Look around and you'll notice it everywhere on the roads - drivers looking down at their phones. Tonight at 6 p.m., what lawmakers and parents are doing to protect the group most at risk in North Carolina - teenage drivers.  

Tonight at 6: It's blamed for more crashes among NC teens than speed and alcohol combined. WRAL Investigates distracted teen driving.

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods, so purchasing separate flood insurance is crucial in North Carolina, especially in high-risk areas.

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods: How to protect your home in North Carolina

Princeville residents weigh options after Hurricane Matthew

Athens Drive Magnet High School and Conn Magnet Elementary School won national awards Saturday at the Magnet Schools of America's annual conference.

Top two magnet schools in the US are in Wake County

Athens Drive High School

All assets associated with the tag: lifeguard

Lifeguard Coverage

Norm Winstel, 76, and Josie Blackburn, 90, both work at Toronto Memorial Pool and may be Ohio's oldest lifeguards.

Senior lifeguards, 76 and 90, make a big impact at Ohio pool

Senior lifeguards work at Ohio pool

Meet two of the oldest lifeguards on active duty, both working at a pool in Toronto, Ohio.



<p>Well, you may think that the only people sitting in lifeguard chairs like this are teenagers looking for a summer job. But that's not the case right here at the Toronto Memorial Pool. As Ohio's oldest lifeguard or lifeguards could be right here, Norman Witzel or to many at the Toronto Memorial Pool is known as Norm. At 76 years old, he spends his time by the pool, but he's also the lifeguard on duty and I put my 36 to 40 laps in and then jump in the lifeguard stand and be ready to go. It was a decision nor made whenever the pool was facing the nationwide labor shortage. So he completed his 26.5 hours of lifeguard training and got to work in three days. I was a lifeguard. I made it, it was very hard, but norm isn't the oldest person poolside. Just a few chairs down is 90 year old Josie Blackburn, supervising the kids at the splash ba section. Blackburn says this job has been the best thing to happen to her as many places wouldn't give her a chance. I got so tired of sitting around, not have nothing to do. And I put my application in mcdonald's and they said we can't hire you. You're 90 years old. And I was so upset, but now she's found the perfect spot for her, helping little ones stay safe and proving age is just a number. I am just so happy to be here. I can't even tell you how happy I am gives me hope in my stage of my life that I can do what I want to do.</p>

90-year-old lifeguard works at Ohio pool

A GoFundMe page was established Friday hours after two Nags Head lifeguards were injured in a house fire.



Nags Head lifeguard injured in house fire, home a total loss 

The city of Raleigh is struggling to find and recruit new lifeguards this summer, causing half of all pools to close down. 

The city of Raleigh is looking for at least 75 new lifeguards. 100 would be ideal. But we've had to kind of delay opening in some cases. We might not have all the bodies of water open in some of our year round pools. We've been limited in instructions and swim lessons. The shortage is nothing new, but the pandemic made it much worse. Yes. Covid, we lost quite a few because of that. Some opted not to come back, which I think a lot of people considered during, during the pandemic is really, what do I want to do, ken Heisler, the Parks and Recreation Director says they've increased pay from 9 to $13 in hopes of attracting staff. However, of the last 10 applicants, only about 30% passed the swim test. It's kind of physically demanding. You gotta be able to swim, you gotta go 300 yards without stopping. You need to be able to tread water for two minutes And you need to be able to pull a £10 block off the bottom of the pool and do some swimming. And Chrysler says they're actively looking for lifeguards in until they have more pools will not be opening? And we hope that that doesn't come to it, which is why we're always looking to juggle. Can we open up portions of it? Can we delay? Can we kind of work through it so that everybody can get that experience? But it really comes down to safety first and we will not put anybody in a position where that will be, There will be any risk that goes into that.

City of Raleigh forced to shut down 4 pools amid shortage of lifeguards

LIfeguard shortage Raleigh

Lake Johnson, Longview, Biltmore Hills and Ridge Road pool will not be open this weekend because of a lifeguard shortage .



Half of all Raleigh's pools not yet open due to lifeguard shortage 

Lifeguard shortages will mean fewer days to go to Forest Hills pool in Durham.



POLICE DIVERGING TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 40 MINUTES. NO WORD ON THE EXTENT OF INJURIES. >>> LIFE GUARD SHORTAGES WILL MEAN FEWER DAYS AT A DURHAM POOL. THE POOL WILL BE CLOSED DUE TO A STAFFING SHORTAGE. WRAL'S JULIAN GRACE JOINS US LIVE TONIGHT WITH SOME OF THE INCENTIVES THAT WERE BEING USED TO TRY TO HIRE MORE STAFF, JULIAN? >> Reporter: AND ONE OF THOSE BIG THINGS COULD MEAN MORE MONEY FOR LIFE GUARDS HERE AND IN THE MEANTIME THIS POOL WILL BE CLOSED ON SATURDAY. IT'S FRIDAY AND IT'S A HOT ONE. >> IT IS REALLY HOT. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR SPRAY GROUNDS EVERYWHERE AND THEY SEEM TO BE CLOSED. >> Reporter: THE BAKER FAMILY LEARNED THE POOL JUST A FEW FEET AWAY WILL NOT BE IN THE OPTION THIS SATURDAY. >> IT IS A LITTLE FRUSTRATING. >> Reporter: THE FOREST HILLS SITE WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFE GUARDS ON DUTY TO BE OPEN SATURDAY. >> WE ONLY E OPEN OUR POOLS IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE SHORT ENOUGH LIFE GUARDS FOR ONE DAY THIS COMING SATURDAY, TOMORROW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHUT ONE OF OUR THREE OUTDOOR POOLS. >> Reporter: DURHAM IS NOT ALONE. RALEIGH HAD ROUGHLY 40 OPEN LIFE GUARD POSITIONS, AND MANY POOLS WERE OPERATING UNDER MODIFIED SCHEDULES. RIGHT NOW DURHAM IS DOING A LOT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE TO BECOME A LIFE GUARD. >> WE HAVE INCREASED OUR WAGES AND OUR SENIOR LIFE GUARDS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA MAKES $17.99 AN HOUR. >> THAT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH TO OPEN THE POOL ON SATURDAY, SO THE BAKER FAMILY WILL HAVE TO LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE TO KEEP COOL. >> WE KIND OF HAVE TO STAY INSIDE AND WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP HYDRATED. MAKING SURE SHE HAS HER SUNSCREEN ON. >> Reporter: A LACK OF LIFE GUARDS, WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM? WE'LL SEE HERE ALL SUMMER. LENA, I ASK THAT QUESTION TO PARKS AND RECS HERE IN DURHAM TONIGHT AND THEY TELL ME PLEASE REMEMBER THERE IS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE AND NO ONE IS IMMUNED.

Lack of lifeguards causes temporary closure at Durham pool

Lifeguard shortages will mean fewer days to go to Forest Hills pool in Durham. 



'It's a little frustrating.' Staffing shortage causes Durham pool to close on Saturday 

Lifeguards earn between $17.99 and $21.56 per hour, according to the city.  They typically work between 15 to 20 hours a week. 

Durham seeking lifeguards, ages 16 and up

Swimming pool

Raleigh is offering its lifeguard training program for teens as young as 15, and now is the time to sign up.



Need a summer job for your teen? Raleigh's lifeguard training program is open

Some Triangle cities are grappling with a shortage of lifeguards.

Triangle cities in need of pool lifeguards

So far this summer, seven people have drowned along the North Carolina coast -- 28 nationwide -- due to rip currents. But hundreds more have been rescued.



Lifeguards demonstrate rip current rescue 

Rip current rescue

As the summer swim season begins, the city of Raleigh is still on the hunt for more than a few good lifeguards.