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

Cardboard cutouts for sale are displayed as supporters of President Donald Trump wait in line at the Toyota Center to attend the president's rally for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), in Houston, Oct. 22, 2018. Trump supporters lined up all night long to get into Monday night’s rally, creating a scene that was part tailgate party, part campaign rally, part flea market for Trump Country. (Todd Spoth/The New York Times)

Line for Trump’s Houston Rally Formed More Than a Day in Advance