ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - June 26, 2026

Episode Date: June 27, 2026

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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 the big story on eyewitness news tonight is the forecast. You're taking a live look at our Raleigh and Durham skycams. Most of us are drying out after showers moved through the area this afternoon. But the wet weather returns tomorrow. More showers, even storms expected in the afternoon. some of those storms could be severe. That's why tomorrow is a first alert day. We're glad you're joining us here for eyewitness news at 11.

I'm Steve Daniels. And I'm Lauren Johnson. There are tons of good reasons to get outside this weekend, but you will want to stay weather aware. Chief meteorologist Don Chuanekers in the first alert weather center. Don, what are the primary threats associated with tomorrow storms? Damaging straight line wins, and that would be late tomorrow into the evening. We'll talk more about it in just a moment.

We still have a couple of showers left out there. Southern Wilson County down into Wayne County, Goldsboro and Hunter. The shower's descending. Zoom it out. the rest of the region is dry. We do have showers out west of the triad, but those are pushing south. Shouldn't be a factor and we'll continue to die out. Now, here is that risk for tomorrow. The entire viewing area under some sort of risk. The storm prediction center did shift the category two east to our easternmost counties, but still, any storm that fires tomorrow

could bring those straight line winds. Let's time it out for you. We'll start tomorrow around 5 p.m. I think that's when we'll start to see these showers and storms forming across the region as we go through the evening by 8 o'clock. That's when the line forms out west and it's between about 8 and 10. That line works through and brings the potential for some strongest severe weather and some gusty winds. Now the showers have shut off down in the sand hills tonight. I'll look at the 12 hours and you'll start out tomorrow morning at 73 degrees, but we quickly warm into the 80s as we head toward the midday. We'll talk more about a big warm up on the way tomorrow and we do have a heat wave headed in. We'll tell you about that in your first alert seven day forecast

Coming up in just a bit, Stephen Lauren. All right, Don, we'll see you then. Thank you. Now's a good time to download that free ABC11 app. It's a great resource to stay up to date on changing weather conditions on the go to get started. Search for ABC 11 in your phone's app store. With heat expected to reach dangerous levels next week, it's a real concern for anyone spending time outside. And one way county mom is worried about what the rising temperatures mean inside classrooms, not equipped with working air conditioning.

James Price spoke with that mom tonight. James, she tells you her son's second grade classroom is inside a trailer. This is a concern for kids in year-round school. That's right, Steve. Ashley Seidel found out about the conditions in her son's assigned classroom at a meet-the-teacher event that happened this week. Now, fortunately, students are out of school next week, so they'll miss that intense heat. But we know that those students on a year-round schedule, they will fill that summer heat. So this parent, she wants answers and she want changes soon.

My son loves school. Today was a last day of first grade for Ashley Sightle's son at Holly Springs Elementary School. He goes back to class next month as a second grader on the year-round schedule. I'm not comfortable with my son starting school in that class. She says the classroom is located inside a trailer behind the school, and she's worried about things heating up inside. On Tuesday, we went to meet the teacher. So that is when you go into the classroom.

We all were kind of looking at each other realizing like, oh, it's very muggy in here. It's very hot in here. Ashley said even with three fans going and the door propped open, it was still too much. So I asked her directly after filling out some of the paper and I was like, hey, kind of what's with all the fans? And she said that she had been having issues since January and has very rarely had heat or air conditioning in her room. Heating and cooling problems have plagued Wake County Public Schools for years. Last school year, due to ongoing H-FAC problems, students were dismissed early a total of 40 days, which interrupts instructional learning time.

We have neighbors who kids are in this class. They've had to move in the building at times with inclement weather. And lately it's been almost daily that they've had to move after recess because it's well into the 80s in the classroom. We reported earlier this year in February that Holly Springs Elementary would get a full H-FAC replacement. It's not clear if that includes trailers. I want the classroom fixed for not only my son, but the other kids, for the teacher. If I was a landlord, I would be legally required to provide heat and air conditioning to my tenants. So why our school board is not being held to the same level of responsibility is very disappointing.

Meanwhile, Ashley has started a go fund me to raise money for an air conditioning unit for her son's future classroom. classroom. Kids are resilient, but it's still not fair for them to have to deal with this. So I took Ashley's concerns to the Wake County School District as well as the representative for Holly Springs Elementary School. I haven't heard back from them yet. Of course, once we do, we will update this story. For now, we're live and Carrie. James Price, ABC 11, eyewitnesses. Yeah, a mom putting her frustrations to work to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. A new twist on GoFundMe. Yeah, so much so. All right, Denise, thank you. New here at 11, a Wake County man is facing some very serious charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a child. 38-year-old Nicholas Blackburn is charged with five counts of taking indecent liberties with a child.

Two counts of dissemination to minors under the age of 16, one count of incest of a child under the age of 13, and one count of statutory rape of a child by an adult. The alleged assault happened in Eastern Wake County back in March of 2019. Blackburn turned himself in at the Wake County Jail today. Also new at 11, an absolutely heartbreaking story, a garner man behind bars. after police say he intentionally abused his two-year-old child. Karan Nethah Pasnuri was arrested yesterday. He's charged with two counts of felony intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury

and two counts of felony negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. The investigation started after the two-year-old was taken to Wake Med in Raleigh. According to court documents, the child was suffering from internal bleeding damage to their spine and part of their skull had to be removed. Passanuri is being held in a $200,000 bond. on Monday on the charges. Developing right now, the U.S. launching a new round of strikes in Iran in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. And tonight an American official is telling ABC News the strikes involved six American aircraft.

The official says the targets included Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites in the Persian Gulf. These strikes are the first since the U.S. and Iran signed that memorandum of understanding that was supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire. That was signed back on June 17th. to some other local headlines we're following tonight. Two firefighters are recovering after getting hurt battling a house fire in Garner. That fire breaking out at the home on the old Cascade drive this morning off White Oak Road near I-40 in the Meadowbrook's estate's neighborhood. Eyewitness news cameras capturing the response, including crews from both Wake in Johnston counties. Officials telling us smoke detectors woke up the homeowner who was able to escape

safely. The two firefighters who were hurt suffered minor injuries and were treated there at the We have a traffic alert for drivers in Kerry. Part of Airport Boulevard at Sorrel Grove Church Road is closed following a water main break. The center turn lane and the left turn lane to I-40 are closed. I would as doves checked out the crews working to repair that broken water pipe. The town says the repairers should be finished sometime tonight. New at 11. An 80-year-old woman crashed into the side of a dollar general store in Johnston County this morning. It happened at the location near Keene Road and US 701 near four oaks. We're told the woman was pulling into a parking space when the car suddenly accelerated. The car then jumped the curve slammed into the side of the building. The woman suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene. Johnston County building inspections was called to evaluate that structural integrity of the store. Also in Johnston County, one person is dead after a head-on collision. That's involving a cement truck. It happened this morning on US 301 near the I-40 overpass. Police say a GMC terrain crossed the center line, slammed into that cement truck. The driver identified as 49-year-old Draper Leroy-Roy Scott was rushed to Wake Med, Raleigh, and critical

condition. He died from his injuries. The driver of the cement truck was also taken to wake med with life-threatening injuries. An investigation into the crash remains ongoing tonight. A Durham DMV office is closing for the next two weeks for a very surprising reason. They have bed bugs in the place. The driver's license office in East Durham on South Miami Boulevard is going to be closed until July the 13th. A DMV spokesperson tells eyewitness news. A customer had bed bugs on them when they went into the office. Driver's license examiners from the location are reassigned to other offices. They'll be working during the closure. Customers with appointments of that location can reschedule for a date, time, and location of their choice. They want everyone

to steer clear those bedbugs at the DMV. That's a little yucky, right? Still to come at 11, a celebration of love, pride, and community out Raleigh Pride returns to the City of Oaks for its 14th year. But first, the urgent search for survivors in Venezuela, how many people are still missing and the death toll has now climbed above 900. And just in time for summer, cookout season, the FDA creating a massive potato chip recall, what the new classification means and the products you need to be on the lookout for. And Don's checking on the temperatures outside

right now at 11 o'clock. And I'd like to, but all I can think about is itching after the bedlock story, so thank you for that. We've got even warmer attempts headed in next week. The big heat dome moves across us and brings us a really nasty heat wave. We'll talk about that next.

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response operations there in Carverland County. Last night, Fayetteville City leaders approved a proposal during a special meeting. and today county leaders reviewed the resolution and they've now sent it back to the city. The merger could lead to faster response times and improve services during emergencies. Because the importance of doing it right is more important to me than doing it quickly. The mayor and I both talk about the highest level of service, the highest standard. That's what our citizens deserve. That's what our taxpayers deserve. So when you consolidate it, you get that, you get that highest standard.

You get that best practices. Questions do remain about exactly how that transition will happen. for current employees and who will lead that new 911 call center. Developing tonight, the urgent search for survivors is underway after two very strong and devastating earthquakes rock Venezuela. More than 900 people are dead. And officials say at least 50,000 people are unaccounted for tonight. It's now a race against the clock before that so-called golden window closes there in that part of northern South America.

The first 48 to 72 hours after an earthquake are critical to reach people who are trapped underneath the rubble. ABC's Niku Kuzori has more on the urgent rescue. mission. Tonight, a global rescue effort in Venezuela after a pair of historic earthquakes rocked the coastal region of LaGuarda, reducing much of the city to mountains of concrete and twisted metal. Two consecutive quakes, both among the strongest to hit Venezuela in a century, sending residents into a frantic search for loved ones under the debris. The roar of ambulances and heavy machinery filling the northern region of the country. The coastal city of LaGuarda hit hard. This video showing building after building destroyed. An ABC News analysis of video and satellite

imagery revealing 22 high rises brought down within a single mile. The U.S. government now launching three urban search and rescue teams to join the mission. This one from Virginia arriving today. British military also on the way with 250 firefighters and six dogs trained to find survivors. It's a welcome site for many in Venezuela. But there's a fear it may not be enough. What we need here is heavy machinery, this woman says. Human strength isn't enough. There are people still alive.

Video from LaGuarda shows the moment rescuers pulled out 18-day-old Juan David from a collapsed building. His father overjoyed. 90 minutes later, his mother, Diana, also rescued. Damage runways at major airports near the disaster zone are constantly. complicating rescue efforts. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours to be a crucial time frame to retrieve people alive, though that increases if they have access to food and water. Nikuk Azori, ABC News, Los Angeles. Groups across the triangle are stepping up to try to collect supplies for earthquake relief.

That includes Christian churches of carry on Southwest Main Road, the Elmendado supermarket on East Milbrook Road in Raleigh, BB's Grill in Durham and Delugio Grove in Raleigh. All right, new here at 11 as we gear up for our summer cookouts. There's an update on a massive potato chip recall to tell you about tonight. Utt's Quality Foods announced the recall of certain kinds of zaps and dirty brand potato chips in May because of possible salmonella contamination. Well, the FDA now putting that recall under the agency's highest risk level. The Class 1 recall classification is defined by the agency as a situation in which there's a reasonable probability that the use of or the exposure to a violated product will cause serious adverse health consequences or even death. So if you have any of these effective peterships, we're showing you there on the screen.

You should throw them out. Don't serve them at the cookout. You don't want any trouble there. No, no, no. Off the menu. All right. Also happening tomorrow, it's day two of an expanded version of Raleigh's annual pride celebration. Out Raleigh Pride is back for the 14th year.

The event is expected to attract thousands of people to Fayetteville Street. They'll have live music, local artists, food vendors, a kid zone, beer garden, and displays from community organizations. Organizers say the festival is more than just music and food and entertainment. It's really about creating a place where LGBT-plus people feel safe, seen, and supported. Out Raleigh Pride wraps up on Sunday with a drag brunch. The event helps raise money for the LGBT Center of Raleigh, and ABC11 is a proud sponsor. All right, whatever you're doing this weekend, you do need to keep an eye on the sky. Have that ABC11 app ready on your phone because we'll let you know if there's a severe thunderstorm warning where you are.

And stay hydrated also. That's true. That's important. Yeah, you'll be out there tomorrow, right? I will. Okay. So if you want to see Lauren, there's your chance. stop by it. Tell her hello tomorrow and do it earlier in the day because later in the day we could see storms. We'll talk more about that coming up in just a moment. You can see a few showers on the radar tonight.

We'll zoom down in. I want to show you real quick the one big thing as we head through the forecast. The one thing I want you to take away from it, heat wave is headed in. It is going to be very hot as we head into next week. And it could be the biggest heat wave of the year. I want to show you. So this is our heat danger for tomorrow. There's Saturday. Red equals major. We're starting to see little pockets of red show up here and there late in the afternoon. Let's run this ahead all the way into next Thursday. We go from red to purple across the entire region. That's extreme heat danger. This will be Wednesday, Thursday, even into Friday. And look at the temperatures as we head into next week. We've got the temperatures and then the feels like on top. By Wednesday, 100 feels like 105. By Thursday, 102, feeling 110, 111 on Friday. even the 4th of July.

Maybe a good night to stay in and watch it on ABC 11 because we will see those feels like temperatures in the triple digits. Let's talk seven-day forecast. We're in the 90s the next four days. Tomorrow is the first alert day with that chance at storms. A pop-up storm Sunday into Monday. Tuesday, we feel the heat.

And then Wednesday, as we start the month of July, we start our heat wave. So Friday night, I didn't forget to do it. We only do this on Friday night, your flapjack forecast. Because tomorrow you wake up with the kids, maybe make a little breakfast with them. Temperatures will be in the 70s through 9 o'clock by lunchtime.

It's 86, but it will feel like it's getting into the 90s. Satellite radar, there are the showers out through Wilson County, Eastern Wayne County. There's also showers out toward the tributt we're pretty much pushing south, and they will die out. Manny Ota Murphy tonight, 70s across our part of the state. Wilmington still checking in at 81 degrees. Boone is 16 degrees cooler at 65, 76 down in South Carolina tonight. Myrtle Beach checking in at 82. Overnight, we'll see our numbers into the 70s for low.

72, Raleigh, 73 Fayetteville, 73 in Clinton. Then tomorrow, the showers and storms hit late day. 94, Raleigh, 90 in Durham, 93 in Fayetteville. Looking at temperatures across the region tomorrow. You'll top 93 in Goldsboro, Fort Bragg, 91 in Sanford, 92, and Pinehurst. 90, Holly Springs, 90, Garner, Wendell, 89, Bahama, 90 in Carlin. Barborough, 87 Rocksboro, 87 Roanoke Rapids, and Scotland neck up around 90 degrees. Your seven-day forecast shows those temperatures in the 90s on Sunday.

The storm chances still about 40 percent, but the difference is there's not as much energy in the atmosphere, so not as big a risk for severe storms on Sunday. And tomorrow the risk isn't high, but any storm that gets rolling could have some damaging straight line wins. Monday 92, Tuesday 95, and July, the first three days of it all in the triple digits. Looking like July with those numbers, huh? Announcing its arrival, right? Yes, goodness. Yes, it is. Thank you.

We're looking ahead to Independence Day next weekend, the City of Raleigh, going all out for the 4th of July. Dix Park bringing back its big fireworks show for America's 250th birthday. Yeah, and we're thinking this year's celebration will be bigger than ever. The city expecting at least 25,000 people. All that fun kicks off mid-out. afternoon. It runs through the night and in addition to the fireworks, they're going to have live music, a craft station, lawn games there at Dick's Park and food and beverage vendors. Eyewitness News. Proud to be the presenting sponsor. You can watch it all right here on ABC 11. And there's a big focus on road safety ahead of the 4th of July holiday weekend. Beginning on Monday, law enforcement is cracking down on impaired driving with the Operation Firecracker Booze It and Lose It campaign. Every year the 4th of July does rank as one of the deadliest holidays across the country because of drinking and driving. That campaign runs through July.

the 5th. Also on the roads, the NCDOT is temporarily suspending most highway construction projects between July the 2nd and the 7th to keep holiday traffic moving well. As we march deeper into summer, more and more kids across the triangle will be hitting the streets on bikes and scooters and their little feet. Up next, we'll show you the new program teaching the youngsters the rules of the road and helping them stay safe while they're outside. The ABC News. I witness news. We are local news weeknights four to six 30 and 11 as kids across the triangle are gearing up for summer fun a new program is helping them stay safe while they're riding around on two wheels yeah a new hands-on course in Wake County teaching children the rules of the road before they head out on

bike scooters or their own two feet for Harris Rollins riding her scooter is a sure sign of summer I ride with my sister and my mom and dad today she's switching lanes rolling with the new crew, new friends from a Durham summer camp. They can come out and learn things about the safety, how to stop, where the crosswalks are, and all kind of different traffic signs. Danielle Kelly runs Lollipop Kids Summer Camp and loved the idea of her campers test driving, a course designed to keep kids safe on the road. The Post Center for Health Education is opening Wigg County's first permanent traffic safety course,

giving kids a hands-on place to learn. From stop signs to crosswalks, it's all about knowing when. to speed up and when to slow down. Harris says those lessons stick. Because if you don't follow them, you might hurt someone. Injuries and unintentional deaths helped drive the program with nearly 200 bicyclists and pedestrians killed on North Carolina roads each year. Organizers say teaching those skills early could help prevent tragedy down the line. We don't want any more fatalities, frankly and we want to do our part. You guys can keep going. That course will be open to families on weekends giving kids a safe place to practice before heading back out.

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Truly, Trey, thank you, and thank you at home for watching. Have a great weekend. We'll see you back here next week. Good night. ABC 11 eyewitness news is sponsored by Capital Chevrolet. Together, let's drive. Shop capitalchevrolet.com.