ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - July 24, 2026

Episode Date: July 24, 2026

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Straight ahead here on Iwood's news at four. Local farmers getting some relief after the triangle finally receives some significant rain. The difference they say this week's rain has made on crops. NBA superstar LeBron James isn't hanging up his sneakers after all. Instead, he's headed to Philly, what we know about his deal with the Tigers. And a potential housing crisis, a new report revealing an increase in foreclosures. We'll tell you how the triangle is doing. Iwoods News 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, four after days of rain, the triangle seeing relief today. This runner at Raleigh's Dix Park taken advantage of the drier weather, but ready to rinse and repeat because more rain is headed our way. Thank you for joining us for the news of four.

I'm Barbara Good. And I'm Amber Repenta. It is a wet start to the weekend. More rain is in the forecast for tonight. It's expected to stick around throughout the day tomorrow. Meteorologist Cruz Medina is in the first alert forecast in our time. We need out. So Cruz, tell us when and where we can expect to see those storms. Well, I think our southern areas are going to get some of that rain first. We're already seeing some showers riding the North Carolina, South Carolina state line. That's going to likely push into areas like Hope County, Cumberland County here within the next few hours. If you're watching from the Triangle North, your chance of rain is going to come probably after midnight, but it's going to stay very cloudy as we go through the rest of this evening. Here's the flooding risk. So this says today, but it lingers into tonight all the way through tomorrow at 7 a.m. You can see that flood threat significantly lower today. That's why we don't have a flood watch, but the potential still there just given where some of this heavier rain sets up shop overnight.

But for this evening, if you're planning to head out, tipters should be comfortable in the 70s due to the cloud cover. You're going to Ella Langley at Koka Booth amphitheater tonight at 7 p.m. You likely have dry conditions during the showtime. And then again, that rain moves in later tonight. So tipters will be in the 60s unless you're in the sand hills, low 70s expected there as you wake up on your Saturday. And you're gonna wanna umbrella hanging out or heading out the door tomorrow because the roads could look like this. We'll have some showers around.

There could be some ponding on the roads from the rain that we see overnight tonight. And so tipters are going to stay below average and of course we'll have those wet conditions. So grab an umbrella or rain jacket or both heading out the door tomorrow and know that we will have eventually some improving conditions for the second half of the day. but tipgers obviously are going to stay much below average, kind of like what we had today. So mid to upper 70s from Roxborough to Raleigh, low 80s, possible down in the sand hills, but we'll all see a fair share of rainfall from the system. And then going into Sunday, that's your better chance this weekend to get outside. We'll talk more about those details.

And when our next rain chances return, that's all coming up in your seven-day forecast. Back to you. All right, Cruz, thank you. Despite the rain, Wake and Durham counties do remain in severe to extreme drought status. Durham city officials say stage two water restrictions will remain in place as Lake Mickey and the Little River Reservoir remain at historically low levels. It is the same in Wake County. Check out these images of the area there from Falls Lake. Chopper 11 flying over the lake today where you can just see how much the levels have dropped since the beginning of this month. The city of Raleigh is under stage water restrictions as well.

Stage one extreme drought conditions continue and so those restrictions will stay in place as well. Farmers tell eyewitness news. The recent rain could not have come at a better time as the drought continues to impact them. Two weeks ago, I might not have had a smile on my face or laugh about anything because it's, you know, it's a lot of money and stuff tied up in all this stuff we do. Many farmers, as you know, facing significant challenges

due to this drought we're in and those hot temps that we've also seen over the last few months as well. But yesterday's good soaking of rain is a major step in the right direction for many farmers who planted their crops in the spring with the hope that they would grow. Coming up here at 5 o'clock, our John Dowding shares the concerns that farmers still have until they can harvest crops in October. And as we continue to deal with the drought and prepare for more rain, now is a good time to download the ABC 11 app. It's a great way to stay up to date on current weather conditions. Right now, a carry woman is missing on a Caribbean

island. The Royal Granada police force is asking for help with locating Elizabeth Liz Waddell, who was last seen at Granades Beach Wednesday. Despite the missing person poster description, Waddell's husband tells eyewitness news that she's about five feet tall with short blonde hair. Her husband serves as the parks and wreck and cultural resources manager for the town of care. There's some images here, so take a look. Police are encouraging fishermen on the island and boat operators near the southern coastline of the beaches around where she was last seen to be on the lookout. We spoke with Waddell's husband who said he is now on a flight headed to Granada right now to help search for his wife. Right now, four authorities arrest

another teenager in the July 4th violence in Raleigh. It is the second arrest in the past week. Raleigh police charging 17-year-old Kenna Daltry from Goldsboro in connection with a shooting that happened on Capitol Boulevard. Arrest warrants alleged that Daltry, fired a gun into a car at the speedway with four people inside. Daltry was processed as an adult and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon into occupied property. So far, five juveniles are charged in the July 4th crimes. In Raleigh today, a gas station remains closed after the roof collapsed here this morning. Take a look to employees getting out just in the nick of time.

Cindy Bay at the Handy Hugo BP near Hillsborough and Gorbin Streets with the very later. Cleanup continues after the roof collapse at this gas station at the intersection of Hillsboro and Gorman. You can see the damage from the roof collapsing, insulation inside the building, glasses shattered and merchandise thrown across the street. A close call for two people inside the building. They told firefighters they heard a cracking sound from the ceiling. It made it out just before the roof collapsed. It felt kind of a little bit of a shake and they went out the door and about. time they went out the door, the inside of the roof collapsed. Officials say just a few more seconds inside could have left them trapped. Firefighters say building collapses require careful

stabilization before crews can search safely. They could have very well been in the building by time we got here. It doesn't look like a very big building, but with that much damage, you're talking, you know, minutes to maybe an hour just to get everything stabilized. Officials are still investigating what caused the collapse. A building inspector, will assess the damage in Raleigh, Cindy Bay. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Well, now to the sports story that has everyone buzzing, especially on the internet, NBA superstar LeBron James,

headed to Philly. Lauren Johnson joins us now in the studio. Lauren, an exciting day for those 76ers fans. LeBron James, Barbara, that's the name that everyone's talking about right now. The King is headed to Philadelphia after signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This news comes just weeks after the Indianapolis. B-8 star announced he was ending his eight-season run with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Many people speculated he was returning to Cleveland or maybe going back to Miami, but nope, he is suiting up with the 76ers next season. In a social media post today, James shared he thought that might have been his last season, but he says he wants to try to win another championship, which the Sixers haven't done in 43 years. Our sister station, WPBI, up in Philadelphia, talking with some pretty excited fans today. God, he's coming. It's happening, baby. Oh, man, that's awesome.

Two years, $8 million. Awesome. I can't wait for the season now. All right, a lot of new fans of the Sixers now. It's a bit of a full circle moment here. Back in 2020, before his death, the late Kobe Bryant tweeted a post congratulating LeBron James for passing him on the league's all-time scoring list. Where did LeBron James pass Bryant at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia?

Bryant's hometown versus the 76ers. Some really superstitious fans say today's announcement on the 24th day of the month is not a coincidence. 24 was Kobe's jersey number. This will be the fourth different franchise for James marking the first time who will play under a new uniform since the start of the 2018 season. James will also extend his record for the most seasons played in NBA history. Big day in sports, Barbara. No doubt. And I know that one fan is probably echoing so many others.

Yes, for sure. All right. Thank you, Lauren. Well, turning now to our local sports headlines, the highly anticipated non-conference men's basketball game between Duke and Michigan has been called off. That is according to ESPN. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Madison Square Garden on December the 21st. But a misinterpretation of the broadcast rights forced the sides to attempt to move the game to Lone Depot Park, home of the Miami Dolphins.

However, the parties involved were not able to come to an agreement, so the game was ultimately canceled. And now at four foreclosures on the rise nationwide. An ABC news analysis found foreclosure filings jumped 21% in the first half of this year. Let's go to Elena Athens. She's joining a slide in the Raleigh eyewitness News Center. So Elena, I know that you checked in with some local realtors. What are they telling you about this new surge in foreclosures? Yeah, a realtor says nationally we're not seeing a repeat of the 2008.

housing crisis. But she says even with these findings, the triangle is still faring better than other parts of the country. New analysis by ABC News and ABC-owned television stations finds a good portion of our viewing area. Highlighted here in dark red shows some of the highest foreclosure rates in this state. There are more than 5,400 foreclosures between 2020 and 2025 in the zip code starting with 275, and almost 36 percent of those homeowners were people of color, just to the south, in zip codes starting with 283, there were more than 7,000 foreclosures in the same time period. 44% of those impacted were people of color. A realtor tells me there are more foreclosures in this section of the state because there's

more inventory. But she adds, the number of them are still relatively low, averaging out to about 200 a year. It's really not a high representation. We're coming back to a normalized period from pre-pandemic, but we're certainly not in a pandemic era sort of scared. So ahead at 5 o'clock, the number of foreclosures right now in Raleigh will have that coming up. For now, we're live inside the Raleigh, eyewitness News Center. Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news.

All right, Elena, thank you. We'll see you soon with more. Still ahead here at 4 o'clock, the Pentagon says a glitch caused the names of four U.S. troops killed in the Iran war to be removed from its casualties website. What we're learning about the mix-up. Also, health experts are sounding the alarm about an uptick-and-tick-tick cases. what to do if you see one or are bitten by one. All right, time for a check of first alert traffic. This is I-40 at Aviation Parkway, exit 285, and man, look at that volume of traffic on this

Friday afternoon. Good news. Both directions seem to be flowing finely. Let's check in with some other spots, though, as we had to break. Here are your traffic hotspots brought to you by West Shore home. This is what a bathroom is supposed to look like. No grout lines to scrub. No surfaces to seal.

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Get a quote at bellairdirect.com. Eyewitness News. We are Local News weeknights 4 to 630 and 11. Back now with an update in a story that we first told you about here on eyewitness news at noon. The Pentagon says a glitch caused the names of four U.S. troops killed in the Iran War to be removed from its casualties website. Wednesday, the Pentagon website that tracks casualties of war showed a total of

18 service members had been killed in the recent conflict. Well, yesterday that number dropped 14. Earlier this week, three military officials said that President Trump, one of the four service members who were killed over the weekend, removed from the list because they died after a ceasefire was declared in April. The Pentagon now says the omission was a mistake, blaming a glitch in the computer system as of today. The defense casualty analysis systems website still lists 14 deaths.

The news from the Pentagon comes as the war with Iran. Iran reaches the end of its second week of consistent escalating airstrikes. President Trump says he's considering a, quote, massive attack bigger than ever before. The president also warning the leaders of Russia and China not to get involved in the war, posting on social media, quote, if they did, it would be very bad for them, certainly not in their best interests. In that same post, Trump claims China and Russia have agreed to stop selling weapons to Iran. Iran's foreign minister responded dismissing Trump's threats as bullying, adding. that it will not respond to force pressure or threats in any way.

A teenage boy changes his plea to guilty today in a mass school shooting in Georgia. 16-year-old Colt Gray appeared in front of a judge pleading guilty to all 55 charges for the September 4th, 24th shooting at Appalachie High School. Gray was 14 years old at the time. Two students and two teachers were killed, nine others were injured. The teenager previously entered a not-guilty plea. His father, Colin Gray, was convicted by a jury in March. on charges that included second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors say that he gave his teenage son the assault-style rifle that he used to open fire at the school. Colt Gray will be sentenced next week.

The Secret Service is preparing for the rescheduled White House Correspondence Dinner tonight. It'll be held at a new location, the Waldorf Astoria. The event comes three months after the original dinner at the Washington Hilton was interrupted by a man carrying guns and knives. That man opened fire rushing through a checkpoint before he was tackled and detained outside the ballroom. Authorities say that he was planning to assassinate President Donald Trump and others who were in attendance. The Secret Service says that it already has a security plan in place for the Waldorf Astoria. The events organizers earlier promised security would be enhanced this time. And new at four, Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance sharing new pictures of their new baby boy. The second lady posting these new photos of little Alec Neil Vance alongside their other children on X today.

He was born last Sunday. This is the fourth child for the couple and the first child born to a sitting VP in more than 150 years. The CDC reports emergency room visits for tick bites are at their highest level in July in nearly a decade. And it comes as people are spending more time outdoors this summer. And now health experts are warning people to be extra vigilant about tick prevention and recognize. the early signs of tick-borne illness. Akela Davis is live for us in Eno Park in Durham. Akila, good afternoon to you.

Spook with some experts about precautions people can take. Yeah, hi, good afternoon. You know, hiking and camping are popular here at Eno River State Park. And while the Green Trails are a big draw, they're also a prime habitat for ticks. Treat your top, bottom, socks, shoes, and your hat with the permithrine.

And then once that dries, you put your clothes on, and you'll treat any exposed skin with your repel or off. Before every hiking and camping trip, J.C. Kearney makes sure his family is prepared. He's raised their clothes in advance, giving it time to drive before heading outside. I met him and his son James at Eno River State Park

after they had just returned home from a Boy Scout camping trip with Durham's Troop 411. The CDC reports Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are surging with the emergency department visits for tick bites across the southeast, reaching their highest level in the past 10 years. Do help doctors say, here are a couple of precautions you can take. Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and a hat,

and making sure that once you come inside, you start to check for a tick as soon as possible. This could be after taking a shower, but making sure that you look at places where ticks like to hide, which are generally crevices. So thinking about inside the arms, inside the knees, behind the ears, and also on the scalp. And of course, if you find a tick, doctors say

the sooner you remove it, the better ahead at five. temptms you should look out for just in case you're a bit and reporting live in Durham Akela Davis ABC 11 eyewitness news right something you got to watch out for Akela thank you well after a very active couple of days of first alert days we don't have one and that's that's good news on a Friday oh absolutely but I'll tell you other than ticks mosquitoes are going to be out once all of this cooler weather goes away and the heat return next week but for tonight we're actually watching another chance of rain thankfully not severe storms this time

but more rain is on the way. So as we go into the start of your weekend, it will be a wet day on Saturday, at least for the first half of the day. So most of the morning up until about noon in the triangle, expect to need an umbrella or rain jacket. By the time we get into Sunday, that's the better half of the weekends. That's when you will want to be outside. It's just going to be a little hotter and obviously still pretty humid. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s on Sunday. Let's look back at the rainfall that we've seen. This is over the last 72 hours. So the past three days, there have been some pockets very high. heavy rain. Parts of Alamance County even seeing reports over six inches, four to five inches for parts of orange and into northern Durham County, right around Durham, seeing anywhere from three to four inches. And then for the city of Raleigh, you actually had a new record getting just over two inches of rain from Wednesday night and into Thursday, that batch of rain that we saw across the region. So the heavy rain has shifted out of here. We still have a few light sprinkles. Most of those are from the triangle north or we're also seeing some passing through our far southern county. So light showers in southern Hope County that extends down into Robeson and Scotland

counties as well. That's all moving off to the east. We have a stalled front that remains around. This is the same front that brought us the rain on Thursday. And so as long as that front stays nearby, waves of rain are going to ride along it and we'll see the next wave come in as we go into the overnight hours. But walking the dog this evening, you have plenty of dry time to do that. It's going to be cloudy and cooler than average with tipters in the 70s. It was weird to have two days in a row of highs in the 70s, and we could honestly do it again throughout tomorrow. But let's track up the rain that we're expecting in the overnight hours.

So here is this afternoon. Notice there's not going to be a whole lot going on other than a few sprinkles here and there. As we get well past midnight, this is 4 a.m. Scattered showers start to move into the region. These will linger into Saturday. and we could see possibly some pockets of locally heavy rainfall throughout the mid morning to late morning hours. By noon, just light showers persisting.

These will shift off toward the I-95 corridor by evening. So we'll get some dry time in most areas as we go throughout the mid portion of the day. But of course, you'll have to watch out for the rain in the morning. So by the afternoon, the sandhills will be the warmer spots reaching around 80. The rest of us will be in the 70s tomorrow. And then into Sunday, we start off in the 60s. We'll see highs in the mid to upper 80s for the afternoon.

Sunday, again, is the drier day of the weekend. Your first alert seven-day forecast shows that we'll warm up into the low 90s again as we start next week. Mid-90s by Tuesday, late-day storms could be on the strong side, and that'll carry us into Wednesday where the sunshine returns, and highs will stay in the low 90s through the end of the week. Back to you. All right, thank you. Well, next at four, a heads up for Raleigh Water customers. The city will start charging a new fee if you pay your bill with a debit or credit card. The party taking over downtown Fayetteville Street, the Dogwood Night Series, is returning to the city.

What we know about the events. Wendy's 99-cent Frosty is back, and Frosty farmers couldn't be happier. Made with Canadian dairy, they grow up cool, creamy, and mighty thick. It's farm to Frosty. Get a small 99-cent Frosty until longest second and participating Wendy's Texas Extra. Time now for some news you can use. Raleigh water customers will soon notice an extra fee when using credit, debit, or digital to pay their bill. Starting September the 1st, the city will start charging a 3% processing fee

to people paying their bills in those three ways. The city says the fee goes to the credit card companies. If you want to avoid that fee, you can pay in person, do auto pay through your checking or savings account or pay by check. In Fayetteville, the Dogwood Festival is bringing back its Dogwood nights this fall. The free monthly street festival series celebrates community, culture, and local businesses. There will be a total of four events through November. The first event is August the 8th. It is a back-to-school bash. Each event takes place from 6 p.m. through 9 p.m. in downtown Fayetteville and they're free to attend. Happening today connecting with the community, Raleigh Police hosting a hoops night allowing the city's teenagers to form

relationships with officers in their neighborhood through basketball. Tonight's event is from 6 to 8 at the Green Road Community Center. And that is news you can use and we're back to you. All right, Barbara. Thanks. Still ahead here at 4 o'clock. A change in leadership at Fort Bragg. What we know about who's now taking command. Welcome home! And a surprise homecoming for a wounded soldier. We'll take you inside the special celebration when we come back. You are watching.

I went as soon as here live on ABC 11 Disney Plus and everywhere you stream. We are... My name is Peter Parker. But I'm also Spider-Man. This Thursday, we're faced with a threat. That can be anyone. The world may have forgotten Peter Parker. I'm just a neighbor.

Friendly neighbor. But he hasn't forgotten them. Sometimes Spider-Man has to do the hard thing. That's my responsibility. Dr. Banner? I didn't know you could get that big. Spider-Man, brand-new day in theaters Thursday. Local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now.

We are back now with a check of your top stories of the bottom of the hour. Authorities arrest another teenager in the July 4th violence in Raleigh. 17-year-old Kenna Daltry is arrested in Goldsboro with connection with a shooting that occurred. on Capitol Boulevard. She was processed as an adult and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a minor. A Raleigh gas station remains closed after its roof collapsed this morning. The incident happened at the BP Handy Hugos right near the intersection of Hillsborough and Gorman Streets. Two people, an employee and a delivery driver were inside the building at the time. They were able to get out in time. No injuries were reported.

Right now at 4-4-Brag is under new leadership. The garrison change of commencement. ceremony took place at the Iron Mike Conference Center where Colonel Chad Mixon relinquished command to Colonel Iyke Whitmer. Penelope Lopez spoke with Colonel Nixon about his time in command and the legacy he leaves behind. Today's ceremony continues a long military tradition of passing the baton from one leader to the next. And I think we did a great job over the last two years. After seven deployments, two years as Garrison Commander and 33 years of service, Colonel Chad Mixon is retiring from the U.S. Army. Today, military leaders, service members, and community

officials gathered for Fort Bragg's change of command ceremony. Developed our five-year plan. That's a long five-year strategy for Fort Bragg on fixing the infrastructure. During his time in command, Mixon oversaw major improvements to Fort Bragg's infrastructure and readiness. Including the opening of the DMV service center on post and the groundbreaking of a new child development center. It's more than just about the day to day. It's about having a plan. And when you have that plan and it's your message is what you compete for funding with.

So it will make things better down the road. Mixon also guided the garrison through the federal deferred resignation program, making sure soldiers and their families kept getting support during this transition. And his advice for incoming garrison commander, Colonel Luke Whitmer. Listen to your people, trust your people and empower them, and they'll accomplish miracles for you. And Colonel Mixon will be missed, but he isn't going far. He plans to stay here in the All-American Can Do City. New at 530 will hear from the incoming garrison commander Luke Whitmer. His visions for Fort Bragg, what he hopes to accomplish, and his message to troops amid this ongoing conflict in Iran.

Reporting at Fort Bragg, I'm Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Penelican, thank you. Covering the Carolinas now, an escaped inmate from Forsythe County is back in custody this afternoon. 35-year-old Raymond Warren escaped from the Forsyth Correctional Center this morning. Officials say that Warren was taken into custody by Winston-Salem Police and NC Department of Adult Correction Officers just after 3 p.m. today at a house, a short distance from Forsyth Correctional Center. He'll be housed at Central Prison in Raleigh and faced charges for felony escape. Several persons of interest have been identified in the deadly Ashbyn. Mass shooting. Two people were killed in the shooting, seven others injured. The Asheville Police Department sharing today they have identified multiple persons of interest in this

and they say they're now working to find those people. We are in continuous communication with our community partners to track upcoming events and large public gatherings, proactively implementing safety measures to ensure everyone remains safe. We remain We remain fully committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable. Investigators believe the shooting was a direct act of retaliation for a separate shooting earlier this month on July the 5th, where one person was shot. Police said an arrest has already been made in that case. In South Carolina, Congressman Ralph Norman files paperwork to seek the U.S. Senate seat of the late Lindsay Graham. Norman will face several Republican contenders in the August primary, including Graham's sister Darlene Graham,

was appointed to serve out her brother's term after his sudden death. The Republican nominee will face Democrat Ann Andrews and the general election in November. New here at four, it was a surprise homecoming today for a wounded Fort Bragg specialist. The U.S. Veterans Corps and Garmin Holmes gifting senior airman Demetrius Fitzpatrick, a mortgage-free home in Nightdale. Fitzpatrick was injured in a training exercise at Fort Bragg in January as another paratrooper collided with his parachute. The two felt a little. the ground and he fractured his spine. Any group that gives back to the people who serve this country are the exact people like

they're the reason why we serve those are the people we want to take care of in America. We don't do it expecting anything in return like we do it because we want to and the fact that a group of people get together to actually give back to us too is fantastic. Fitzpatrick will officially receive Hero Home Number 30 in a ceremony on September 11th. Congratulations. Well it was a special week for patients at Wake Children's Hospital, players from the UNC football team paying the kids a special visit as the team joined the kids for story time, reading books to them. The event brought along some festive Christmas in July surprises. That is so sweet. I hope they had a great time.

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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. Escalating war between the U.S. and Iran since oil and gas prices skyrocketing. President Trump is imposing new global tariffs on trading partners that could push prices up even higher. Here's ABC's Lindsay Tuckman with the latest. Another round of President Trump's tariffs are now in effect. The White House imposing the sweeping levies on 60 trading partners, saying they're aimed at combating forced labor violations.

The tariffs, which range from 10 to 12 and a half percent, impact about 99 percent of all U.S. imports. We're seeing much higher tariffs on Brazil, huge list of exemptions. That's an attempt by the administration to keep these prices from being an issue in the upcoming midterm elections, things like bananas and coffee and things that we don't produce. Experts say American consumers are likely to see higher prices. The United States is in the process of isolating itself from the rest of the world. And so the first thing that does is it's going to raise the cost of living. Drivers have already been paying more at the pump since the start of the war with Iran. Gas Buddy says the average price of a gallon of regular gas is now around $4.10.

Diesel prices also rising above $5 a gallon. Oil prices dipped a bit in Friday's trading after topping $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since May. But prices are likely to remain high, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz nearly non-existent. According to the latest data from Kepler, just one oil tanker crossed three. the straight on Thursday. Meanwhile, Canada is celebrating the opening of the Gordy Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan. But the U.S. is not part of the celebrations after Trump announced 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods earlier this week. The president had threatened to block the project earlier this year, but the opening was

scheduled once Canada and the U.S. came to a deal on toll revenue. Lindsay Tuckman, ABC News, New York. Up next, cosplay lovers, descending on down. downtown Raleigh this weekend, Galaxy Con, bringing thousands to the convention center. The economic boosts the city can see by the time the weekend's over. Plus, knock, knock. Anyone home? We'll show you what happens when a curious bear wanders into a building. Having this weekend, one of the biggest events of the year. The 2026 Chevrolet tracks is the stylish SUV for those on the move.

And with the standard Chevy safety assist package, you have the backup to handle every turn with confidence. The 2026 tracks. Start your build at Chevrolet.ca. In downtown Raleigh is underway. GalaxyCon is expected to draw more than 50,000 people to the convention center once again. Michael Perchick joins us now. Michael, plenty of activity behind you. Yeah, Barbara, good afternoon. I feel really underdressed here. The amount of work and energy put into some of these costumes as plays is really incredible. And even into the late afternoon, if you can take a look right to my right, there are very long lines to meet some of the, biggest stars all making their way to the capital city for Galaxy Con Raleigh.

You have anything and everything in all different types of the world. From movie stars to wrestling legends. My youngest son is in his final semester at NC State, so I was able to see him last night for dinner. Galaxy Con Raleigh has something for everyone. Seeing people do their own thing is beautiful, especially, it really doesn't matter who you are. If you're energetic or isolationist, anything. It's just, it's fun to be around. The exhibit floor with stars, vendors, and costumes as far as the eye can see. It doesn't take long to put on.

The majority of the time is just the makeup, getting like all the blue. While the bulk of attendees are from North Carolina, followed by neighboring Virginia and South Carolina, the event's reach is global. I can tell you we'll have somebody represented from at least one person with all 50 states. You know, every year, it's like it's a goal is to make sure we hit. You know, did that person from Hawaii come? Do we have a person from Alaska?

We generally get from about 10 to 12 countries. GalaxyCon typically has an economic impact of roughly $10 million, felt from hotels to restaurants to retailers, as a lunch rush on Fadeville Street was even busier this afternoon. I got friends down here. I wanted to visit as well, so I figured we'd come down, check it out. Yeah, organizers say attendance is pretty much in line with what they saw last year, in part because there's simply no room to grow, but that will soon be changing. Thanks to the development planes here at the Raleigh Convention Center coming up at 6, the impact that's going to have for GalaxyCon and how long they're contracted to keep coming back to Raleigh. I'm Michael Perchick. ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, I know downtown businesses are happy about that crowd.

All right, Michael, thank you. Now let's take a look at today's top trending stories this Friday in real news. First, a toddler who is obsessed with his neighborhood garbage truck driver got to meet his idol. The sanitation worker stopping by this week to say hello and give the little boy a present. That's 15-month-old Marlowe. His mom says that Marlowe sits out front every Wednesday morning waiting for the trash to be picked up. And this past Wednesday, you saw there the driver surprised him by getting off the truck to gift Marlowe a tiny toy trash can. That is very cute.

A deputy in Florida handled his first alligator call like a pro wrangling a small but highly active gator. hanging out on the front porch, always in Florida. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office shared this video showing the deputy capturing the hissing reptile. The Sheriff's Office described the episode as a Florida deputy right of passage. The gator was taken to safer waters. That thing is not happy. Tiny but mighty. Let's go to California now.

Employees at a water district office got a surprise visitor when a bear came wandering in. You can see as the bear walked right through the main door of the building, he spent about two minutes or so inside the building, sniffing around, wandering through the office before just casually leaving and get this employee say no one realized that that bear was even in there until they watched the recording later. What workers say it's common to see bears outside the building, but never inside. These bears are getting so smart with opening all these doors. I mean, they smell food. That's real news, Barbara. That is real funny news, too. It's got a meteorologist Cruz Medina. We've got so much going on this weekend. We have some concerts.

tonight is going to be nice weather? Well, it's going to be cloudy and cool. So I think that beats the summer heat for some folks. You'd rather, you know, have a cool evening like this to be outside. It is currently only 75 degrees from our Pendo Sky Cam and Raleigh. So it's below average by far. Typically this time of the year, we'd be in the 90s for highs. But through this evening, it could be a few light sprinkles out there. You can see a few of those across the northern tier, mainly to the north of Raleigh at this time. And then for our southern communities, parts of Scotland, Hoke and Robeson. counties getting in on some rain. That includes the city of Lumberton. But for the rest of the evening, all across the region, be advised there could be another one of those light showers or sprinkles. Tifters will remain in the 70s if you're going out to that concert tonight at Koka Booth or if you're just heading out for dinner plans. First alert predictor will walk us through tonight. Notice there will be rain moving in as we go toward daybreak. This will last through lunch and into the early afternoon hours as well. Thankfully, clears out in time for us to get some dry weather in here for the back half of the weekend. So Sunday, the better half,

mid to upper 80s there, heating up next week with storms returning to the forecast on Tuesday. I've got another deeper dive into your forecast coming up at 5. And Lauren Johnson is also here to show us what's coming up in the news at 5. Cruz, have you heard the news? LeBron James headed to Philadelphia and the sports world is reacting to that two-year, $8 million deal. Sixers players and even some on the Eagle Squad have thoughts on that four-time NBA champs decision. And Sheriff's deputies making a surprise discovery. What started as a child custody case quickly turned into a drug charge for a 29-year-old Durham man, more on what they discovered inside his home after smelling marijuana. Cost and convenience often barriers to treatment for people with

cholesterol issues. Well, a new FDA cleared pill could change things for patients and doctors are pretty optimistic. We'll tell you more about that new treatment. And bragging rights on election night usually comes in the form of an I voted sticker. Well, in Durham, it's still being designed and you can vote on that. And the CDC releasing new numbers about measles cases in the U.S. and the case counts are higher than they've been in three decades. What health experts say is to blame and how to protect yourself. We'll see you soon for the news at 5. Barbara and Amber. All right, Lawrence, sounds good. See you then. Coming up ahead at four from tree to table. That is the motto for one Wake County furniture maker. After the break, we'll take you inside

Oak City Customs to show you how they are turning discarded trees into furniture to last a lifetime. Here's tonight's ABC primetime preview. At 8.7 Central, it's an encore episode of Celebrity Jeopardy All-Stars, featuring Ray Romano, Mirisorvino, and Mo Rocca. Celebrity Jeopardy is maybe the most surprising Jeopardy to host, because they can really say anything anytime. Then at 9-8 Central, 2020 looks at a shocking murder

and a stunning, unsolved case in first comes love, then comes murder. If I were described this case in three words, I would call it brutal, intimate. and cruel. This woman was strangled and she was beaten. It's literally a horror story. Who on earth would want to do this to your mom? Hands off! Hayes up! Hey it's up! I was sleep. What? That's followed by your late local news. Then Jimmy Kim alive. Tonight on ABC.

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