ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - March 30, 2026

Episode Date: March 30, 2026

Eyewitness News at Noon - March 30, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a packed new newscast ahead. Here's what we're following right now. We're live at RDU after a threat forces the evacuation of Terminal 1. What delays to expect if you're flying out today? The war in Iran, the protest underway in Raleigh as more troops are headed to the region. And we are following the search for a head coach at two local universities, one school apparently ready to make a big announcement. And raid hike hearing, we're talking with Duke Energy about its plan to raise your bill. if it can ahead of a public hearing and a rally today.

Right now, live coverage from your local newsleader. 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 afternoon. Welcome on this Monday, March 30th. I'm Barbara Gibbs. Amber Repenta has the day off today. I'm here with meteorologist Cruz Medina. We're headed for a nice warm up this week.

I asked him before we came on the air. We're going to get any rain this week. We will get some rain, but it's mainly going to be toward the back half of the week. I think for today the focus is really how warm it's going to be outside because it's going to be warmer than anything we saw throughout this weekend. So check this out. We'll take a look at how much above average it's going to be for this afternoon. So tipters at Rdu, 7 degrees above average for that forecast high of 75 we have in the 7-day forecast for today. By tomorrow, 14 degrees above average.

And then Wednesday, that could be the warmest day of the week. 17 degrees above average. So needless to say, it's going to be a warm week ahead. Tipters in the 70s today and lots of 80s in your seven-day forecast. I want to take you out to the coast, though, because a lot of local schools are on spring break this week. So some of your relatives, your friends, family might be out at the coast. And this is Wrightsville Beach. You can see folks out there surfing it up this Monday afternoon as the weather is very nice all across the state of North Carolina.

If you are staying local, though, heading out for lunch plan soon, tipters will be in the 70s for the rest of the afternoon. So very nice weather for your lunch hour. And if you're not in those mid-70s like Raleigh, you're probably going to be right around 76, 77 in some of those southern communities. By the time we get into tonight, it won't be as chilly as what we woke up to throughout the weekend mornings. Tipters only drop into the 50s tonight. So 57 is that low in Raleigh. We will have a mostly clear sky, but southwest winds are going to continue to pump in that warm air. So if you have an early tea time tomorrow, you're probably going to be good without without a jacket in the morning.

So tipters are in the 50s starting the day. We should be in the 60s by 10 a.m. for the afternoon hours tomorrow. We do reach the low 80s, and we'll see a decent amount of sunshine on the way as well. We'll talk about a little more in depth about those rain chances for later in the week and also a statewide burn band that's in effect

and how long that'll last. That's all coming up in your extended forecast. Barbara, back to you. All right, Cruz, a lot of people want to know about that. Thank you. Well, first at noon. Terminal 1 is back open right now at Raleigh, Dermin International Airport after being closed early this morning due to an anonymous threat.

That evacuation leading to some delays at a security check line as TSA agents already working without paychecks for weeks. But is that changing right now? Dwan Hoggard live at RDU with an update. How things go in Dwan? Well, good afternoon to you Barron. First things first, terminal two is wide open. Terminal 1 is wide open. I want to go and show you these TSA lines from what we see here or lack thereof of a TSA line. And this is just the start of what's called going to be a relatively busy spring break travel week. And today there's been a noticeable shift in mood among TSA officers that I've seen here inside Terminal 2.

And that's because after weeks of their pay being in limbo, workers finally receiving their paychecks this morning for what they thought would be pay periods 3, 4 and 5. However, a union rep telling me this morning that TSA staffers only received a partial payment for pay period 3, which coincided with the same time as the partial government shutdown. Now their paychecks, as you just mentioned, Barbara, also come on the hills of an early morning bomb threat just across the way here at Terminal 1 that forced the evacuation of that terminal for about two hours this morning while law enforcement searched the area before eventually reopening the terminal to traffic again. Now, we are expecting crowds to pick up here again shortly at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 as the day progresses, as this is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. We're also working with local union leadership for further details and when they can expect their full payment, as well as the move toward full funding as this partial government shutdown continues. And throughout our time here at RDU, we've also seen TSA workers make their way through the terminal here,

some with boxes presumably full of donations from the public or other organizations. Just wanting to do their part to help out to make sure TSA workers are able to get what they desperately need. But we're going to follow the absolute latest from here. We're live at RDU Airport this afternoon. Dwan Hoggard. Ives Levin, eyewitness news. Right, Duane, thank you. And now to downtown Raleigh, where a rally is underway,

protesting the war with Iran. Elena, Athens is there for us with the latest. Elena, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Barbara. Yeah, there is a small gathering right now, less than 15 people outside of the federal building here along Newburn Avenue. Let me step out of the shot,

give you a live look right now, as that small demonstration is getting underway. The poor people's campaign is opposing the ongoing military operation in Iran, And this protest is part of the broader Moral Monday movement. The rally comes days after no Kings Day. Demonstrations were held across the triangle and nationwide. People gathered to demonstrate against the Trump administration with attendees calling Saturday to issues such as immigration enforcement and federal funding, federal funding cuts.

So as we take you again live here along Newbern Avenue, you can see that there are some people who are gathered right now, at least one individual is at the podium. right now opposing the ongoing operations that are taking place right now in the Middle East. We're live in Raleigh, Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitnesses. All right, Elena, thank you. Well, more than a month into the war with Iran, President Trump says negotiations with the country still ongoing. He says Iran has agreed to allow 20 more oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. A move he says shows negotiations are going well. President Trump refusing to rule out using ground troops if negotiations fail.

This noon, we know that 50,000 Americans. troops are on the ground in the Middle East with more on the way. Concerns about a U.S. ground invasion continue to drive up oil and gas prices. AAA says the national average is now $3.99 a gallon. NC State may soon have a new men's head basketball coach. Justin Ganey is expected to replace Will Wade as the Wolfpack's next head coach, Ganey no stranger to the program. Michael Perchick is now live for us on NC State's campus with reaction. Michael, good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Barbara University spokesperson tells me no board of trustees meeting has been called at this time a necessary step in improving a contract of this stature. But a source tells me that NC State is expected to move forward with Ganey. Move that would be welcomed by a lot and former players and many of whom have publicly spoken out in his support. Gany played for the Wolfpack from 1996 to 2000, served in as an administrative coordinator here from 2006 to 2008. He has spent the past five seasons as an assistant at Tennessee. He's had prior stops at Elon Appalachian State, Santa Clara, Arizona, and Marquette. Praise for his recruiting ability and defensive coaching acumen. This would be Ganey's first head coaching job, and it would cap off a whirlwind week for the Wolfpack.

Less than seven days ago, those rumors emerging that now former men's basketball coach, Will Wade, would be leaving. Ultimately, he tendered his resignation. Wednesday he's expected to be introduced as a new head basketball coach at LSU. afternoon so it could be happening the same day finding over the new men's basketball coach here at nc state and hearing from the now former men's basketball coach down in louisiana a lot to unwrap will have reactions from the students here on campus starting at four o'clock in raleigh on michael purchick a bcdc a bc 11 eyewitness news all right we'll wait for that announcement if there is one i'm sure there is going to be if you believe all the sources michael thank you

all right unccee chapel hill also looking for a head basketball coach and now putting expansion plans on hold as that search continues and a statement sent to a bc 11 Carolina Athletics says, quote, the University of North Carolina is suspending the ongoing discussions about the future of the Smith Center in order to focus on identifying and selecting a new head men's basketball coach. Arena discussions will resume after the new coach has had time to acclimate to the program and focus on future needs, end of quote. The university fired Hubert Davis after the Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. Students tell eyewitness news tonight. Davis is

Davis is firing is bittersweet for them. I do appreciate all the work that Coach Davis did at the university. I don't think we're going to find someone who loves UNC as much as Coach Davis and the legacy he's leaving along with the legacy of the people that came before him is incredible and it shows how remarkable the Carolina family is. So it is a little bittersweet to think that we're going to go to national search and that we might have someone from the outside coming in and coaching at Carolina. that. Hubert Davis led Carolina to the national title game in 2022, but did not deliver

championships and won seats like program stakeholders were hoping for. Well, now to March Madness, and it is the sports world. It's all it's talking about this afternoon. The shot heard around the country. Yukon bearing a three-pointer to stun Duke in advance to the final four. Duke fans in shock as the Blue Devils halftime lead shrank. And then that shot in the final seconds of the game from a freshman hitting a three-pointer from well beyond the arc. That ends Duke's quest for another national championship. In the meantime, the Duke women also out of the tournament. The Blue Devils losing to UCLA yesterday, 70 to 58, and they're a lead eight matchup. That means no triangle teams are still dancing in either bracket. But great news for all those who made the

tournament. Great season. We want to remind you to watch the women's national championship game next Sunday, April the 5th in Phoenix, Arizona, right here on eBay. WC 11 tip off is at 3.30. Well, the plan to raise your energy bill we're hearing from Duke Energy ahead of a public hearing today. And the historic mission to the moon, the local ties to one of the astronauts. I witness news. We are local news weeknights four to six 30 and 11. Well, your electric bill could be going up. Duke Energy wants more of your money and today the public gets a chance to say something about that. Tamara Scott talking with Duke Energy about the proposed increase.

If you've had a higher electric bill recently, you're not alone. There will be several frustrated customers gathering here later today to voice their concerns about their rising utility bills. Later tonight, state regulators will hear from customers directly as the power company pushes for another rate increase. A state report shows electric bills in North Carolina have climbed about 22% since 2020. Duke Energy says the request,

about 15% over two years is tied to reliability across the state. But we're also making the electric grids stronger. We're upgrading poles and wires, expanding substations to be better able to resist outages from severe weather and also to restore power faster after a major storm. One of the things that we've seen is an increase in our self-healing capabilities, and those are all part of this case as well. That technology helped to avoid about 1.3 million customer outages, last year and that saved about 3 million hours of outage time.

For many customers, the concern is much more immediate. Recent bills, some significantly higher, have sparked frustration online with a growing petition now calling for an independent audit of Duke Energy's billing system. The company says those higher bills are largely due to usage and growth. We've added about 150,000 customers to the state recently, and most of those are residential and commercial customers. And with that brings the requirement to grow our system, to make it stronger and more reliable. So we've added, you know, significant amount of infrastructure related to that.

And that infrastructure is reflected in this rate request. It's just a growing time for our state. And we are building the infrastructure to support that. And that rally with frustrated customers is expected to start around 4 o'clock this afternoon here on Halifax Mall, followed by that public hearing at 7 o'clock. Stay with us throughout the day. We'll bring you all the latest updates. Tamara, Scott, ABC 11, eyewitness news.

All right, Tamara, thank you. Ready for liftoff, the final countdown to NASA's historic moon mission. We're hearing from the NC State graduate who will be on board. And the big gift for North Carolina's Central University. When Westcham first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different. People thought denim on denim was peak fashion, inline skates were everywhere, and two out of three women rocked the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that has,

is that fuzzy feeling you get 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. All right, the countdown is on to the first astronaut trip to the moon in more than a half century. The Artemis 2 rocket is sitting on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, preparing to launch in two days. On board, NC states, Christina Cook, who will be the first woman to journey to the moon, is ready to go. ABC's Perry Rosam has more on the historic mission. The countdown is on for the first human moon mission in more than 50 years.

We can safely say the crew's ready, the rocket's ready, the spaceship's ready. The Artemis 2 plans to launch four astronauts on a 10-day, 685,000-mile journey, slingshotting around the moon, venturing deeper into space than ever before. It's a crucial step in NASA's multi-billion-dollar project to land humans back on the moon, build a lunar. base and send future explorers to Mars. The crew led by commander, Reed Wiseman. We're doing this because it's a unique opportunity. We are going for all and by all. This is what NASA embodies. The Artemis 2 astronauts speaking from quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center. It's a history-making crew. Victor Glover is set to become the first black man to travel into deep space. Young brown boys and girls can look at me and go, hey, he looks

like me and he's doing what? And that's great. I love that. But I also hope we are pushing. the other direction that one day we don't have to talk about these first, that one day this is just, and I listen to this, that this is the human history. Christina Cook will be the first woman to journey to the moon. If there is something to celebrate, it's that we are at a time when everyone who has, everyone who has a dream gets to work equally hard to achieve that dream. The trip years in the making has been hit with delays from hydrogen fuel leaks to an interruption of helium flow in the rocket. We have the best crew that you can put together from NASA. and the Canadian Space Agency here. And we have the ultimate trust in each other.

And that's how we will get through this. Perry Russum, ABC News. North Carolina Central University gets a major donation. The senior pastor at St. Joseph A.M.E. Church in Durham called on the congregation to raise $10,000 in support of NCCU. They didn't do it. Instead, the congregation doubled that amount to $20,000. The church presented the university's chancellor, Dr. Carrie Dixon, with the money during Sunday's service. this gift is to show the congregation's steadfast support to their neighboring HPCU institution.

All right, learning more about next week's Easter egg role at the White House. Celebration is set for next Monday. This year, the White House Easter egg role will honor America's 250th birthday by incorporating patriotic themes throughout the event. The White House Easter egg role is a timeless White House tradition dating back to 1878. Let's get a meteorologist Cruz Medina. Got so much going on this week as we lead up. to Easter holiday, so many activities outside. It looks like it's gonna be nice,

although you have to watch the pollen and we really do need some rain. Yeah, and we will get some rain toward the back half of the week. That said, the rain chance have actually trended downward. So not working in our favor. And obviously we know that there's that statewide burn ban that I'm gonna tell you about in just a moment, but I can tell you at least on the positive side of things,

a lot of local school districts are out this week for spring break. And so even if you're not going to the coast or to the mountains or elsewhere, It'll still be nice back toward home. Tipsures are going to jump into the 70s this afternoon, 80s by the time we get to tomorrow and through the rest of the week. The rain chances are mainly from the back half of the week. So Thursday and Friday could feature some spotty rain chances.

And then the next best chance actually comes on Easter Sunday, but likely late in the day. So right now, as you plan ahead, things are looking warm and mainly dry for most of the day. And then it'll be at night, really, when we have to turn our attention to the rain chance. But of course, that being so far out, you'll want to check. back for updates throughout this week. I can tell you for this afternoon, no rain chance in the forecast. So if you're heading out to walk on your lunch break, taking your dog out later today, walking, you know, any of those things. It's going to be a very nice afternoon for that. Not overly warm, just warm enough. So it's above average for today. We will have a partly cloudy sky.

Tipters once again reaching those 70s this afternoon. As we go through the course of tonight, it's mostly clear, but with a south wind still pumping, we're going to see those tipters only drop into the 50s tonight. So very mild as you start your day on Tuesday. It's going to be something similar to like what we would see in a summer day. And then for the afternoon, might even almost feel like summer with some of you jumping into the low 80s. Once again, another partly cloudy sky and we'll see those mild conditions stick around even through tomorrow evening. So for your kiddos, once again, lots of them on spring break tomorrow. Getting them outside, it's not going to be a problem.

For tomorrow afternoon, temperatures push into those low 80s, 3, 4, 5 p.m. still very warm. and then in the evening only cooling down into the 70s. So the temperature's not dropping all that quickly. Like Barbara said, with these dry conditions though, the pollen has returned. So Friday night's rain that helped to wash away a lot of the yellow. I've already been seeing it on cars this morning. And so the pollen count is elevated due to tree pollen.

So pine, oak, maple and sweet gum. Those are the primary allergens today. The pollen count was about 1,500 grams per meter cube. So that's a pretty high pollen count. could increase as we go forward in time as well. So if you're an allergy sufferer, just know we're not going to see that pollen count come down until we get a significant rain. That's not going to come on Tuesday. Wednesday at best a spotty shower.

Once again, better chances as we go into Thursday and Friday. But by Wednesday, that's likely our warmest day of the week, 85 degrees and plenty of sunshine. But with all of this dry weather, the burn ban is statewide. This is from the NC Forest Service. And it's until further notice. So no open outdoor burning of any kind until that burn ban is lifted. All right, your first alert seven day forecast. This shows the rain chances on the way.

Once again, spotty storms on Friday. Good Friday, 82 degrees for that high. Saturday back in the mid-80s again, even though it's mostly cloudy, still a decent start to the weekend and warm into Easter Sunday. We could see some late-day showers and storms, and that'll cool us down into the start of the following week. Amber. All right. Thank you.

Cruz. Well, avoiding long lines at the DMV, the new tool helping you avoid those long weights and how you can own a piece of Raleigh's history. Well, the DOT is out with a new update on road recovery efforts. 18 months after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. The agency says 9,500 sites were damaged during the storm so far. 87% have been repaired. That includes nearly 600 of the 869 damaged bridges.

In the meantime, work continues on the repairs to I-40. in the Pigeon River Gorge, which is expected to be complete in late 2028. Well, it may be possible to avoid waiting in those long lines at the DMV. DMV wait times are now available online. The agency rolled out the new feature on its website last week showing estimated wait times,

the number of customers being served, and the number of people waiting in lines, all on the DMV's website so you can coordinate your next visit. All right, new at noon, a new safety campaign is underway on North Carolina roads. the state highway patrol just launched, speed a little, lose a lot. From now through Sunday, there will be increased patrols designed to save lives by reducing crashes related to speeding. Getting to your destination a few minutes faster is never worth the risk. No appointment, no meeting,

no errand is more important than a human life. Law enforcement agencies across the state will increased patrols and enforcement efforts during the duration of this campaign. Happening today, the city of Raleigh is putting the Pull and Park train up for auction, but don't worry, the popular attraction is not closing. The city council approved the 2015 propane locomotive to be sold, not the entire train. The locomotive is getting replaced with a new electric train. The online auction opens at 8 a.m. on the govdeals.com website. A statewide burn ban is in effect. Coming up new at noon, we're talking with an expert about about the danger and how long it might last.

And the longest government shutdown in history, what's next for lawmakers.