ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - February 26, 2026

Episode Date: February 26, 2026

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And it is a first alert day. The rain keeps coming. You can see first alert Doppler, Neb behind us has been lit up all day in green. That's rain. Meteorologist Steve Stewart first alerting us to when we could finally dry out. And we're following breaking news today. A chase through two counties puts a local school on lockdown. The cost of attending college in the UNC Chapel Hill system is rising. Arshon coffee is live with today's critical vote on tuition. And today the Raleigh Police Department will release the five-day report after last week's shootout between Raleigh police and a murder suspect, what we could learn from this document. And paying tribute to late civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, his

casket arriving today at Rainbow Push, the nonprofit organization he formed in Chicago. It's the News at News. Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, today's top stories you need to know, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Good Thursday afternoon. It is the first alert day today. Thanks for joining us here at noon. I'm Amber Rupenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. We're getting so much needed rainfall today as temperatures remain on the mild side. Beterologist Steve Stewart joins us now with more on that. Hey, Steve. Hey there, Barbara. You're absolutely right. Much needed. That's what we need. A good old soaking rain. And we're getting it as we go throughout the day today. Some areas picking up a decent amount of rain too. Already over an inch. I'll show you that coming up. About 59 today. It might be a couple degrees cooler than that if we don't have any stoppage of the rain. the showers should be on and off as to go throughout the remainder of the afternoon. So far where you see these yellow shades, that's Doppler estimate of an inch of rain. Widespread, half inch, but nice to see that good old soaking rain out there right now.

It's going to help out in a big way. Still a lot out to our west. So a lot of that's going to get pushed farther to the south, but definitely going to see more hours of this rain now around Wake County getting showers. There's little breaks in the action here and there, but the showers will be with us all the way through at least around four or five o'clock. And then the lion share of the rain is going to be to our south. Note the legend there at 4.30.

There's still be a risk for some spotty showers as we go through the evening. Not everyone gets it, but there'll be some showers around. And then more showers are possible early tomorrow morning now. 53 degrees at North Hills with a south breeze at about six miles an hour. Wide spread low to mid-50s in our northern counties, but milder down in the sand hills with numbers there in the upper 50s and even some lower 60s. Evening planner, it's for light rain, but we'll have high probabilities of those light. showers and then as we get closer to midnight the rain's going to taper off and then more showers are possible in the morning tomorrow but make plans for the weekend still on track for a big warm up and some nice weather more on that coming up in the 70 forecast all right look at that headline feeling like spring love it steve thank you well as we track rain this afternoon meantime our ABC 11 storm chaser is out on the roads monitoring conditions Tamara Scott is live for us in Wake County with an update hey Tamara what are you seeing hey good afternoon ladies yes we are on I-40 Westbound here and take a look outside. It is still coming down pretty bad here.

And one thing you want to point out is since it's been raining like this since overnight into the morning. The roads are very, very wet. So if you're driving out, maybe grabbing some lunch, maybe, you know, picking your kid up from school later on today, you might see that the roads are looking like this. It's kind of hard to see pretty far ahead of you. So keep that in mind. Give yourself a lot of extra distance in between somebody. Another thing to keep in mind because it's been raining all day, a lot of these exits on the interstate or the belt line. are may have some puddling down on the exits coming where you're from. So definitely don't speed off those exits.

Take your time going off on them, especially on the sides as well. A lot of that puddling is there and that can definitely cause some hydroplaining if you're not careful. So take your time. It's a wet and muggy day outside. So take your time, get home. You don't want to rush it. Back to you. All right, Tamara.

Thank you. And now's a great time to download the ABC 11 mobile app. You can also check the first alert Doppler net and the seven-day forecast. We'll also send any watches and warnings. straight to your device. At breaking news, a chase that began in Johnston County and ended in a crash in Wake County, put a school on lockdown. This was the scene after Johnston County deputies chased a suspect into Wake County where the driver

crashed on I-40 at Jones Sausage. Big delays there. The suspect then jumped and ran after crashing the vehicle, and nearby East Garner Elementary was briefly put into lockdown as authorities searched for that suspect. We are working to learn if any arrests were made. New at noon, there's an increased security presence today at a Wake County school following a social media threat. And it comes just one day after a student at Millbrook High School allegedly brought a loaded gun to school, prompting a lockdown on campus. Elana Athens is joining us live with more.

Elena? Yeah, there is, Amber, this heightened security today here on this high school campus. We've seen officers stationed all around the perimeter of this property. So a message was sent out this morning to parents. We're going to show you that right now. After the district says it was made aware of a threat circulating in text messages as well as social media. Milbrook's principal says of school leaders and law enforcement, we take any and all potential threats to our school.

Seriously, they are investigating to evaluate the credibility of the threat. The precaution comes a day after police say student Malcolm McIntyre brought a loaded gun on campus. The school was placed on a code red lockdown yesterday. And police say a school resource officer, the weapon. The 18-year-old is going to face a judge this afternoon. McIntyre is facing four charges right now. The most serious one is a felony for having a gun on an educational property. The teenager is on the football team according to the school's athletic records and as per district policy, McIntyre will face a

mandatory 365-day suspension. We're live in North Raleigh. Elena, Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Elena, thank you. Just in we're getting new details on the The search for a gunman who fired shots into a car injuring a man near RDU Airport. It happened last week on Globe Road just before noon. Investigators said the driver of one car started shooting into another car before driving away on Page Road. The Durham County Sheriff's Office is asking for your help in finding a gunman there looking for someone in a matte black fifth generation Chevrolet Camero without hubcaps. The vehicle which did not have a license plate was seen in the area of the northern Durham Parkway shortly before the shooting.

And new at noon, an update on a stabbing in Willow Spring. It happened this morning at a home on Kenny Beck Road. A suspect has been taken into custody. The incident caused Willow Spring High School to be put on lockdown for a short time, but that has now been lifted. New at noon, a vote to increase tuition at most UNC system schools. The Board of Governors meeting in Raleigh, authorizing the first tuition hike for in state students in nearly a decade. Sean Coffey is live at NC State and Raleigh breaking down the impacts. Hi, Sean.

Yeah, hi, Amber and Barbara. this new tuition rate increase will apply only to in-state students that are coming into the UNC system next year, meaning it will not apply to the in-state students at least that are currently enrolled across the UNC system. But out-of-state students will see an increase as soon as next year and that increase could be fairly significant. Now the amount of tuition will increase for in-state students will be capped at 3 percent and it will not apply to the four North Carolina Promise schools. Those are Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, U.S.C. Pembroke and Western Carolina, the tuition for those schools for in-state students will remain at $500 per semester.

Again, out-of-state students will see an increase as soon as next year, and at today's meeting, this rate hike passed with only one vote against. This is an increase on North Carolina students and their families at a time when the recent per capita income has decreased. Income in North Carolina peaked in 2021 with the stimulus payments. It went down sharply in 2022 when stimulus and, ended and they had high inflation and it's still not fully recovered. With this increase, the system-wide tuition average for in-state students will increase by $125 per student. The board also voted to increase mandatory fees for students. Those are also statutorily capped at 3%.

So a big change the first time in nine years we're seeing tuition increased for in-state students across the UNC system. Back to you. All right, Sean Coffey, thank you for that. And happening today, more than a week of celebration and funeral services begin today for the late Reverend Jesse Jackson. The civil rights leader will lie in repose today and tomorrow at the Rainbow Push Coalition headquarters in Chicago. His body will then be transported to South Carolina where Jackson was born and raised. Jackson will be only the second black South Carolinian ever honored with a viewing at the

State House since its 1903 completion. Members of the public will be able to pay their respects to the two-time presidential hopeful on March 2nd. Jackson died peacefully last week at the age of. of 84. And happening today, the Raleigh Police Department is expected to release its five-day report following an officer involved shooting last week. It happened last Thursday night at a North Raleigh apartment complex when officers exchanged gunfire with 25-year-old Solomon Owens, who's now facing murder charges. Michael Perchick joins us live outside the RPD substation in downtown Raleigh with the latest. Michael, good afternoon. Good afternoon, Amber and Barbara. Solomon Owens is accused of killing Joseph Adams, a father of father of

who has found shot to death in Garner earlier this month. Raleigh police were attempting to take Owens into custody in relation to that case when he had a shootout with authority striking a Raleigh SWAT officer in the back of the head. That officer was wearing a ballistic helmet. He was treated at Wake Med before being released from the hospital. Owens also sustained injuries in that exchange, though it does not clear how the five-day report expected to provide more information at the moment leading up to that shooting. aftermath who expecting to be able to review that this afternoon in Raleigh. I'm Michael Perchick,

ABC 11, eyewitness news. Michael, thank you. A Durham police officer is recovering after being injured in a crash. The Durham police say the patrol car collided with a sedan around 815 last night at the corner of South Roxborough and Cornwallis roads. Both drivers suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. The cause of the crash is being investigated. Happening today, Raleigh City leaders debating the widening of Six Forks Road. The City Council's Transportation Committee is meeting at 3 o'clock and will discuss current traffic conditions and transit service. And this comes after the council voted in July to scrap the original Six Forks widening project and allocate the funds to two other road projects. The number of tips is decreasing

in the search for Nancy Guthrie. What authorities say next steps are as we near one month since her disappearance? Fallout from the Epstein files. The testimony today from first lady Hillary Clinton. And a police officer showing students, it's not too late to start a hobby. New at 1230, the skills she's bringing with her to the classroom. Eyewitness news. We are local news weeknights four to six 30 and 11. New fallout from the Epstein files, the release of those files. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set to testify today about her relationship with the convicted sex offender. And former President Bill Clinton is set to testify tomorrow after he appeared in the

Epstein files. The Clintons have not been accused. of any wrongdoing. ABC's Perry Russum has more. The Republican-led investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein now focuses on two of the most high-profile Democrats, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. No one's accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing. They're going to have due process, but we have a lot of questions. Over the next two days, the Clintz will be deposed by the House Oversight Committee behind

closed doors near their home in Chappaquin, New York. Hillary Clinton going first today, followed by the former president tomorrow. According to two people familiar with the agreement, the deposition will focus on a range of topics, including how the government allegedly mishandled an inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein and convicted associate Galane Maxwell and how Epstein allegedly used powerful people to protect him. Hillary Clinton has long denied ever having any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton was friendly with Epstein for years. Both have never been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein survivors,

and both deny any knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Not long after, Epstein's arrest in July 2019, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton said in a statement that the former president had not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade. We have said from day one that we want to talk to former President Bill Clinton, and the other person we want to talk to

is current President Donald Trump. The Clintons agreeing to sit down with lawmakers after months of negotiating. For weeks, the Clintz refused to testify, calling the committee subpoenas legally invalid and proposed a four-out transcribed interview instead. The Clinton's lawyer argued the couple has no information relevant to the committee's investigation of the federal government's handling of investigations into

Epstein and Maxwell. Republicans moved to hold them in contempt of Congress, and that's when the Clintons agreed to be deposed. The depositions will be recorded on video and transcribe. That is in accordance with House rules. They could be released in the coming days. Perry Russum, ABC News, New York. Perry thanks. Sources say the number of calls to police about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has now tapered off. The number of tips surged after her daughter Savannah Guthrie announced a $1 million reward in the case. Sources also say the FBI is now shifting agents from Tucson back to the Bureau's office in Phoenix as they focus on analyzing evidence.

Some of your favorite places in Nashville could be closing down. The city deciding on its fate coming up next. And caught on tape, a driver tries to beat a train and Rocky Mount that story in two minutes. And it was almost a bad day for some baby goats. And Fayetteville knew at 1230 how some local firefighters came to the rescue. You don't need AI agents, which may sound weird coming from service now, the leader in AI agents. The truth is, AI agents need you. Sure, they'll process, predict, even get work done autonomously.

But they don't dream, read a room, rally a team, and they certainly don't have shower thoughts, pivotal hallway chats, or big ideas. People do. And people, when given the best AI platform, they're freed up to do the fulfilling work they want to do. To see how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people, visit ServiceNow.com. Happening today, the future of Nash Square in downtown Raleigh, the city holding its first public meeting tonight as it works to create a new Nash County that reflects the needs and desires of the community.

The kickoff party and open house is happening from 530 to 8 tonight at Whiskey Kitchen on West Martin Street. A public survey is now also open on the city's website. Now to a guy caught on camera driving into the side of an Amtrak train and Rocky Mountain. You can see the track crossing lights are flashing. He goes around the stop arm and hits the side of that train. This happens shortly after 2.30 yesterday afternoon at the Bassett Street crossing. Police say no one was hurt, but there was some damage to the train engine in this. They say the driver, Tyveu, was behind the wheel of that car. He's now facing multiple charges, including reckless driving and not having a driver's license.

Wow. That is scary video right there. Could have been worse, way worse. Meteorologist Steve Stewart is here with the forecast, and boy, it is just messy outside. It is messy. Yeah, it's just one of those days you don't want to be out. If you don't have to, just not the prettiest of days, we're getting good rainfall when you add it all up. So this is going to be beneficial to us, considering how dry it's been as of late.

See the drops on the lens there. It is wet out there in this midday. The showers will be tapering off later on tonight. But listen, there's still going to be some showers around in the evening, especially down in the sand hills. It could be wet tomorrow morning, mainly from the triangle to the south and east. That's the best chance of getting morning rain that could last until midday. And then make some plans, though.

Still looks like a really nice weekend to get out, maybe fire the grill up on Sunday, as we'll have temperatures in the 70s enjoy it because it's a big drop off as we go into Monday. And there could be some cold showers. around as well on Monday and still rather chilly on Tuesday with temperatures well below average. Got the rain out there now moving right across Wake County. Some breaks here and there. Our northern counties up 85 there are seeing most of the showers at this hour. I'll see more of this pushing to the south a little bit later on and predictor showing just that. Still some spotty showers around as we go through the evening hours after midnight quieting down but then notice we're

going to get some showers potentially triangle south and east in the morning hours. Our model a little bullish on trying to bring that a little bit farther to the north all the way through midday and then tapering off after that. And the clouds are going to be really stubborn to clear as to go through the day tomorrow. Right now we're looking at wet conditions out there with rain and North Hills in 53. South breeze at about six miles an hour. Lower 50s in our northern counties, but around 60 in Clinton and Fayetteville in the upper 50s at this hour. And we'll see a little bit warmer air pushing to the north as the day wears on. Cain's in action tonight back on the ice against Tampa Bay.

will be in the mid-50 still a risk of a shower even before and after. So just keep that in mind your walk to and from Lenovo Center. Likely going to be pretty good as we head into Saturday. Warmer, 67 degrees, lots of sunshine. This front doesn't move through on Sunday. We'll be on the warm side of it with temperatures in those lower 70s. Probably get some late-day clouds increasing. And then we'll see that front settling in. That colder air is going to be pushing southward. Some of the models, like a GFS models, is really cold. But I don't think we're going to be. in the low 40s or upper 30s for highs. We'll see if we have to fine tune it. Mid upper 50s today we have showers. There could even be a little bit of isolated thunder later today. And then tonight we'll have some evening showers around, otherwise cloudy skies and low temperatures likely going to be in the 40s. And most spots a little bit warmer in the sand hills in the 50s in the 50s in Goldsboro right at 50 degrees.

First of a seven day forecast in tomorrow 55. We got a morning shower mainly from the triangle south and east, better and brighter over the weekend. Pick of the week is Sunday. Fantastic. 73 as we welcome March 1st. Get out, make some plans if you can because much colder with some spotty showers around Monday, maybe Tuesday as well. And then Wednesday we'll start to warm back up. And by Thursday, we're flirting with 70 again. Up and down. All right.

Steve, thanks. A high stakes meeting between the U.S. and Iran. In two minutes, what's on the table? A special tribute to the U.S. hockey player who scored the game winning goal. That story new at 1230. Plus, what we're learning about plans for ice agents to patrol polling sites during the midterm elections. New at noon, a third person has died after a shooting at an ice skating rink in Rhode Island. Police say 75-year-old Dennis Lynch succumbed to his injuries 10 days after being shot in the attack.

Authorities say Robert Dorgan shot and killed his ex-wife and adult son as they watched their other son's hockey game on February the 16th. The motive for the shooting is still not clear. We expect to learn more today about nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Delegations from the two countries are meeting in Switzerland today as the White House tries to pressure Iran into a deal that would stop them from getting nuclear weapons. In the meantime, the Trump administration says it's rolling out new sanctions targeting the Iranian military, as the U.S. also weighs potential military strikes on Iran. President Trump's State of the Union address, making history is the longest address to Congress and the nation. Trump's speaking for one hour, 47 minutes, surpassing former President Bill Clinton's one hour 28-minute address in 2000. According to preliminary figures, about 27.8 million viewers across the seven most watch broadcasts and cable outlets watched,

and that is down about 12 percent from Trump's last address to Congress in 2025, which brought in 31.4 million viewers. A Department of Homeland Security official says ICE agents will not be at polling places this November. multiple sources say Trump appointee Heather Honey told that to state election officials. In a statement, DHS says that ICE does not plan to target the polls. Not everyone buys the reassurance, though. Some skeptics are worried that immigration agents will try to interfere with the midterm elections. A U.S. registered speedboat is accused of violating Cuban territorial waters, kicking off an armed confrontation with Cuban border guard troops. That story brand new at 1230.

And what better way to celebrate 75 years of business than staff? stepping into a time machine. We have details on the retro prices. The Players Retreat is offering customers for their diamond anniversary.