WRAL.com - Local News

'Wildly windy' Wednesday could see gusts up to 50 mph

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:34:33 -0500

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for more than 30 counties across North Carolina, including Wake, Durham and Orange, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Attorney: Evidence never linked Taylor to murder

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:44:22 -0500

A convicted murderer getting a second chance at freedom testified Tuesday that he felt like police investigators were trying to trick him into confessing to a crime he maintains he did not commit.

Advocates say group homes hit hard by budget cuts

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:53:23 -0500

More than 6,000 people with mental health or substance abuse problems live in group homes across North Carolina, but state officials say a weekend stabbing is no reason for concern by people who live near group homes.

Court blocks surrender of Edwards sex tape

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:54:46 -0500

The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday blocked a judge's order calling for the surrender of a videotape purportedly showing two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards engaged in extramarital sex.

Accused nursing home shooter to switch cells

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:23:25 -0500

A Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered that the man accused of killing eight people at a Moore County nursing home last year be returned to Central Prison in Raleigh.

Hillsborough Street businesses say construction project is bad for sales

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:29:00 -0500

Business owners along Hillsborough Street in Raleigh say a road construction project there is hurting their sales.

Panel: Find new site for Rolesville high school

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:31:00 -0500

A Wake County Board of Education committee on Tuesday recommended abandoning the proposed site for a new high school northeast of Raleigh and look at two alternative sites in Rolesville.

Durham schools win grant to boost minority achievement

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:30:19 -0500

The NEA Foundation on Tuesday awarded Durham Public Schools $1.25 million to boost the classroom achievement of minority students.

Edwards' appearances at UNC poverty center were few

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:16:38 -0500

Two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards oversaw or attended 20 events in his almost two years in charge of a UNC anti-poverty center.

Gubernatorial candidates queried on flights

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:57:54 -0500

North Carolina elections officials have asked gubernatorial candidates since 2004 for more information about airplane flights they paid for or received from contributors.

Lejeune Marines leave Haiti on Middle East duties

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:50:58 -0500

Thousands of North Carolina-based Marines are leaving Haiti after helping with emergency aid efforts in Haiti.

Chapel Hill considers cell phone ban for drivers

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:11:00 -0500

The Chapel Hill Town Council is considering a town-wide ban on the use of handheld devices to make calls while driving.

Green card scam victims fight deportation

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:23:56 -0500

Luis and Sandra Vulcan are citizens of Venezuela but have been living in the United States for about 10 years. They thought they had taken the proper steps to obtain green cards but were scammed.

Rivers rise after winter storms

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:29:47 -0500

Rising water trapped an elderly couple in their car Sunday night on a road north of Sanford. Rivers across North Carolina are rising after storms systems that have dropped heavy rain and snow since late January.

Wake schools posts residents' information online

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:17:28 -0500

The school system, last week, posted the names and contact information of more than 800 Wake County residents who answered a call from school leaders to give feedback on the issue.

Neighbors complained for months about neglected horses

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:12:09 -0500

Neighbors of a Duplin County farm where the carcasses of 13 horses were found Sunday morning said Monday that they had complained for months about neglected animals.

Cities try to crack down on gambling parlors

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:15:33 -0500

Even before state lawmakers can draw up restrictions on the latest gaming business to take hold in North Carolina, municipal officials are using zoning rules to crack down on the so-called sweepstakes cafes.

Retired fire department worker claims cash prize

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:16:01 -0500

Frank Griffin of Asheville came forward Monday to claim his Powerball jackpot, which he plans to take in a single, lump sum that will total about $47 million after taxes.

Twice-delayed trial in slaying of NCCU student begins

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:16:26 -0500

A murder trial began Monday for a Greensboro woman accused of killing a North Carolina Central University graduate student more than three years ago.

Bodies of man, woman found in Durham house

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:04:19 -0500

Durham police opened a double homicide investigation Monday after officers doing a welfare check found the bodies of a man and woman in a house on Lynn Road.

Woman pleads guilty in hoax Amber Alert

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:17:52 -0500

A woman who initiated a fake Amber Alert in Smithfield almost two years ago pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement.

'Underdog' wins Super Bowl glory for Triangle ad company

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:34:08 -0500

The canine star of the 30-second "Underdog" ad by a Raleigh company didn't just get a bag of Doritos. She also won viewers' hearts and $650,000 in prize money.

Meredith president to retire

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:45:02 -0500

The first woman president of Meredith College, Maureen Hartford has led the Southeast's largest women's college since July 1999. She plans to leave the school in June 2011.

N.C. GOP head wants two top Perdue aides to quit

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:40:37 -0500

The head of North Carolina's Republican Party says two top aides to Gov. Beverly Perdue should resign because of poor performance.

N.C. political hopefuls to begin official signup

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:39:26 -0500

North Carolina's campaign season crosses a significant threshold Monday as candidates begin signing up to get on this year's election ballots.