N.C. State to fix Bell Tower before graduation

It's almost time for graduation, and North Carolina State University is rushing to repair a campus landmark damaged by lightning before the weekend ceremonies.

Lightning knocked a 1,500-pound chunk of granite loose from the tower Tuesday night. Much of the stone was left teetering atop the tower, but N.C. State student Kyle Rogers found a small piece about 115 feet from the tower's southeast corner after the strike.

Rogers said he thought he could keep it as a souvenir, but when campus police tracked him down and told him otherwise, he returned the stone to university officials on Thursday. N.C. State plans to have a crew repair the tower before the commencement ceremony.

The lightning strike also stopped the tower's clock, but crews have already repaired that and have checked the system that chimes every hour for any damage.