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: downtown Wilmington

Downtown Wilmington Coverage

What looks like a construction site now could soon be the scene of your next favorite movie.

What looks like construction now could soon be home to your next favorite movie. Workers are putting up 55 ft high walls for what will soon be sound stages. Three and four here at Dark Horse Studios. I think we're a bunch of kids in a candy store. It's Christmas morning for us. President of Dark Horse Studios. Kirk Ingle Bright says he's ready to take on the crew base in Wilmington who were out of a job due to the strike. We're full steam ahead trying to get these stages up in time so we can fill them and get back to work the expansion, doubling the available space at this site off Market Street with C space buying eu screen gym studio back in September. Dark Horse is the second studio built in town. Mayor Bill Saffo says he's confident there are enough productions interested in southeastern North Carolina to build what will be a state of the art facility once complete. This is a new facility with the whole a new set of infrastructure that's being put into the studio. But I think we have more than enough business coming into this area that wants to come to this area to support two studios. Absolutely. Johnny Griffin, head of Wilmington's Regional Film Commission is hopeful. The expansion will have all eyes on Wilmington. So just trying to make sure the industry knows that Wilmington's ready and open for business and soon the curtains will raise on Wilmington's newest studio space. Other wall is about right here.

Dark Horse Studios doubling space in Wilmington

EUE Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington

A Wilmington police horse and officer were hit by a woman accused of driving drunk early Saturday morning. 



NC police horse, officer hit by suspected drunk driver 

Wilmington police horse 'Elton'

The idea of going aboard a possibly haunted battleship and spending most of the night there in the dark might sound like a bad idea to some people.

Go ghost hunting aboard the Battleship North Carolina

Battleship NC night vision view

Here are five ideas for spending the day or weekend in the Wilmington area without going to the actual beach.

5 things to do in Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach that don't involve the beach

The Donut Inn

The North Carolina Azalea Festival returns to Wilmington this week, with five days of events plus concerts and a weekend-long street fair.

NC Azalea Festival returns to Wilmington this weekend

Azalea Festival

Wilmington's City Council voted to permanently remove two Confederate statues in downtown on Monday, WECT reports. 

Confederate statues that were 'temporarily' removed from downtown Wilmington are not going back up, city votes 

The Soldiers of the Confederacy Monument in downtown Wilmington

Employees of The George on the Riverwalk watched as crews pulled a red Dodge Challenger from the Cape Fear River on Friday. They didn't know that one of the bodies that water rescue crews pulled from the water was their coworker, Frederick Brock. 



'It's heartbreaking': Coworkers remember life of man found in car rescued from Cape Fear River

Dodge Charger pulled from Cape Fear River, two people found dead inside

Two people were found dead inside a Dodge Challenger that drove into the Cape Fear River, officials said. Witnesses say that the car drove off a pier in downtown Wilmington, near the historic Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. 

THE POLICE CHIEF SAID THE OFFICERS WERE IN THAT AREA LOOKING FOR AN ARMED PERSON WHO MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN EARLIER SHOOTING. THE 15-YEAR-OLD WAS PUT IN HANDCUFFS BEFORE OFFICERS REALIZE HE WAS NOT THE SUSPECT. THE CHEAP ALSO EXPRESSED TO THE FAMILY'S REMORSE THAT THE INCIDENT EVEN OCCURRED. >>> PLEASE IDENTIFY THE TWO PEOPLE WHO DIED WHEN THE CAR WENT INTO THE CAPE FEAR RIVER. 31-YEAR-OLD JAMAAL SNEED AND 41- YEAR-OLD FREDERICK BROCK IN A CAR WHEN IT DROVE OFF A PIER IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON LAST WEEK. DIVE TEAMS SPENT MOST OF FRIDAY LOOKING FOR THE CART PICK A

Dodge Challenger pulled from Cape Fear River, two people found dead inside

Witnesses say someone drove their car straight into the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington late Thursday night. They called police to report a red car seen sinking into the Cape Fear River in the area of Front Street and Market Street.

Two bodies found in Dodge Challenger that sank to bottom of Cape Fear River

Wilmington residents who fled to escape Hurricane Dorian are returning home.

After Hurricane Dorian exits, Wilmington residents return home

Carson Andrews

Justina Johnson shared this video of water rising ahead of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington.

Viewer video: Water rising in Wilmington

Wilmington Hurricane Florence

Downtown nightlife photos taken May 1-4, 2018, in downtown Raleigh at NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Cornerstone Tavern and Black Flower and in Wilmington. Photos courtesy of NCEventPics.com.

Downtown Nightlife Photos: May 8-14

NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Downtown nightlife photos taken April 7, 2018, in downtown Wilmington and at bars in Wrightsville Beach. Photos courtesy of NCEventPics.com.