ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - September 22, 2026

Episode Date: September 22, 2026

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Breaking right now on eyewitness news at noon, President Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly when he believes the war in Iran will end. And the mayor of Durham speaking to eyewitness news after a 15-year-old was charged with firing shots at police officers. Arshon Koffey has his message to the community. It is the grand opening of a new facility in Wake County to help women and children experiencing homelessness. It is eyewitness news at noon. 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-I witness news. And good Tuesday afternoon. It is a first alert day. Thanks for joining us here at noon. I'm Amber Repenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. There is a chance of storms late this afternoon. Could cause a flood risk.

It's a level two out of five or out of four, actually. After the rain, we'll see a big temperature swing for the first day of fall, which is tomorrow. It's got a meteorologist, Kuelan Murphy, with more, we've been waving on this first day of feels. Yeah, the feels like temperatures will be dropping down tomorrow, but the rain chances come today. So that's what we're getting ready for. It's a first alert day because we do have a risk for some flash flooding. Wherever we see the heaviest rain later and wherever some of the cells start to do a bit of training,

that's going to lead to some concerns later this evening, I think, and for tonight as well. Early in the afternoon, you'll see some isolated to scattered storms. But as we head towards five, six o'clock, I think the cover. which starts to ramp up and we'll have rainfall overnight into tomorrow morning as well. In terms of severe potential, it's a really low shot west of the triangle, parts of Chatham County down to Morrill Lee and Hoke counties for damaging winds of some microbursts possible too. First of our Doppler net shows that we're fairly clean on the radar. We have some drizzle in pockets and some light showers into parts of northern Alamance County. Burlington points north towards Anderson as well.

But everywhere else is dry. Rain to the east, rain to the west and a stationary boundary nearby. going to keep the showers going. We had a lot of fog this morning. Low clouds and still seeing some of that overcast sky right now. It's 78 degrees at RDU. But check out how much cooler it is right now. 10 degrees lower than yesterday. Still very humid. Due points in the 70s with a light wind. Temperatures are in the 70s and 80s at this point, but that's a big change from yesterday. 5 to 10 degrees cooler. 81 degrees at 4 o'clock will have isolated storms scattered storms into the evening. We're in the 70s and then we're in the 60s by 10 tonight with showers with the

arrival of fall tomorrow morning cloudy skies and I think we're going to have some rain around two temperatures will be in the 60s as we head into the evening hours storms arrive later fall arrives at 805 this evening we're looking at temperatures to drop tomorrow Wednesday and Thursday damp cool and breezy struggling to get to 70 degrees for the high tomorrow and you're going to need your jackets I would say have jackets for tomorrow and maybe coats by the end of the week because some of us are going to see 40s in the morning on Friday. That's so North Carolina. It's crazy.

Do you know what I'm saying? Go from 90 to you need your big coat. You need your big coat and flip flops. All right. Thank you. Now is a great time to download the ABC 11 app. It's a great way to stay up to date on current weather conditions. We'll send you watches and warning straight to your phone.

Plus, you can always check the first alert, Dopplernet, and the 70 forecast there at any time. And breaking right now at noon, President Donald Trump delivering remarks at the United Nations General Assembly with the War in Iran and high oil prices looming over the speech. The president called the U.S. military the best and most powerful in the world. He also defended his administration's military operations in Iran, touting his global peacekeeping efforts and renewing his frequent criticisms of the international body. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world.

Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to. They're waiting to see how I do in the mid-term. term election, what they don't realize is that I'm not running.

President Trump also discussed the future of artificial intelligence and we'll have more on the speech at the bottom of the hour. And a new poll indicates opposition to the Iran war is hardening among Republicans. The CNN survey shows only 23% of Americans approve of how President Donald Trump is handling the conflict. That is down from 33% a month after the war began. Most of the dip is among Republicans since opposition among Democrats and Democrats. independence has been more consistent. Majorities say the U.S. is not winning the war. It hasn't been worth the cost and Trump does not have a clear plan for handling it. The president's approval rating for foreign affairs in general is at a record low right now for CNN polling across both

his terms. New at noon, the mayor of Durham is speaking out after a 15-year-old is taken into custody after police say the teenager fired two gunshots in a scuffle with officers. Sean Coffey spoke with the mayor this morning about this. So Sean, what did the mayor have to tell you? Yeah, good afternoon, guys. Mayor Leo Williams said that he's grateful that both that teenager and those two Durham police officers are okay, first and foremost. And he praised the officers for the restraint that they should,

preventing potentially a much greater tragedy here. This incident unfolding yesterday just before 4.30 when those officers went to arrest that 15-year-old suspect in connection with the suspected larceny. When they tried to do that, they say he pulled out a gun and fired two shots. No one was hit by the gunfire, but one of the officers dis sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The incident comes just two weeks after Durham County Commissioners supported that city's new youth violence prevention strategy, and it comes at the start of the tenure of New Durham Police Chief Stephanie Martis, with

Leah Williams praising her leadership around this incident yesterday. But I found out what happened because she actually told me. I didn't know I was actually in traffic at the scene. that tells me that she is all over the place. She is committed. I'm excited about her new placement in Durham, and I think that she's right for the community at this time. That 15-year-old is currently in custody. We did reach out to Chief Martis requesting an interview so far.

We have not heard back. Malam in Durham, Sean Coffey, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Sean will continue to follow it. Thank you. And Wake County Commissioners are allowing the WakeMed and Atrium Health deal to advance. Protests forced the room to be cleared before a five to two vote in favor of the move. The deal, however, still faces regulatory review before it becomes final. Elena, Athens joins us now live with more on the next steps.

Elena, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Barbara. Yeah, we know that the governor's office got involved in these negotiations, and the majority of Wake County Commissioners voted in favor of this merger, but this is not a done deal. The Atrium WakeMed merger does move forward with regulatory review, and the Federal Trade Commission will need to sign off. I'm being told that federal review process will take several months,

and Governor Stein has said he expects the State Attorney General's office to also do an independent analysis. Atrium and Wigmet issued a joint statement last night, saying in part we look forward to fulfilling our commitments. We recognize that trust is earned, and our focus is now to follow through on what we've outlined. Last night's vote was contentious, and some people in the audience were even removed by,

deputies. Under the deal, Atrium has agreed to cap price increases at Wake Med for the next five years. The increases would not exceed 1.5 times the annual increase in Medicaid costs. Atrium has also agreed to create a $150 million fund to benefit the greater WakeMed community. We're live in Raleigh, Elena, Athens. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Elena, thanks. And happening today, religious exemptions are back before the Wake County School Board. The policy committee will discuss revisions to the new rules passed just last week, allowing students to leave school for religious instruction during the day. Board members say the district made the change to comply with state law. Today's meeting begins at 1 o'clock.

Also today, the state of Durham Public Schools, Superintendent Anthony Lewis is set to deliver his annual address, outlining the district's priorities, progress, and community engagement for the future. The speech starts at 6 o'clock tonight at Northern High School and will also stream live on the district's social media pages. A new effort begins to help women and children across Wake County. The Raleigh Rescue Mission is celebrating the grand opening of a new campus in Nightdale. It's called The Garden and it will serve up to 350 women and children experiencing homelessness. Community leaders say this is about more than providing a place to stay. The campus includes private living spaces, on-site daycare, life skills training and also job

readiness programs, all designed to help families get back on their feet and eventually into stable housing. Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Recruit Military is holding a virtual career fair. The Eastern Region hiring event will connect active duty service members, veterans, and their spouses with employers. The event runs until three, and you can register at my recruit military.com. Also here at noon, the Fayville Fire Department is looking to hire new firefighters. Applications are being accepted through Friday for entry level and fully certified positions, starting salary with FFD is $45,000. dollars. Interested candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED

certificate, and recruits must also have a valid North Carolina driver's license. The divorce laws in North Carolina could be changing. Just ahead here at noon, the new bill filed at the legislature that could speed up the process. Grand jury finds there's no evidence to bring charges in the death of a Mississippi teenager this summer. Nolan Wells found dead after a Fourth of July boating trip off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Plus. I was predicting probably close to $5,000 to heat my home this winter. Homeowners are bracing for higher heating bills this winter

as oil prices balloon to record territory. In Toronto, every arrival is a statement, and nothing says it better than this. Cadillac Optic was the number one selling luxury EV in Canada for 2025. Find your rhythm across a seamless 33-inch display and an immersive 19-speaker AKG surround audio system. This city demands agility and optic delivers with precision to make every drive extraordinary. Let's take the Cadillac. Find out more at Cadillac Canada.ca.

Luxury sales claim based on S&P Global Mobility Canadian New Vehicle Total Registrations for calendar year 2025 for the Cadillac definition of luxury. Eyewitness News. We are Local News, weeknights 4 to 630 and 11. No charges will be filed in the death of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old found dead following a July 4th trip in Mississippi. A grand jury ruling unanimously that there's no evidence to bring charges. Here's ABC Sophie Flea. A Mississippi grand jury has unanimously found no evidence of a crime and the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells. And the district attorney is calling out the people who said otherwise.

There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's disappearance in death were racially motivated. Nolan's friends love Nolan, and Nolan loved them. The 18-year-old college football player, who was black, vanished on the 4th of July on Horn Island off the Gulf Coast after friends left on a boat and he stayed behind. His body was found in the water two days later. The family questioned whether race was shaping the investigation. The grand jury heard 43 witnesses. Its report says the evidence is consistent with drowning, that Wells was not in any fight that day and that a bruise on the back of his head was not fatal.

A witness testified Wells slipped off the side of a boat. The DA says a team working with the family's attorney, Ben Crump, told her office last month that they had no evidence of a crime. But she says they allowed false narratives spread anyway. The Crump team knew better, but did not do better. Crump fired back overnight, saying the state is trying to close the chapter without explaining that head injury, which the family's own pathologist called blunt-forced trauma. The medical examiner officially lists the cause of death as undetermined.

Sophie Flai, ABC News, New York. And the family is asking the DA to keep the case open and wants the Justice Department to step in. The owner of one of the biggest Wendy's franchises in the country is filing for bankruptcy. That story, new at 1230. And the reigning Stanley Cup champions are just hours away from being back on the ice at the Lenovo Center. And the home crowd will be ready with some new changes inside the arena. And a hurricane explodes in size to a category five off Mexico's Pacific Coast. Just ahead the update on this monster storm.

hockey's back at the Lenovo Center. The Carolina Hurricanes taking on the Florida Panthers tonight in their second preseason game of the year. Duan Hogarth's joining us live. Dewan, doesn't it seem like we were just out there yesterday checking on everything, cheering on the team. And now it's also a refreshed arena as we welcome everyone back. Yeah, I mean, it wasn't just that long ago when you, myself, Barbara, and the rest of the gang, we're all standing right here with a bunch of rowdy Kaniak fans behind us celebrating our continuous wins all the way through the Stanley Cup finals.

And now we're back here. Preseason game tonight. It's a home game against the Florida Panthers. And there's going to be a lot that's happening here behind me. You see the flags behind me, the Stanley Cup there right in front of the Lenovo Center. And the branding, what they're calling it, is Lenovo Center 2.0. I want to go ahead and kind of show you a little bit about what's going to take place today. Now, lots of plans and developments, they're already awaiting the fan experience on the outside.

However, to see any of the changes that's been happening inside. the arena, you have to walk through those doors and head inside. Now, fans coming into the arena starting this season will have an elevated fan experience with more seats, more screens for you to view, more food options than they had last year. This also includes inside a re-isle design of the 100 level, a refresh of the third level concourse. There'll be new bathrooms as well as amenities for families. Also, the Lenovo Legend Club and bunker suites are open to provide fans with an upscale hospitality option to enjoy. the games here. So a lot of fun will be taking place here starting as early as 4 o'clock. Why?

Because if you're a season ticket holder, they'll have the Stanley Cup here for you to take a picture in front of because a lot of folks are still very, very excited that your Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions. So a lot of fun here at the Lenovo Center. A puck drop behind me here for the preseason game starts at 7 o'clock. We're live at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Duan Hoggard, Ebis 11, eyewitness News. Yeah, I think one of my friends said she was getting her hair did. so she could get that picture with the Stanley Cup today. Getting a blowout, Juan. A lot of excitement.

It's so fun. All right. Thank you. Happening today in Wake County, Apex Town Council members will vote on grass clippings. The collection cut in January 1st because of disposal concerns with town leaders citing capacity issues. Even if the measure is voted down today,

finding alternatives will still be a major concern. Officials now urging people to lead their clippings in the yard and use a mulching mower in a process often called grass cycling. Well, Raleigh is helping homeowners get prepared for the fall season. The City's solid waste services team will be hosting pop-up events to hand out free biodegradable yard waste bags. The first happening tomorrow from 11 to 2 at Millbrook Exchange Park, and you can get up to five free bags and learn more about the city's new service for residents. It's officially fall today. Well, tonight, 805, but I was going to say our leaves really won't be changing much.

I think we'll have a hard time as that just because it's been so dry lately. So we'll see how that dry and hot too. We'll get some rain today. The problem is some of it could come in a short amount of time and be heavy in spots too. Picking up a few more showers for parts of the area right now into Moore County. Southern Pines. You have a few light showers there and into Alamance as well. We're tracking the risk for flash flooding today. Level two of four. That's why it's a first alert day. Severe threat is really low. It includes western areas. So Chattelmore Lee parts of Hope County, you have that threat for damaging winds later. You're still going to have, I think, a few more hours of dry time and then towards. It's 4 or 5 p.m. Picking up the coverage in general. That continues through this evening with scattered storms. We'll hold on to showers and some light to moderate rain tomorrow morning. But the other big story is the temperature drop. Our average high is 81.

Yesterday we got to 94 at RDU. Today about 10 degrees cooler, mid 80s, and then tomorrow 70 for the high. So that's it. Upper 60s Thursday. So overall through the end of the week, temperatures running about 10 to 15 degrees above average. Below average. We'll finish out the week, though, with lots of.

sunshine. Fall arrives officially at 805 this evening. That's when the equinox occurs. The sun's raised directly over the equator. So today in general, we're looking at 12 hours and eight minutes of daylight. Still some low clouds, certainly not as low and as thick as they were this morning. Seventies on temps from Sanford to the triangle, Roxborough's 83 and Goldsrow, Fayetteville, 80 degrees. So highs today north will be in the upper 70s. We'll be in the 80s in the triangle and south with scattered storms developing. Some rain around tonight, heavy at times. A little cooler tomorrow morning, 50s and 60s early. So this is the big picture. There's a low offshore. That's going to be a big story weather maker for the eastern seaboard in the days ahead. A stationary front

nearby, and we have some moisture off to the east. There's also a big high pressure setting up over Canada. That's going to play a role driving that cooler air, wedging it down against our mountains and that will help to keep us in the cool side too in the days ahead. So here we are five o'clock scattered rain and storms. Rain chances continue overnight. We'll have showers likely tomorrow morning. So commutes for Wednesday will be wet and chilly. Sixes in the morning and six seas for most of the day with occasional showers off and on throughout the day on Wednesday. Some rain locally heavy. Thursday will start with some wet conditions 50s out the door. And then I think later in the day Thursday will start to see that drier trend as the cool air works in. This is Friday morning. The models were showing some upper 40s earlier. I think we'll have upper 40s northern areas Friday morning 50s for the triangle and south. And then that low pressure gets strong. offshore ultimately it shifts north Wednesday into Thursday but there are already Gail warnings in place for the coast and that's because of the strong winds to come later tomorrow morning 30s plus on the gusts popping to 40 plus along the

coast into Wednesday night and Thursday the other problem is persistent wind along the coast will drive that moisture in and that's going to lead to some flooding potentially there coastal flooding with the winds for our coastline probably Wednesday through Friday of this week so again tracking rainfall potential for this evening and showers unsettled still through Thursday, but the temperatures will be the big story. 70 tomorrow, 60s Thursday, 50s and 40s. Wow, Friday morning. Wow. But the good news is for the weekend, beautiful weather, sunshine, we're dry. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. We've got some football games too coming up this weekend, so it'll feel like it. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you, Quay.

Coming up next at noon, an update on the Venezuela man who was taken into iced detention with a bullet still lodged in this back. That story in two minutes. And a newly released report reveals the cause of death for actress Hayden Panetteer. Now to an update on the Venezuelan man who was shot by an ICE officer and taken to the detention center in Texas with a bullet still lodged in his back. The attorney for Wilbur Rafael Garces Perez says that he has now been taken back to the hospital. He was making a door-dash delivery when his car was sideswiped twice by ICE agents in an unmarked truck. His attorney says he was shot in the back and taken to the hospital, but later released Sunday into ICE custody. The 28-year-old claiming on Monday the bullet had not

been removed because it is too close to his spine. He says he was given no pain medication and had to sleep on the floor. Lindsay Clancy's legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the murder charges against her. Her attorneys argue that putting her on trial again would violate her protection against double jeopardy. Her trial ended in a hung jury. Kevin Redington is asking for an investigation into the lone juror who voted against acquitting Clancy and he is requesting the juror's phone phone be turned over to the court. Prosecutors can announce whether they plan to retry Clancy for the murder of her three children at a hearing next week. New here at noon, Hayden Pantier's death ruled an accidental overdose. You'll recall the 36-year-old actress

was found unresponsive back in August at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Now the medical examiner revealing she died of an accidental overdose involving fentanyl, Zan, PANX, muscle relaxers, and other prescription drugs. Panettiare's struggle with addiction was well documented going back to her teenage years, and she discussed that in her recent book. Well, President Trump today delivered a major address to the United Nations General Assembly. Hear how he defended the ongoing war with Iran. The Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan today getting high-profile help on the campaign trail.

And some Apple iPhone owners could be eligible for some money back after the tech giant agreed to a $250 million settlement. And a reminder, you can find IWDECD is live on ABC 11 Disney Plus and everywhere you stream.