Name: Pandemic bill relief draining city budgets
Uploaded: 2020-07-03T17:39:28-0400
Duration: 171402
Description: When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered utilities like power and water not to cut off customers who couldn't pay. Now some cities who run those utilities say they're going broke because so many people are taking advantage and skipping payments.

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When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered utilities like power and water not to cut off customers who couldn't pay. Now some cities who run those utilities say they're going broke because so many people are taking advantage and skipping payments.

THAT AMERICA IS AT >> THIS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN MAY BE THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK FOR THOSE TOWNS.>> ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA SO MANY BILLS ARE GOING ON PAY THAT SOME CITIES ARE BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN KEEPING THEIR LIGHTS ON AND DOORS FOR JOINING US I'M GERALD OWENS. >> AND I'M KATHRYN BROWN, WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS PEDIMENT FIRST IT GOVERNOR COOPER ORDERED UTILITIES LIKE POWER AND WATER NOT TO SHUT OFF CUSTOMERS WHO COULD NOT PAY BUT NOW SOME CITIES WHO RUN THOSE UTILITIES SAY THEY ARE GOING BROKE BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THEM WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA LESLIE IS LIVE IN GARNER WITH WHAT THE CITY AND TOWN LEADERS ARE ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO DO ABOUT IT.>>REPORTER: WATER PLANTS LIKE THIS ONE HERE IN GARNER ARE ALWAYS RUN BY THE CITIES FOR THE MOST PART AND SOME CITIES ALSO PROVIDE POWER AND CABLE TO THE RESIDENTS. A LOT OF ACCOUNTS ARE MONTHS OVERDUE AND THEY CANNOT COLLECT ON THOSE UNTIL AN EXECUTIVE ORDER EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE MONTH. FOR SOME CITIES IT IS A FINANCIAL DISASTER IN SLOW- MOTION. THE EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER STOPPED CITIES FROM CUTTING OFF PEOPLES UTILITIES FOR NONPAYMENT OF BILLS THROUGH THE END OF JULY BUT IT WAS NOT LIMITED TO PEOPLE WHO LOST JOBS OR INCOME DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. PAUL MEYER WITH THE MISCIBILITY SAYS IT IS BEING ABUSED.>> FREELOADING ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND PEOPLE SAID THEY WILL NOT TURN OFF THE POWER SO I WILL NOT PAY.>> THE BILLS WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO BIT THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL EVER RECOUP ALL THE MONEY.>> IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT AND I REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WHEN YOU PUT PEOPLE BEHIND A FOUR AND FIVE MONTHS ON THEIR PAYMENTS YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PAY.>> IT IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR SMALL CITIES, UTILITY SERVICES CAN MAKE UP HALF OF THEIR BUDGET STATE TREASURER DALE FOLWELL SAYS IF UTILITIES GO BROKE  THE CITIES MADE TO.>> YOU KNOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE CITIZEN OWNED UTILITIES EAST OF RALEIGH. >> THE TOWN OF ELIZABETH CITY WAS GRANTED A WAIVER BY THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE BECAUSE IT WAS ONE WEEK FROM HAVING TO SHUT DOWN ENTIRELY. HE IS ASKING GOVERNOR COOPER TO EXTEND THE WAIVER TO ALL CITIZEN OWNED UTILITIES ALLOWING THEM TO START COLLECTING ON OVERDUE ACCOUNTS IMMEDIATELY.>> ULTIMATELY OF THESE BILLS ARE NOT PAID WE'RE PUTTING THE CITIZENS IN A WHOLE THEY CAN NEVER CLIMB OUT OF AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY RESULT IN MUCH HIGHER RATES NOT JUST FOR THESE UTILITIES BUT ALSO PROPERTY TAXES. WHICH IS THE LAST THING THAT RURAL NORTH CAROLINA NEEDS.>> DALE FOLWELL LEFT THE GOVERNOR FOR THE WAIVER AT TUESDAY'S MEETING AND I REACHED OUT TO

Laura Leslie

Richard Adkins

Jodi Leese Glusco

Pandemic bill relief draining city budgets

coronavirus economy,coronavirus government

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WRAL Late News 

Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

I'm meteorologist K Campbell in the wr severe weather center. Here's your weekend forecast looks pretty good. On Saturday, there is a small chance for rain. That would be first thing very early in the morning in our northern counties. The rest of the day looks pretty good, partly cloudy, mid to perhaps upper seventies. By Sunday, it's much cooler. Highs struggle to get into the sixties even. It's a cloudy day and we've got some scattered showers in the forecast Sunday, but we're on the stable side of the front. So we're not severe weather on Sunday and we really could use some rain. We'll get to that in a minute. Let's talk about your Saturday planner because that's going to be the day to be outside 63 at 8 a.m. by noon, 71 and will be in the mid to upper seventies during the afternoon. Still in the low to mid seventies by dinner time. Future cash shows pretty quiet, start to the day. Perhaps a few showers in our northern counties and cloud cover to start, but those clouds clear and we'll see more sunshine later on before we cloud back overnight into Sunday morning. Scattered showers are possible throughout the first part of the day, Sunday and then we'll see a band of steadier rain make its way in as we head into Sunday evening and perhaps Sunday night as well. Early on, we need any rain, we can get the drought monitor showing an expanded region for abnormally dry and yellow. That's the morning stage before you reach drought status. So we really need some rain to prevent drought from developing as we head into the month of May. The system that's bringing our rain chances for your Friday night is this area of low pressure along with a cold front draped to the south. That cold front is going to knock temperatures down as well. We're down to 46 degrees on Monday morning, 44 we had to lower the low Tuesday morning because there's not likely to be as much cloud cover and that's going to allow temperatures to fall even further. But for the weekend morning will wake up to temperatures near 60 Saturday morning and in the lower fifties again on Sunday morning. If you are running the Tar Heel 10 miler, we got some pretty nice weather for it. A 20% chance for rain for early on. Otherwise temperatures will be in the low to mid 60 s. Looks like some pretty good running weather for us. Looking ahead to next week, we're still on the cooler side start 66. But Monday trending more sunshine And then as we get into Tuesday, Wednesday, we're likely to be back in the seventies, Wednesday. We've got a cold front coming the way it looks now. Only a small 20% chance for rain with the front, but it is going to knock temperatures down again. Not as dramatic but low temperatures could be back in the upper forties with highs in the upper sixties to lower seventies toward the end of next week.

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Good afternoon. I'm Me Global. Welcome to this news drawings for Friday, April 19th, 2024. Let's get started with Carolina pick three. The first number is five. The second is seven. The third is eight and our pick three. Fire all number is five. Joining me for this afternoon drawing is our A for a con and JL LP. Now move on to Carolina pick for the first four. Number is eight. The second is eight. The third is six. The fourth is two and our pick four. Fireball number is six. The North Carolina Education lottery has contributed over $10 billion to education. Thanks for your support and thanks for playing.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

Gov. Roy Cooper joins United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to make a clean energy announcement.

Gov. Cooper makes clean energy announcement

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Good evening. I'm Gayle Hurd. Welcome to tonight's joins for Thursday, April 18th, 2024. Well, let's get started tonight with our Carolina pick three. Our first winning number is a three. Our second number is three also and our third number tonight is two and our pick three. Fireball number is one. Joining me for tonight's drawing is our auditor from mcconal and Jones L LP. Now let's move to the Carolina pick four. Good luck. Everyone is that first winning pick four number. It's a seven. Our second number is six. Third number tonight is seven again and our fourth number is two and our pick for a fireball number is an eight. We're turning now to the Carolina cash five. If no one was the top prize tonight. Tomorrow, our prize is estimated at $235,000. Good luck. Everyone. Who's that first winning cash five number. It's 22. Second number is five third number tonight is it 25. Our fourth number is 10 and the final number in our cash drive this evening is 21. The North Carolina education lottery has contributed over $10 billion to education Thanks to your support. Get your winning numbers right here every night in your exclusive station for the North Carolina Education lottery. Thanks for playing. Have a great night.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

After 22 years in business, Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed.



WE HAVE MORE RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND. I'LL SHOW YOU COMING UP. THE LIST OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH BUSINESSES SHUTTING THEIR DOORS IS ARMADILLO GRILL IS THE LATEST TO CLOSE FOR GOOD. >> WRAL'S SEAN GALLAGHER IS IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH TO FIND OUT WITH THIS MEANS FOR THE GLENN WOOD, SOUTH AREA. SEAN, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF FOLKS. >> YEAH, THIS WAS VERY ABRUPT SO ABRUPT THAT WE'VE SEEN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE COMING UP HERE TRYING TO GET LUNCH ON THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY'RE MET WITH THIS SIGN ON THE DOOR, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AT THIS LOCATION. NOW, THIS TEX MEX RESTAURANT CALL THE CORNER OF GLENWOOD AVENUE AND TUCKER STREET HOME FOR THE LAST. 22 YEARS. IN A FACEBOOK POST, THE OWNERS SAY CHANGES IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND RISING COSTS ARE WHY THEY'RE SHUTTING DOWN THIS LOCATION. IT'S THE LATEST IN A STRING OF STAPLE BUSINESSES RALLY, CLOSING CLOUDS BREWING, SHUT DOWN ITS RALEIGH TAVERN ON WEST STREET EARLIER THIS MONTH IN THE CAPITAL CLUB. 16 IS SHUTTING DOWN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. OUR BELOVED REAL SAID THEY WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION TO SERVE THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY. BUT FOR SHARE MCCRACKEN OF GARDEN SCAPE DESIGNER FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THIS AREA. THIS IS JUST A SIGN OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. >> IT'S ELEVATING RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF ROLL WITH IT. NATURALLY COMING TO AN END AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SPOT THAT'S PERFECT FOR THEM. BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THERE IS A CHANGE GOING ON ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. >> AN ARMADILLO GRILL WILL ARE STILL OFFER THEIR CATERING SERVICES HERE AND THEY WILL STILL OPERATE THEIR FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN CARRBORO. BUT RENEE, THAT'S ABOUT 40 MINUTES AWAY RIGHT NEAR UNC CAMPUS. >> WHILE CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO DRIVE A LOT FARTHER AND WE WILL SEE WHAT ENDS UP TAKING ITS PLACE. THERE ON GLENWOOD

Glenwood South staple Armadillo Grill closes

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday Powerball drawings, as shown live on WRAL.

Is powerball. Good evening, everyone. I'm Randy Trainer. Tonight. We have our life changing jackpot. It's estimated to be $80.7 million to get your tickets ready. Here. Come, tonight's winning numbers. Let's start things off this evening with the number 24. Right after that America. We have the number 54 and congratulations to Lisa Hayes from Illinois. She won $2 million playing powerball. All right, the rest of your winning number is 4447. And let's round it out tonight with the number 29 and tonight's win powerball number that's gonna be two and your power play multiplier is two. Let's take a look at tonight's winning numbers. Remember there are multiple ways to win. Good luck, everyone. We'll see you back here on Saturday night. It's time to play America's favorite.

Powerball Drawing

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