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

FILE -- Chris Gethard in his one-man show "Career Suicide" at the Lynn Redgrave Theater in New York, Oct. 4, 2016. The 15th annual New York Comedy Festival, which starts Nov. 5, 2018, features a dense lineup of improv, sketch and stand-ups of varying levels of fame. (Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

The 5 Shows We’re Most Excited About at the New York Comedy Festival