ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - February 26, 2026

Episode Date: February 26, 2026

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Coming up on eyewitnesses at 4, a wet and dreary day across central North Carolina. We're tracking the road conditions as showers continue to move through the viewing area. And a Wake County team facing a judge today charged with bringing a loaded gun to school. We'll tell you what happened in court and what is next for the case. Plus, Costler going up for some students at local colleges and universities. The UNC Board of Governors votes to increase tuition for the first time in nearly a decade. Which students will feel the pinch? Eyewitness who is at 4?

Starts now. 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 eyewitness news. Right now at 4, it is a first alert day. Parts of the viewing area, seeing some much needed rain at the moment. Our fleet of live drive vehicles are on the roads tracking those showers, and this is what it looks like right now in Raleigh. Drivers in southern Durham also have their windshield wipers on this afternoon. This is a live look at roads along 15501 and it looks like a little wall there in the rain, but the clouds certainly are hanging tough.

Indeed they are. And check out this. It's a down tree near South Roxburgh Road in Durham. The tree impacting bus access near C.C. Spalding Elementary School. Thanks for joining us here for the news at 4 this Friday Eve. I'm Amber Rupenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs at wet and dreary day today. scattered showers moving through central Carolina. They're expected to continue for the next few hours.

Let's go to Chief Meteorologist Don Schwinnaker with the forecast. Hey Don. And good evening ladies. Yeah, the showers right now shutting off in Durham as they slide to the east. We're seeing the heavy arena now east along the I-95 quarter, especially through Nash County down into Wilson and then on down into Smithfield. We'll slide south. You've got heavier rain from Holly Springs to Andrew, Fukuave arena with some heavier showers, Anderson Creek, Fort Bragg, light right now, but some heavier rain. will drift through over the next couple of hours. Let's first alert you to the evening ahead. By 645, the model has most of the shower activities shifting off to the east. We still get of an isolated shower this evening, but most of it going away.

And then as the system pushes up overnight, some showers are possible, especially down into the sand hills. Temperature is running up a little bit below average for this time of year, depending on where you are. 50 in Oxford, 51 and Rona Crapids, 59, and Clinton, 58, and Fayetteville, Lillington, Fives and Fourson, Carborough, Durham, Durham. and Siler City. A first alert to the evening ahead. Shower's shutting off over the next couple of hours. Just a 20% chance of a stray shower passing through as we head through the evening. Should be nice tonight, but you want to take the umbrella with you if you've got plans anywhere this evening. We'll talk more about that. And we'll first alert you to a great weekend shaping up. That's in your seven-day forecast coming up in just a bit. Ladies.

Yeah, I've seen a peak of that and looks great, especially Sunday. Thank you, Don. Well, as the rain continues, we're keeping an eye on the roads right now. Let's check in with Tom George. He is keeping an eye on the roads. I know that you are on the Durham Freeway at this hour, right? Tom? That's right. And it looks like the rain has finally moved out here, but obviously still some slick roads. And traffic, a bigger concern right now. We're kind of lucky. I'll kind of flip it around here. We are heading south just before it splits into I-40. But you look on the other side of the road, everybody that we are passing here, the traffic there is backing up heading into Durham. You can still see kind of gray skies. It was raining a little bit harder just about 10 or so minutes ago, but now as we head towards RTP area, it is stopped now, but obviously can still be a little bit slick out there, so it seems like the worst of it is just over. But of course, the slick roads, as we start to head into rush hour, that is when you need to definitely worry about the traffic. But here's a look at where things are right now. We're about to head towards the split on I-40.

So definitely be careful if you're heading on out there. You know how it gets at this hour, even when it's sunny outside. But as we wrap up here with the system just moving out here, still a little bit slick, but starting to move again at least. But obviously, as we head into the rush hour, can be a little bit rough out there. So just keep an eye on it. But no more rain out here where we are. Pushing out, so that's good news. But you always got to give yourself extra time when there's any precipitation in North Carolina.

That's right. Thank you, Tom. And as we continue to see the rain this afternoon, now's a great time to download the ABC 11 mobile app. We'll keep you up to date on any changing conditions. And right now at four Raleigh Police are expected to release the five-day report following an officer involved shooting last week. This happened at a North Raleigh apartment complex last Thursday night when officers exchanged gunfire with 25-year-old Solomon Owens, who is now facing murder charges. Michael Perjic joins us now live outside the RDU or RPD substation in downtown Raleigh. Michael, good afternoon.

Good afternoon. That five-day report expected to provide more information at the moments leading up to that shooting as well as details. specific regarding that interaction. Last Thursday, Raleigh police were attempting to arrest Durham resident, Solomon Owens, who was accused of killing five or five Joseph Adams. Adams was found shot to death in Garner earlier this month. As police tried to take Owens into custody, he had a shootout with police, striking a Raleigh SWAT officer in the back of the head. That officer was wearing a ballistic helmet. He was taken two-way med before later being released. Owens also suffering injuries

during that exchange, though, does not clear how. Once their report is released, we'll have with live report with those breaking details in Raleigh. I'm Michael Perchick. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Wow, okay, Michael, thank you. And right now, for a Millbrook High School student appearing before a Wake County judge today after he allegedly brought a loaded gun to school.

The incident happened yesterday, prompting a lockdown on campus. Elena, Athens is live in Raleigh with more so. Elena, what happened in court today? Well, the high school student is out of jail right now on $100,000 bond. He showed up to court with about 11 people, but do not answer any of our questions after that hearing.

Malcolm McIntyre quickly left court, along with his supporters. After being arraigned this afternoon, police say the Milbrook Magnet High School student brought a gun loaded with bullets to campus yesterday, and it led to a code red lockdown. The 18-year-old student athlete is facing four charges right now, including a felony for having a gun on an educational property. It's my understanding you're asking that court-appointed counsel be appointed.

Now we're learning and SRO found the weapon. Today on campus, there was heightened security. The district says it was made aware of another threat circulating in text messages and on social media, then added extra police presence as a precaution. The National Association of School Resource Officers says nationwide it's becoming more difficult for SROs to keep campuses safe in this country. And parents are being encouraged to take responsible precautions at home. Whether it's a school shooter or it's a student bringing a firearm to school, it more often than not comes from home where it's been unsecured.

So it remains unclear how McIntyre got a hold of a gun or why he allegedly brought it on a school campus. Ahead at five, how many guns were reportedly on school campuses so far nationwide this academic year. We'll have those numbers coming up ahead on eyewitness news. For now we're live in Raleigh, Elaine Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, Elena, see you in an hour with more. Thanks for that update. Well, now to some other local headlines in your speed feed. First, a chase that started in Johnston County ends in a crash in Wake County. This is the scene after Johnson County deputies chased a suspect into Wake County where the driver crashed on I-40 at Jones Sausage Road. The suspect jumped out of the car and ran after crashing the vehicle. Nearby East Garner Elementary School was briefly put into a lockdown mode as authorities searched for the suspects were working to find out if any arrests have been made. Well, now to an update on a stabbing in Willow Spring. It happened this morning at home on Kemp. Kennebec Road, according to the sheriff's office,

34-year-old Johnny Rodriguez-Gonzalez has been arrested. He's charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. The incident caused Willow Spring High School to be put on lockdown for a short time, but that has been lifted. A Raleigh man could spend up to 10 years in prison. After police say he bought a machine gun to a parking lot near the State Fair and Lenovo Center, the NC State Fair was there in the area.

Also, the Lenovo Center. According to the Department of Justice, officers, noticed Luis Alberto Guerrara Martinez as he drove erratically in the parking lot as Guerrera Martinez exited his vehicle. Law enforcement detected the odor of marijuana coming from his car. Guerrera Martinez attempted to run away from the car as officers approached. They searched the car and found multiple weapons including five guns and a machete. Guerrero Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges and faces up to 10 years in prison. And we're getting new details on the search for a gunman who fired shots into a car.

injuring a man near Raleigh-Dermin International Airport. It happened last week on Globe Road just before noon. Investigators say the driver of one car started shooting into another car before driving away on Page Road. The Durham County Sheriff's Office is asking for your help in finding that gunman. They're looking for someone in a Matt Black, 5th-Fith generation Chevro without Hubcaps. The vehicle, which did not have a license plate, was seen in the area of the Northern Durham Parkway shortly before the shooting. And that is your speed feed. We're back to you.

All right, Barbara, thank you. Right now and for the UNC Board of Governors has voted to increase in state undergraduate tuition for the first time in nine years. That change was approved at the board's monthly meeting in downtown Raleigh. The amount of tuition increases, though, will vary by campuses, but it is capped at 3% for in-state students. In-state tuition at the four North Carolina Promise schools, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, U.N.C. Penbrook and Western Carolina will not change. remaining those will remain at $500 per semester. Now out of state student tuition, however, that will increase next year with this vote. At today's meeting, the rate hike passed with only one vote against.

I'm proud of that work, and we also got a control on the fees and made some changes, cut administrative jobs. But, you know, I said today we've got to focus on affordability and sustainability as well. And a lot of things have gone up. So I think it was a managed tuition increase. With the increase, the system-wide tuition average for in-state students will increase by $125 per student. And the board also voted to increase mandatory student fees, which are capped at 3%. Right now at four Durham Public Schools set to discuss its 2026, 2027 budget tonight, DPS Superintendent Anthony Lewis, sharing his proposed budget ahead of the meeting. The proposal includes a 5% pay raise for classified employees and significant expansion areas,

including nearly $4 million in information technology. That will go toward replacing Chromebooks for 25,000 students and more than 1,700 bright-linked panels. The district is also asking for $5 million for ongoing infrastructure and safety needs. Tonight's meeting starts at 6.30. Still ahead here at 4 o'clock, Election Day is around the corner, and the board of elections is making sure voters are ready. What you need to know when you go to cast your vote in next week's primary. And tensions off the coast of Cuba after a deadly confrontation with people aboard a boat, reportedly a stolen registered speedboat, the strain the incident could have on the two countries' relations.

And we're taking a live look at First Alert traffic tonight. Moving along on both sides, just find on I-40 and Airport Boulevard. But remember, whenever it rains, it slows down the evening commutes. Their level may take a little longer to get home tonight. As we hit a break here, your traffic hotspots brought to you by your first alert weather team. The ABC 11 First Alert Forecast Team is working to keep you safe. Oneies across the region. Some cloud cover starting to build.

That rain is going to push on through. Cold air coming in. The First Alert Forecast team. Only on ABC 11, I Witness News. I witness news. We are Local News weeknights 4 to 630 and 11. And we are just days from the primary elections and the North Carolina border. of elections is sending out some tips for voters. First, know the rules for the election and what you can and cannot do.

Also, find a sample ballot. Sample ballots show the contest that you'll be voting on. So go to your assigned polling place. Don't forget to bring your ID and you must have a photo ID to vote. Remember, you cannot register to vote on election day. However, you can register now during early voting at any polling site. Now to the search for Nancy Guthrie. Sources say the number of calls to police about her disappearance have now. tapered off the number of tips surged after her daughter Savannah announced a one million dollar reward in the case sources also say the FBI is shifting agents from Tucson back to the Bureau's office in Phoenix as they focus on analyzing evidence happening today more than a week of celebration and funeral

services begin today for the late Reverend Jesse Jackson the civil rights leader will lie in repose today and tomorrow at the Rainbow Push Coalition headquarters in Chicago his body will then be transported to South Carolina where Jackson was born and raised Jackson will be only the second Black South Carolinian ever honored with a viewing at the State House since 1903. Members of the public will be able to pay their respects to the two-time presidential hopeful on March the 2nd. Another service in his honor will take place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, and then more services are set for Chicago.

Jackson died peacefully last week at the age of 84. Tensions are escalating between the U.S. and Cuba after a deadly confrontation with people aboard a reportedly stolen U.S. registered speedboat. Cuba's government says its agents killed four people on the boat and injured six others, claiming that they were armed and planning to enter the country for terrorist purposes. ABC's Christiane Cordero has the details now from Washington. Today the State Department says American officials both in the U.S. and Cuba are actively investigating what happened aboard a U.S. registered boat. Cuban officials alleged their agents were shot at first, then returned fire, killing four aboard the boat, and injuring the other six.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a press conference yesterday said the U.S. will do its own investigation, as some members of Congress say Cuba's account can't be trusted. They're notorious for giving misinformation. What we think we know is that the boat was stolen from the keys somewhere. The boat's owner told police he learned his boat was involved when he got calls from the news media, which tracked him down from the registration number.

The incident comes as tension is growing between the U.S. and Cuba. The U.S. capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January led to an effective chokehold on Cuba's oil supply, which primarily came from Venezuela. The issue is that we do have a fuel embargo on Cuba. They are hurting economically. They were getting fuel from Venezuela, reduced rates. They're not now. Regarding the boat confrontation, Cuba's president said the country will defend itself against any terrorist aggression. Only addressing the war on a dialogue with the United. only addressing the U.S. to say it's willing to engage in dialogue. The six who were injured aboard the boat are getting medical treatment at a hospital in Cuba. The U.S. Ambassador has asked to see them.

Kristianne-C. Nguerrero, ABC News, Washington. Meteorologist Don Schwinnaker's here with the latest on the forecast. Boy, such a wet warning. It looks like finally we're starting to dry out a little bit. Yeah, did you just kind of look out the window and go, I just want to go back to bed for the rest of the day? So many people were grouchy this morning. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of grouchy people around here. I won't tell you who. I don't need that. I don't need those problems. All right, let's show you what's happening out there tonight. Live look. First alert Doppler net scanning the skies. We do have some showers now down through Lee County, Moore County, Carthage.

On down to Rayford, some heavier showers. Rayford over to southern Cumberland County. As you get down toward Clinton, some heavier rain, some heavier rain working through Dunn. I-95 is a wet drive for you right now. Showers have shut off in the triangle for the most part. We're seeing them shift to the east. We will have the rain, though, through the viewing area through about 6 o'clock tonight. Then it finally works out of here this evening. Let's go live into Durham and take a look on our camera there. And you can see the showers vended it earlier. We couldn't quite see the buildings at times. It was raining and the clouds deck had lowered. But now 54 degrees on a southwest wind at three miles per hour. We're in the 50s. We'll go into the 40s tonight.

So not much of a temperature change. That is well above average. for this time of year. We should be 36. We'll be 47 Raleigh, 53, Theaville, 42 in Roxborough and 43 in Rowan O'Crapids. Here's the line swinging through, and you can see the heavier rain now shifting through the I-95 corridor and down into the sandhills. That will continue to push out of here as we hit through the next couple of hours. Back to the Midwest, high pressure dominating the weather. Lots of clear skies, lots of sunshine. And that's what we'll work through. Now, your first Predictor forecast model. You'll notice as we go toward 11 o'clock tonight, we're on for ABC 11 at 11, just an isolated shower or two around the region. And then the showers do surge back to the south.

Tomorrow, a better chance for rain in the sandhills. You didn't see as much today as some of the northern counties. Tomorrow morning, you will wake up to some. Notice even through lunchtime an isolated shower as possible, but by the afternoon, the showers clear out. Clouds are going to hang with us tomorrow evening, but it's dry for any Friday night plans. Saturday morning, waking up to some cloud cover, maybe some patchy fog. Then Saturday afternoon, the sky's clear and look at those temperatures rocket into the upper 60s. We're talking 70s in here on Sunday. Forecast looks like this for tomorrow.

Temperatures across the region in the mid-50s, lots of clouds hanging around still. 55, Raleigh, 54, Durham, 56 in Fayetteville. Look at temperatures across the region. The cloudy skies with us throughout the day that morning shower chance mainly to the south. 53 tomorrow, Holly Springs, Clayton, 54 in Garner, Carborough, 55 Fort Bragg, Lillington, 56 in Clinton, 54 in South Hill, 53 Tarborough, and 53 tomorrow in Wake Forest. Your seven-day forecast shows those temperatures about 10 degrees warmer on Saturday. Mid-60s, great day to be doing some tailgaining if you're headed down to the Keynes game.

Sunday is the pick day of the week. We start the month of March, 73 degrees, just a gorgeous Sunday. tomorrow evening and you'll get the whole weekend out of it. Monday, a spotty shower 49, Tuesday 51. And then after that push of cooler air, we warm back up. Wednesday, 65, Thursday, 70 degrees. And we could be in the 70s right into next weekend. So some nice weather on the way. We just have to get through one more cool but typical day. So we head through your Friday. Ladies. I think we can handle that. I mean, Sunday to Monday is a little wild, though. Yeah, right? We go from the 70s, Monday night into the 34.

That is a 40-degree swing. 39-degree swing. At noon, Don, we asked Steve Stewart if March comes in like a, and he said. I think it's coming in like a lamb. I know. And it goes out like a lion. I argued it because of Monday. And typically April, the start of April is our biggest severe weather season.

So I think it comes in like a lamb, goes out like a line. All right. Thank you, Don. All right. We are going to take a quick break. But before we do, let's take a live look. at the road conditions in Raleigh from one of our live drive vehicles and things are drying out. Stay with us.

Time now for some news you can use. Papa Johns is closing hundreds of restaurants after a tough quarter. Today the company announced about 300 underperforming North American locations will shut down by the end of 2027. About 200 of those closures are expected this year. A specific list of locations was not announced. The company is also cutting about 7% of its corporate workforce. Well, National Egg McMuffin.

is just around the corner and McDonald's is serving up a fan favorite deal to celebrate. Next Monday, March the 2nd, customers can enjoy the classic egg McMuffin or savory sausage McMuffin for about just a dollar. You must purchase the sandwich though through the McDonald's app. And the next story is for you ice cream lovers out there. Bluebell has announced the first new ice cream flavor of 26. It's called honey vanilla. The flavor is described as a vanilla ice cream with honey flavoring. You can find the new flavor in stores now, but for only a limited time. And that is news you can use. Amber, back to you. All right, Barbara, thank you.

And new at four, winter is in bloom at juniper-level botanic garden. The popular garden in Wake County is home to one of the largest and most diverse plant collections in the world, and it is set to open up to the public for this weekend. It runs tomorrow through Sunday. Guests then can explore 10 acres of display gardens. If you can't make it this weekend, don't worry. It reopens again for the public March 6th through the 8th. And we now know the theme of this year's Out Raleigh Pride.

It is Rally. Organizers say this year's festival will be about joy, justice, visibility, and voice. The goal is to unite the community. Out Raleigh is happening June 26 and 27th, and it is one of the largest pride festivals in the state. Coming up all new at 4, we're hearing from families impacted by Monday night's devastating fire in Morrisville, A mother describes her experience when her family became trapped on the third floor. And PWC customers prepare to pay more for your electricity.

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission has voted to increase rates and fees. We've got new reactions from residents following the news. And before we take a break, let's take a live look from our tower cam in downtown Raleigh on this rainy afternoon. We'll be right back. We are local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. right now here at 430 our first alert day coverage continues this Thursday you can see the skies in Durham is pretty cloudy right now some rain drops on our camera the rain though is pushing out just a mess today

let's send things over to dawn who can tell us more about when those showers are expected to finally fully clear out not till tomorrow in some spots tomorrow morning but before this evening they're working out of the triangle right now we'll zoom down in you can see spotty showers up to ronoke rapids you're done in louisburg but if we head down to the same south into Wayne County, Goldsboro up to Nahunta. You've got some heavier rain working through back toward Bentonville, Newton Grove. And then as we go down from Fayetteville to Red Springs into Robeson County, some heavier showers there too. Those showers will work out quickly as we head through the evening by the time we go on for ABC 11 at 11 tonight, just an isolated shower down

here. And then tomorrow morning, we'll start to see some shower surging back from the south. We'll talk more about those rain chances tomorrow and a first alert to a warm weekend in your seven-day forecast coming up. Barbara. Don, thank you. Well, families in Morrisville impacted by Monday night's devastating apartment fire are sharing their experiences with eyewitness news. One mother says that the fire trapped her and her family on the third floor in their apartment. Now they're trying to figure out what's next for them after moving to the area only a few months ago. John Dowding spoke to her about the moments that she says she realized that they couldn't get out. Amanda Blanchard tells me it was a normal Monday evening.

Her husband had just gotten home from work and she was heating up a bottle for her baby. And then she smelled smoke. I went to the door to open it up. And I was just met with a wall of smoke and fire. Amanda Blanchard says she remembers every moment of what happened during Monday night's fire. She and her husband just moved to the Camden Westwood Apartments in November and never imagined that their home would go up in flames. I slammed the door. I screamed at my husband to, he was holding our baby.

I said we had to go. We have to leave now. She says first responders had to rescue them from their third floor apartment. the flames, trapping them inside. She shared these pictures with eyewitness news of her apartment now. Nothing but a charged shell of what they called home. They're staying at a local hotel for now and says they're so grateful for the outpouring of support they've received. The amount of love I'm feeling from everyone around is incredible.

For someone who's not even grown up here, it's amazing. It's amazing. Coming up at 5, Amanda tells us the message she has for the people that saved her and her family. In Morrisville, I'm John Dowding. ABC 11. Eyewitness News. John, thank you and so glad they're okay. New at 4, more construction is underway in Wake County for a passenger rail line to better connect North Carolina and Virginia. NCDOT crews began construction on the grade separation project.

At New Hope Church Road in Raleigh this month, the project includes construction of a bridge over the railroad to replace the existing crossing. The work will take about three years and cost about $22.7 million. $1,000. Now to some other headlines in your speed feed this Thursday first. Today, the Park Town Food Hub is holding a food distribution on Reverie Road in Durham. Items include produce, meat, canned goods, and more. Pickups happening right now through about 530, and distribution days are on the second and the fourth Thursday of each month. Today you can also learn more about the recent measles cases in North Carolina. The state health department hosting a fireside chat tonight.

Officials will discuss what families need to know and the vaccine. available to protect children and teens from serious preventable diseases. It will stream live at 6 o'clock on the NCD HHS social media pages. Happening today, the iconic Oscar Meyer-Weinermobile is rolling into Wake County. You have four chances to see the 27-foot-long hot dog. Right now, it is at the Harris Teeter on Corners Parkway. Tomorrow it's going to be on Kentworth Drive and Holly Springs. Saturday morning stop is at the Western Wake Farmers Market in Morris.

And then Sunday, the Weiner Mobile will be at Marbles Kids Museum. And that is your speed fee. Barbara, back to you. All right, Amber, thank you. Fayetteville Public Works Commission customers are about to notice a bump in their electric bills. The PWC board voted to hire, raise the electricity rates and fees for both this year and the next year. Penelope Lopez is live in downtown Fayetteville with how much more we can expect to pay. Penelope, good afternoon. Good afternoon, Barbara.

That's right. coming May, PWC customers will face a 6.5% hike. That's about an average of $8 more on their utility bill. Now that is a noticeable jump compared to two years ago when it was a $2 increase. Residents I spoke to today say they're frustrated and disappointed. It's not fair to people to be happy to worry about these things day in and day out. It's a lot of stress. PWC customers will soon have to pay more for their electricity.

The increase may seem small at 0.0107%. But it adds up to a significant amount over time. Let's break down what this means for your wallet. In 2025, the average PWC customer who used 1,000 kilowatt hours a month paid $123.45. Now that amount is expected to rise to $131 and $40.40. by May. And by 2027, bills could reach $140.0, marking a $16 total increase. PWC is Fayetteville's city-owned utility and gets most of its electricity wholesale from Duke Energy.

They provide water, sewer, and electricity services to Fayetteville and Hope Mills. According to PWC, the new rates are expected to increase their overall revenue by 5.5%. In a statement sent to eyewitness news, PWC said before PWC considered any rate increases, staff was intentional about spending and implemented significant cost-saving measures across the business. Jeanette Menska says she is finding new ways

to cut her expenses wherever she can. So during the day, you know, we're very vigilant about keeping the temperature in the house lower than we would, you know, like it sometimes. But, you know, what do you do? And a PWC did hold a public hearing to hear from concerned residents, but because that meeting was held at 8.30 in the morning, residents like Janet couldn't attend. And she's not the only one voicing some concerns.

We'll hear from more community voices coming up in the next hour. Live in Fayetteville, Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Good to let those folks speak their mind. Penelope, thank you. Still to come here at 430, a nearly 50-year-old cold case. involving a newborn has now been solved. Who investigators say left the baby in the trash? And a North Carolina mother found alive

after vanishing decades ago is making headlines again. After the break, why she is taken into custody. Where are my gloves? Come on, heat. Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be. This winter, stay warm. Tap the banner to order your groceries online

at voila.ca. Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home. home. You'll find the same regular prices online as in store. Many promotions are available both in store and online, though some may vary. Covering the Carolinas now, a North Carolina mother who made headlines after authorities found her safe and sound following a disappearance decades ago has now been taken into custody in Robeson County. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office says that Robeson County deputies took Michelle Hundley Smith into custody on an outstanding order for arrest for failure to appear. The order stems from a DWI charge.

in Eden from 2001. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office says Smith failed to appear in court for that charge. Smith went missing in December of 2001 at the age of 38. Her husband told authorities that Michelle had left home to travel to a Kmart in Virginia for Christmas shopping and she never returned. Last week she was found here in North Carolina at an undisclosed location. In Henderson County, a woman charged with poisoning family members during a Thanksgiving dinner will not face the death penalty. The district attorney's office told a judge today in a brief hearing that the office will not pursue death because it is a non-capital case. 52-year-old Gudrun, Kasper Lankankin-Kugel is charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree

murder. She's accused of fatally poisoning her daughter and another man in 2007 and trying to kill her other daughter and her boyfriend during a Thanksgiving gathering in November of 2025. In Columbus County, nearly five decades after a newborn baby girl was found dead at a county landfill, authorities say that they have made an arrest. The case dates back to in 1979, but was reopened more than a year ago after detectives conducted a renewed review of the evidence using the DNA collected back in 79. Investigators used that evidence to identify 69-year-old Kathy McKee as the infant's mother. She was arrested in charge with felony concealing the birth of a child.

Next at four, IWitness News celebrates Black history. Today we are exploring the histories of the people whose names are now attached to everyday places across the triangle. Swoosh! A North Carolina college student hits a half court shot the big gift he gets in return that's going to save him a lot of money. Before we head to break though, we are keeping an eye on First Alert Doppler net. And you can see that is the rain that is pushing out of here.

And Don says a warm-ups on the way for the weekend. We are back as our first alert day coverage continues all this rain. That's right. John Dowding joins us now live. Keeping an eye on the roads in Wake County. John, where are you? What are you saying? Well, right now we are on Aviation Parkway in Morrisville.

Rain actually has not really been coming down as much as it was earlier. Around 2, 3 o'clock, the rain was really coming down. Let's take a look outside right now, show you the roads right here. Really just a damp, the roads are damp right now. They're just covered in, obviously, a little bit of rain. We're seeing some puddling on the sides of the roads and in some typical trouble spots. But right now, not a lot of precipitation coming down. It's really started to slow down over the last, I'd say, maybe 30, 40 minutes or so.

But again, it is rush hour right now. This is when everybody's out on the roads going home. So obviously with this rain and obviously the potential for some slick spots on the roads, just be extra careful. If you're heading out tonight, so just be extra, be extra cautious as you're heading out on the roads with this rain. We'll have another look of the conditions later on throughout our newscast. All right. John Dowding, thank you so much for that report.

Right now at 4, ABC 11 celebrates Black History Month for the look at the living history now built into our local neighborhoods, the parks we play in, the bridges we cross, and the streets we live on. Joel Brown went searching for the black history that doesn't sit still but moves with the traffic. You can drive from Raleigh to Durham down countless streets named after war generals, tobacco magnets and landowners. But when a community renames a street, navigate to 100 Polly Murray Place, Durham. It can be a rewriting of the landscape itself. I'm planning a route to the destination of Polly Murray Place, Durham.

On the west end of Durham, Gatta Street was renamed 20 years ago, a Pauley Murray place reclaiming the history of this native Black Dura mite who went on to be a global humanitarian. When I say the name Paulie Murray, what goes to your mind? Lawyer, advocate, LGBT spokesperson, a great person. She's a saint in the Episcopal Church. Exactly. Thurgood Marshall called her writing the Bible of the civil rights law. So imagine creating a space where everyone could come home, could come to a place for

They felt welcome. When Shelley Winter's great-uncle John Winters helped spearhead the development of the Biltmore Hill subdivision in the late 1950s, racial segregation was the rule in Raleigh. But Shelley's Uncle John didn't just build a new neighborhood for Raleigh's black underclass. He was intentionally aspirational in how he named the streets. What Uncle John did was he blanketed this community in names of entertainers, just basically excellence, basically giving aspiration to the community. A street named for Roy Campanella, the Hall of Fame catcher who helped break baseball's color barrier. Jesse Owens, the black

track and field icon who dominated the 1930s Olympics in Nazi Germany. And Ella Fitzgerald, America's most famous woman jazz singer for nearly a half century. And just imagine making a little boy, a little girl growing up, that that gives a grounding as to who you are, that when the world tries to say what you're not, you're living in a place that affirms. excellence, blackness, that you can be anything that you want to be in a place of aspiration. Back in Durham, there are streets and schools named for John Merrick, C.C. Spalding and W.G. Pearson, the giants of the city's Black Wall Street, the founders of mechanics and farmers, the state's first black-owned bank. You couldn't walk into any bank and get alone or say,

hey, help me build my business. But this was a black bank. But this was a black bank that understood those things. They combined education with entrepreneurship and really helped build a lot of the businesses that were in the Haitai area. Cities can forget what they choose to forget, but geography has a memory with stories still waiting to be told in the names we walk past every day. In Durham, Joel Brown, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Joel, thank you. New this afternoon. The Raleigh Police Department is also celebrating Black History Month. RPD sharing this post on Facebook today, honoring some of the first black policemen to serve the city of Raleigh.

The department thanked them for their dedication, professionalism, and courage, which helped pave the way for future generations. Now, today's top trending stories in real news. First, one dog in Colorado is a clear contender for the next winter Olympics. Check it out here. This is Kimbo, a Dutch shepherd dragging his owner along as they snowboard down the slopes. His owners say that they usually do this during the summertime with a long. board but decided to do it with snowboard on a slightly inclined trail, which as you can tell, wasn't too much for Kimbo to handle. Kimbo is getting at him. All right, well now to a wholesome moment out of Kansas when a teenager successfully rides a bike for the first time after being taught by his basketball teammates and his coach. This is Taylor Frost, the basketball coach, that

opted for a bonding session instead of training, rallying the team to teach the freshman how to ride a bike. The coach provided the bike and the helmet for Taylor. His teammates running alongside the bike, enthusiastically encouraging the basketball player. So nice to have people helping you when you're trying to learn for the first time. All right, let's go to the campus of UNC Charlotte now, where one student's basketball skills just earned him free tuition for a year. The Charlotte Men's basketball team sharing this clip from last night's game. The young man standing at half court, watch this. Swish, nothing but net. All right, go see. and the crowd going wild and the guy who made the shot walking off with confidence and knowing he's just secured free tuition for a year.

That is really nice. Really nice real news right there. Some people around here might know him because he's actually from Raleigh. He's named Jalen Hartsfield and he's a criminal justice major in Charlotte. Yeah. Congratulations. You imagine telling your parents, guess what I just did? Would I tell my parents?

You tell him. You guys still need to pay for tuition. You send the check to me, though. Yeah, just write it out to me. I'll handle it. I'll take care of it for you. All right, let's talk about the rain tonight. We're seeing the heaviest rain now east of the area.

Shower shifting out of Durham and Raleigh, that'll continue to work off to the south and east as we head through the evening. We're taking a live look into Durham on our mutual tower sky cam. 54 degrees right now with rain and the southwest wind of three. We're looking at Deepak, nothing showing tonight. But Saturday night, you're going to want to be here on ABC 11 because we will debut the next. season of all the shows that are coming to Deepak, and you'll see it exclusively here, 7 o'clock, plus we'll be giving away tickets to New York City if you want to check that out

Saturday night, 7 o'clock on the ABC 11. I'll look at the next 12 hours. We've got light rain right now by 8 o'clock. The showers are done, 55. Midnight, we're down to 53, and you'll wake up tomorrow morning with some fog in spots in 51 degrees. We do warm up just in time for the weekend, though. We'll talk about that weekend forecast coming up at 5 o'clock. Let's find out what else is coming up at 5 o'clock.

For more of that, we check in with Stephen Lauren. Hello, Don, let's look ahead to the weekend on this very dreary Thursday, a memorial walk plan to honor a fallen officer. Yeah, we're talking about a highway patrol trooper who died last Sunday when he crashed his car in Robeson County. And a week later, the community is planning to gather for a walk and ride and balloon release in his memory. We'll have the details on that. And honoring the life of Reverend Jesse Jackson, his body is now lying in state at the Rainbow Push headquarters in Chicago. Back here at home, a Lumby family, remember in time spent with that civil rights pioneer and politician during one of his presidential runs that brought him here to the triangle. Also coming up, the Canes back in action in

Raleigh tonight for the first time since three of their players returned with medals from the Olympics in Italy. The Tampa Bay Lightning in town, Trey Miles will join us live there at the Lenovo Center with more on tonight's game. And we are still awaiting the five-day report from Raleigh Police about the officer involved shooting during a takedown of a violent gang member accused of killing a father of five in Garner. As soon as we get that document during the five o'clock hour into our newsroom from the police chief, Rico Boyce will break down the details about what happened to his SWAT team that night in North Raleigh. And a distasteful joke.

That's how the captain of the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team describes the president's invitation to the White House. And there's a backstory involving the men's team. More on that and much more. And we see in a few minutes for the news at 5. Amber and Barbara. All right. See you guys soon. Thank you.

Coming up here at 430 addressing the ongoing child care crisis. Lawmakers meet today for a roundtable discussion on the state of child care and what parents need to know.