ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - March 5, 2026

Episode Date: March 6, 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. Right now in eyewitness news, new developments in the war with Iran, Israel says it's moving to the next phase of the war, carrying out more strikes. And back in Washington, House lawmakers rejected a war powers resolution to halt President Trump's attack. and the economic impacts of that war are starting to come into focus here at home. Thanks so much for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Lauren Johnson. Hi everyone, I'm Steve Daniels. President Trump also saying today he wants a role in choosing Iran's next

supreme leader. The U.S. and Israeli strikes have hit thousands of targets inside Iran. The Pentagon says at least 20 of Iran's Navy vessels have been destroyed. Meanwhile, Iran's counterattack has hit at least 12 different Middle Eastern countries. The American embassy in Kuwait shut down today after Iranian strikes on the country, becoming the second American diplomatic mission to fully shut down. The war in the Middle East, sending shockwaves through global markets. The Dow fell nearly 800 points today, and at one point it was down more than 1100 points. The war also pushing oil prices, higher crude oil prices jumped nearly 9% to just over $81 a barrel.

That's the biggest single-day gain since May of 2020. And experts are warning higher energy prices could create higher inflation. According to AAA, the price for an average gallon of gas is up 26 cents in North Carolina, compared to a week ago. All right. Our other top story tonight. Our spring warm up continues and the mercury could rise so high tomorrow.

We could actually set a new record. That's right. Meteorologist Cruz Medina is joining us now to talk about just how warm it's going to be. Hi, Cruz. Hi there. Yeah, we'll actually surpass what we got to today. We got up to 79. Tomorrow we're forecasting 82 and that is the record.

So we'll see if we tie it. It's possible a spot or two could break it. We'll have to see. But I am not complaining about the warm weather. All right. So let's check out the next few days. Friday, like I said, we could tie that record. And then Saturday, it's not necessarily going to be record warmed, but it's still going to be warm.

So 80 degrees when our average high this time of the month is around 60, that's still 20 degrees above average. Now, what's going to help us achieve that temperature of 82 tomorrow is the fact that tonight we only go down to 57. So it's going to be even a mild start to the day. We could have some areas of fog that develop, though, because tonight, at least right now, the skies are mainly clear, but we will have some clouds building in. The longer these skies stay clear, the better chance we have of seeing that fog in the morning. So for some of you, especially south and east of Raleigh, you could start the day with those foggy conditions. Otherwise, great to get outside. If you want to go for a run or something early in the morning, go for it.

Tipjures will be in the 60s. They're about 10 a.m. and then we jump into the 70s. The afternoon will also be great for outdoor plans. If you want to get your kids outside, take your dogs out, tipgers will be very warm in the afternoon. It'll feel more like a May day than it will a March day, and it stays warm. all the way through the evening. So you have plenty of time to get out and enjoy this.

Once again, this weekend looking pretty warm as well. But the back half of the weekend could have featured some rain chances. We'll be talking a little bit more about that coming up in your seven-day forecast in just minutes. Lauren, back to you. All right. Cruz, we'll see you then. Thank you. New tonight, Carrie Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, delivering his state of carry address. It comes as the town is trying to rebuild trust.

Back in December, the former town manager resigned over questionable spending of taxpayer dollars. But it was actually a different issue. People wanted to talk about with the mayor tonight. that the federal government has leased new office space for ice in carry. Tom George here now to show us those concerns and how the mayor is responding tonight. Tom. Yeah, well, dozens of protesters gathered outside Kerry Town Hall concerned over a possible expanded ice footprint in carry after a government lease of property in carry. The mayor says it's out of the town's control, but some argue the town could be doing more. We've watched all the news coverage of Minneapolis and we don't want to be the Minneapolis of North Carolina.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht spoke inside large crowds outside, calling on town leaders to make a statement against ICE and carry. We're hoping that they'll take a stand and represent the community through some statement that they have seen ICE and that they make a value judgment that ICE is not welcome in this community. It all comes after the federal government leased 25,000 square feet of space in this office complex off Regency Drive near Koka Booth Amphitheater. Ice already has a facility in carry, but this would potentially be more administrative. The town wasn't notified and doesn't have to be because the federal government operates independently. And the mayor has said it is out of the town's hands, some who spoke tonight still hoping for more. You're just going to sit there and say that

there's no other options and that there's no authority that you could potentially have. And I find that very cowardly. The mayor says he's worried making a bigger statement against ICE would backfire and would draw attention to the town. I'm not here to do political statements. You can call me all the names you want, I'm fine with that. I'm here to protect the people of carry. And if I think something I do is going to cause them harm, I'm not going to do it. And I'm worried about our immigrants. Some members of the council say they understand the worries many in the community are facing and want to see if more can be done within their legal options. I am all ears. I'm talking to anybody that will talk to me about this and seeing, you know, what avenues are open to us, what aren't, and just

trying to be really open-minded about what the community wants to see us do. Now again, it is unclear the exact purpose of that new facility other than this is purely office space. Again, the federal government has leased that property and carry through at least the year 2030. Tom, thank you. We have some new reaction tonight after President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Christy Knoam. The shakeup coming after Noam's heated two-day testimony on Capitol Hill. Sources tell ABC News President Trump was deeply frustrated by Noam's performance. The president tapping Senator Mark Wayne Mullen to be the replacement for Noem there at the Department of Homeland Security. And Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who represents parts of Wake County, issued a statement saying in part,

Christy Noem has been a disaster for North Carolina. Our state and our country are better off with her gone. New developments tonight in the controversy over a data center development in Apex. Natale Investments now says it's withdrawing its annexation and rezoning request for land right next to Sharon Harris nuclear plant. The company says the move comes as the town of Apex continues considering changes to its zoning rules, changes that would allow data centers within town limits. This follows weeks of controversy and public discussion after previous reporting raised questions about large-scale industrial development near that nuclear facility. In a statement, Natelli says it may revisit its plans in the future if Apex eventually approves a broad zoning amendment that permits data centers. New tonight, officials in Siler City are warning about a potential rabid fox in their community.

They say about noon today a fox displaying strange behavior came into contact with someone near a dumpster behind the boat jangles on Highway 64. So far, the Fox has not been caught. If you come in contact with the Fox in that area, officials want you to get post-exposure rabies treatment. A second procession took place today for Fallen State Highway Patrol Trooper, Stephen Perry, Chopper 11, was over the procession in Durham today. The trooper's body was moved from Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor to Mitchell Funeral Home in Raleigh. Perry was killed on Sunday when a wrongway driver, who police believe was impaired,

slammed into his patrol car on the Durham Freeway. Perry graduated from Durham's Riverside High School and placed. football at North Carolina Central University. A funeral service will be held next Wednesday at the Shepherd's Church in Kerry. In Durham tonight a Hillside High School student is facing charges after a chaotic lunchroom incident. Authorities say a female student set fire to a trash can and used pepper spray. Five people were affected by the spray including a teacher who had to go to the hospital for treatment. Authorities say the student is facing charges of

assault, assault on a government official and also arson. Raleigh is once again, making a best of list. And this one may surprise some people. Okay, it certainly stirred up a lot of chatter in our newsroom today. So a new study by Crypto Gaming Company, Gamble's named Raleigh as one of the top places for nightlife. James Price, live on Glenwood South, one of the city's entertainment hubs. Jamise, not everyone is convinced, but you found some people who agree with this ranking. Tell us about it. Lauren and Steve, it is a mixed reaction out here tonight. So we know Raleigh has all the great food spots. It's really a family atmosphere. But Raleigh, big fun? Well, a study said so. Naming Raleigh is one of the best night lives in the country. And we are standing in the middle of all of it. You hear the music going. People are out. Having a good time. With the weather this nice, patios are packed and people are out.

for like a smaller city and a city in the south. I think it's pretty fun. Raleigh was just named one of the top five cities to find the best nightlife and entertainment in the country. The research looked inside the nightclubs at things like bar density, closing time, average drink costs, music, entertainment options, and a safety index. I was kind of surprised, to be honest. So I've lived all over the country and I'm not a big partier, but I definitely know that. there are some cities that have much bigger night lives than Raleigh. It's not like Houston or even like a downtown Philadelphia.

It's good for what it's good for. But don't sleep on Raleigh. The city's nightlife has something to say. We stop by a few places tonight that are making some noise. Raleigh has multiple different places, multiple different neighborhoods where really people can go out and spend the evening. On Morgan Street, we stop by the bin bar. Co-owner Chris Power says, customers,

start early almost as soon as they open at four, so we stuck around to get a vibe check. We've been seeing people that come out right at 4 o'clock when we open, people that are coming out in waves too. So we'll have folks that are out that are out for a walk, stop by, have a beer, at home, get some dinner, and then come back out. Back out to hit the next spot in the Glenwood South Entertainment District, where you can play poker on the patio or party at a bar. Our crowds have definitely picked up a lot over the past year. A lot of people are moving into the city, so it's definitely increasing business. Manager Catherine, Petrie at My Way Tavern says the city's walkability has also been a draw for business.

Especially with a college town too. It's just, it's just really diverse. And as we wrapped up our nightlife tour, I met Megan, Lexie, and Caitlin. I love going out here. I have the most fun here out of anywhere I've ever been out. But I'm shocked that we have a place on the map. I do like going out on Raleigh because I feel like it's like a community and I know people that are out here. I think the reason why it's probably ranked so high is because it's not like Miami in New York and it's more like you can do something, you know, relaxing. You can do something a little bit more clubby. So I think that's kind of what makes it different.

And safety was a major factor in this list and why Raleigh ranked so high. That study showing that Raleigh has one of the lowest crime rates in the country pretty safe to hang out. And we know that Raleigh police, they're always out and they beefed up their patrol here on Glenwood South. So the number one spot on the list is New Orleans, Louisiana. Lauren, Steve. Yeah, plenty of fun, always to be had in New Orleans. And I think it's interesting that they looked at things like the cost of a drink and cost of an appetizer and safety. It was kind of not just how fun is the place.

That's true. Yeah. Bar density is important to. Can you get to the bar to get yourself? That's right. That's key. Genez, fun tour. Thank you.

Still to come here on IWitness News tonight, friends are remembering a Raleighman who was hit and killed while riding his moped. Plus local Iranians weigh in on the war what they're hoping to see happen next. And those springtime allergies are making a comeback. A doctor explains how you can get some relief. And Cruz is with us checking on those temps outside. And you want us worried about those allergies too. Yeah, that's right. So these warm temperatures, they're waking up the buds on the trees.

They're waking up the grass. The pollen count is pretty high. And that is very much contributed to these tipgers. After the break, we'll talk about a very warm seven-day forecast. Stay with us. You don't want to miss it. We are local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. Tonight family and friends are mourning the loss of a man who was hit and killed while riding his moped yesterday in Raleigh. 52-year-old Michael Kaper's was on his way home from work when police said jeep rear-ended him on Hammond Road near Rush Street. Capers was thrown from the moped and run over by the SUV. He worked at the Chick-fil-A in Garner. The restaurant posted on social media.

Capers, an incredible employee and friend who was a man on a mission to live his life to the fullest. Today we spoke with Michael's friends and former co-workers from his days at the Bojangles on Western Boulevard. A hard worker, he tried to do every position that he could possibly could, day in and day out. I needed to stop by Chick-fil-A and say, hey, but you know, you would think you have more time. Officers said Gabriella Ortiz was driving when she hit Capers from behind, ejecting him and then running over him with her car. She's charged with not having a driver's license, failure to reduce speed and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. In Washington, one day after the U.S. Senate rejected a war powers resolution that would have ended the war with Iran. We spoke with North Carolina Senator Ted Budd. He's on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and we asked him about the possibility of more troop deployments impacting military families here in North Carolina.

Anytime there's boots on the ground or any U.S. military involvement, there should always be concerned. and we're grateful for those that are based in North Carolina. You know, North Carolina is looked at as America's 911. I think the president needs to have a range of options at his disposal. But if you heard my opening remarks, we don't have an appetite for Forever War. President Trump doesn't like Forever Wars. But highlighted the Iranian regime's attacks on Americans and our allies over a number of decades, adding Iranian leadership previously refused to negotiate on key points.

surrounding its nuclear program. As the conflict continues in the Middle East, we're hearing from Iranian Americans right here in the triangle. They say connecting with loved ones in Iran has gotten worse since the conflict started on Saturday. They also say they're hopeful the current regime will end, but they are concerned for their family's safety. I said, what are you doing?

They said we just heard that there was a bomb, you know, next to our home, apartment. We just want the regime gone so people can have a little bit of freedom. That's for what's next. Some Iranians here in the triangle say they would like to see the son of the former Shah return to power while others want to see the current resistance government step in. All right. If you've been sneezing lately, you are not alone. Those spring allergies are definitely back. Yeah, as the weather warms up, spring flowers are starting to pop. And that means more pollen is floating around. According to the CDC, seasonal allergies affect about one in four adults and one in five children. Today, we spoke with an allergist in Raleigh to get her insight. Allergies all year round, but springtime, there's a huge uptick.

March, April tends to be the worst because of that overlapping tree and grass pollen. When pollen counts are high, Dr. Baines recommends allergy suffer, stay indoors on dry, windy days. Also, remove your clothes that you've worn outside and don't hang any laundry outdoors for the pollen to clean to. Cruz told us earlier, Steve. The trees are waking up, too, so it's not just the flowers. Well, and it's just the beginning of allergy season, right? Just getting started. That's true.

I give it about three weeks and then everything's going to be yellow. Yeah. So it unfortunately only gets worse, but hey, for all of us that like the warm weather, I think that's just the price we pay every year, right? All right, so let's talk about these pollen counts because they're going to be high over the next several days with this warm weather sticking around. Tomorrow is actually the lowest it's going to be over the next three days. You can see that goes into the high category.

In some cases, maybe even extreme as we go into this weekend. So all in all, not great for allergy sufferers, myself included, so make sure that you're taking your meds. And if you're going to be outside, we just gave you some great tips, making sure that you, you know, take your clothes off. And before you get into bed and things like that, that way you're not carrying that pollen into the bed with you. All right, going forward, tomorrow, possible record, 82. If we hit 82, that ties the record. If we're able to exceed it, then we'll break the record for tomorrow. Going into Saturday, that's the better half of the weekend.

It's dry right around 80. and then into Sunday we could see some showers and a few storms for the second half of the day. Sunday daylight saving time begins until you'll spring your clocks forward an hour Saturday night before going to bed. Here's first alert predictor walking us through tonight. We'll have a partly cloudy sky and there could be some areas of fog that develop, especially south and east of Raleigh. So I'm talking to you down in the sand hills and then also for our counties right along the I-95 corridor. After we get past the morning, those clouds will erode and that allows us to warm up nicely into the afternoon. We'll see a decent amount of sunshine tomorrow.

Overall, another great day to be outside. Going into Saturday, we start again with some foggy conditions. Tipjures will be in the low 60s in the morning. Then for the afternoon, we're back to sunshine. Temperatures will be warmest around 3 or 4 p.m. on Saturday. Once again, another great opportunity to be outside. So tomorrow, it doesn't matter where you're watching from, whether it's the sand hills, the triangle, or our northern counties.

It's going to be warm all across the board. The afternoon, the nicest part of the day with plenty of sunshine. Then as we go into the back half of the weekend, like I mentioned, we've got that rain chance. So we've got a front that's going to move in. It's a cold front. And it's really not going to cool us down that much. So it's not a strong front, but it's strong enough that it'll trigger some of those showers and storms. Tipters will be in the upper 70s by the time we get into Sunday.

And then we'll see those tipters rebound back into the 80s going into the start of next week. Here's a live look at RDU. Tipters right now sitting at 67 degrees in the city of Oaks, 61 and Roxburgh. and tipters tonight only fall into the 50s for those lows. Once again, some areas of fog could develop. If you're one of those communities that sees the fog, it could slow you down through your morning commute. Otherwise, very warm tomorrow afternoon with a decent amount of sun. And going forward, it's going to stay warm, at least for a little while.

So early next week, already near 80 on Monday, slight chance of a shower. By the time we get into Tuesday and Wednesday, we're talking mid-80s. And then from there, we're going to see those tipters tumble toward the back half of the week. So showers on the way for Thursday with highs. in the 60s. Lauren, back to you. All right, Cruz, thank you. Still ahead.

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That sounds pretty good. Yeah, Wendy's is actually on a nationwide search right now for what they're calling the chief tasting officer, the CTO. For $100,000 a year, you'll taste Wendy's menu items, you'll create content, share creative feedback and help the company keep a pulse on what's trending in fast food. description leans into humor saying applicants just need a mouth and a pulse and some strong opinions about Wendy's food. The remote role also involves very little travel if you're a home body to apply apply. You need to submit a video showing why you are the perfect personality higher and of course you need to show off your tasting skills a little bit too. Picky eaters do not apply. All right fans of Barbara Streisand may be in luck. The legendary singer and actress is in talks to perform at the Oscar. Stricean hasn't sung at the Oscar since 2013. She's reportedly in conversations to honor the late Robert Redford and her friend and co-star from the way we were. The performance would likely be during the in-memorium segment of that series.

And eyewitness News is counting down to the Oscars, the 98th Annual Academy Awards, airing right here on ABC 11, now just 11 days away. We hope you'll join us on March 15th for a big night of Oscars programming. It begins at 3.30 p.m. with On the Red Carpet, the pre-show. That's followed by Eyewitness News at 5. Lauren and I'll be here for that, and ABC World News Sunday. Then it's back to the Oscars at 6 p.m. with more on the red carpet coverage. The Oscars kick off at 7 o'clock, followed by an hour-long edition of eyewitness news at 11.

And Lauren and I will be here for that one as well.