50 NC counties and 1 VA county are under alert, including Wake, Cumberland, Durham, Johnston, and Orange counties.

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

Compared to pre-pandemic prices, ground beef is up 35%, chips are up 45%, bread is up 57% and a 12-ounce can of soda is up 66%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks trends on common grocery store items.

WRAL Investigates: 'Greedflation' and other drivers behind inflation at the grocery store

A look at inflation at the grocery store

All assets associated with the tag: brain injury

Brain injury Coverage

A specialized laboratory examining the brain of the gunman who committed Maine’s deadliest mass shooting found profound brain damage of the kind that has been seen in veterans exposed to repeated blasts from weapons use.

Profound Damage Found in Maine Gunman’s Brain, Possibly From Blasts

A look at how North Carolina members of Congress voted during the previous week.

How they voted: North Carolina congressional votes for the week ending Dec. 22

U.S. Capitol

A bus crash over the weekend killed a Raleigh father, and put his nine-year-old son in a coma. Now, the family is racing to get the boy's mother to his bedside, to say good bye. 

Family of child injured in GoRaleigh bus crash rally to help mother get to her dying son

Nine-year-old in coma following Raleigh crash 

A special group of volunteer gardeners now help to feed others in the Holly Springs community. The volunteers also have a great need of their own, to feel useful.  They refuse to let a brain injury condition called Aphasia to define them. 


THOSE STORIES AND MORE AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR. >>> A GROUP OF VOLUNTEER GARDENERS HELPS FEED OTHERS IN THE HOLLY SPRINGS COMMUNITY. THEY HAVE A GREAT NEED OF THEIR OWN. TO FEEL USEFUL. THEY REFUSE TO LET A CONDITION CALLED APHASIA DEFINE THEM. RACHEL MOVES SLOWLY. SHE IS MORE ACTIVE NOW THAN SHE WAS 23 YEARS AGO. THAT'S WHEN MS AFFECTED HER CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. >>  I WAS 29. I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR AND NO SPEECH. >>  APHAS IA  CAN ALSO BE THE RESULT OF A HEAD INJURY OR STROKE. >>  WHO THEY ARE IS THERE BUT IT'S HIDDEN AWAY. >>  SHE STARTED TAP ROOTS AS PART OF A APHASIA PROJECT LETTING THEM GROW PLANTS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THEY PARTNERED SMALL GOALS AT FIRST. >>  THE VALUE OF THE TAP ROOT IS THAT THEY PROBABLY PROVIDE MORE THAN ONE TO $2,000 WORTH OF VALUE TO OUR GARDENERS AND THEN THIS GOES DIRECTLY BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. >>  NOW IT'S SEED PLANTING SEASON WHICH STARTS WITH READING THE SAID PACKETS. >>  WHAT'S THE IDEA? >>  PARSLEY. >>  . ITS PART OF THE THERAPY AS IS MOVING THE TINY SEEDS IN TO RICH SOIL. THE CLIENTS GET OUTSIDE, WORK AS A GROUP AND FEEL USEFUL. >>  MISSION IS FOR LIFE PARTICIPATION. SO, YOU WANT TO BRING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND GET THEM ENGAGED IN LIFE. >>  IT'S STILL EARLY IN THE GROWING SEASON. MORE WILL JOIN ONCE PLANTING SEASON STARTS. SHE WAS THE FIRST TO JOIN AND INSPIRE MANY OTHERS TO FOLLOW. >>  IT WAS -- I'M SO PROUD. >>  WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. THE PROJECT ALSO HELPS PEOPLE LIVING WITH THE CONDITION FIND ACTIVITIES THEY ENJOY. THAT INCLUDES MOVIES, READING

Triangle Aphasia project helps clients feed other in need 

A special group of volunteer gardeners now help to feed others in the Holly Springs community. The volunteers also have a great need of their own, to feel useful. 

Triangle program helps people living with Aphasia stay active and serve others

A brain injury survivor hopes marijuana will soon be legalized in North Carolina.



Brain injury survivor credits medical marijuana for his recovery, hopes for legalization

Jordan Slade

Many families with children are anxious to dive into summer fun. But some activities, like riding bikes or diving into a pool, could be unsafe and in some cases, lead to a traumatic brain injury. Daniel Pietrzak, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina, spoke with WRAL's Ken Smith and explained how to protect our family members from serious accidents this summer.

<p>GROW TEEN GIRLS TO HAVE SEX WITH EPSTEIN. HE WAS ARRESTED LAST SUMMER AND DIED AFTER A SUICIDE ATTEMPT IN JAIL AFTER LAST AUGUST. &gt;&gt;&gt; A LOT OF FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, ARE ANXIOUS TO DIVE INTO SUMMER FUN. SOME ACTIVITIES LIKE RIDING BIKES OR DIVING INTO A POOL MAY BE UNSAFE, AND IN SOME CASES WE DID TO AMANDA DRAMATIC BRAIN INJURY. WE ARE JOINED NOW TO HELP EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN PROTECT FAMILY MEMBERS FROM SERIOUS INJURIES DURING THE SUMMER. DANIEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. TELL US ABOUT THE THINK SAFETY FIRST CAMPAIGN. HOW DOES THAT WORK? &gt;&gt; EVERYONE HAS BEEN STUCK AT HOME FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO GET BACK OUT THERE. WE JUST WANT FOLKS TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND THINK FOR A SECOND BEFORE WHATEVER ACTIVITY THEY WANT TO ENGAGE IN STARTS. THEY SHOULD THINK TO IMPROVE WAYS THAT THEY ARE SAFE. THAT COULD BE A HELMET OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. &gt;&gt; LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HELMET. LAST WEEK WE WERE OUT BIKE RIDING AND ALL WEARING HELMETS, BUT WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING A HELMET? HOW MUCH CAN THAT REDUCE RISK OF INJURIES? &gt;&gt; HELMETS REDUCE RISK BY UP TO 80%, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. ACCIDENTS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, AND IT ONLY TAKES ONE SECOND. THAT COULD EITHER RESULT IN A MINOR CONCUSSION, OR A VERY MAJOR, SERIOUS INJURY. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET FOLKS TO THINK SAFETY FIRST, PUT THE HELMETS ON BEFORE THEY DO ANY ACTIVITY LIKE A BICYCLE OR SCOOTER. &gt;&gt; IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO FAMILIES THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO WEAR THESE PROTECTIVE MEASURES. &gt;&gt; ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE HEAR, PARTICULARLY FROM YOUNGER KIDS, IS THAT IT DOES NOT LOOK COOL. REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS IS TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND. WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE SAFE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO HAVE ANY KIND OF INJURY. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS OVER 200,000 NORTH CAROLINIANS LIVING WITH A BRAIN INJURY. WE VIEW IT AS OUR JOB TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE A LIFELONG INJURY. &gt;&gt; I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. WE HAD TO STRUGGLE WITH MY GRANDSON TO PUT ON HIS HELMET. HE WAS WEARING HIS SCOOTER AND HE THOUGHT HE COULD JUST WRITE HIS SCOOTER. IT IS REALLY NOT THAT SIMPLE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE THE TIME , BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, SAFETY FIRST, RIGHT? &gt;&gt; CORRECT. TAKE THAT EXTRA SECOND THOSE EXTRA STEPS. EVEN AT THE POOL KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUNG ONES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE NOT RUNNING ON A CONCRETE SURFACE, ALL JUST VERY IMPORTANT MEASURES THAT CAN REALLY ADD UP. &gt;&gt; I ALWAYS HEAR THE LIFEGUARDS TO YELL AT KIDS TO STOP RUNNING. AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE SUMMER HERE IN JULY, WE HAVE AUGUST NEXT, WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE HER PARENTS? &gt;&gt; IT IS THINK SAFETY FIRST. IF YOU'RE GOING TO RIDE A BIKE OR A SCOOTER, OR EVENING ATV, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE PROPER HELMETS. IF YOU OR BY THE POOL, DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE LIMIT LITTLE ONES FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN THINGS CAN HAPPEN. EVEN IF YOU ARE AT A COOKOUT, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO BE HEADING TO THIS WEEKEND, YOU KNOW, THINGS SUCH AS HOTDOGS AND GRAPES CAN ALSO CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR YOUNG ONES. JUST BEAR IN MIND, JUST THINK SAFETY FIRST AND GO FROM THERE. &gt;&gt; I WILL REMEMBER THAT ALL WEEKEND LONG.</p>

Think safety first when planning summer fun 

Think safety first

A horrific car crash changed a Wilmington man's life, leaving him with severe trauma and an incredible gift: painting.

Traumatic brain injury reveals incredible talent

The CDC reports that 26.8% of adults in North Carolina have some type of intellectual or developmental disability. 

Help available for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries

Alliance Health : Spotlight : Brain Scan

Football season has become more than just touchdowns and yards. The sport has put the national spotlight on brain injuries and concussions. Especially when it comes to treatment.

Football season brings spotlight to treatment of concussions

Soldiers at Fort Bragg are part of a clinical study that may change the way concussions are treated.

Soldier says neurofeedback study has improved his life