ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 5am - May 15, 2026

Episode Date: May 15, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, breaking stories from overnight and this morning, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. 5 a.m. on your friday. Good morning, Carolina. Welcome on this Friday. It's May 15th. I'm Joel Brown. And I'm Anna Rivera. Thanks so much for joining us today. This morning on eyewitness news, a push for more pay, Durham school employees asking for a living wage and why some won't be getting the raises they were promised. Your voice, your vote and propose changes to how you vote. Oh, you can weigh in. And President Trump heading back to Washington after a high-stakes summit in China. We're walking through the overnight development.

All right, 5 o'clock. End of your work week in time for a first check of weather. And we'll do traffic together. Meteorologist Steve Stewart is here. Quaylons off. Does you wear a jacket? I wear a jacket. Every morning.

Every morning. No matter what it is. And I had the heat on like 81 in the car. Wow. I did get to be. back here too and when the traffic yeah she has the heat little heater yes always I didn't wear a jacket and I regretted it walking after the little chilly yeah yeah a couple spots in the 30s this morning so this is it this is by far going to be the coolest day we're

going to have in quite some time folks as those numbers for the most part are really going to be on the chili side let's take a look at the number 77 today chili started a beautiful afternoon with the west breeze at around 5 to 10 miles an hour and low humidity the average high temperature 80 So a little bit below that yesterday was only 71, by the way, and we are dry. Our deficit about an inch for the month, but if you look at the spring to date, this is the driest on record. And the lake levels are below full pool. Falls Lake, looks like there's beaches out there because the lake levels are so low. So we need rain.

We still have that severe to extreme drought across all of Central North Carolina. We need rain, not coming anytime soon, but there's some promise here as we look ahead to mid to late week that we could get some showers. of thunderstorms as that ridge of high pressure starts to break on down. 49 at 7 a.m. Look at noon. We'll get up to 68 degrees. What's going to warm nicely. Beautiful out there for that walk or jog this morning.

46 into North Hills right now. 14 degrees cooler than yesterday. And a few areas, Sanford, Siler City, and Rocksboro all in the 30s out there this morning. If you have evening plans, if you're heading out, it'll be chilly as we get to the later evening. But early evening feels fantastic if you want to dine outside, something like that. Coming up, you have the big time heat starts. on Sunday and last for days. More on that coming up in just a few minutes, Anna.

Okay, Steve. So unfortunately, my traffic graphics just decided to crash. So, yeah, let's just go straight to DOT cameras. Things overall do look good. We're not seeing any major issues. No slowdowns, crash count sitting at zero. And you can see at 885 in T.W. Alexander, the traffic is moving nicely. First is five, the high-stakes summit between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart

wrapping up. The president back on his way to the U.S. right now after two of three. days of talks in Beijing, those talks dominated by conversations on trade, the war with Iran and Taiwan. Trump suggesting he and she are on the same page about the war in Iran. We feel very similar right. We want that to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the straits open. We're closing it now. They closed it and we closed it on top of them, but we want the straits open and we want them to get it in and we want them to get it in and because it's a crazy thing there.

A little bit crazy. And that's no good. Can't have it. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. The president also said China will be buying American oil and soybeans, which China stopped buying last year during a trade dispute. And China also agreed to work together on AI safety. Your voice, your vote, and you can now weigh in on proposed changes to election rules.

The State Board of Elections wants to hear from you about possible changes to absentee voting. The voting ID requirement recounts and recounts and vote recounts and vote recounts and vote recants in-person public hearings and you can submit your comments to the state board of elections from today until July 14th and happening today governor Josh Stein ordering all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities to fly at half staff in honor of national peace officers Memorial Day special the special day recognizes the many men and women in law enforcement who lost their lives or were in in the line of duty. Individuals, businesses, and schools are also encouraged to fly flags that

have staff today in recognition of law enforcement. The town of Kerry wants to hire more police, but it's going to cost homeowners. Interim town manager Russ Overton unveiled his budget proposal this week, including a new property tax hike, about $240 more per year for the average homeowner. The increase would fund $62 million in new spending largely aimed at public safety, including 21 new police officers. The first time Kerry's added to its force in 10 years. Town Council votes on the budget in June. If you live in the town of Kerry, you could soon be paying more property taxes.

Durham Public Schools employees are pushing for higher pay as county leaders work to close a budget gap. The school board approved a 12% raise for classified staff, but the county's proposed budget does not fully fund it. Cindy Bay is live in Durham with the latest. Yeah, well, although Durham Public Schools approved a 12th, 12% pay raise in its 2026 27 budget for classified staff. County leaders say finding the money will be a challenge. The proposed increase would raise DPS minimum wage from $17.15 to $19.00 and $22 an hour. But there's a gap between what the district requested and what the county is recommending.

County leaders are proposing a $10.89 million increase for DPS, citing a slower economy and concerns about higher property taxes. Officials say this year's budget cycle has been especially difficult. Property tax revenues are down. Sales tax revenues are down. And of course, you know, a number of years ago,

occupancy tax here in Durham County went away. Went away completely. So that money is dwindling down to nothing. And so Durham County leaders will hold a series of budget work sessions over the next few weeks before making a final decision coming up why DPS workers say the raise is critical in Durham. Cindy Bainth, ABC 11, eyewitness news.

Got ourselves a budget crunch in Durham and teachers caught in the middle. Cindy, thank you this morning more fallout after a Wake County school teacher was arrested on more than a dozen sex crime charges. Tamara Scott live in Raleigh with where that investigation stands this morning, Tamara. Hey, good morning, Julia. This morning, Scouting America confirms that Stephen Coles has been permanently. banned from the organization following the learning about his arrest. So we're also learning that this is not the first time that Wake County school leaders

have taken action against Coles. Coles is charged with 13 felony child sex crimes involving multiple victims over several years. The I-team also learned Coles had tied to a local scouting America troop. In a statement to eyewitness news, the organization says Cole's membership has been revoked and he has been permanently prohibited from participating in scouting programs. Way County Public Schools says the alleged incidents did not happen at the school. Coles is listed as an automotive teacher at Broughton Magnet High School in Raleigh. District officials say he was suspended in 2022, but they're not saying why.

Coles was not charged with a crime and was later reinstated to his position. Students we spoke with say they were stunned by the allegations. They described Coles as someone they regularly saw around campus. They're the people that's in the building around us almost every day, five days a week. So it's kind of shocking. Now, Wake County School says that Coles is now suspended with pay, and he remains in jail without bond. He's expected to be back in court next month. Back to you.

Tamara, thank you. Time now 508 and tracking the drought. Where local lake levels stand this morning as the heat is ramping up this weekend. And FBI director Cash Patel under more scrutiny this morning. after a VIP visit to a national memorial. Steve? All right. Good morning, everybody stepping outside.

Temperatures are chilly. Some areas falling down into the 30s. Durham and Raleigh in the mid-40s. Sanford, 38 degrees. Fayetteville, a little bit better at 52. We'll have highs in the 70s. Beautiful day today with lots of sunshine. But get ready for some summer heat on the way.

All the details after the break. And let's take a look at those traffic maps. They're actually up now so we can see that things do look good overall. No crashes you need to worry about. and traffic moving nicely in those spots. Now let's take a look at this traffic hotspots brought to by the Fred Anderson family of dealerships on Glenwood Avenue. Fred Anderson, Toyota, Fred Anderson, Nissan, all home of the Fred Anderson family plan, including lifetime oil changes, lifetime car washes on all new Toyota's Kia's Nissan's and hundreds of used cars.

The Fred Anderson family plan saves your family thousands while giving you lasting value with every mile you drive. Thinking of selling or trading your current vehicle, Fred Anderson wants to pay you more even if you don't buy from us. Get the family plan at Fred Anderson Toyota, Fred Anderson Kia, and Fred Anderson, Nissan, all on Glenwood Avenue. ABC. Welcome back, everybody. Good morning to chilly start out there. It's going to be a beautiful afternoon. High temperature is going to climb into the mid-upper 70s, a little bit below average, but a gorgeous day to get out.

Not too much of a breeze at all. That upper level low, you can see, is spinning around here. This is the trough that's exiting the area, and then a ridge of high pressure is going to build in, and our numbers are really going to go up over the coming days. Chilly early, 59 by 9 a.m. Midday will be 68 as you take the pups out for a walk this morning. Little chilly, maybe a light jacket for you. At 46 at North Hills right now, 14 degrees cooler than this time yesterday.

Look at the 30s. Rocksboro, Sanford, Silers City, 44 into Chapel Hill and Fave are currently at 52 degrees. How about some baseball this evening out into Wilson? Should be a nice evening for that, taking on Hill City. 74 as you're walking in there to the Wilson complex, about 60 by the time you head home. So getting a little bit cool later on the evening hours. Not a lot of activity. Chicago, a couple of showers, but do not expect delays.

West Coast, with the exception of Seattle, looks good for travel. So far, all the major hubs, no delays. Got you 7 to 8 a few minutes, Joel. Steve, thank you. No relief in sight for North Carolina's drought. The latest drought monitor showing 60% of the state still in extreme drought, including 95% of Wake County. For Fuqua Arena farmer, John Bert, the numbers tell only part of the story.

A ninth generation hay and cattle farmer, Bert says the dry spell has made it nearly impossible to work his land. No rain means no fertilizer, no fertilizer means less hay to sell. In this case, I think we're kind of an uncharted territory, at least in my time farming, which has been about 25 or 30 years. I don't remember a spring that's been this dry. Falls Lake and Raleigh still sitting well below normal with level one water restrictions likely staying in place through next month. 513 and former FBI director James Comey fighting charges filed in North Carolina. The local lawyer who will be helping defend him. We are local news.

ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. 516. We'll take a live look outside. Here is a view of downtown Raleigh on your Friday morning. A view from the Pindo Sky Cam at 3.01 Hillsborough Street. Get out and enjoy this day if you can. It is going to get hot and sweaty from here. Steve Stewart's going to be first alerting us to a much warmer temperature. coming up this weekend.

Meantime, former FBI director James Comey has hired Raleigh attorney Joseph Zezatarski to help defend him against a federal indictment accusing Comey of threatening President Trump. The charge stems from an Instagram post showing seashells on a North Carolina beach arranged to form the numbers 86 and 47. Prosecutors called it a coded message,

quote, 86ing the 47th president. Zezatarsky is a veteran of both federal and state courts with more than 30 years of experience. The trial is currently set to begin on July 15th. The Supreme Court will allow women to access the abortion pill Mepharestone through telehealth visits for now. The justices rejected lower court restrictions while a lawsuit plays out. Louisiana is suing to change the FDA's rule on how Mifeprestone can be prescribed. The state is arguing against a Biden administration decision ending the requirement for in-person prescriptions.

And another shake-up at the top of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Banks announcing he's stepping down as Border Patrol Chief effective immediately. He did not say why and only shared plans of spending more time with his family. Banks has served as Border Patrol chief since January 2025. His resignation comes one month after acting ICE director Todd Lyons announced he is stepping down on May 31st. Back in March, President Trump fired Homeland Secretary security, Kristino. A Hawaiian snorkeling excursion by FBI Director Cash Patel now under scrutiny. The Navy confirms Patel went on a VIP snorkel session last summer at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The battleship is one of the nation's most hallowed sites since Japan bombed and sank the ship in 1941.

With few exceptions, snorkeling and diving near the ship are off limits. The Mandalorian and Grogu are off limits. The Mandalorian and Grogou. What started as a streaming series is now a full-length movie. joined by Sigourney Weaver, who plays a powerful colonel working with the Mandalorian and his apprentice. It's also incredible action and unpredictable story. And also I found it very touching and surprising. I really didn't know where it was going to go. It's not just Star Wars. It's Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's gladiator. It's all the big screen experiences that are part of our moviegoing experience and memories.

and I don't know. That's what I love about it. Star Wars, The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters next Friday. Grogu looked good on the red carpet last night. So cute. Yeah, super cute. The cloak and everything, really good at all.

Yeah, a new one for the red carpet, specifically. I mean, what are you going to do? It's a big movie coming out. This is going to be a very hot weekend, a nice weekend. Good if you like the hot temperatures, but if you were looking to get a break from the heat, the movies might not be a bad idea. Good idea.

Yeah, yeah, you're right. Starting Sunday as we'll get to the 90s and lasting through midweek. Late in the week, let's keep our fingers crossed at the ridge breaks down and we're going to get some rain around here and some thunderstorms too. But that's a long ways off. Right now it's chilly out there this morning, but a beautiful afternoon. Hope you get a chance to enjoy it. Mid upper 70s and low humidity today. Many heat wave really starts on Sunday. We get to the 90s lasting all the way through Wednesday.

And will there be any rain late next week? There's an opportunity as this front's going to move in. Let's don't jump the gun just yet, but there's a decent chance we could get some rain Thursday now with some showers and thunderstorms. European model actually has a front stalling to our south and maybe some more rain around Friday, especially in the sand hills. Let's don't, again, get too excited. When you're in a drought situation, anytime you see rain chances, you get excited, especially considering this is the dry spring we've had on record. We don't like that in the growing season. We need to get some rain around here.

Chili at the bus stop this morning for the kids when they come home feeling fantastic. will be in those mid-70s this afternoon. Really pleasant out there. 46, though, chilly right now. That's 14 degrees cooler than this time. Yesterday, not much of a breeze at all. And the breeze will be over overall light today. But look at Roxburgh.

Sanford 37, Silo City of 39 degrees, and most areas are in the 40s, so definitely chilly to get our day started. A pleasant evening for a walk around the neighborhood as numbers fall down to the upper 60s by 8 o'clock. Not too much of a breeze at all. Should be really pleasant for that walk. Jump ahead as the high pressure ridge really builds in, pumps the heat up, will be in the 90s as we go into Sunday, Monday about 93 degrees, maybe a touch more humid, a spotty little shower out in the mountains, but even Philadelphia getting into the mix in the mid-90s, so it's the East Coast that's really going to bake under this ridge of high pressure.

Nice if you're heading to the mountains this weekend with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Beaches looking good too, around 80 on Emerald Isle, Ritesville and Oak Island on Sunday. And the water is a little bit on the cool side this time of year, but should be nice and crowded out there at the beaches. Being those mid-upper 70s for highs today, gorgeous sunshine out there. Tonight, we'll call it season. It'll be cool, not quite as chilly as this morning. We'll be in the 40s and 50s. First floor 70 then, 86 tomorrow we start to heat things up. Could tie a record on Sunday.

Monday a touch more humid at 93. Still hot as we go into Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday's our best chance at some scattered showers and thunderstorms, and that I'll bring the temperature back out of the 90s. Anna? So Steve, I'm just noticing that we have a crash at 40 and NC 55. It looks like that may be causing some issues. I'm going to take a look at that.

And as soon as I have more details, I'll definitely let you know because that looks like it is going to cause some slowdowns. But for now, things overall really don't look bad. Here's a live look nearby at 40 and Fayetteville Road. You can see traffic is really light in that spot. We'll keep an eye on it, though, as we work our way through. this morning commute. Time now 522 and AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon joining forces. How it could lead to better service coverage for you. And stick around for Good Morning America at 7. The 50 States and 50 Weeks tour continues. We're stopping in Idaho this morning.

Take a look. Ahead on GMA, I'm Will Gans right here in the City of Trees, celebrating America 250 with the most appealing, pun intended, race in Boise. I'm talking, of course, about the famous Idaho potato marathon. So start stretching. people, we've got a marathon to run. Let's go. In today's tech fights, the big three wireless carriers teaming up.

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are working together to keep more people connected by reducing wireless dead zones in the US. The plan is to work with satellite providers to boost service in rural and underserved areas. Meta is opening up its rayband display glasses to third-party apps. Company is now accepting submissions from developers

for apps and games for the $800 frames. The platform will work with apps that have iOS or Android mobile app and will also be compatible with web apps. And finally, Amazon has reportedly ditched its Lord of the Rings game that was in development. The multiplayer game had faced an uncertain future after a wave of layoffs in the gaming division. But the company is now hinting that something else related to Middle Earth might be in the works. Those are your tech bites. I'm Hannah Batah. Have a great day. 527 is the time.

We've got a traffic alert coming up. We're looking a mess on I-40 Westbound in Durham. Here's a live look right now with the DOT cameras. This is 40 West at NC-55. It looks like it's completely shut down at this point. How this could impact your morning commute. Also, the Panthers preparing to go prime time, the NFL releasing this year's schedule.