5 On Your Side digs into potential fire hazards all over your home. Found inside phones, toys, cars, and lawn tools, lithium-ion batteries can cause serious damage. At 6 p.m., WRAL shares simple steps to protect your home from lithium batteries.

On WRAL at 6:🔥Fire hazards inside toys and lawn tools. 5 On Your Side shares simple steps to protect your home from lithium-ion batteries.

More than 21% of North Carolina's four-year-olds enrolled in the state's pre-kindergarten programs during the 2022-2023 school year, up from the prior year but still below the state's pre-pandemic highs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

North Carolina ranks 29th in public pre-K enrollment, new report shows

Durham County budget increases funding for pre-K students

Stores that sell electronics, like Best Buy and Staples, offer convenient and accessible solutions for North Carolina residents looking to responsibly dispose of their electronics.

How to recycle your old electronics: A guide for North Carolina households

Old electronics 

WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel warned of winds gusts of up to 30 mph on Thursday. "That will add that little bit of extra sting to the coolness out there."

RALEIGH, N.C. — Cool, fall weather made its way into North Carolina Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and the threat of tornadoes to central and eastern counties.

A severe storm cell caused tornado warnings to be issued for Cumberland, Hoke and Scotland counties on Wednesday afternoon. A trained spotter reported seeing a funnel cloud east of Skibo Road in Fayetteville around 6:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

There were no reports of injuries or significant damage.

Rain continued to fall in central North Carolina through early evening as a cold front moved through.

Temperatures will drop into the upper 40s around the Triangle Wednesday night. In the mountains, it'll be cold enough that light snow could fall at elevations above 4,000 feet.

Thursday will dawn cool, mostly clear and less humid, starting a pattern of dry, cool weather. Winds could gust over 30 mph during the day.

"It's going to be gusty," WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said. "That will add that little bit of extra sting to the coolness out there."

For the rest of the week, "our temperatures cool down, with the 60s for highs and low to mid 40s for overnight lows," WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. "It'll stay cool through the weekend and into next week."

Anne Johnson

Kathy Hanrahan

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Two people were shooting at each other Thursday near Durham's American Tobacco Campus, according to police.



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Domestic violence cases have spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 17 homicides related to domestic violence already reported in North Carolina this year. In 2022, 72 homicides were connected to domestic violence in the state.

Mom of 3 shot in Harnett County as NC's domestic violence deaths rise

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The Durham Fire Department is responding to a gas leak involving a propane tank Thursday afternoon. 

Gas leak prompts evacuations in Durham on Angier Avenue 

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Kraft Heinz Foods is being sued after a report about the heavy metal content in Lunchables. 



Parent sues Kraft Heinz over heavy metals in Lunchables

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More than 4,300 North Carolinians died from overdoses in 2022. That trend continues going up, devastating entire communities.

4,300 overdose deaths in NC during 2022 underscores scope of problem

Wake County leaders hosting open house for opioid settlement

WRAL-TV News Broadcasts: Watch each newscast live or watch the most recent newscast on demand.

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Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

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Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

After 22 years in business, Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed.



Glenwood South staple Armadillo Grill closes

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Videos

The NHL has set the start times for game 1's across the Eastern Conference. The Canes are the opening act with puck drop Saturday at 5 pm from PNC Arena.

Get ready for 'Saturday Night in Raleighwood' as the NHL sets game 1 start time

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Defending champion and world No. 2 Lilia Vu withdrew from the Chevron Championship on Thursday before the first round because of a back injury.

Defending champion Lilia Vu withdraws from Chevron Championship with back injury before 1st round

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USA Basketball studied every men's basketball game it has played for about two decades and a clear trend eventually appeared. When the defense isn't good enough, the Americans tend to get themselves into trouble.

USA Basketball announces its men's team for the Paris Olympics

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After the death of a Harnett County teenager, the softball community in Eastern North Carolina remembers her through stickers and fighting the stigma around mental health.

Possible tornado spotted in Fayetteville

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