ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - December 30, 2025

Episode Date: December 31, 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. Right now at 11, it's beginning to feel a lot like winter. Tonight, temperatures are plummeting, and if you want to see just how cold it really is, all you need to do is look outside. Our cameras are in downtown Raleigh tonight, and you can see a few people out and about doing what they can to stay warm. while cruising around, walking around on Glenwood South. Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Steve Daniels. Lauren Johnson has the night off. The temps will drop even more down into the 20s, but we have some good news. It's supposed to be a little warmer for New Year's Eve, but not might much.

Let's get over to Chief Meteorologist Don Schwenica with more on what is to come. And you say the wind chill is part of the equation out there tonight. It is, and we'll show you those feels like temperatures in just a second. The good news, we're not seeing any rainfall. So if you've got plans tomorrow night for New Year's Eve, you don't have to worry about the rain gear. Live look at RDEU right now. Temperature checks in at 33 under a cloudy sky. Winds are calm. Look at some of the numbers coming in. Factor the temperature and the wind together feels like it's 25 Lewisburg, Roanoke Rapids, 25 Smithfield, 29 in Fayetteville. Winds not as bad in Durham or Raleigh. So it's about 33, 25 out in Burlington. If we look at the

overnight forecast, those windchills will dip into the lower 20s. Temperatures go below freezing by 3, 4 o'clock in the morning. As you wake up tomorrow, 26 degrees. It's 7 o'clock. If you sleep in, it does go above freezing, but by 11 o'clock, we're just 39 degrees. A little warmer in the afternoon, and New Year's Eve's looking even better. We'll talk about that. And a first alert to the only chance for rain we have in the seven-day forecast. That's coming up in just a bit. Steve. Okay, Don, we'll see you soon. Thanks. We're following some breaking news in Wake County. Part of Kerry Parkway is shut down because of a water main break. You're looking live there. Our breaking news crew on the scene. This is at the intersection of Carrie Parkway

and Kildare Farm Road right there in the heart of Kerry. We're zooming in there, and you can see that broken water pipe. Some of the water is still bubbling out of the street there at that very busy intersection. You can see crews on the scene. They've got a backhoe. They're trying to get that water flow shut off. They're trying to get this thing repaired right there. Just to give you a reference point for where this is, our camera is over on the side near

the Trader Joe's shopping center there at Kildare Farm Road and Carrie Parkway. Now, for people who live in Kerry, water service has not been impacted, but the town says That repair work will impact the morning commute tomorrow. Right now, traffic crews are putting up signs in the area to help drivers navigate the expected detours. The cause of that broken water pipe is under investigation. You can see they're directing traffic and they don't have a timeline yet for exactly when that will be fixed at Kerry Parkway and Kildare Farm Road. New tonight, hundreds of people at a mobile home park in Kerry are kicking off the new year with big questions about where they're going to live in the future. It comes after the entire property near Maynard and Chatham is being.

sold. Tom George spoke with families tonight trying to keep a roof over their head and an expert who explains why things are getting so expensive around here. Just days before the new year, every single home in this neighborhood got that notice saying that they would have only six months to move. And with the cost of living continuing to rise, they wonder if they can find another place they can still afford. Hundreds of families at Chatham Estates spending their holidays figuring out what's next, getting this letter from the owner Curtis Westbrook saying they had found a new buyer who will be repurposing the land. For many families, neighborhood was a lifeline, some leasing mobile home lots for $400 a month at a time when

the average monthly rent and carry is now as high as $2,100. One mom of four telling us she's lived here five years and many neighbors longer than that. She says we're sad and we don't know where to go or what to do. Their kids like their schools. Work is nearby and everything is so expensive. Those who rent worry finding another place and carry won't be for the same price. And even those who do own their mobile homes will have to move them, and that could be costly. But experts say that's always a challenge when they don't own the land under it. So that is a risk of people who live in mobile homes. A lot of them like mobile homes because they own it.

They don't have to deal with landlords for that. Now in the letter, Westbrook did thank the residents for being good customers and friends to his family and blamed the decision on his declining health. He also provided them with information on relocation assistance. A resource some residents say still won't be enough to help. It's a problem. NC state economics professor Mike Walden says speaks to the incredibly fast growth happening in the triangle and beyond. I think as long as the triangle and particularly the Raleigh-Carry Metro continues to grow and add people.

This is one of the fastest growing regions in the country in terms of people moving here. That's going to push up land prices. Now we did also reach out to the number listed for Westbrook and Associates who owns this mobile home park. about the situation so far we have not heard back from them directly in carry tom george a bc 11 iwoodis news tom thank you the f aaa is investigating tonight after a small plane crash landed at the triangle north executive airport in louisburg this morning happened about 9 30 franklin county officials say a large gust of wind blew that single engine plane right off the runway as it was landing you can see the plane getting towed away from the airport with damage to its landing gear

and the wing as well according to the airport staff the pilot was a little shaken up following the incident and has minor injuries. We're getting our first look at the man wanted for robbing a bank today in Durham. You can take a look at the pictures on your screen. Police say he held up the first horizon bank on North Gregson Street just before two this afternoon. He did not appear to have a weapon. If you know who that is, Durham Police would like to talk to you. The city of Raleigh giving us an update on the progress to reopen the convention center after that big fire there. The goal now is to bring in a crane the week of January 8th to get the HVAC chiller off the roof. Also in the works getting a mobile kitchen to the red hat amphitheater across the street to serve the convention center as that

repair work is underway. Officials are still hoping to have events return to the convention center next month. We turn now to a very important health alert, a surge in the number of people getting the flu across the country. The CDC releasing some new numbers today showing there have been about three million more cases since the numbers were last reported. So far this year, seven and a half million people have gotten the flu. 81,000 people went to the hospital and more than 3,000 people have died, including eight children, and that includes one child here in North Carolina. North Carolina, in fact, is one of 20 states with very high flu-like activity right now. And doctors attribute the surge to a sub-variant known as subclade K, which is not covered by the current flu vaccine.

Take flu symptoms seriously, protect yourself and others, and seek care early on if symptoms worsen. That being said, if you have symptoms and you are sick, just be cognizant of that. and be cognizant of family members or friends that may be more vulnerable to the flu and to those symptoms, such as elderly family members, children, and individuals who are immunocompromised or either pregnant. According to ABC News, the number of kids getting a flu shot has dropped by about 10% compared to the years before the COVID pandemic. North Carolina health officials are releasing their new flu data for our state tomorrow. We're following some new details tonight in the search for a young woman in Texas, a college student who vanished on Christmas Eve. Tonight, police near San Antonio say a body has been found.

They say it's too early to tell whether the body solves the disappearance of 19-year-old Camilla Mendoza almost. But they say the body was found at a landscaping company a few hundred yards away from her home. A gun was also found near the body. The sheriff says officials do not suspect foul play and the body did have indicators of self-harm. Over the weekend, the sheriff's office said Mendoza almost could be an imminent. danger after she walked away from her home. The medical examiner's office will confirm the identification of that body and the cause of death. New here at 11, the state of North Carolina has accumulated more than $1 billion in unpaid salaries as a result of state jobs that have not

been filled. That's according to a new report released by the division that's charged with recommending state job cuts right now. The division of accountability, value, and efficiency published its findings in a dashboard which is tracking job vacancies of six months or greater since August of this year. It found more than $1 billion was accumulated from roughly 8,800 long-term job vacancies. According to the state auditor's office, the agency plans to release a more comprehensive report on that coming up in January. IWitness News went one-on-one with the state auditor today, Dave Bolick, after his office found lottery ticket sales surged last year, but payments to North Carolina public schools declined. According to the office of the state auditor in

2024, the lottery reported total annual revenue of $5.4 billion, with $1.07 billion transferred to the North Carolina Education Lottery Fund for schools. In 2025, revenue rose to $6.6 billion, but the amount for public schools fell by $20 million. And the percentage contributed to public schools has fallen from 23% in 2023 to 20% in 2024, down to 16% in 2025. The public deserves specific answers as to exactly why the lottery has been able to generate that much more money, yet they have contributed year over year, less to public education. And in a letter, lottery officials blamed the decline in the share of revenue transferred on players buying fewer high margin jackpot tickets and more lower margin digital gains,

decreasing their profits. They said, quote, the NCEL experienced success with digital instant games as it dealt with an unexpected downturn in traditional higher margin games. This led to a lower profit margin in fiscal year 2025. Still to come here on eyewitness news at 11, a Texas burger joint is finally turning up the heat here in Raleigh. Next to the latest on construction underway for the area's first, what a burger. And a New Year's storm tonight, millions of people in the Northeast are getting hammered by really heavy snow and a lot of brutal wind too. We'll show you the impact it's having on travel and when experts expect things to finally clear up.

we need to talk. Next, what a dating site says is the one thing successful couples do to kick off the new year. We'll dive into that one coming up, and Don's back with us, checking on the temps outside. You had me at Waterburger, Steve. They had me there. Next three days, we see temperatures in the 50s about where they should be for this time of year. Some nice weather on the way. We'll talk about that and your next rain chance in the seven-day forecast coming up.

Millions of people are under. winter storm and high wind warnings tonight, as much of the country is dealing with wind and snow and rain. Here's ABC's Alex Stone to show us the impact. In Buffalo, New York, this is a scene as waves crash onto shore, freezing and turning into a lake effect blizzard. Those waves freezing as they hit cars. Michael Schwartz of our affiliate, WKBW, braving the dangerous conditions in nearby Hamburg. You could see those waves that are coming up here on the shores of Lake Erie in Hamburg and that BMW has been here since 7 a.m. Didn't take long for that BMW, which police say was stolen out of Boston, to be entombed in

ice. In Syracuse, snow blowing in off Lake Ontario, bringing traffic to a home. Power lines whipping around in Rochester. This incredible moment in Erie County, New York, a doorbell camera catching the moment Diane Miller opened the door at her daughter's house and the wind took her. Are you okay? I think God took care of me because at my age, my bones break very easily. A state of emergency now declared in all of New York.

In Franklin County, North Carolina, this scene, wind blowing a small plane off a runway. The pilot had minor injuries. And in the west, evacuation warnings are now being posted ahead of another round of rain moving in. And on Mount Baldy, a 10,000-foot mountain northeast of Los Angeles, three hikers found dead. In snowy conditions, all Mount Baldy trails now closed, the wind too strong to retrieve the bodies. With that rain moving in, which is expected to last through Friday, it could rain on the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. If it does, it would be the first wet rose parade in over 20 years. Alex Stone, ABC News, Los Angeles.

New here at 11. Gam, Grammy-nominated gospel singer and songwriter Richard Smallwood has died. The strength of my life. A representative says Smallwood died from complications of kidney failure. Smallwood's career spanned 50 years. Some of his songs gained popularity when other singers, including Whitney Houston and Destiny's Child, cover some of his songs. Smallwood was nominated for eight Grammys during his career.

He was 77 years old. Happening now a free holiday event is underway in Durham at the main library. It's a massive model train show. You can check it out. Lots of trains and trolleys have been assembled, traveling through 400 square feet of layouts, including the NC State Fair, Dino Land, and even outer space. Today we spoke with the creator who put together the big display. I had a small set of trains myself, and then somebody made a large donation a couple of years to the charity, and I decided to expand on that and use those donations with the permission of the library to put in this giant train display here. The model train show at the Durham Main Library runs through January the 5th. Raleigh's first, What a Burger, is now taking shape. Check it out from Chopper 11 flying over the construction site today.

The restaurant is at the corner of Six Forks Road and Wake Forest Road right across from Costco. It used to be in Applebee's. The Texas-based burger chain is opening three different locations in Raleigh. All right, as we know, 2026 gets here tomorrow night. And new here at 11, psychologists are shedding light on the number one thing successful couples do to kick off the new year. They say it may even save your relationship. Relationship experts with the dating app Hilly say it all comes down to one important conversation. The first part is about looking back on the past year and reflecting on what worked and what

went wrong. Experts say the second part is looking forward and having a real conversation about ways you can improve your relationship to make sure both partners feel seen. They say you should think of it like a business meeting. Experts say you can even spice it up by having a conversation over a nice meal or maybe even at a co-working space or something like that to make it feel like a business meeting but look if you have another idea to spice it up we'll leave that to you ain't no way i'm having that conversation oh hey honey here's what you did wrong over the last year leave maybe leave that part out

yeah they did you're right first you'd have to do something wrong oh there you go good answer i hope she's watching tonight very good answer yeah here's easy advice guys don't forget the birthday yeah and tell them you love them all the time. As much as you can. And nothing ever goes wrong, right? As much as you can. I promise you that will not hurt you there. All right, let's take a look at what's happening tonight on the seven-day forecast. Tomorrow we've got New Year's Eve, 50 degrees. It'll be in the 40s. We'll talk more about that in a minute. We stay in the 50s all the way through Saturday, Sunday 49, and then mid to upper 50s next week. Live look on your first alert Doppler net tonight. We're dry. We're

going to stay dry. That's good and bad. We need the rain. That's the bad part. But the good part is we stay drive for all your New Year's Eve festivities. Looking live into downtown Raleigh on the Pendo Sky Camp. 33. It says winds are calm. The flag flutters every now and then we get some gossip around 10 miles per hour. Manny Oda Murphy tonight. 30 is pretty much across the board. A couple of 20s out there. Last night, Boone was in the teens. They're close at 20. 29 down in Wilmington right now.

32 down at ECU. 27 in Lumberton. Chase Cities at 30. 34 out in Charlotte tonight and Asheville checks in at 26 degrees as we head into the overnight hours will drop into the mid-20s mainly clear skies cold and brisk out there winds will be out of the west five to 10 miles per hour we do see some clouds rolling off the mountains tonight maybe even a few flurries north of Charlotte that's just the moisture being forced up the mountains from a system up to the north now all the snow is falling up here lake effects snow you can see some heavier snow through parts of Ohio Indiana into northeastern Illinois tonight that's going to push south all that moisture is going to get used up in the mountains though so we will not see anything in the way of precipitation out of it we will see some clouds working through through the day tomorrow 7 o'clock you start today for solar predictor forecast model we're up around freezing then as we hit toward lunchtime there are those clouds working through from that system no snow or moisture left in them 46 degrees let's take you into the midnight hour tomorrow night if you're headed out for the evening temperatures will be in the 4 40s are up or 30. So not freezing, but you definitely will need the jacket. We'll top out tomorrow under 50 degrees. Those bright skies. ABC 11, a proud sponsor of the New Year's Eve night circus going on down in Fayetteville tomorrow night. Thursday, 52 for the first day. And the rain chances only Saturday, Steve. And that's just a 30% chance of showers, sadly. We do warm up, though, as we headed it next week. Yeah, we'll look for rain because we need it. Don, thank you. Still ahead, Ryan is ready to party. Tomorrow night, tens of thousands of people will pack Times Square in New York City to watch the ball drop into 2026. Coming up, an exclusive interview with Ryan Seacrest about what you can expect during the biggest party of the year. We are back now with a live look at Times Square in New York City. Just some people milling around checking things out tonight.

But you know tomorrow night, things will be absolutely packed there for the big party. they're expecting kind of a typical New Year's Eve, temperature-wise, down into the mid-30s or so. And tomorrow night in New York City, those stages you see there will be absolutely rocking. The champagne will be flowing during Dick Clark's New Year's Rock and Eve. Ryan Seacrest is hosting it again this year here on ABC 11. And we've got an exclusive insider tip that tomorrow night's show will be bigger and better than ever. ABC's Kimberly Richardson has the story now from New York. Hi, everybody.

They are the hosts with the most. Ryan Seacrest and British singer and actress Rita Aura, ready to once again take center stage in Times Square for Dick Clark's New Year's Rock and Eve. The parent tells me those last few moments before the iconic ball drops can be nerve-wracking. I will say about that 30-second mark. I'm thinking to myself, okay, just pay attention to 11,

the number 11, so you hit 10 right at 10. Oh, yeah, that's like, here comes 11. That's a little pressure. I know, you can't mess it. What happens? Don't say that. I'm looking for 11 so I can say 10. This year's broadcast is packed full of performers, roughly 39 artists making it the largest lineup and the longest show ever. Even with the rain last year, you guys showed up and showed off.

Yes, I mean, look, the crowd, it really is about the crowd. They give us so much energy and the performances this year. I mean, we're all over the globe. We're in Chicago for the first time. We love Chance the Rapper. He's joining us. Ryan tells me he considers it an honor headlining the show on ABC, having received the book. from the late Dick Clark. I was so enamored by his ability to make all of us feel comfortable when we're watching

on TV. And so now I get to be here and I got to work with him at one point too. So it's a special show for me. When the clock strikes midnight, nearly three tons of confetti will rain down, tiny pieces of paper. Two inch by two inch. So it's a square. It's a square. And the final fun fact for 2025?

When was the first ball drop? 1907. Boom! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, what was it made up? It was made of wood and iron. Oh, ha, ha, ha, he's right, yeah. We're going to be. I'm going to be.

I'm going to be. I'm going to be. We're going to be able to be. I'm going to be. And so on the I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to

I'm going to I'm a bit of so. We're going to be able to be. I'm going to be. We're going to be. Thank you.

Good day, Steve. Okay, Tray. We'll see you from Duke tomorrow for the hoops action over there. Thanks, and that does it for us here tonight. We'll see you tomorrow night at 10 for a special New Year's Eve edition of Eyewitness News. And remember the news is always on at ABC11.com. Good night. ABC 11 eyewitness News is sponsored by Capital Chevrolet.

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