ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - December 15, 2025

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow, starting tonight, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. And breaking tonight, 12 North Carolina firefighters are heard after an explosion, rocked a home that was on fire. Fortunately, no one was killed. We'll walk you through the chain of events near Charlotte. But first tonight, the I team was following the leadership shakeup and carry, the questionable task. spending that led to the resignation of the town manager and now an investigation to follow

the cash over his nine-year career. Thanks so much for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Lauren Johnson. Hi everyone. I'm Steve Daniels after being put on leave on November 21st. The town manager, Sean Stiegel has now resigned. During an emergency town council meeting this evening, leaders appointed deputy town manager Russ Overton as the interim town manager. The I team is also learning about a $195,000 separation agreement between the town and Stiegel. The mayor also says they're looking into hiring a law firm to review spending over the past nine years while Stiegel was on the job. And tonight, the I-Team is learning new information about even more questionable spending. Tom George, live and Kerry with the new findings.

And Tom, you've been following this story very closely. That's right. This separation agreement that was reached between Sean Stiegel and the city came after Stegel agreed to resign over the weekend. But of course, it all comes after records obtained, including those from the I-team, found what the mayor is now calling a pattern of over-the-top spending. lack of transparency and a unhealthy work environment. And now, tonight, we are looking through those documents about some of the larger money that was being spent. I'm sick. I'm sad. And I'm mad. At an emergency meeting, the mayor and council making it official, deputy town manager Russ Overton sworn in his interim town manager as the fallout over longtime town manager, Sean Steele

ended with him stepping down, agreeing to a severance package just shy of $195,000. or six months of his salary, all after financial issues raised in records requests became public. I was absolutely stunned about the revelations that we've had and about what's come forward so far. Town officials are reviewing more than $37,000 approved for the town to cover tuition for a master's program for council member Lori Bush after Stiegel suggested the program. Money she says she later paid back after the controversy came to light. And so as more and more public records came out, I found out more. more. And now an even more expensive revelation, the town spending more than a million dollars to purchase these two properties on Kildare Farm Road near Kerry Elementary. In an email obtained

by the I-Team, the assistant town manager tells Councilmember Lori Bush the land would not be good for housing due to floodplain and advised against the land purchase. But months later, the town bought it anyway. The previous owner telling the I-Team today the only town contacts they had spoken to about the deal were then town manager Sean Siegel and Councilmember Lori Bush. Way County property records show the purchase was in two parts, but the combined price of the land was more than a million dollars. The mayor tells the I-team that total exceeded Stiegel's discretionary spending limit, which was set in a million dollars. The mayor tonight, saying the town has not uncovered anything illegal, Stiegel did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The mayor now says that million-dollar discretionary spending limit was too high to begin with, showing just how much power he had.

And something the mayor says needs to be lower in the future. In my opinion, that definitely needs to change. Absolutely. And the mayor does say this was serious enough. They decided to bring in a law firm to look through Stiegel's entire tenure. As town manager, keep in mind, he started back in 2016. So that is a nine-year period. They said they will release the results of that investigation as they come in. In the meantime, we have also reached out to Lori Bush for comments so far.

We have not heard back, Lauren. Nine years, lots of financial documents to sift through. and trust eyewitness news to follow the questions being asked in carry about how taxpayer dollars is being spent you can always get the latest right here on the air and online at abcc11.com now to the breaking news near charlotte 12 firefighters are heard after a house that caught fire exploded this evening this was in salisbury fortunately the injuries are not severe the explosion caused the roof of the home to collapse there were two people rescued from inside the home they're now recovering investigators are looking into what caused the fire and the explosion that followed

In Wake County, firefighters battled a fire at the aviator brewing facility in Fuqua Verena. Chopper 11 showing us the scene on Brewing Drive that fire apparently happening at the morning hangar breakfast restaurant at that site. The owner there telling eyewitness news the damage was limited to the front of that building. New tonight in Kerry, eyewitness news following the NC state men's soccer team in their quest tonight for national championship. They took on the University of Washington this evening for that national title. They battled it out into sudden death overtime. And that's when the huskies pulled a fast one on the wolf path. Fans, though, didn't let the cold stop them from cheering on their local team.

We brought some hand warmers. We have a bunch of layers, and we're hopefully going to be standing and moving around, and the adrenaline will be flowing, and hopefully we won't even notice the cold. Kate will join us later in sports with more on the game. Don, people were really bundled up there. Tempts getting down into the teens with the wind chill tonight. Oh, yeah, it is awfully cold out there, but it's about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than it was last night in spots. Talk about that in a bit. Good evening to you. We're not seeing any snow or rain on the first alert Doppler network. Looking live out at RDU right now, 28 degrees under partly cloudy skies in the southwest wind at five. Temperatures from across the region, 26 Raleigh, 27 Carborough, 25 Lillington, 26 Fayetteville. Factor the winds in. 16, the wind show right now in Oxford, 17 in Roxborough, 21 in Lewisburg, 21 in Smithfield, and 17 down in Fayetteville. Let's first alert you to the wind show right now in Oxford, 17 in Roxburgh. Let's first alert you to the

that overnight. Those wind chills will continue to dip down around 20 degrees, 3, 4, 5 o'clock in the morning. Even as kids head out the door, 6, 7 o'clock in the morning, wind chills could be near 20, but they do start to climb into the mid-20s by 9 o'clock. We warm it up tomorrow, a little bit warmer than it was today, and we're talking 60s in the 7-day forecast. We'll tell you about that and some rain chances coming up in just a bit. Guys. All right, Don, thank you. In Durham for the third time in a matter of weeks, Riverside High School was placed on lockdown. Today we learned it was because of reports of a gun on campus. We had Chopper 11 there flying over the school for the latest incident this afternoon.

Investigators searched the buildings and no weapon was found. Dismissal was delayed for about 45 minutes. In Providence, Rhode Island, the search continues tonight for the person who opened fire on the campus of Brown University. Two students were killed and nine others were hurt. The two killed are 19-year-old Mukhammed. Umar Zokov. He was a freshman from Uzbekistan and 19-year-old Ella Cook from Alabama. Authorities released some new images of a new person of interest after they release some.

who was taken into custody. The masked man was in a dark jacket two hours before that attack on Saturday evening. And we know one of the nine people heard as a young woman from Durham. Durham Academy graduate, Kendall Turner, known as an awesome student, also took part in track and field at Durham Academy.

Durham Academy says the community is rallying around Kendall, and so is the North Carolina School of Science and Math where they say Kendall also briefly attended. We spoke with the mother of a Brown University student today who says her daughter, Chloe, barricaded herself in her dorm room for hours. dorm room for hours on Saturday evening. I am a mother, and I just can't imagine without crying what she's, what they're going through.

And I'm just wishing for the best possible outcome and hope that all goes well. And Kendall Turner's family in Durham says she is stable, but she is in critical condition. So to come here at 11, the 30-year battle over who should fund public schools in North Carolina takes a new turn. And we have an update from Capitol Hill on a decades-long fight from the Lumbie tribe of North Carolina for federal recognition what happened in the Senate today. And all new tonight, why the North Carolina Attorney General says Uber is cheating customers. And Don, check it on those temperatures outside. Yeah, it's cold out there tonight. Temperatures in the 20s, but will still be warmer than last night. We'll talk about the cold air, the warm up on the way, and our first alert to your seven-day.

Forecasts next. Canada's Wonderland is bringing the holiday magic this season with Winterfest on select nights now through January 3rd. Step into a winter wonderland filled with millions of dazzling lights, festive shows, rides, and holiday treats. Plus, Coca-Cola is back with Canada's kindest community, celebrating acts of kindness nationwide with a chance at 100,000 donation for the winning community and a 2026 holiday caravan stop. Learn more at canadaswunderland.com.

Another court appearance today for the former UNC Wrex nurse who's accused in another case of sexually assaulting patients after surgery. Brian Alvarez Ortiz was once again denied bond and remains in the Wake County Jail. He's facing new charges after a third person accused him of assault. Authorities say the victims, all men were sedated and recovering from surgery when the crimes happened. The next court date for Alvarez Ortiz is December 31st. In Johnston County, the Department of Social Survement, services tells eyewitness news. They investigated a home twice in 2024 where four children were

allegedly killed by their father. This is the case of Wellington Dickens back in October. He called 911 confessing to killing his children over the course of several months. Authorities would later find their bodies and the trunk of his car parked in the garage. I witness news learned Johnston County Social Services went to the Zebulin home twice in April 2024 and months later in June of the same year. The result of those visits didn't warrant any action or investigations. And there was not enough evidence to suggest harm or injury to the children. We spoke with the child advocacy worker about this case. It is deflating if you feel like you've done the right thing, that you've tried to make

a difference, that you've reached out to child protective services, you've called 911, and yet this is the outcome. It is not an individual's responsibility for understanding whether those concerns are valid, how serious those concerns are. But it is our legal responsibility to report concerns of a child's welfare. And Kristen Duranja tells us last year in North Carolina there were more than 12,000 cases of child abuse investigations coming through children advocacy centers like Safe Child, where she works.

We have the latest now from Los Angeles, where the 32-year-old son of actor and director Rob Reiner is under arrest in connection with the murder of his mother and father. Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home. son Nick has struggled over the years with addiction and homelessness. Here's Liz Nagy with the very latest. Tonight sources tell ABC News, Rob and Nick Reiner got into some sort of argument at a holiday party Saturday night and at that party sources say Nick appeared to be acting strangely. Inside the police protected compound illuminated by cheery holiday lights, investigators are trying to piece together the private unraveling that left Hollywood legend

Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle dead. As detectives paced the Brentwood property, The couple's oldest son, Nick Reiner, sits locked up in downtown L.A. We're able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case. He was subsequently booked for murder. The 32-year-old has a documented history of drug addiction. In 2015, the Reiner's leaned into their family business as a method of coping. You've had plenty of cautious jar. Rehab or jail, you know, quite a wide selection there.

Rob and Nick Reiner spoke about their family challenges while promoting the family. film Being Charlie, directed by Rob, co-written by Nick, and based loosely on his struggles with drugs and homelessness. Knew a lot about what I'd went through already, so I wasn't any concerned at all about what it wasn't there about me. The father originally was written as a very black and white, bad guy, and I thought, oh God, that's what Nick thinks of me. Flowers now hover over Reiner's spot on the Walk of Fame. He was one of my biggest influences when I was a kid as a young writer. You know, this spinal tap blew my mind. I remember when all in the family was first broadcast,

and Rob Reiner has just been a part of my life ever since then. Fans and A-list actors. I know that everyone's heard today. Are left missing a man who did it all in Hollywood, actor, director, writer, producer, and outspoken political activists right alongside his wife, Michelle, of more than 35 years. Investigators have now been speaking with all members of the Reiner family trying to figure out exactly what led up to this deadly stabbing.

Formal murder charges are expected to be filed against Nick Reiner tomorrow. Reporting in Brentwood, Liz Negey, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Liz, thank you and tune in tomorrow night for an ABC News special, the Rob Reiner story, a Hollywood tragedy. You can watch it tomorrow night at 10 o'clock right here on ABC 11. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is joining 21 other attorneys general in suing Uber over alleged deceptive practices. They accuse Uber of lying to customers about how much money they could save with an Uber 1 subscription. They also made it difficult for people to cancel that subscription.

The lawsuit says some customers had to navigate 23 screens in order to cancel. The lawsuit was initially filed by the Federal Trade Commission and now North Carolina and 21 other states have joined it. The lawsuit is asking for restitution. New tonight at North Carolina company that processes chemicals has pleaded guilty. to polluting the Cape Fear River, the Department of Justice says American distillation violated the Clean Water Act. The company located just outside of Wilmington has been operating since 1992 and is accused of dumping toxic chemicals into the Cape Fear River. The owner, Andrew J. Simmons, Jr., has also pleaded guilty to failing to pay federal taxes.

We tonight from Washington, the Senate has cleared a key procedural hurdle to advance the $900 billion defense policy bill. That bill also includes the Lumbie Fairness Act and would grant the Lumpy Tribe here in North Carolina, federal recognition they've been fighting decades to get. Senators voted 76 to 20 to put the defense policy bill closer to final passage. The House passed that bill last Thursday, and if it clears the Senate, it has to President Trump's desk. The president has expressed support for federal recognition of the Lumbie tribe, which would pay the way for the tribe to get federal benefits like housing and health care. Education advocates and parents gathered today calling on the courts to take up the Leandro case

and invest in North Carolina public schools. The case hasn't been decided on since oral arguments took place in early 2024. That's when Republican lawyers challenged an earlier ruling that says courts can order money be spent on public schools. The case has been playing out in North Carolina for three decades, dating back to the original filing in 1994, when five low wealth school districts tried to get more state funding. It's been the subject of several legal challenges along party lines since 2021. That year, a superior court judge ordered the state to transfer more than a billion dollars to public schools for an eight-year plan developed by a consultant. Without that funding, parents say students have felt the consequences. Our elementary school only had half the fifth grade teachers it needed.

And I know exactly how frightening this is. My daughter didn't have a teacher for nearly half of this past school year. And before that, she went through most of kindergarten without a teacher. And we are still working to close the gaps in her education because of it. Lawyers fighting that ruling have argued only the General Assembly and not the courts have the authority under the state constitution to order the spending of state dollars looking ahead the white house says president trump is traveling to our area later this week he'll be in rocking mount on friday the president was last in north carolina back in june celebrating the army's 250th anniversary this event

this event on friday will be at the rocking mount event center on main street the doors open there at 6 p.m okay the good news steve daniel's the cold weather we had this morning is gone at least for a little bit yeah another chilly night tonight but we've got a really great warm up don's talking 60s later this week. And it could do 60s a couple of times. So yeah, well, you're done with the cold weather really after tomorrow. Let's show you that seven-day forecast. We're in the 40s tomorrow. 50s on Wednesday, but Thursday and Sunday, those numbers topping out in the 60s above average for this time of year. Let's talk about what we're seeing on the radar tonight live look at first alert Doppler net. It's dry. We will continue to stay dry through the overnight hours. Take it a live

look on our first alert self-help sky cam in downtown Fayaville, Top Hay Street there, 25 degrees, clear skies, south-southwest winds gusting up around 10 miles an hour that is pushing your windshield tonight into the teens. Actual temperatures, Manny Ota Murphy tonight, 20s across the entire state, not seeing any 30s, 29 at the coast, 25 down at ECU, 27 out in the triad, Charlotte's dropped to 29, now 24 as we look up into boom. Let's show you those. Temperatures, why those temperatures are in the 20s because of the clear skies. We have a couple of high clouds working through. That's it, but we get what's called radiational cooling without the clouds to act like a blanket.

The little bit of heat we built up today goes right back up into space and drops those temperatures. Now, we will see a few more clouds working through in the overnight. They triggered some snowflakes around Cincinnati, but any leftover moisture will get wrung out of the atmosphere as it works across the mountains. We will not see anything in the way of flurry activity. You wake up to some of those clouds working through in temperatures in the 20s tomorrow, but we recover nicely. By 3 o'clock, we're in the mid to upper 40s. Then as we go into Tuesday morning, we'll start today above freezing in spots instead of 20s. We're in the 30s, and the gradual warmup continues. By Wednesday afternoon, 40s working in and even some 50s as well. We're going to run this all the way out into Thursday afternoon and notice it's green. We're not seeing any snowflakes out there. This is all rain and temperatures will be in the 40s. And we could see some showers we're watching for your midweek along with a surge of warmer air as it pushes in from the south now looking ahead as we get toward Wednesday high pressure down to the south pushing those temperatures up into the 50s the high will slide off to the east we do see that frontal boundary approaching and that's what brings those rain chances as it works through the front's not that strong not like those big arctic fronts we've seen diving through and the temperature drop off won't be as drastic 49 tomorrow sunny skies in a warmer day on tap Those winds will be out of the southwest around five miles an hour. First alert seven day forecast powered by Accuather 58 on Wednesday.

The clouds roll in and we'll see that chance of showers Wednesday night into Thursday. 61, that risk of a late day shower on Thursday with the warmer air pushing up from the south. Friday 57, Saturday 52. Sunday is the first day of winter. The winter solstice happening and it'll feel like it's spring. 63 degrees, Monday 58 degrees, and the long range forecast keep us at or above average all the way through Christmas. So for all the parades this weekend, putting everybody in the moon and feeling like the holidays, that was good, but it doesn't stick around. Well, we don't need the calendar to tell us it's winter. We've been feeling it around here. It's about to warm

up, though. All right, Don, thank you. ABC 11 and the Whitley law firm are paying tribute to our everyday heroes who currently serve or have served in the armed forces. You can nominate your hero to be featured here on eyewitness news. You can find a link to share your submission at the bottom of our homepage, ABC11.com. Still ahead. A legal battle is brewing between two neighboring towns in North Carolina at the center of the dispute, the state's first bucky. That's a popular chain of massive convenience stores. First here's Jimmy Kimmel to show us what's coming up when we get wrapped up on eyewitness news. Hi, I am Jimmy Kimmel tonight. Former First Lady Michelle Obama is here with Mia Goth too, so sit up straight and join us after the late news on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The town of Meben is suing its neighbor, the town of Graham, and this lawsuit is connected to the new Buckees, that massive gas station and convenience store being built in Alamance County. So last month, Cruz cleared the land near I-85 and I-40 for the first North Carolina Buckees. The dispute is focused on an $18.1 million water treatment plant and the cost to upgrade it. According to the Triangle Business Journal, Meben is accusing Graham of delaying needed a point. approval for the project to move forward. Meben leaders are asking the superior court in Alamance County to force Graham to process request in a timely manner. I witness news has reached out to both Mevan and Graham for comment. Graham had no comment. We have not yet heard back from Meben. The Buckees is opening in May of 2020.

We're going to be able to be. We're going to be. I'm going to be. I'm going to be. And so, you know, We're going to be able to be. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. We're going to be able to be. We're going to be. I'm going to be. A remarkable, remarkable season for NC State men soccer. Their first time back in the college comes since 1990, there's always next year. Yeah, a lot to be proud of for the Wolfback.

I know. So sad to see the disappointment though. Kate, thank you and thank you at home for watching. That's going to do it for us tonight. Remember the news is always on at ABC11.com and we hope to see back here tomorrow night at 11.