winds being the main threat.
Due to the threat of gusty winds, there could also be spotty power outages. Wednesday is a First Alert Day for ABC11 audiences.
Weather Change Timeline
Skies remained cloudy Tuesday night and with a warm air mass well entrenched in the area, overnight temps dropped very little, bottoming out in the upper 50s.
This sets the stage for a very warm day on Wednesday and despite very little, if any, sunshine, temperatures will reach the mid-70s. The record high tomorrow is 81, set in 2011 and if the sun were to break through the cloud cover for a few hours we could make a run at the 80-degree mark.
The cold front reaches the area Wednesday, and the latest hi-res model timing supports a late-afternoon thunderstorm with the actual frontal passage. We’ll have all kinds of strong wind on both sides of the front, with gusts nearing 50 mph in spots before the gradient diminishes later Wednesday night.
The risk of severe weather in the Triangle is fairly low. If there is any severe weather it is likely to be in the form of damaging winds.
Showers linger into the early hours of Wednesday evening and then clouds hold through the remainder of the night.
Temperatures will plummet Wednesday evening and drop to near-freezing during the night.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina’s 2024 primary election is approaching with top candidates, such as Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Kamala Harris all slated to visit this week.
As of Sunday, February 25, more than 25,000 people voted early in Wake County, with women and Democrats making up most of the turnout, according to Wake County’s unofficial early voting daily turnout.
“Saturday is the last day to participate in in-person early voting,” Wake County Board of Elections director Olivia McCall said. “We’re hoping that it picks up and people get involved.”
McCall said this is the first time the new ID requirement is in effect, so voters should make sure their information is up to date.
There’s a whole lot for voters in North Carolina for March 5, especially with the Republican party and the Democratic party both holding primaries that day, according to political analyst David McLennan.
“For the governor and for the president, both parties have a front runner and a pretty clear frontrunner for President,” McLennan said. “Donald Trump is well out in front of Nikki Haley and for governor, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson seems to be the front runner in that race. On the Democratic side, Joe Biden looks like he has a pretty easy time in North Carolina, and then Josh Stein is leading his challengers quite handily.”
McLennan said there are also more competitive races in addition to the race for Governor, other Council of State offices, House of Representatives, Congress, and legislative seats.
“Lieutenant Governor is a very competitive race,” McLennan said. “We have 14 candidates on the Republican side. We see some congressional races like the one just outside of Raleigh … another 13 candidates. So, we have a lot of people running for open seats.”
Many issues are at the forefront of candidates’ minds, including immigration, crime and abortion.
Eloise Best, who cast her ballot on Monday, said abortion is one of the main issues she cares about.
“I think women should have the right to make their own choice and not have the government decide for them,” Best said.
More than 106,000 people turned out in the 2022 primary on Election Day. McCall said they hope that number picks up and more people get involved.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — A baby who was the focus of an AMBER Alert on Monday night has been found safe but many questions remain.
Chapel Hill Police issued the alert about 7 p.m. and a little more than two hours later, said 8-day-old Jaxton Brown had been found in Durham and was safe.
Authorities said Jaxton, who was last seen Friday at the Red Roof Inn Chapel Hill at 5623 Fordham Blvd. in Durham, was with his parents, but they have not been found.
The car they were believed to be in, a white 1997 Mercury Mystique with temporary tags, was found in the parking lot of a Big Lots store at 3420 SW Durham Drive.
Nearby, on Witherspoon Boulevard, behind University Ford off 15/501 in Durham, ABC11 saw authorities with a baby carrier and a blanket and watched as Social Services put the items into the back of a car.
Destinee Ariel Cothran, left, and Justin Lee Brown
NC Department of Public Safety
An ambulance soon drove off, but it was unclear whether Jaxton was taken to a hospital. Jaxton was handed off to a probation officer at this location, investigators told ABC11, but his parents, identified as Destinee Ariel Cothran, 26, of Garner, and Justin Lee Brown, 29. of Durham, apparently fled the scene.
ABC11 asked police what changed from Friday that caused this AMBER Alert to go out, but clearly, something happened for Chapel Hill Police to feel an alert was necessary.
ABC11 also asked why Jaxton, who was born Feb. 18, wasn’t supposed to be with his parents. Investigators only said that it was a custody issue.
The search for Cothran and Brown continued into the night.
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) — A North Bay man grieving the death of his wife awoke to a heart wrenching sight: a photo of his late wife staring out from a phony GoFundMe campaign. It was supposedly raising money for her funeral. The imposter had also hijacked the man’s Facebook account to ask for donations. And yet months later Facebook still refuses to shut it down.
Richard Links was struggling with grief over the loss of his beloved wife Cathryn. “On a daily basis, I’m confronting her absence,” he says. “I walk in here and I see her. I’m surrounded by her presence.”
Cathryn’s death from cancer last summer left him suddenly alone after 31 years of marriage.
But as grief tore at his heart, a scam made it worse.
“They have taken a picture of my late wife Cathryn and posted it to the fake GoFundMe page,” said Links, a resident of Berkeley and Mendocino.
Links was shocked to find a particular post on his own Facebook page: it was a photo of his late wife, with a caption saying, “Donate in Cathryn’s memory, Richard needs your help…”
The post linked to a fake GoFundMe page, taking donations supposedly for her funeral.
An Oakland man says after the city’s ransomware attack multiple fraudulent purchases have been made in his name including a house.
He was helpless to stop it. His wife’s image, still staring out from the scam.
“To have this sort of evilness foisted on me… this is the worst possible thing, you know? Just stomp on me, why don’t you?” Links said.
“And I mean, my poor wife. She would be horrified if she were here, witnessing what’s going on. She would be so furious,” he said.
The hacker was also sending direct messages to Links’s Facebook friends, asking for money… In one, the scammer wrote: “People suggest I create a charity group for Cathryn… if you will like to donate I can send a tag… will you like Zelle or Cash App?”
Four friends had already donated to the phony GoFundMe campaign.
Links used a secondary Facebook account to warn others. It reached only a few people.
“I can’t stand on Broadway and fourth avenue and hold a big sign. it’s not going to do anything,” he said.
There was a Microsoft hack. The tech company said it was hacked by a Russia-backed group, Midnight Blizzard, or Nobelium.
His friends and 7 On Your Side alerted GoFundMe to the fraud.
Three days later, the site took down the campaign and refunded donors’ money.
However, Facebook has refused to remove the hacker from Links’s account.
“We’ve reviewed your complaint, yada yada we found nothing irregular,” Links said.
Links’s friends also tried to alert Facebook. To their amazement, Facebook kept sending automated responses saying the account met all standards.
In an email, Facebook told Links: “We reviewed the profile your friends reported and found that it isn’t pretending to be you and doesn’t go against our community standards.”
Which infuriated Links. He and friends tried again and again to explain — the profile was not the issue. It was a hacker controlling the account.
A hacker or hackers have accessed nearly seven million profiles of 23andMe customers, a spokesperson for the genetic testing firm told CNN on Tuesday, including in some cases users’ ancestry reports, zip codes and birth years.
Facebook kept sending an automated response saying, “We’ve taken a look and found that the profile doesn’t go against our community standards. We understand that this might be upsetting so we recommend exploring the options available to control what you see. If you want us to review something specific, be sure to report the content, not the entire profile.”
“We weren’t talking to a person at Facebook,” says Links’s friend Elizabeth Bernstein of Berkeley. “We were talking to an algorithm.”
This further infuriated Links.
“Well, how about this Mr. and Mrs. Facebook! These people stole my identity and are using it for nefarious purposes,” he said.
Facebook did not explain how the reported crime met community standards. To this day, the stolen account is still active — now claiming Links is raising money for prostate cancer, when he’s not.
“Does that sound like it goes with your policy?” Links said.
Facebook did not respond to ABC7’s inquiries asking why it’s letting a hacker control Links’s account and to commit fraud. But parent company Meta is planning a subscription service to charge money for account security for Facebook and Instagram users. A post by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg says it will cost up to $14.99 per month for concierge service to, for example, restore a stolen account – like Links’s…Zuckerberg said in a post that giving everyone such security would cost too much.
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A flight from San Francisco International Airport had to make an emergency landing in Denver on Monday because of problems with the wing.
One of the passengers took video where you can see damage to a part of a flap on the wing with a chunk apparently ripped off.
The flight was headed to Boston at the time.
United Airlines says the flight landed safely and another plane took customers all the way to Boston — where they arrived early Tuesday Morning.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — An active law enforcement scene unfolded in Raleigh on Tuesday night as the Highway Patrol searched for suspects after a reported high-speed chase that ended in a crash.
Troopers were seen speeding around the neighborhood near Triangle Town Center late Tuesday.
Law enforcement eventually focused attention in the mall’s parking lot where just before 11 p.m., ABC11 watched as authorities brought someone in handcuffs out of a wooded area.
That man was escorted out by Raleigh Police after an expansive search, but ABC11 is asking how he was connected to the larger scene.
On Sumner Boulevard near Triangle Town Boulevard, law enforcement surrounded a white Kia with a flat tire.
An officer told the ABC11 crew to keep moving because “the entire area is being searched.”
ABC11 learned that there was some kind of pursuit with the white Kia and it appeared that the people in the car being chased bailed out and ran into the woods.
ABC11 is awaiting more details from the Highway Patrol.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said it was assisting state troopers but noted that the Highway Patrol is the lead agency in the search.
A Highway Patrol helicopter and drone were also visible in the area.
The search for other possible suspects continued into the night.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The City of Raleigh is looking to improve road conditions on Capital Boulevard, but could hit a roadblock when it comes to funding.
One idea that has been floated to get the money in place is putting a toll road on the major roadway.
On January 17, NCDOT received a formal request from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) to study the potential use of tolling on Capital Boulevard/U.S. 1 to accelerate the project of converting the road to a freeway between I-540 in Raleigh and Wake Forest, including widening the road to 6-8 lanes.
NCDOT is now evaluating next steps in the process but has not advocated for a particular path forward.
NCDOT said the NC Turnpike Authority will likely need to be involved in the process since tolling has been put forward as a possible feature.
Turning the road into a fully tolled expressway would likely require legislative changes. Adding tolled express lanes would likely not require legislative changes.
NCDOT has not released a timeline on how long all of this will take.
This recent proposal comes as a portion of Capital Boulevard is already being widened.
Transportation officials believe it will solve problems by reducing accidents and cutting down on commute times. They say this is needed to keep up with growth.
The project will cost nearly $750 million. The groundbreaking is not expected until 2025 for the first phase of the project.
As officers kept investigating, they say they found other people who were injured and they started giving them first aid.
It’s unclear if they are involved in the shooting, or how they were injured. Police didn’t say whether they were shot or if so, by who.
They were taken to the hospital.
Officers did have their body cameras turned on during last night’s shooting and those videos are being reviewed by the State Bureau of Investigation and RPD internal affairs.
More details about the shooting could be found in the next five days when RPD is required to release a report.
Rock Quarry Road was closed for several hours last night and Sunday morning, but has since re-opened.
ABC11 24/7 Streaming ChannelWatch Eyewitness News, First Alert Weather, and original programming.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — There is a heavy police presence at Rock Quarry Road as Raleigh Police conduct an undisclosed but “ongoing” investigation late Saturday night.
Just before midnight, RPD announced that Rock Quarry Road was closed between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vardaman Street.
Drivers and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area.
The roadway is not expected to reopen for several hours, possibly stretching into early Sunday morning.
No other information was immediately released.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
