ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - April 1, 2026

Episode Date: April 1, 2026

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Right now for a new era of basketball at NC State University. I'm just so excited to be here. I'm excited to be back home. Justin Ganey, a former Wolfpack star, excited to return to the team as head coach. More on his legacy and the future for NC State men's basketball. And Bond denied in court for this Wake County ride chair driver. He is charged with assaulting a woman who was his passenger in his car. What we're learning about that investigation.

City officials in downtown Raleigh update the renovation. at the Raleigh Convention Center months after fire tore through parts of the building. And it's launch day, the Artemis II looking more and more likely for liftoff at about 624 this evening from Florida. On board, NC State grad Christina Cook. We're following all the action live right now on eyewitness news before. Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, keeping you connected to your community and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11-I Witness News. NC State men's basketball has a brand new coach this afternoon.

The university formally introducing Justin Ganey as the next head coach of the Wolfpack, moving quickly after the resignation of Will Wade just last week. Thank you for joining us for the news at 4. I'm Barbara Gibbs. Hi, everyone. I'm Steve Daniels. Amber is off today. So here's what we know about the former Wolfpack player and his return to Raleigh. Justin Ganey is from High Point.

That's where he grew up. He played at NC State for four years between 1996 and 2000. He appeared in 128 games at NC State, ranking 12th all time and games played. And during his career, he had the fifth most steals in Wolfpack history with 190 steals. Michael Perchuk joins us live now from the Lenovo Center, where today's announcement was made. A lot of excitement about Justin Ganey coming home from the University of Tennessee, Michael. Steve, Barbara, a true sense of joy rushing over a sea and white as fans here. Welcome back the two-time graduate and former Star Guard. This is surreal.

It's a surreal moment for me. Again, he played into the room as you're hearing right now by the power sound of the South, receiving a standing ovation as he walked towards the stage. The high point eight of it has a long and successful run as an assistant coach most recently at Tennessee. Praise for his defensive strategy and recruiting ability. He immediately garnered public support. from the alums in the aftermath of Will Way to exit throughout his remarks, gaining you preach toughness and character, sharing this message with fans. Feel your passion, your pride, your determination to win at the highest level.

And I share that with you. I really do. And I'm excited. I'm excited, man, more than you can believe to be here. And I promise you, we're going to build this program that reflects your energy. your toughness and your commitment. This will be Ganey's first head coaching job. Prior to Tennessee, he worked at Elon Appalachian State, Santa Clara, Arizona, and Marquette. He also did serve back here at NC State on Sydney Lowe's staff from 2006 to 2008 as an administrative coordinator coming up at 5. Trayvon Miles will join us for team coverage, breaking down the impact of this hiring, what it means for the Wolfpack Men's Basketball Program moving forward.

in Raleigh on Michael Pertschick, ABC 11, eyewitness news. You can really feel his commitment to the Wolfpack program and his excitement too. Absolutely. Thank you, Michael. Now to an investigation into a lift driver who is charged with sexually assaulting and kidnapping a woman who was a passenger inside his car in Raleigh. Yeah, today, Ryan Davy faced a Wake County judge for the first time. Duane Hogarth joins us live in downtown Raleigh after being in the courtroom today during the hearing. Duan, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Barbara.

Ryan Davy had his first court appearance behind me here at the, Wake County Justice Center earlier this afternoon. After facing a number of charges connected to a lift drive he took last night, I actually spoke with the victim in this case. She tells me all of what happened there in that vehicle and how she says she feared for her safety. 30-year-old Ryan Davy appearing before a judge in a Wake County courtroom this afternoon facing a number of charges, including felony kidnapping and sexual battery while driving for lift Tuesday night. What he's charged is that he sexually assaulted the victim. That would fall under a violent offense. definition under operating his law and the presumption we need to be rebutted that he's not a danger to

the public. The victim who asked not to be identified told eyewitness news she ordered a lift after she got off work and was going to pick up food for her kids and everything changed when she got into the car. He yanked and started kissing me. He kissed in my neck and I got mad so I started pushing him when that made him mad he hit the gas he went over the speed bump and he went to the south gate store and by that time he know I had the police on the phone. According to war, Since Davey would not let the victim out of the vehicle and when confronted by police, Davy allegedly threw alcohol onto the officers. Davy also allegedly exposed himself to the victim. She shared this video of him being arrested by Raleigh Police.

I'm traumatized. I ain't sleep all night. And we had a chance to reach out to Lyft. They sent me a statement just moments ago. I'll go ahead and read that to you from a Lyft spokesperson quote. The behavior described is appalling and will not be tolerated. As soon as we learned of these allegations, we contacted the writer to offer support and permanently removed the driver from the Lyft platform. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their

investigation. As of right now, Ryan Davy is still in jail. He's being held without bond, all as a result of him being described as, according to court, the assistant DA, being described as a threat under Zarina's law, excuse me, Irina's law. So head for you at five. We'll have safety tips that Lyft has shared with riders to protect themselves in the event of future rides. We're live in downtown Raleigh. Duane Hoggard. I'm 11th, I want this news. Right, what a story.

Duane, thank you. We are tracking some breaking news unfolding in Wake County. New here at 4 o'clock, Raleigh police investigating a shooting at this motel. This was the scene at the Wake Inn on Newburn Avenue, about 1 o'clock this afternoon. Police say a man was shot and taken to the hospital. That person is expected to recover.

RPD hasn't said what led up to the shooting or if they have a lead on the gunman. Also here at 4 o'clock, we have your first alert to near Rout. record heat today, temps getting up into the 80s. Check it out drone 11 capturing the sunny blue skies over downtown Raleigh today. Really beautiful day across the triangle

and we've got more good stuff on the way. That's right. That's got a meteorologist Cruz Medina. Hey Cruz. Hey there, yeah, it's been very warm out there and tipters are going to stay in the 80s over the next several days. So tipters right now sit in the mid 80s

at RDU at latest check. We had gotten up to 86 at one point this afternoon. You could see that warmth does spread far and wide. So it's all the way back toward the plains and up the east coast. all the way to New York City. Some colder air does lag behind that and that's what's gonna make its way in

as we go into early next week. But as far as this evening goes, stepping out to get some ice cream. That sounds like a great idea. So tipter stay very warm through about 7 PM. That's when we're in the lower 80s and then we'll jump into the 70s shortly after. Now also this evening we have the Artemis 2 launch

and so even though that's not necessarily here, the conditions for that rocket to take off are actually good. The rain chance significantly lowers as we get later into the afternoon. Tiptors will be in the 70s and we've got some more details on the viewing of that coming up in just a moment. Barbara back to you. All right, Cruz, thank you. And now is a great time to download the ABC 11 mobile app. You can get the latest watches and warning straight to your device and you can also check Doppler net and the 70 forecast

anytime. What happening now? We're counting down to NASA's Artemis 2 launch from the historic moon mission. Here's a live look now at the rocket in Florida. We're just over two hours away from Lift-off. Things looking pretty good there at Cape Canaveral right now and watch parties are planned all across the state, including one in Raleigh, because one of the astronauts on board, Christina Cook, went to NC State. Jamis Price there live on campus where people are reflecting on her time as a student there. Jamice. Steve, we're inside the Talley Student Union. Take a look around. You can see a lot of students here, a lot of energy set tonight for this historical launch NASA's Artemis 2 mission. So the Talley Student Union, we're already seeing those students here, but we know there'll be more students this afternoon for the watch party. The moment historic, not only for our country, it's also a historic milestone for a three-time NC state alum, Christina Cook. Now, in a few short hours, Cook, along with three other astronauts will lift off for NASA's Kennedy Space Center on the first human trip to the moon in more than 50 years. Cook will become the first woman to travel around the moon and journey further into space than any woman has before.

So today, expect to watch it happen live at 624 tonight. The official lunch party starts at 5.30 inside the tally student union here at NC State. We will be here and bring you that historic moment as it unfolds. Steve, Barbara. All right, very exciting. Thank you so much, Jemise Price, live at NC State. Let's take a look at some other four o'clock headlines right now in your speed feed. And we are going to start with a story that is unfolding in Durham, where a driver on 15501 is, they're searching for this person right now.

Durham police sharing some new video with a crash. They say a Nissan and a Honda, we're both speeding while merging near Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard. The Nissan got over into the far left lane. The Honda also merges into that lane, causing the Nissan to run off the road, lose control and hit a guardrail. The woman driving the Nissan was thrown out of the car and taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A couple of kids were in the car, too. Police say they were not hurt. Investigators now want help from the public sharing these pictures right here as they search for the driver of that Honda. We have an update on a civil lawsuit in the case of Raleigh mass shooter Austin Thompson.

After nine months of attempted mediation, a report states all sides have reached an impasse. The case now expected to go to trial in July. Earlier this year, a Wake County judge sentenced Austin Thompson to life without parole for killing five people, including his own brother, a shooting spree in their neighborhood, the Headingham neighborhood in 2022. Thompson is still facing a civil lawsuit from the family of the victims. The lawsuit alleges the shooting could have been prevented by several people and different companies, including the property management company and the private security company working in that neighborhood.

We are tracking a deadly crash in Wake County, Chopper 11 over the scene. This is on Covered Bridge Road in Zebulon. It appears a dump truck flipped over. The driver was killed in the crash. Authorities have not released the name of the victim or what led to the crash. no other cars involved. A missing one-year-old girl has been found and she's safe. You might have gotten that emergency alert on your phone after Macy Thompson was reported missing in Alamance County. She was taken by her father just before noon. Authority sold us she was found

by Durham Police. The child was taken back to her home in Burlington. The girl's father, 25-year-old Dominic Thompson, was arrested in charge with felony objection of a child and misdemeanor child abuse. And that's the speed fee. Barbara, over to you. Right. See, thank you. Well, today marks four months since a fire broke out on the roof of the Raleigh Convention Center. The damage forced the cancellation of events in December, and now we find out what is next. John Dowding is live outside the Convention Center with a work to replace damage equipment on the roof will soon begin. John, good afternoon. Hey, good afternoon to you, Barbara.

We are waiting for a crane to show up here on McDowell Street to start doing some of that replacement work here. And that fire just broke out right before the busiest season of the year here at the convention center. but that fire didn't stop several major events from taking place at the convention center. We have been so determined and so resilient because we can't not do it. It's just important. Tonight, the Raleigh Convention Center is one step closer to being back to normal, nearly four months after a fire in an HVAC unit caused millions in damage. Dron 11 back up above the convention center today ahead of work to replace two damage chillers on the roof. The fire on December 1st started in an HVAC unit behind the shimmer wall and damage.

parts of the roof and a kitchen inside the convention center. Convention center staff moved quickly, canceling events in December and opening a temporary kitchen in the Red Hat amphitheater. And staff say solar panel fixes and other work needs to be done before they're fully recovered. Then we're down to the roof and the roof covering is lead certified so it's not meant to be walked on it, puncture is easy. So it's the very last step that goes up and then we will be recovered fully. After four months, they're almost fully back to normal.

Now that fire obviously not only could have caused significant damage to the convention center building itself, but it could have cost the city and Wake County millions of dollars in tax revenue. Coming up here at five and six will break down the economic impact. The convention center has on the city and the county every year, bringing in millions and millions of dollars. Life here in downtown Raleigh, I'm John Dowding. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Right, John. So glad that they're at the very end of this and a new horizon on the way.

That's right. It feels like they've made pretty quick work of it too. Absolutely. All right, John, thanks. Next and all new this hour here on eyewitness news, people in Durham are continuing their push for more affordable housing in the Bull City. The mayor, Leo Williams, talking with eyewitness news about the city's efforts to try to bring more housing opportunities to people. And protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court building today, pushing back on the Trump administration's efforts to end birthright citizenship. Watch us.

Well, Durham is growing fast and with that growth, more developers are moving in. Cindy Bay shows us how that impacts affordable housing in the city. City and community leaders are working to expand affordable housing, but they say there's still a long way to go. The Bull City is among the fastest growing in the country, but rising rent and home prices continue to challenge residents. We've accomplished a large part of the goal, and yet we are nowhere close to where we need to be. Several plans are in the works, but for many relief can't come soon enough. City leaders say more needs to be done as developers target key areas from Northgate Mall to South Point, where hundreds of new units are proposed along Massey Chapel Road.

Build a house and apartments everywhere. So I'm just really impressed by the development that actually came in to Durham. So Durham is really a good place to live. Coming up at five, how one long-time Durham resident says this rapid growth is changing her community in Durham, Sydney Bay. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Developing now in the Middle East, President Trump says Iran's new regime has now asked for a ceasefire. That's according to a post on social media. The president saying that will be considered when the Strait of Hormuz is open.

Iran continues to block virtually all shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf, causing oil prices to skyrocket around the world. All I have to do is leave Iran and we'll be doing that very much. very soon and they'll become tumbling down. Meantime, Iran is warning American companies in the region. They are now legitimate targets. And also an Iranian missile hit another oil tanker in Qatar overnight. That is the second oil tanker hit in just the past few days. A reminder that the Strait of Hormuz remains very dangerous and effectively closed.

President Trump is speaking to the nation tonight from the White House with what the White House is calling, an important update on the war with Iran. ABC News will bring you live coverage of that beginning at 9 o'clock right here on ABC. We'll know this hour the Supreme Court appears skeptical of President Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship. Justices today hurt oral arguments with the president sitting in the chamber that is a first for a sitting U.S. president. The court's three liberal justices and several conservatives on the court raised doubts about the constitutionality of ending birthright citizenship. That's when someone who was born in this country automatically gets American citizenship. ABC's Christian Cordero has the details from Washington.

Today the fate of birthright citizenship is in the Supreme Court. court's hands after attorneys representing the Trump administration and the ACLU argued its constitutionality before the court's nine justices. The administration wants to end birthright citizenship for the children of non-citizens, arguing the policy has been taken advantage of by undocumented immigrants. Eight billion people are one plane right away from having a child as a U.S. citizen. Birthright citizenship has long been tied to the 14th Amendment, which says anyone born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, our citizens. The administration argues undocumented immigrants are not subject to the jurisdiction of

the U.S. You're using some pretty obscure sources to get to this concept. But today, all three liberal justices and most of the conservative ones appeared skeptical. Children of ambassadors, children of enemies during a hostile invasion, children on warships. And then you expand it to a whole class of illegal aliens are here in the country. I'm not quite sure how you can get to that big group from such tiny and sort of idiosyncratic examples. President Trump attended today's arguments and is the first sitting president to do so.

He left halfway through the American Civil Liberties Union's opening statements. The ACLU's attorney, born in the U.S. to Taiwanese parents, spoke after court was dismissed. My parents and so many of our parents and ancestors who came to this country seeking refuge, seeking new opportunities, and who relied on the rule that we've had in this country for 150 years. President Trump reacted on social media after court, claiming the U.S. is the only country, quote, stupid enough to allow birthright citizenship, which isn't true. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on this case by this summer. Christian Cordero, ABC News, Washington. All right, let's talk about the weather around here today.

Beautiful day into the 80s, but pollen's still out there. That's right, and not much rain inside, maybe a little bit. Yeah, we've got some coming up for Easter weekend. So Easter itself will feature that rain chance, and that'll be our relief from some of that pollen, and I'll show you the pollen count in just a moment. But let's get a breakdown at the weekend. So we're already in the middle of the week.

Going into this weekend, it's going to start out very warm. Tipper's could be near record again on Saturday reaching the mid-80s. That's a dry day. Do your outdoor plans then, just fine. Into Sunday, you've got the first half of the day, but the rain chance is now trending a little earlier. So this could arrive early in the afternoon, possibly, and linger through the evening. So as we go forward in time, we're going to get a better handle on the exact timing of that, but it's important to keep you updated with what we know as we know it.

All right, so the setup here, we've got high-pressing. pressure off to our east. This is going to be bringing us the warm weather that we have for the next few days. So Friday's warm, Saturday's warm. Here's the front that's going to bring the rain as we go into Sunday. And this will bring some storms back to our west. We could see some storms here, but nothing severe. Any severe threat remains well back to our west. And behind that front, there will be some cooler, more seasonable air that arrives into early next week. But like we were just telling you, there is relief from the pollen. It's just not going to get here fast enough. So pollen counts remain elevated. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Again, it's the tree pollen. So pine, oak, maple, sweet gum, birch, any of those things, cottonwood. That's the primary allergens right now. But into Sunday, that pollen count will slowly come down after we get some rain and hopefully improves early into next week.

I'll take you outside real quick. This is downtown Raleigh. Temperature's at 85 degrees in the city of Oaks right now. Fayetteville, you're also at 85, along with Goldsboro. And Roxborough, you are at 82 degrees. Walking the dog this evening, it's going to be very warm. You might want shorts for that walk. Tip your stay in the lower 80s, at least through 7 p.m.

and then we'll fall into the 70s shortly after. But if you're not going out for a walk tonight, maybe you're going out for dinner. Be a nice evening to sit outside. First alert predictor, this will walk us through tonight. We will have some clouds around at times, but really it's tomorrow morning where you'll notice the clouds thicken up. Tip your start out in the 60s, and then for the afternoon, we should see the highs pushing well into the 80s. So that's going to be a widespread thing.

Tomorrow, another very warm day just like today. And if you're not staying local, you might be heading out to our coast. And this is sunset beach. It looks great out there. So lots of families are at the beach for spring break. 79 degrees at sunset beach right now. Can't beat that view. But in case you are heading to the coast tomorrow, here's a forecast for that too.

70s and sunshine all along the North Carolina coast. So take advantage of it. All right, your first alert seven-day forecast shows that rain chance once again on Easter Sunday. That's going to be during the afternoon and evening. early next week we will cool down into the 60s and we're going to stay there all the way through the middle of the week. So upper 60s, that's what we expect this time of the year. If you're a fan of warmer weather, enjoy the 80s while we have them. All right, Groot's, thank you.

All right, it is the first day of April. Love me call it April Fool's Day. Coming up, many food chains are joining the fun with special promotions. Yeah, we'll tell you about that. And Sam's Club members could be paying higher prices. We have details on the fees rising for your membership coming up. Now for some news you can use. A popular attraction returns for Raleigh Families. Playgrounds and attractions are now reopened at Pullen Park. The train, historic carousel, and

other attractions were shut down last month for construction along the shoreline of Lake Howell. Shoreline improvements will continue through August, but those popular attractions are now once again available. All right, Sam's Club says it will raise its membership prices by $10 on May 1st. A basic membership will cost $60 a year. The plus version will be twice that. The Walmart-owned company says plus members will be able to earn more cash rewards. And today marks April Fool's Day, a date that some people use to play jokes on friends, some businesses are joining the phone with some promotions as well. The pizza cookie or Piz cookie at BJ's restaurant and Brewhouse is no joke.

But today only, you can get it topped with pepperoni and honey. Duncan is having a lighthearted giveaway of a million and one free hot or iced coffees. You'll need to use the code, still not a joke, to get one. And not everything is a real deal. Hall's unveiled a special cough drop flavor called Grandma's purse. Contains hints of lavender and lint, just like Meemaw used to give you. Those, however, are not really for sale. That is not news you can use, Steve.

That is April Fool's. Okay, okay, got it. Me ma'all's flavor, and you don't want it. All right, we're with you. Today's state health officials are recognizing National Chai DeBuse Prevention Month. There was a free community event at Raleigh's Chavis Park this afternoon. Many people stop by to plant pinwheels. We know it takes community to raise a family, that no parent ever raises their children by themselves,

and that the biggest sign of strength of any parent is their ability to ask for help. And this year, North Carolina's Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign theme is positive childhood, start with us, a reminder that everyone has a responsibility to create the conditions children and families need to thrive. Coming up in just a couple of minutes, Penelope Lopez will join us live from the Pinwheel Garden that has been set up in face. been set up in Fayetteville today. Blue pinwheels will be spinning throughout the city of Fayetteville this month. Coming up, what this means and how you can help in the fight against child abuse. And NASA finally set to launch an historic mission sending four astronauts on a pathfinder

trip around the moon and back will have live coverage from Florida. Next. When Westcham first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different. People thought denim on denim was peak fashion. inline skates were everywhere, and two out of three women rocked, the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that hasn't is that fuzzy feeling you get when WestJet welcomes you on board. Here's to Westjetting since 96. Travel back in time with us and actually travel with us at westjet.com slash 30 years.

We are local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. The Child Advocacy Center in Fayetteville kicked off April with its annual pinwheel garden ceremony mark in the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Yeah, Penelope Lopez was at that event. Penelope, good afternoon. What's the meeting behind the pinwheels? Hey, good afternoon. Each wheel honors a child that has been affected by abuse.

This year, 539-31 penwheels was planted throughout the city of Fayetteville. We just want people to say, you know, raise their curiosity and they'll say, what is that about? You know, what does those pinwheels mean? Blue penwheels. Rowan Street and Fayetteville today. They serve as a reminder that protecting children is a responsibility we all share. It's just a symbolic of childhood and innocence of childhood. So many of our children have had that robbed from them and we're trying to find ways to restore that those good

time for those kids again. Today's event at the Child Advocacy Center brought together community members, advocates and families to honor survivors and support prevention efforts. And while many children are fortunate to grow up and loving and supporting homes. We know that this is not the reality of all children. According to the center, a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. And Cumberland County consistently ranks among the top three counties in the state for the number of children investigated for maltreatment. Executive Director John Webster says that educating the community is essential to reducing the stigma. And we want kids to know how to report if something's

happen to them and we want their caregivers and professionals who are working with them during the day. It may teachers, daycare providers, grandparents, anyone who's taking care of these children, if they become aware that a child's been abused, we want them to know how to report that and get help for that child. An organizer say that this garden is not just for survivors, but they're hoping it can spark conversation among the community and hopefully get more people involved in the fight. Coming up in the next hour, how to recognize the signs. Live in Fayetteville, I'm Penelope Lopez, ABC 11. I witness news. All right, Penelope, thank you. We have new details now in a violent crash in Raleigh. We now know it all started as an attempted traffic stop. Police say officers first tried to stop a driver

in a silver infinity near New Bern Avenue and North Raleigh Boulevard, but the driver took off as officers searched for the car and RPD cruiser ran a stop sign at Kennedy Street and Hawkins Street and then crashed with the infinity, which investigators say was speeding with its headlights off. The young driver and passenger in the infinity were both injured. The passenger has been released from the hospital, but the 17-year-old driver is still being treated and faces multiple charges, including fleeing to elude. Police also say the two officers involved were not wearing seatbelts and were treated for minor injuries. Both officers have now been charged with seatbelt violations, and one was also cited for a stop sign violation. All right, let's take a look

at some other headlines right now in your 430 speed feed. First, your utility bill just got more expensive. If you live in Rocky Mount, happening today, utility rates jump 15% after the city council. Approved that increase on Monday. It's all part of the process of digging out from a financial hole. City leaders was created by the former city manager Keith Rogers and his unchecked spending. The city has already cut 86 jobs and increased property taxes as well. Also, starting today, it'll cost you more to park at the RDU Airport. The premier lot is the most expensive. It's now $34 a day. The central is $2 a day more than it previously has. at 2275. The express lot is 1850 and Economy 3 is increasing from $12 to $1450 a day.

The rates are part of the airport's new budget that was passed in March. A comedy show at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh is being postponed. Gabriel Iglesias was supposed to take the stage on Friday, but the arena says there's a scheduling conflict and they'll reschedule the show. Anyone planning to go should hold on to their tickets and wait for that new date. That's the speed feed. Barbara over to you. All right, Steve, thank you. Well, happening now. The countdown is on to NASA's Artemis 2 rocket launch We are just under two hours away. For the first time since the 1970s,

NASA is sending a crew on a lunar mission. The Artemis II mission is going to take astronauts on a 10-day trek around the moon without landing and then back to Earth. The mission also featuring an historic group of astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian, including an NC state graduate Christina Cook, who will be the first woman to venture into deep space.

And ABC News correspondent, Mololengi, joining us live there in Florida to set the scene for us. The first and most important question, how's the weather looking right now, Mola? Well, guys, weather looking good. You know, we've seen a couple of pop-up showers over the last few hours, some wind gusts, but it has started to clear up here in the last few hours. And at this point, it says the forecast shows an 80% chance of favorable launch conditions. Ready for liftoff, the Artemis 2 crew is suited up and on board the spacecraft.

The on-site clock ticking down to a planned launch time of 6.24 p.m. Eastern from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the four-person crew ready to make history. We are going to send them farther into space than humans have ever gone before. They'll be flying faster than any humans have ever gone before. It's the first moon mission in more than 50 years. The 10-day 685,000 mile journey will take the crew on a lunar orbit that NASA hopes will propel space exploration forward. It's the opening act of a lot of missions to send astronauts to the moon, this time, to build an enduring presence, to build the moon base and realize all its scientific and economic potential. This is the first time Artemis will have a crew on board. There's plenty on the itinerary for the next 10 days. Once in orbit, it's time to take Orion for a spin, testing all of the systems and manually flying the spacecraft as part of a demonstration to make sure everything is working properly. Once everything's good, they'll head towards the moon and do a lunar fly. by before slingshotting back, reentering Earth's atmosphere with an eventual splash down into the ocean.

It's just such an experience to be able to see one of those go off and just to feel that power. Here we are, going back. Going back. Yeah. After all these years. Folks gathering to watch the launch in Titusville, Florida, just across the Indian River Lagoon from the Kennedy Space Center. Jessica Richardson, here to create a lifelong memory for her sons. My son loves anything engineers, space, astronauts. He loves all of that. Well, NASA hopes this mission paves the way for future Artemis missions, including one day establishing a permanent base on the moon and potentially even one day, sending humans to Mars.

Barbara and Steve. Mola Lange with a front row seat there in Titusville and inspiring some kids who will be having their eyes on the sky this evening as well. I love it. And I love to see the people out behind you, Mola, waiting for that launch. So exciting. Thank you. Well, NC State, of course, we'll be cheering on Cook tonight. There will be a watch party for the Artemis launch at Talley Student Union. It starts around 5.30 on the ground level, and we will have coverage.

Yeah, and we'll show this to you live as it happens from Central Florida. ABC News preparing for a special report focused on the launch. That coverage begins at 6 o'clock right here on ABC 11. All right. Coming up next, the latest on President Trump's attempt to prevent fraud in mail-in voting. The new executive order that's already facing backlash. some critics are calling it unconstitutional. And there is a new report highlighting a drop in the number of people in the military dying by suicide. But some branches are actually seeing an increase right now.

The details straight ahead. In your voice, your vote with the midterms fast approaching, President Trump's attempt to crack down on fraud and mail-in ballots. The president signed an executive order directing his administration to create a list of confirmed American citizens eligible to vote in each state and to ban the postal service from sending ballots from voters not on that approved list. The order also says states that do not comply could lose federal funding, but the Constitution does give states not the president or the federal government the power to run our elections. Election experts say the order is unconstitutional and it's not enforceable. For months, President Trump has pushed back against mail and voting, claiming it leads to cheating. I think this will help a lot with elections.

I believe it's foolproof and maybe it'll be tested, maybe it won't. Top election officials in Oregon and Arizona and other states that rely heavily on mail and voting are vowing to sue the Trump administration. Well, now to a new report that shows death by suicide decreasing among service members. The Department of War released the 2024 military suicide report. It shows 471 service members died by suicide. That's down from 531 in 2023. That's an overall drop of about 11% across that force. Active duty rates fell even more down roughly 16.

percent while reserve forces saw a 14 percent decline but the National Guard moved in the opposite direction with suicide rates rising about 13 percent if you or someone you know is in crisis help is available call by texting you can call or text the number on your screen 9 8 8 all right it's warm it up across north carolina and that means the black bears are coming out of hibernation they're ready for spring and next we'll have some safety tips as bear sightings and bear encounters increase quite a bit this time of year. Plus, ABC News is sitting down with one of the stars of the new hit series, R.J. Decker. We'll hear from actress Dawn Lewis on her debut episode.

Well, now to a warning from the North Carolina Wildlife Agency, as wildlife becomes more visible during the spring with an increase in animal sightings, from snakes to coyotes, foxes, and black bears. They're all out right now, aren't they? And officials in Western North Carolina say black bears are on the move in Buncombe County around Asheville. The community there sharing these photos with our partner station in Asheville. These are sightings over the past week.

And according to Wildlife Resources Commission officials, Black Bears rarely become aggressive when encountering people and attacks on humans are really uncommon. But officials say it is important that we keep a safe distance. So here are some important tips. If you encounter a black bear near your travels out there, never feed or approach bears, secure your food and garbage and recycling, they say people who have homes there should remove bird feeders when bears are active and clean and store grills and smokers. Don't leave those out on a porch.

The National Park Service is the biggest threat to bears is people. We are a threat to them, not them to us. And you know, the big deal is if you see the little babies, really get away because mama is not far. Do not mess with mama bear. Do not. Yeah, absolutely. She does not want you getting in her way.

That is not the time to try your love at all. Hey, you know, with families on spring break, you know, their kids, They might be taking a trip to the mountains this weekend. And I can tell you it's going to be warm all across the states. From the mountains to the beach and even here, we're expecting that warm weather. Let's check out our forecast for the next several days. So tipters will be in the 80s as we go forward in time. And then as we get into this weekend, that's where we'll finally start to see some changes with cooler weather arriving toward the back half of the weekend.

I'll take you outside real quick. This is North Hills. It is 85 degrees there. It's been a very warm day across the region. And that means it's going to be a very warm evening. as well. For an evening walk, it's shorts weather. Tiptures in the 80s all the way through 7 p.m. falling into the 70s shortly after. And tomorrow morning, we will start off with Tiptors in the 60s. So it's mild in the morning and then very warm in the afternoon. Tipter should reach those loads

to mid 80s again for tomorrow. Going into this weekend, I mentioned a cool down is on the way. Easter itself still looking very warm. That said, there will be showers that move in in the afternoon and evening. So if you have any outdoor egg hunts you want to do, take care of those in the morning. Otherwise, we will cool down into early next week with tipters in the 60s as we go past Sunday. We've got Lauren Johnson joining us now with what's coming up at 5. Hey, LJ. Hello, Cruz. Coming up all new at 5 p.m. If you have to work, don't you want to work for one of the best places? Well, Forbes is out with the list and we'll break down the top five places that are named as great employers. And speaking of working, have you heard about the new trend

that's happening in offices? It's called soft quitting, different than quiet quitting. Experts say it's another expression of workers choosing balance over burnout. All right, let's look ahead to summer and what comes with that splashing around in the pools to beat the heat. Well, today, Wake County started their inspection request for people that are trying to open up nearly 1,500 pools in the county.

And as summer approaches, the Public Works Commission says peak hours are now in effect. When energy demand spikes, so do our electric bill. So what you need to know before you touch that thermostat. The mission to the moon is almost ready for takeoff. students at NC State home to Christina Cook, one of the astronauts on this very historic trip. We'll take you to NC State, hear from them at a watch party and find out why they credit the university for out of this world opportunities.

And some really sad news from Chapel Hill. Police there say that they had an unexpected death on the ranks, one of their canines at last week off duty more on Mando's Life and Legacy when Steve and I see you for the news next at 5 o'clock. Barbara and Steve. That is a sad story. Yeah, all right, you'll see you soon, Lauren. Coming up next and four, Don Lewis is a showbiz veteran.

She first got our attention in 1987 on the Cosby Show, spin off a different world. She's done movies since then, Broadway animation, working steadily now for about 40 years. Yeah, and now Don returns to television with an appearance on R.J. Decker. Here's on the red carpet's George Pinocchio. They called me. Are you available?

Yes, I am. This is where I remind you that you're required to avoid contact with criminals. If you don't keep your nose clean, you're going right back to Appalachie. On RJ Decker, Don Lewis plays someone trying to help the ex-con turn Private Eye, played by Scott Speedman. This man has a hard time staying out of trouble. And I kind of helped try to rein him in with my character as his probation officer to try to keep him on the straight and narrow. And he's having a hard time doing that. But he's giving it his best shot.

And we start to learn who his support circle is as he's trying to make this journey. They excited to meet me tomorrow night? I mean, who wouldn't be excited to meet their house guest parole officer? I'm loving it. I'm loving it. Dawn is also loving that she's doing a guest spot on the upcoming reboot of her old sitcom A Different World, and that you'll see her on the upcoming Netflix crime drama series Nemesis, and that she's been a part of the Simpsons for years. Please tell everybody.

I won't mention how you have your nurse finish your operation so you can go play golf. Oops. One challenge she'd love to attempt competing on Dancing with the Stars. I would be amazed at the body that that would present. So it's like, yes, weeks of dance and fitness and all of that, I'll give it my best shot. I would love it. Outside of performing, Dawn's biggest passion is her nonprofit, a New Day Foundation, which helps young people in underserved communities.

Her next event is around the corner. On May 2nd, we're having our annual focused and fit for a different world. conference. It's a scholarship conference. And it is for high school juniors and seniors and their parents and college freshmen and sophomores. It's a one-day conference experience that focuses on financial literacy, technology, health and wellness, and skill set management. We put it all together. And when you register, everything is free. When you register, you have an opportunity to compete for one of our six to 12 scholarships of $2,000 each and a brand new laptop. In Los Angeles, George Pinocchio for ABC News.

George, thanks. And back here in the Triangle, we want you to join us for a very important cause. Next month, thousands of people will hit the streets of Raleigh for the annual ALS walk. The registration is open out for anyone wants to join our team. We call it the ABC 11 Stogner Strong Team. In honor of our former colleague, longtime ABC 11 anchor Larry Stogner, we lost him to Luke Garrig's disease. The ALS walk is Saturday, April 25th at Halifax Ball. More.

Eyewitness News coming your way after this. break.