ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - January 22, 2026

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

Eyewitness News at 4pm - January 22, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming up on night, we just use at four. We're tracking that massive winter storm set to sweep through our state and many others with crippling snow and ice and dangerous cold. Officials warning that this storm could have widespread impacts. Some locations could see winter weather like they haven't seen in years. We are tracking it all and what you can do right now to get ready. And the trial of Isaiah Ross could soon be in the hands of a jury. Cindy Bay standing by at the Orange County Courthouse where Ross could soon learn his

Plus, we're catching up with a former American Idol contestant from Fayetteville about what life has been like since her time on the show before a brand new season starts next week. Eyewitness News at 4 starts right 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, we have your first alert to ice and snow. In the forecast, the entire viewing area is now under a winter storm watch as we prepare for a major storm heading our way. And that's why DOT crews jumped into action to get the roads ready for this weekend. Here's a view of Raleigh right now at this hour.

It's the calm before the storm, as many like to say. Tempts across the viewing area are reaching into the six seas today ahead of the brutal winter storm in the Arctic air. It's headed our way. Thanks for joining us here this Thursday for the news at 4. I'm Amber Repenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs at Winter Storm. Headed our way this weekend could bring various types of precipitation, including the possibility for significant ice. And here's what we know right now. The storm is expected to hit sometime Saturday night bringing snow, ice, and freezing rain.

That precipitation is expected to continue into Sunday and possibly wrap up on Monday. And we have team coverage this afternoon from the triangle to the sand hills. First low, let's get to Chief Meteorologist Don Schwinnaker in the first row. Alert Forecast Center with the latest storm track and then the timing. Don. And good evening to you. And we're going to start with that winter storm watch. I expect this to change to a warning.

Whether it'll be a winter storm morning or an ice storm morning, we'll have to wait and see. But this will change from the National Weather Service. Remember, a watch is just a heads up that dangerous weather could be headed in. And let's show you what we're talking about. All of the best snow chances are well to the north. This is the same model the National Weather Service looks at. It's called the chance of three inches or more of snow. Look at it barely gets down into South Hill, Virginia.

All of that snow is going to be up in Pennsylvania and Virginia. But if we go from the chance of three inches of snow to the chance of a quarter inch of ice or more, all of a sudden it goes to 80% across the region and above an 80% chance right through the triangle and down into the sand hills. And that's scary because when we say a quarter inch of ice, that could mean an extra 200 pounds of weight on top of the electrical lines. When we say a half inch of ice, that could mean up to 500 pounds, and that brings down branches and ice. Now, here's the European model still showing crippling ice possible, not as much in the sand hills, but this is just one of the tools. So I'm going to let you know right now that forecasting ice is one of the hardest things I do.

But this far out, this is our initial forecast. And you can see most of the area. You could see a quarter inch to possibly half or three quarters of an inch of ice. If that happens, we will have significant power out of. Now I hope this is one of those times you say that weather guy's always wrong. I would love to be wrong about this, but at this point, you need to prepare what could be significant days of power off in your house. Now before that gets here, we are seeing some rain live. Look at your first alert Doppler net. None of this is frozen. It is warm out there, and this will die out as we head through the evening. If you've got evening plants tonight, maybe to head to a store and continue to prepare, temperatures will be in the 50s falling into the 40s. Talk more about those ice chances this weekend. How long it sticks around and our first alert to your seven-day forecast coming up.

Ladies. All right, Don, and y'all give the meteorologists to break. They're working hard trying their best to get it right. All right, well, because of what Don and all our meteorologists are saying, Governor Stein declared a state of emergency yesterday saying now is the time to prepare for this major winter storm. He's urging people to stock up now and to plan to stay off the roads. Starting Saturday, please do everything you can to stay off the roads. Unless you're a first responder or essential personnel, please don't drive unless you have to drive.

Fortunately, we have two days to make sure that we have everything we need to ride out the storm. Don't wait until it's too late. Now the governor has activated the state of emergency response team, which is made up of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol, and state utilities. DOT officials are also warning drivers about potential problems during the storm like the possibility of down trees, that could endanger people and power lines. Cruz continued to work today, preparing for that weather. They were back out brining the roads, and the work should wrap up this evening.

The DOT is expecting ice to linger on the roads for days. Officials say every available subcontractor was hired to help the agency cut down limbs. We definitely took on a lot more contractors for tree services than we would ever do in a regular snow event, because trees are going to be a major problem, and we know that going in. Now coming up at 5 p.m. on eyewitness news, Arlena Athens speaks with a towing company on what they're expecting over the next few days. And of course our major hospitals are preparing right now. They will be open and ready throughout the storm, but there could be some impacts on some other types of treatment at smaller medical facilities. John Dowding is live in Raleigh on this.

So John, I know that you spoke with Duke health officials today. What are they telling you? Well, the key here for patients right now is to contact your physicians as soon as. as possible if you have any questions or concerns about your care. But Duke Health officials tell us they are reaching out to patients as we speak right now ahead of that storm. Duke Hospital will be ready and open for business. Tonight medical facilities across the triangle preparing for an Arctic blast and icy conditions this weekend. Eyewitness news checking in with Duke Health officials. Duke University Hospital will stay open throughout the storm. But the storm could impact their outpatient clinics. Staff say Duke Health has already. begun contacting patients to reschedule appointments and say now is the time for patients to stock up on at least a week's worth of medication.

Duke Health staff say they've also been in touch with patients who require consistent care. We actually have been proactively contacting some of our infusion patients, some of our dialysis patients to see if we can do modified schedules. So a lot of times a dialysis patient may be able to come in a day before or a day after. infusion patients. We may look at the same thing. Now we also reached out to UNC health officials about their plans and preparations for the upcoming storm. And we also were hearing from a family in Durham who are sharing their concerns about getting continued treatment and care for one of their sick loved ones. Hear from them coming up right here at 5 o'clock live outside of Duke Raleigh Hospital. I'm John Dowding.

ABC 11, eyewitness news. Those are real concerns, especially for people that need dialysis and those sort of things, John. And as she said, get your medication for at least a week right now, if you can. Good advice. See you soon with more. Thank you. Way County teachers are being told to prepare as well for three days of remote learning. If schools are closed next week for the weather, the district told teachers that those lesson plans need to be finished by today. Wake County schools saying it will try to make a decision on remote learning the night before to save families and to give them time to prepare. And as we prepare for winter weather, don't forget to pick up the ABC

11 app you can find all the latest weather updates throughout the week as well as the latest watches and warnings you can also check the first alert doppler net and the 70 forecast anytime and right now and for we continue to follow the trial of Isaiah Ross as it nears completion closing arguments wrapping up right now Cindy Bay has been following this case since this trial started he's of course charged with killing two teenagers Cindy's joining us live now in hillsborough so Cindy what's next for this case well Amber just minutes ago the jury just started deliberating and this comes after we've just heard closing arguments from both attorneys the defense in their closing argument says in part that Isaiah

Ross acted in self-defense but according to the state in their closing argument they say Isaiah Ross's testimony does not add up he described to the idea that he was fighting for his life that he was put in harm's way that he was staring at at the end of a barrel of gun, not knowing if he was going to see his next day. He is the only person in this courtroom with a personal stake in your verdict. He has every reason to explain, to minimize, to justify. He told you what he needs you to believe, not what the physical evidence proves. And when his words conflict with the physical evidence, you are not required to accept his version.

Stories can be shaped. Evidence cannot. Both attorneys, each speaking for an hour during their closing arguments. So the defense going all in on the self-defense claim and the state highlighting the multiple gunshot wounds to the back of the two teens. We also just heard the judge explain the final instructions to the jury who is now, deliberating until five how this will ultimately shape the jury's verdict plus more from what we're learning from the trial today we'll be ahead on eyewitness news at five in hillsborough cindy bay maybe see 11 eyewitness news all right we'll be on verdict watch there Cindy thank you

well now to some other local headlines in your speed feed this time at four first the wake county school system has agreed to pay eight hundred thousand dollars to the family of a 15 year old student staff to death at southeast raleigh high school in twenty 23 delvin feral After a fight broke out in the school gym and he was stabbed. According to the school system, the payment was agreed to in exchange for release from potential litigation related to the killing. Tequan General was charged in this case. His trial is expected to start in August. We have reached out to both Farrell's family and General's family about the payment and we are waiting to hear back and we'll give you more information as soon as we get it.

Well, one man is dead. A woman is seriously injured after a shooting in Wake County. the sheriff's office responding to Damascus Drive near Wendell around nine this morning. Deputies say the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to the hospital. It is still not clear what led to the shooting. But authorities say there is no active search now for a suspect. In Moore County, the Department of Social Services and the Red Cross are opening an emergency shelter ahead of this weekend's winter storm.

The shelter will open tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Moore County Sports Complex in Carthage. It's open to all people in need of a warm place to be. Pets are allowed as well, but must be on a leash. and have a carrier. And the weather is already affecting a number of weekend events. The downtown Raleigh Home Show has been canceled at the Raleigh Convention Center. The Triangle Lunar New Year Festival at the state fairgrounds also rescheduled to March. The Duke men's basketball game against Wake Forest was slated to begin at 545 Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff has now been moved to noon for an earlier start. UNC's game against Virginia also getting moved up because of the

wintery weather they play in Virginia Saturday now at noon instead of 2 p.m. And that is your speed feed. Amber, back to you. Right now at four Buddhist monks walking thousands of miles to promote peace making their way through Chatham County today. Chopper 11 flying over the monks as they made their way from Siler City to Pittsburgh today. And Iwoodish news catching up with the group in Chatham County as they continue their 2000-plus mile journey to help unite what they describe as a divided world. We spoke to some people who came out to see the group in person. I think we were just mentioning this that it was the opportunity just to have some peace and something good to look forward to and they they represent so many wonderful things and their

cause is just lovely and it's just something good to see. The Monks Walk for Peace started in Texas. It will end in Washington, D.C. They're expected to be in Raleigh this weekend and they are posting on social media or whoever's running their social media accounts says that they will continue even with the winter storm on the way. they do have a lot of plans to stay safe and they have a crew traveling with them as well. Yeah, we hope that they are safe. I know the governor was asked about that at his meeting today and he said,

we're going to let them do what they want to do. They want them to be safe as well. Still ahead, Central North Carolina is not the only state preparing for wintry weather. Coming up after the break, a look at the urgent preparations now underway as more than half of the country brates us for what could be the most crippling storm in years. Plus neighbors helping neighbors, the local organization making sure people don't go hungry during the winter storm. Don's keeping an eye out the window. And we're taking a live look at I-40, Newburn Avenue, some truck and some cars off to the side,

so that may slow you down in that spot to be prepared if you're headed that way. As we had to break here, your traffic hotspots brought to you by the 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.

on ABC 11. I with this news. This weekend's winter storm is expected to impact more than half the country, not just us, stretching more than 2,000 miles from Texas to the Midwest and most of the East Coast as well. The system could potentially bring dangerous ice and feet of snow to the millions of people in those areas. Another factor is the brutal cold. It could feel like 35 below zero in Chicago this weekend. warning about exploding trees has gone viral describing how extreme cold can make sap freeze and wood contract causing trees to just suddenly split. The predicted snow and ice threatening to bring travel to a halt. Many areas are already facing low supplies of road salt after

a busy winter. We noticed it halfway through the year they were limiting the amount that we were able to bring into the store. Major airlines are already waiving but rebooking fees for impacted travelers in Texas. Some people are racing to buy portable generators to stay warm, hoping to avoid a repeat of the storm that left millions without power for days in 2021. During that storm, Senator Ted Cruz faced scrutiny for taking a family trip to Mexico. A photo this week of crews flying to California quickly spread online, but his office says Cruz will return before the storm. Back here at home, volunteers with Meals on Wheels in Wake County are making some early deliveries ahead of the storm. I would disoge joined the group today as they dropped off

food to people in the community. We're usually there Monday through Friday, but our volunteers can't be on the road if it's icy. So if you're in your neighborhood and you know you have a senior neighbor, go check on them. If we're all shut in, go walk next door, knock on the door and make sure that they're doing okay. Meals on Wheels serves about 1,400 seniors every day,

and volunteers will send out extra meals and frozen meals late this week as the storm arrives. And Durham, the rescue mission is reactivating Operation Rescue Warm Shelter. the mission sending out teams both today and tomorrow to find people in need of a warm place to stay, the shelter adding more beds and resources to help keep people safe. All right, let's turn to a very busy man. John Schwenacher.

Very, very busy. Still smiling, though. You know what? That's all you can do right now. Be prepared. Like the old Boy Scout saying goes, you really want to be prepared for what could be a significant ice storm this weekend. I wish we were having a big fluffy snow, but that all looks like it's going north. about that right now. First we have the winter storm watch in effect from 1 p.m. Saturday,

that's because it could start as a few snowflakes Saturday afternoon, but really the heart of the moisture doesn't get here till Saturday night through the day on Sunday. It could rain, freezing rain or sleet all day on Sunday. That's why the governor's asking you to staff the roads, especially Sunday to Monday, because it could be a mess. Here's the European model, and look at its ice spread. Now down in the sand hills, it's not as much ice because we'll see more rain incorporating and some warmer air. So hopefully that'll keep it down, but still showing what it could be crippling ice up to the north and west, especially of the triangle.

People say, well, what about the American model? What's it saying? Same thing. Cripling ice. And when those two models are starting to come together, that gives us a really good idea of what potentially is headed our way. Now, people do want to know about the snowfall. This is the American model.

You'll notice it keeps all the heavy snow well to the north of us all the way up South Hill. you could start off and see some heavy snow at this point, but the rest of us, not much in the way of snowfall. And that's because this will be more of a rain, freezing rain and ice event. So trace of ice off to the north and west, that's because they'll see more snow. Trace down here because you'll see more rain working through, but through the heart of our viewing area. And this is going to change. I will tell you this far out, 48 hours out from onset, this is the best forecast I can give you, but it will change as we get more data in on the system.

But just know that a half inch of ice in this whole area could see a quarter to three quarters of an inch or more. A half inch of ice adds 500 pounds weight to the wires and to tree branches. And that's why I'm thinking we'll see power outages because those branches fall and they take the heavy lines with them. So really a mess on our hands as we had Saturday night through Monday. Today we do see some showers. First alert Doppler net scanning this guys. This is just rain and this will go away once the sun goes down. It's been a very warm day out there.

The clouds will linger tonight. Normal for this time of year is 32. We'll actually be above average. 38, Raleigh, 43 Fayetteville, 43 in Clinton. Here's the scattered light showers working through at the moment. Part of a line that will continue to advance east, the system that will bring us, the weather really coming on shore now out in California. It's going to race across the country and bring that energy to the east coast. So first alert, predictor forecast model.

We go through the overnight. The shower shut off. You see plenty of clouds around, and you'll start tomorrow in the upper 30s. Tomorrow will not be as warm. We'll only get into the 40s for high. Still could be an isolated shower, 20 to 30%. Most of you, though, aren't going to see rain tomorrow. Let me go back to that.

Then as we head through the day tomorrow into Friday, or excuse me, into Saturday, notice Saturday morning, there's 3 o'clock tomorrow we're clearing out. Saturday morning, we start today. Look at some of those temperatures. If this cold air is in place at the surface, even if it comes down as rain, it's going to freeze on contact and that's what has us worried. Now this particular model doesn't start till six or seven o'clock at night. This is one of the earlier models. The European is trending more toward nine, 10 o'clock. The American's trending later in the evening. But just no late afternoon into the

evening could start as sleet or freezing rain down here may start off as snow to the north. Then it changes to a mess as we go through the overnight into Sunday morning. And I know some churches are already calling their services off for Sunday. So make sure and stay ahead of that. Tomorrow, just a 20% chance of showers across the region. Temperatures holding in the upper 40s to low 50s. Seven-day forecast powered by AccuWeather, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, all first alert days. And the problem is the temperature. Look at Sunday, 31 degrees.

If we don't get above freezing, that means freezing rain all day. Could drop to 24 that night. Monday, a low sun angle will keep us relatively cool. And Monday night into Tuesday, that's a 10. Some of the models are showing 6, 7, 8 degrees. Anything out there will refreeze. And Tuesday morning could be icy on into Tuesday afternoon. So a lot to watch as we head into the weekend.

Ladies. All right, watching and waiting. Thank you, Don. Still to come here 4 o'clock, a local nonprofit is asking for help, taking care of its animals ahead of this weekend's weather event. Next, we'll tell you how you can help. Also coming up, relief for your wallet. Experts say to expect cheaper gas prices this year, how much of a drop you can see at the pump.

And as we had to break, here's a checklist. of things that you'll want to have in your home during a winter storm. Keep at least a seven day supply of non-perishable food in your home. Make sure you have a gallon of water per person per day. You also want to have fresh batteries for weather radios and flashlights and also make an emergency supply kit for your pet. And we'll be right back. Time now for some news you can use. Drivers can expect cheaper gas this year. According to Gas Buddy, national prices are projected to average Around 2.97 a gallon, that's the cheapest it's been since COVID, and about 13 cents cheaper this year than last year. Right now, the average price of a gallon of gas in North Carolina is 273. Macy's announcing a big round of layoffs. The company is reportedly planning to let go of more than 1,000 workers this year. Closures will begin in March. This news comes on the heels of the Macy's store at the Triangle Town Center in Raleigh announcing its closure. And as we prepare for this weekend's frigid temperatures, local non-profit saving grace, is asking for help caring for their dogs.

They're asking for volunteers who would like to host dogs for an extended sleepover over the weekend. Volunteers would have to pick the dogs up tomorrow and return them by next Tuesday or Wednesday. And that is news you can use. Amber, are you going to take all those dogs home with you? I know, I know. We should keep some here at the station. That would be fun.

We should. Still ahead here, 4 o'clock. Concerns over a proposed data center in Apex. Town leaders meeting right now to discuss the proposal that has many neighbors concerned. Plus, we're bracing for potential travel troubles with this storm. How RDU airports getting ready for the winter weather that's heading our way. We are local news.

ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. And we're back now with your first alert to ice and snow and the forecast. Yeah, the entire viewing area is now under a winter storm. Watch as we prepare for a major storm headed our way. Meteorologist Don Schwinnaker's back with a look at the storm. I know a lot of people were hoping for that snow, Don. And now it looks like that's not going to happen. Now I'm crushing their dreams.

Yeah, that's right. Thanks a lot. I love to do that. Thanks a lot. I know. It's all my fault. We do have a watch in effect. Remember a watch means we're watching this situation. All of the ingredients are there. It doesn't mean we're going to see it, but it means we could. I think this watch usually is changed to a winter storm warning, but we may see ice storm warnings issued. So we're going to have to wait and see as we get closer with the National Weather Service is leaning toward. I wanted to show this to you real quick. You can see the bulk of the heavy snow falls up to the north. The best chance of seeing three or more inches is well to the north of us. It's the chance for ice that is cutting through us. And notice from Rocky Mount to Raleigh, Lillington into the sandhills, an 80% chance

or higher of seeing a quarter inch or more of ice. That is not good. Now, I've had a couple of people say, what's the European model showing? And we're going to show you the timing of it because I think it is doing a nice job with the timing. By 10, 11 o'clock on Saturday night, we're seeing this move in. It could be snow to the north initially because we're going to be cold enough. and then freezing rain or sleet to the south. But it does really see a tongue of warm air pushing up through it,

and that will shove the snow clear to the north. That's why the snow totals are so low. We're seeing ice through here, either freezing rain or sleet, and then down here it actually changes over to rain, and it gets warm enough that you might not see much ice accumulation down to the south and east. That's great news. By 6 a.m. Monday, it's starting to exit the region and work its way out of here.

Now, before all of that, we do have some scattered showers tonight. Just know there's some light rain around if you're out and about on a Thursday evening. We'll talk more about the rain chances tonight. Temperatures tomorrow and that all important weekend forecast coming up in just a bit. Amber? Watching it closely, Don. We'll see you soon with more. Thanks.

As we get ready for this winter storm, RDU is also preparing their runways for the anticipated snow and ice this weekend. They have four main trucks that are on standby that they used to clear the runways. There is a 10-ton de-iscer as well as a 22-foot broom that's attached to a machine. You see it there that can also be switched out for a snow blower. And finally, there is a 4,000 gallon liquid de-icer. This machine has a 75-foot wingspan that can clear a runway in just two passes. The director of field maintenance says that they are following the forecast closely. They're working with airlines to ensure a smooth operation.

Because we pride ourselves for always keeping at least one of the commercial runways open so planes can continually fly out of RDU. So, yeah, once we would clear one, we will move to the other side. and work all clear in that one. Now, RDU says that they have never had to close all the runways, but if they did, it would solely be to keep staff and passengers safe. First responders are also preparing for the wintry weather. We stopped by the Raleigh Fire Department where they were getting their vehicles ready for

the storm. They showed us how they're ready to respond to any emergency. On all of our engine companies, we'll have snow chains applied to them when the time arises. You know, whatever station has got extra salt and sand. And we've got a group of forward drive vehicles that we'll be have on the road to respond as well. So we can make sure that every call is answered. Of course, it is best to stay at home during the storm. But if you have to get out on the roads, remember to drive slowly,

plenty of space between cars and avoid sudden movements. And join us for a streaming special at 6.30 this evening as we continue to track the storm and its potential impacts. Meteorologist John Schwinnaker will be diving into an extended forecast. and we'll have tips on what you can do right now to get ready. Today, Durham Public School Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis holding a press conference addressing indictments against three staffers accused of not being fully forthcoming, surrounding an investigation of child abuse. This stems from a November 2024 incident at Eno Valley Elementary involving a six-year-old girl with autism

allegedly tied to a chair by an educator. ABC 11's Michael Perjick has been covering the story for us. He joins us from outside DPS headquarters with the measure. the district is taking. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis says the three staffers indicted this week are suspended with pay while an outside law firm conducts a review

for the district. This is separate from the ongoing criminal investigation being led by Durham Police and the district attorney's office. But our most foundational and fundamental job is to ensure that our students are safe. Essentially, authorities claim the trio of staffers to varying degrees

were misleading in their statements, including the timeline of when and how they learned of the troubling allegation. The staffers indicted are Dr. Tanya Giovanni, the deputy superintendent of administrative legal and compliance services, facing five counts of felony obstruction of justice. Aisha Hunter, senior executive director of employer relations, facing six counts of felony obstruction of justice and two counts of perjury,

and Dr. Tanya Wright, who had been serving as principal at Eno Valley Elementary, facing three counts of felony obstruction of justice and one count of perjury. These charges are related to how they responded to these court orders and to law enforcement inquiries. Lewis says the two instructional assistants in the classroom during the alleged incident resigned in December 2024. He laid out measure the district is now taking, including establishing regular communication with the district attorney's office, reviewing their training and instituting immediate retrain with principals and administrators. We're establishing systems to standardize

how we log and store legal documents, how we create. and manage investigative files, and how we notify law enforcement, I'm sorry, how we notify legal counsel on all of these legal requests. ABC 11 has made attempts to reach all three staffers indicted this week, but have been unable to do so. The Durham Association of Educators tells ABC 11 and has no comment on this matter. Coming up at 5.30, you speak of the parent of another student in the classroom that alleged incident took place their thoughts on the district response thus far.

Michael Perchick. ABC 11, High Witness News. Michael, thank you. Happening right now, a controversial new data center is back in the spotlight in Apex. The town council and planning commission held a joint meeting to discuss the proposed site near old U.S. 1 and Sharon Harris Road. It's happening right now at the meeting at Apex Town Hall. Town leaders will review a report on the impacts including land use, energy and water consumption, noise, traffic, and public health and safety. Still to come here at four, Vice President J.D. Vance visits immigration agency. in Minneapolis today.

That visit coming as new questions are being raised about warrants for ice to enter homes. We have got that story when we return. And we continue to delve into the latest modeling coming out for potential ice this weekend. We'll talk about that and a first alert to some cold temps, bitter cold temps in the 70 forecast coming up. Ice president. your permits, your moves, AI levels of your pitch, gets it in a groove. Choose a template with your timeless cools those two. Drive design, deliver, make it sing.

AI builds the deck so you can build that thing. Do that, do that, do that with acrobat. Learn more at adobe.com slash do that with acrobat. J.D. Vans visits immigration agents in Minneapolis today more than two weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman. The death's setting off daily protests. and now questions about a five-year-old boy reportedly detained by ICE. ABC's Olivia Rubin has more.

Today, Vice President J.D. Vance touching down in Minnesota, where violent clashes between protesters and federal agents have not stopped since the shooting death of Renee Good. The administration making clear it stands with law enforcement. Yes, come out in protest, protest me, protest our immigration policy, but do it peacefully if you assault a law enforcement officer, The Trump administration and the Department of Justice is going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. The vice president arriving shortly after the FBI and Homeland Security officials announcing the arrest of three individuals who they say organized this protest at a church last weekend.

One of them, Nekima Levy Armstrong, previously told ABC News she did it to call attention to the church's pastor, who also works with ICE. You got to think about the foundation of Christianity, which is to love your neighbor. as you love yourself. ICE has been doing anything but loving their neighbors as they love themselves. Now, local school officials raising concern about the immigration tactics after they say this five-year-old boy was detained by ICE. They say Liam Conejo Ramos was detained in his driveway alongside his father after driving home from preschool.

In a statement, school officials saying the family has a pending asylum case and no order of deportation. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security says this child was, quote, abandoned by his father who is here illegally. And a new whistleblower complaint also now questioning ICE and warrants. According to the group, a memo released internally by immigration and custom enforcement suggests federal agents can now rely on administrative warrants to make arrests instead of judicial warrants. That would mean a judge doesn't have to sign off for agents to enter a suspect's home. The whistleblower group argues the memo violates the Fourth Amendment and DHS's own policy. In response, Homeland Security saying, quote, every illegal alien who DHS serves administrative warrants had full due process and a final order of removal from an immigration judge.

The officers issuing these administrative warrants have also have found probable cause. And now at least one Democratic senator calling for an investigation into this memo. Olivia Rubin, ABC News, New York. Coming up here at 4.30 with snow and ice in the forecast, it could be a tough time for our furry friends. Up next, we're talking with local experts about how you can protect your pet from the dangerous cold. And as we prepare for the winter weather events, so is the DOT. Check out this video they posted on X showing how they make the salt rind used to treat roads before the storm. Well, as temperatures dropped this week, many of us are thinking about how to stay warm, but it's just as important to make sure that our pets are protected as well with a cold snap coming. There are a few key things that pet owners should remember.

Penelvie Lopez is in the Sand Hills where she spoke with a local veteran about what you need to know to keep your furry family members safe. With freezing temperatures moving in, veterinarians are urging pet owners to take extra precautions from limiting time outside to having a pet safety kit just in case. We're not used to this kind of weather in North Carolina. So, of course, our pets are not as well. They do have fur and hair. but this weather is going to be a lot colder than normal. So you do want to make sure that you bundle them up. As freezing temperatures move in, veterinarians say pet safety should be part of your storm preparation plan.

So you definitely won't enough food to make it through the storm. You know, be prepared for several days of power outages as that may come with all of the icy weather and make sure that you have enough medication to make it through. Dr. Stephanie Cawthorne, Chief Veterinarian at Ambassador Animal Hospital in Fayetteville, says winter weather can bring some hidden hazards. When you take your pets outside, ideally try to concentrate on areas that aren't going to have the salt down to melt the ice. That is toxic to your pets if they ingest it. It's also it can burn the pall pads. So you want to avoid that.

If you have boots like snow boots, rubber boots for your pet and they'll wear them, that's ideal to go outside. If not, you want to spend as short amount of time outside as possible, and then when you bring them back in, just dry them off and make sure they're warm. So what should you include in your pet safety kit? Vaccination records, microchip information, saline, gauze pads, disinfectant, and of course, pack some treats. And Dr. Cawthorne explained that if it's too cold for you, it's probably too cold for your pet. She says make sure you have a backup plan in case you lose power. Coming up in the next hour here from one local doggy daycare owner, why she says this storm is helping with business. Reporting in Fayetteville, Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. You cannot neglect the precious angels because they're not used to all that.

And don't leave them out too long. Especially once they become age seven or older dogs, they tend to show more arthritis, and it shows up more during cold weather. So if your pups having trouble walking or not jumping up like, It normally does it maybe because of the arthritis. So do watch out for that. All right, let's talk about the winter weather alerts. We do have a winter storm watch and effect for the entire viewing area. I had somebody say, well, Don, I'm hearing that it's going to rain mostly out of this.

You may be hearing that. Your phone may be saying that. And the truth is we could see a lot of rain out of this. But the rain will hit frozen surfaces and here comes the ice. And this is the European model. Ice accumulations looking nasty from our point up to the north. Now, this is a different model. This is a newer model we can show you that's coming to us from our weather company that helps us with our graphics.

You say, look at this, the ice doesn't look too bad. That's because this is only through the early morning on Sunday. It's going to rain all day Sunday. So this will grow. It's just that this model doesn't go out that far yet. But we will watch this over the next 48 hours turn from blue to red as it gets more ice pushing in. How much ice are we talking about? at least a quarter of an inch possible in spots, which doesn't sound like much.

But just know that when we had the big ice storm in 2002, we had a half inch to an inch. So this is approaching that same ice storm in 2002 possibly. And that's why we are so worried because of that. All right, tonight, if you're headed out and about live, look at first alert Doppler net scanning the skies. We do have some showers. This will not create ice. This is just a warm evening ahead. Lots of humidity in the air.

So this will put down some scattered showers. Once the sun goes down, those showers go away. Live look at the fountain in Kerry, looking very pretty there and very warm. 56 right now. Those winds are calm. Looking at a rainfall potential for the next several days, you'll notice tomorrow we're relatively dry. It's Saturday night into Sunday heavy rain, and that heavy rain falling onto frozen surfaces is what's going to create ice. A lot of people don't realize they know that water freezes at 32, but water can stay liquid to 28 degrees.

called super cooled. And anytime those little super cool droplets touch something, instantly they freeze. And that's what we're worried about with this. And we'll talk more about those ice chances coming up at 5 o'clock. Let's find out what else is coming up at 5 o'clock. For that, we check in with Stephen Lauren. Hi, Don, thanks very much. A police officer accused of abusing a child under the age of 13 was charged with statutory rape in Halifax County. And now the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was called to look into that case. Also coming up here, the I-Team Troubilshooter wants to help us all out ahead of this weekend's winter storm. The scammers are out there sitting in wait ready to try to freeze us out of our funds. Diane Wilson breaks down

what we need to look out for if you get a call or an email or a text message about your utility bill. A new motion filed in the case focused on the death of UNC student faith hedge pet. The suspect and his lawyers are pushing a judge to require hedge pet's roommate to testify as a witness in the trial. More on the hearing that's happening tomorrow. Yeah and also coming up here, changes coming to Durham Public Schools after three administrators were indicted on criminal charges yesterday. This case dates back to late 2024 when a child with special needs was tied to a chair in a classroom at

Inno Valley Elementary School. When the superintendent says he learned the trio was being investigated by law enforcement and what he says will be different moving forward. Also, all eyes on the first alert forecast as we prepare for this weekend's winter storm. We're trying to prepare you for the worst of things but we of course are hoping for the best.

If you find yourself caught in the storm, we're going to share a list of the doves and the don'ts. That's important. And the jury deliberating for the past 45 minutes in the trial of Isaiah Ross in Orange County. Earlier in the day, Ross questioned by prosecutors on the stand about messages he sent to a group chat after the murders. What he told the jury about those messages when we see you in a few minutes here for the news at 5. Barbara. All right, Steve, thank you. And Lauren. Coming up next and four, recognizing the best from Hollywood, the Oscar nominations are out. And there is one filmmaking history as the most nominated ever. After the break, we'll tell you which movie is leading the pack.

And also as we had to break, here's some tips for any potential power outages we might see as we prepare for this wintering. weather. If you do lose power this weekend, Duke Energy wants you to report the outage by texting out. O-U-T- to 57801. You can also use the Duke Energy app or their website, duke-energy.com, to report any outages.