The "Dueling Dinosaurs" exhibit opening this weekend at Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will feature what's believed to be the most complete T. rex skeleton ever discovered.

'Dueling Dinosaurs:' One-of-a-kind dig, laboratory access at Raleigh science museum

DinoLab at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Athens Drive Magnet High School and Conn Magnet Elementary School won national awards Saturday at the Magnet Schools of America's annual conference.

Top two magnet schools in the US are in Wake County

Athens Drive High School

From the state capital to the town of Faith, in Fayetteville, Durham and beyond, parades and picnics signaled the start of the holiday weekend around the Triangle Friday.

<b>RALEIGH, N.C.</b> — Parades and picnics signaled the start of the holiday weekend around the Triangle Friday. Celebrations big and small will mark America's birthday, with each town adding a little local flair.

North Carolina's two major military bases are planning big Fourth of July events to honor troops who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.<br />

At Fort Bragg, &quot;Operation Celebrate Freedom&quot; begins at 3 p.m. and is open to the public. Country star Wynonna Judd will sing and visitors can watch skydiving demonstrations and fireworks.<br />

The Marines will host country music star Lee Ann Womack at Camp Lejeune. Marines and their families also will be treated to children's activities, music and fireworks.

Friday is a working day for the two candidates for the U.S. Senate. Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole and her challenger, Kay Hagan, are touring the state, making stops to meet voters along the way.<br />

Dole rode in a morning parade in the town of Faith, just outside her hometown of Salisbury. She was to speak at events in Charlotte and Raleigh later in the day.<br />

Her challenger, State Sen. Kay Hagan had planned appearances at parades in Charlotte, Shelby and Valdese.

The Durham Bulls Fourth of July celebration features an A-list celebrity. Actor Kevin Costner will take part in the festivities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bull Durham.<br />

Costner and his band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The city's<br />

annual fireworks extravaganza will follow the concert.

<h4>State Fair celebration in Raleigh</h4>

At the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, gates open at 2:30 p.m. for games, rides and family entertainment. Country singer Holland Marie will perform on the main stage at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks were scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.

Jodi Leese Glusco

Variety marks Independence Day celebrations across N.C.

Crabtree Swim and Tennis Club Parade

Mykia Daniel, an eighth grader at Ligon Middle School, was shot and killed on Monday in a north Raleigh apartment. A 16-year-old was charged with her murder.


Teen Raleigh girl's death a sign of 'incredibly disturbing' trend for youth violence

Mykia Daniel

A mother said her daughter and a friend are alive thanks to a quick-thinking Uber driver and Narcan administered by paramedics. 



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WRAL News has new information Thursday in the search for Blake and London Deven, siblings who vanished from Fayetteville several years ago.

911 call sheds new light in Fayetteville disappearance case of adopted siblings

Blake Deven and London Deven

Coming off a momentous win in Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes hit the road for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders on Thursday night at UBS Arena.

Hurricanes jump out to 2-0 first period lead on Islanders in game 3

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The North Carolina State Health Plan is poised to lose nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in 2025. State Treasurer Dale Folwell is hoping state lawmakers will bail it out by paying it back for Covid-19 care and related expenses.



State health plan likely headed for red ink without bailout, analysts say

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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

Gov. Roy Cooper, museum leaders and museum paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno on Thursday preview Dueling Dinosaurs, a brand new exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The exhibit opens to the public Saturday.

Preview of Dueling Dinos, opening Saturday in Raleigh

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

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Videos

The biggest event of the offseason is underway in Detroit. Here's a look at the top moments of the evening.

Follow live: Bears draft Caleb Williams to open 2024 NFL Draft

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The Carolina Panthers don't have a first round pick as the NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night, but that doesn't mean they won't be busy. Here's everything you need to know.

Variety marks Independence Day celebrations across N.C.

Military marks the Fourth

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State Fair celebration in Raleigh

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