Monday is a WRAL Weather Alert Day, with showers and storms that could become strong to severe mainly after lunchtime. Storms will have potential to produce damaging winds and hail Monday afternoon and evening. 

WRAL Weather Alert Day: Monday brings risk of severe storms with potential for damaging winds and hail.

Deputies could not confirm the age of the deceased or when they received the initial call related to the body.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office: Body found in Cape Fear River near Fayetteville

Four of the top 2024 contenders for the White House are planning to visit the Tar Heel State on Friday and Saturday -- an early indication of how important North Carolina is to each party.

Presidential candidates descend on NC, with election far in the distance

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A biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission shares ways you can safely deal with snakes around your yard this summer.

How to deal with snakes in your yard safely, sanely and humanely

Experts: How to keep snakes out of your yard

All assets associated with the tag: Lenoir County

Lenoir County Coverage

Authorities said the paramedic is currently in stable condition at ECU Health Center.

Paramedic shot while attending to call in Lenoir County

Police car, blue lights

One person was killed early Saturday morning in a house fire just outside LaGrange city limits.

One dead in Lenoir County house fire

1 person dead in Leoir County house fire

May 12, 2022 marked the 21st anniversary of the disappearance of a Lenoir County girl. As WITN reporter Dave Jordan continues to look back at his 25-years of reporting in eastern Carolina, the case of Timeka Pridgen remains the greatest mystery he's ever covered. 

this Lagrange home is the last place to make a Pridgen was seen. Shot. That you know, the child would go missing with no trace whatsoever. That was May 12 of 2001 when she was just 16 years old. 21 years later, her family, friends and investigators asked the same question, what happened to Tamika just to completely disappear off the face of the Earth, is very very unusual every day. I miss her and I want so badly to know you know what she is and what happened that's Tamika's mom, cassandra best who talked with me over the years as the investigation into her daughter's disappearance continued, I sat down with her again as another year passes with no answers. I miss her every single day. I think about her every single day. People don't just disappear into thin air. But this is what this feels like, like no trace, no trace at all. That is the nightmare cassandra lives with every day. She says Tamika seemingly vanished from their home while she was taking a nap. She still believes today as she did when I talked with her previously that someone abducted her and that she did not leave on her own. She um left her shoes and her purse and she had money in her purse. She left back and this particular evening he had Ryan earlier and he had turned really cool. So I know she would not have just walked out without his shoes on. It was the Lagrange police Department that originally investigated to make his disappearance from her home here. So where do they stand with the investigation today? Well, the Police Department doesn't exist anymore. The case is now in the hands of the Lenore County Sheriff's office where Sheriff Ronnie ingram says investigators were back out searching around the house in the past few years that we actually went out and met with a group and, and we went, went over the area, walked all through the wooded area down there with dogs, cadaver, dogs and um dogs still didn't hit nothing. We did a couple of fields right there by, just passed the house. Uh, nothing cassandra told me years ago. She felt like the initial investigation into her daughter's disappearance was hindered because of a missing persons case weeks earlier involving a classmate of Tamika's. That turned out to be a hoax that just wasn't enough attention on it when it first happened. You know, when people say those 1st 48 hours are so crucial. That is true. She first suspected her soon to be boyfriend at the time, knew what happened and that hasn't changed, fueling her concerns. He's been convicted of multiple sex offenses and kidnapping and served time in prison. But he had consistently said he wasn't there that day. Today. Tamika would be 37 years old, about 10 years ago. This age progression composite image was released of what she may look like. While the case remains cold cassandra says she knows there are answers. Someone knows something and they're just refusing to come forward and it's very difficult. But I know for the family situation they need some kind of closure. Hope against hope. We hope she's still alive. You know, you hate to think the worst. You hope for the best and we hope that somewhere she is still somewhere out there and it is hoped that cassandra holds onto hope that Tamika is still alive and hope that one day she will see her again. But I think about her every day and I guess I have another choice because I wake up to her picture staring at me every morning. I really miss her a lot.

Mystery: 16-year-old NC girl disappeared from her home 21 years ago 

Timeka Pridgen

Lenoir County officials said the worker, a man, fell from scaffolding while working around 8 a.m. The man was declared dead at the scene.

Construction worker dies after falling off church in Lenoir County

Vaping

After a multi-day manhunt for the man accused of shooting a Lenoir County deputy and another man, the suspect is now in custody of the Lenoir County Sheriff's Department.


After 3 days, manhunt ends for suspect accused of shooting Lenoir County deputy 

Robert Strother, shot deputy in Kinston

It's a long-time grill in Kinston known for hot dogs, cheeseburgers, loyal customers and the friendly family that's run it for decades.

>>> YOU CAN DOWNHOOD THE APP ANY TIME FREE OF CHARGE. THE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH APPLE AND ANDROID DEVICE. SOY SOMETIME YOU JUST NEED COMFORT FOOD AND A CODESY PLACE TO RECHARGE. TONIGHT, WE FOUND OUR TAR HEEL TRAVELER IN LENOIR COUNTY. SCOTT MASON TAKES USE TO LONG TIME GRILL. >> Reporter: IT IS A FORMER GAS STATION THAT IS NOW A HOUSE. MA'S HOT DOGHOUSE IN KINSTON. >> I'M HERE SO MUCH, THEY THINK I SLEEP IN THE RASH CAN OUTSIDE. >> Reporter: IT IS NOT A SHEEPLY GRILL. THE SPATULA IS UP AN AT 'EM. >> HOW BUSY DUD IT GET. >> BUSY ENOUGH WE CAN'T EAT NOTHING. >> ITS AFAMILY. >> Reporter: IT IS THE NOSTALGIA, RUSTIC, ALL THE OLD SIGNS. FINEST FLAVOR, DO NOT SPIT ON THE FLOOR. BUT TAKE A LAB AT THE CEILING FAN AND THE MENU. CHEESEBURG ARE, CHEESEBURGER. >> REAL HAMBURGER AND I LOVE IT. >> FRESH MADE BURGER EVER DAY. HOT DOGS WAVE BEEN KNOWN FOR. >> Reporter: HOW IS THE BREAKFAST HERE? GREAT. STEAK, EGG AN CHEESE. OMELETTES ARE ON EVERYBODY COMES HERE. >> WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER JUST TO GET A HOT DOG FROM HERE. >> Reporter: MA APPEAR HOT DOGHOUSE WHICH IS THERE ON THE DOG. >> I LOVE IT. IT'S FAMILY. IF THE STORE WENT AWAY, IT WOULD BREAK MY HEART. >> Reporter: ALTHOUGH HEARTS HAVE BEEN BROKEN. DOUG HARD I SOP BOUGHT THE PLACE IN 1990. >> MY GRANDDADDY PASS WADE IN 2015. AFTER THAT, MY DAD AN HIS BROTHER TOOK OVER. >> WE'VE BEEN VERY BLESS. >> Reporter: BLESSED BY OLD GAS STATION TURNED FAMILY GRILL. >> MIGHTY GOOD IT ME AND MY WIFE, I TELL YOU THAT. >> Reporter: DO YOU GET THE SAME CUSTOMERS OVER AND OVER? >> NO. WE HAVE SOME THAT COME IN EVERY DAY, REGULAR ONES BUT WE GET NEW ONES ALL THE TIME. >> Reporter: DO PEOPLE COME HERE ON THE WAY TO THE BEACH? >> YEAH. >> Reporter: IT IS CALL MA'S. WOULD IS MA? >> ONE, TWO, THREE, WE ARE ON OUR FOURTH MA NOW I DON'T YOU'RE MA. >> MY WIFE IS NOW. >> Reporter: MA IS THE MANY PREVIOUS OWNERS AN MA IS ALSO THE BIG MA. >> WHAT I LINE IS A CHEESEBURGER, JUST CATSUP APPEAR FRIES AN GET GRAVY TO DIP IT IN. >> Reporter: ARE YOU HUNGRY? >> OH, YEAH, MAN. >> OH, YEAH. >> OLD-FASHIONED. >> THAT IS REALLY ABOUT IT. >> WE LOOK OUT IF EACH OTHER AND WAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED. >> YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THAT. NOW, I AM STARVING. MA'S HOT DOGHOUSE IS ON HIGHWAY

Ma's Dog House serving good food and friendly atmosphere for decades

Boards of Commissioners from seven eastern North Carolina counties are calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to allow them to fully reopen under the first phase of the reopening of the state.

PERSON COUNTY IS READY TO REOPEN GRADUALLY. >>> AS NORTH CAROLINA PREPARES TO EASE RESTRICTIONS SOME COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DOWN EAST WANT MORE LOCAL CONTROL OVER THEIR FUTURES. SEVEN BOARDS OF COMMISSION SIGNED ONTO A LETTER ASKING GOVERNOR COOPER TO ALLOW THEIR COUNTIES TO REOPEN UNDER FEES 1. KEN SMITH IS HERE ON WHAT THEY WROTE TO THE GOVERNOR. >> Reporter: YOU SEE THE SEVEN BOARDS OF COMMISSION FROM DOWN IS CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR TO ALLOW THEM TO REOPEN UNDER FEES 1. FARTHER TO BEAUFORT AND PAMLICO COUNTY, THESE COMMISSIONERS STATED THESE ORDERS ARE PLACED IN ECONOMIC HARDSHIP. AS A REGION WE ASK THAT YOU HAVE DECISION-MAKING IN REGARDS TO A PHASED REOPENING APPROACH. THE LETTER SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO REQUEST LOCAL AUTHORITY OF DECISION-MAKING AND AVOID BEING GROUPED IN A BROAD-BASED DECISION-MAKING MODEL. WE TALKED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. ONCE WE HEAR BACK, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW. THE GOVERNOR IS OPPOSING ANY REGIONAL REOPENING PLAN. SOME PEOPLE WORK IN ONE COUNT BUT LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTY. THE GOVERNOR BELIEVES THIS WILL

Seven counties call on Gov. Cooper to allow them to reopen under Phase 1

A Rocky Mount man was arrested and is facing charges after an incident at a Kinston business involving a gun and a police officer.

Rocky Mount man arrested after struggle with Kinston police

Imani Clayton

As the newest member of the General Assembly, Senator Jim Perry, talks about this year's teacher rally.