Noon News on WRAL - Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Tomorrow starts tonight. The energy you have, the patients you show your family, the focus you bring to work. It all begins with sleep. I'm Megan Giggling with Parkway Sleep Health Centers. If you've been putting off getting help because you thought it would take months, Parkway is different. Most patients start care within weeks, not months, with convenient virtual visits and home sleep studies. Because life is better when you sleep well. Parkway Sleep, your fastest path to better sleep. Start today at ParkwaySleep.com. Sound sleep. Sound health. The 80s are back, and it's a beautiful day. How long the warmer weather will last and when our next cold front moves in. Gas prices rise again. The national average for a gallon of gasoline climbs to over $4. The prices we're seeing here locally and where you can get the cheapest. Stepping up to the plate, we're just hours away from the Durham Bulls' home opener tonight. The new and exciting things the team is bringing for the new season. All right. The 80s are back for the rest of the week. Temperatures will be perfect for the... North Carolina football is back. Join High School OT Saturday, August 8th for the 2026 High School OT Jamboree at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Watch some of the state's top programs hit the field, including Wilson Hunt, Union Pines, J.H. Rose, Rollsville, Southeast Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cardinal Gibbons, Millbrook, Southern Durham, and Middle Creek. Open at 3 p.m. JV kicks off at 4. Varsity action starts at 5. Get your tickets now at high school OT.com. All investigators in Tennessee are releasing new information as they piece together a crash that killed two middle school students. And we do want to warn you that even though we do not show the moment of impact, some viewers might find this video upsetting. You can see it right here. Dashcan video shows the moment the school bus hit a dump truck, and the video shows the bus crossing the yellow line and then hitting a Tennessee DOT truck. 24 students and five adults were headed to a weekend competition. And one student who was on the bus describes the moments after that crash. I couldn't feel my lower part of my body, and I just remember trying to look for everybody else and trying to see if everybody else was okay before I started checking on myself. Goodness. And GoFundMe accounts set up for both victims have each amassed tens of thousands of dollars in donations, but no word on the charges the bus driver might face. As smart glasses become more popular, there are growing concerns about where they're used to record. That includes in Philadelphia, where they're now banned in courtrooms. Tim Prolong explains why. A California judge recently scolded Mark Zuckerberg's team for wearing meta glasses into the company's recent trial. And now judges in Philly will scold you or worse if you try to do the same. This is the order. Deborah Gross runs the nonprofit Pennsylvanians for modern courts and totally gets why metaglasses are now banned because they can record in a place you're just not allowed to do so. The rules for the court and judicial administration say that there is no broadcasting. No cell phone recording, no cell phone usage in court. There's a lot of reasons behind it. Even though the courtrooms are open to the public, she says, the no recording rules are there to protect the identity and safety of some witnesses, jurors, and these days, judges.

perfect weather to come in and see all the azaleas that are blooming right now. We've got so many different colors and varieties of azaleas in bloom. The tulips are in bloom as well. It's just such a sight to see out here. This is the perfect week to come on out. And also a great week to take some family Easter pictures. I've seen a lot of families doing that when I've been walking around in the gardens. A 20% chance of rain tomorrow into tomorrow night. This would be an isolated storm that may hold together from the foothills as it moves. to the east to small rain chances during the week. a 30% chance Friday afternoon and evening. But this is, you know, warm summer weather, just a pop-up afternoon, shower, or storm kind of a thing. Not a big deal. Wouldn't count on them for rain. Our next best chance for rain comes Sunday evening into Sunday night. And I've got to tell you, I've been looking over the new model data that's still coming in for the afternoon model runs. And it's all speeding up the arrival timeline of the rain on Sunday. So this is something that we're going to have to watch very closely for Easter Sunday. We told you about this yesterday. You know, we've got to monitor the timing of this front to make sure it doesn't have a big impact on the plans this weekend. For the day tomorrow, you can see some storms to our west. A few of those may make it here Thursday. I think that chance is lower and a few hit or miss storms Friday, but the main event is still to our west. Not likely to really impact a Saturday, but here it comes by Sunday late afternoon into the evening, 8 o'clock. You can see a decent chance for rain in our area ahead of the front. Right now we've got high temperatures in the mid-80s. Easter weekend still looks dry for things like Easter egg hunts during the day as well as the services that you may be headed to early on Sunday. But as we get later into the afternoon, rain chances may begin to climb. We could be looking at half an inch to an inch of rain. So that's a much needed rain. It's not going to clear the drought, but we will certainly take it. 82 degrees today. It's beautiful. Don't forget. Tomorrow is April Fool's Day. Also the launch of Artemis 2. The two are not related. It's really supposed to be happening. I just want to be clear there. 85 degrees Thursday, 84 on Friday, and we get a break from the temperature roller coaster at least this week. changes on Monday. Okay, Kat, thank you. Here's what's coming up now on WRL evening news. Yeah, lead uncovered at Wake County Parks. The town of Zebulin took some steps to address it, but only partially closed it, at least until now. WRL investigates, digs into weather, enough was done to protect families, and the next steps. That's at four. Then at six, trying to boost your protein, you may not need powders at all. After a new report found high levels of lead and some supplements, five on your side shows you simple, safer foods that pack just as much protein tonight.

You struggle to truly relax on vacation. You're not alone as we have this live look at Carolina Beach. New data shows more than half of Americans say they don't know how to do nothing while traveling. Nearly half of adults surveyed reported feeling stressed or even guilty when they try to relax. Experts say simple activities like getting fresh air, taking in scenic views or listening to calming music can help clear the mind. The survey also shows that many travelers spend a significant portion of their vacation. in their resort room, while a third spent most of their time taking advantage of on-property amenities. The company McCormick is buying Unilever's food business, including Helmand's mayonnaise. McCormick will pay nearly $16 billion in cash for this. Unilever and its shareholders will own about 65% of the combined company. The deal will expand the company's portfolio further into the spreads and condiments area. It already owns Frank's Red Hot Sauce, too. On this date in 1918, the United States adopted daylight saving time. However, fun fact, if you didn't know, it was not meant to be permanent. Congress repealed the change at the end of World War I, and so it returned during World War II. It was made federal policy again in 1966 and continues today. This year alone, 16 states have introduced legislation to permanently switch to daylight saving time. Arizona and Hawaii are currently the only two states to operate on a permanent year. round standard time. Deer in headlights. It describes a person frozen with fear. For drivers, powerful new technology could lead to serious crashes. The findings from a recent survey by AAA. Plus cottage cheese craze. You might think it tastes good, but here why some people need to be cautious before stocking up. And here are the winning lottery numbers. Good luck.

Want to sell your home just like that? Snap away the stress and contact sold it in a snap.com. Why deal with the costly repairs and endless showings? Sold it in a snap offers a smarter way. Simply provide a few quick details, schedule an in-home walkthrough with a Jim Allen group expert, and get your personalized cash offer in a snap. Skip the selling hassles and reach out to sold it in a snap.com today and get your competitive cash offer. That's sold it in a snap.com. Shot in 4K Ultra High Definition, your number one source for local news. WRAL News, coverage you can come on. Headlight glare is creating growing concerns for drivers. And what you're seeing right here, this is video from the NCDOT cameras from around 5.30-ish this morning. Yes, so as you can see here, the oncoming lights can be a bit tough and really bright. In a recent survey, actually, by AAA, 6 and 10 Americans said the glare is a problem after dark. Josh Rosenthal shares advice from AAA on how to deal with this issue. You feel like you have been blinded by other people's headlines? Oh, yeah, being a passenger, yeah, yeah. And even if I'm sitting in the back. because they're so strong. They're bright. I don't want to cuss, but they're very bright. It makes me nervous when I come across that just because I'm like, okay, I'm kind of flying a little bit blind here. Here's the deal. A new survey from AAA found that six and ten drivers say headlight glare, mostly from oncoming cars, is a concern for them. 73% of those people say they think the problem has gotten worse over the past decade, and AAA says the problems driven by several factors, including new headlight technologies and taller vehicle designs. The survey also found that two-lane roads are particularly problematic for drivers dealing with glare, and that drivers who wear prescription glasses experience more glare than those who don't. The reality is, like all of these evolving automotive technologies that we're seeing, many that are certainly designed to make us safer on the roadways, some of them, while making us safe in some regards, certainly pose other challenges. And that was Joss Rosenthal reporting. Glare isn't necessarily leading to crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that while there are a lot of complaints about today's headlights, glare is only implicated in a very small percentage of nighttime crashes.

People are pushing for the North Carolina Utilities Commission to vote no to propose rate hikes from Duke Energy. Duke Energy customers packed a meeting last night to express their worries about this, specifically rising energy costs. Duke is proposing an 18% increase over the next two years, and that could mean customers pay $34 more a month by 2028. Many customers say bills are already too high, but Duke says it needs hundreds of millions of dollars more to pay for grid upgrades and power plant maintenance. You recognize, though, that any increase is a challenge for some customers. So we take that very seriously. But we also have to meet the energy needs of our state. We added 150,000 new customers in the last two years. We had to add 50,000 poles, 4,000 miles of wire. Our costs have gone up as well. And this was just one of several opportunities customers will have to give feedback. There is a virtual session tomorrow at 6.30 p.m. And you can learn more about that on WRL.com. Starting tomorrow, people who live in Rocky Mount will be paying more for their utilities. The Rocky Mount City Council passed a motion to raise electric, gas, sewer, and water rates by about 15%. It's part of the city's plan to dig the city out of a financial crisis. In an interview with WRL, the city manager said the increase may not be forever, but it is an important step while the city works to recover. Well, with the beginning of spring comes the start of a new baseball season. And opening day is today for the Durham Bulls. WRL's Kelsey Coffee is live at the DeBAP Forest. And Kelsey fans can expect a lot of new things along with some traffic headache. But I know you've been there at the park talking to so many people there.

Laura, I have had a time today as we are preparing to welcome all of these fans, hundreds of fans to the DBAP for opening day. So I've got the general manager with me, Crystal Rout, to talk a little bit about what food fans can expect to see this season. We are excited. So we last year introduced the triangle stand, which has a rotating menu every game. This time, for this home stand, it's featuring barbecue. So we've got a sliced brisket sandwich. We've also got a fried chicken that will be on the menu this week. Okay, get into it. Absolutely. And then at our hot dog stands, one of our featured hot dogs is the Carolina dog. So some yummy stuff for sure. And the big breaking news of the day, we've been talking about it throughout the morning, is that now, if Willie could help us, do you have our prop? Okay, so we have Woolley here with the Woolley souvenir popcorn bucket. So that's a huge deal. And we also, this is what I was really talking about here. Okay, now the DBAP carries all Coke products. So if you want you a little Coca-Cola, a little Diet Coke, Sprite, all of the things will be available to you. We also mentioned that traffic alert a little bit earlier. We have all of that information on WRL.com. Kelsey Coffee, WRL News, live in Durham. Kelsey is having way too much fun, and she's getting fed out there. Okay, well, single group and season tickets are still available for upcoming games. You can purchase tickets, read the... rain policy and check out the schedule. You'll find it all on the WREL homepage. She is living in paradise right now. All right. We're talking about the cottage cheese craze. The food is ending up in kind of every recipe, really. And so we're asking experts why it's getting so popular right now. Plus, looking ahead to launch, the Artemis 2 is set to take off tomorrow. Coming up, we look at safety concerns for astronauts planning to head to the moon. And be sure to download the new WREL weather app and plan ahead for severe weather any time. Turn on alerts to get notified about severe weather in your location. It is free wherever you download your apps.

North Carolina football is back. Join High School OT Saturday, August 8th for the 2026 High School OT Jamboree at First Horizon Stadium at Wake Med Soccer Park. Watch some of the state's top programs hit the field, including Wilson Hunt, Union Pines, J.H. Rose, Roseville, Southeast Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cardinal Gibbons, Millbrook, Southern Durham, and Middle Creek. Bill Gates open at 3 p.m., JV kicks off at 4. Varsity action starts at 5. Get your tickets now at high. school ot.com. A new vaccine for Lyme disease could become available soon. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer says it plans to seek approval of its newly developed shot. However, vaccines for Lyme disease have kind of a troubled history. One was approved in 1998, but its manufacturer pulled it from the market just a few years later in 2002. That's because there just wasn't enough demand. That was largely based on fears that it caused arthritis, even though the FDA concluded it didn't. Well, it seems like a lot of viral recipes on social media contain cottage cheese, which led most people to ask, why is this ingredient so popular all of a sudden? Cottage cheese is actually a really healthy food. We know that it has a lot of healthy bacteria that help with our microbiome. We know it's a great source of protein. It's also something that many of my patients consider clean in the sense that it's not ultra processed. Cottage cheese can be eaten on its own or mixed in with other ingredients to create everything from smoothies and pancakes to pasta sauce and even desserts. A registered dietitian says some may be made with whole milk while others are low in fat. Just remember that those with higher protein and fat may keep you fuller for longer. In terms of the texture, a lot of times it's the chunks that throw people off. So you can get a whipped cottage cheese or you can take cottage cheese, put it in your blender. put it on blend, and it will whip it for you. So it will make it really nice and creamy. And then you don't get that idea of like, oh my gosh, I'm seeing these chunks. So it's really easy to kind of smooth it out. So cottage cheese can be a great addition to your diet. But if you are lactose intolerant or have a case in sensitivity, be aware that it could cause adverse gut issues. I was just thinking for the people who don't like it, maybe stop saying chunks. That's probably not going to give them to one of the five. Definitely not helping. Yeah. All right. We're talking about a moon comeback this afternoon. NASA already preparing for the return of the Artemis 2 crew before they even launch. Right you're seeing here is a live look at the rocket at the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Space Center in Florida. We'll talk about what goes. into the preparations for their splashdown back on earth. And black football, anyone, the NFL plans to develop a professional league for men and women. The big names getting behind the plan.

Welcome back. You're taking a live look over the DBAP right now, and we cannot get enough of this view because, again, it's a very big day for the Durham Bulls. We thank you for watching WRL News available on Hulu and the WRL app on your TV or streaming device. NC State will announce a new men's basketball coach in less than 48 hours. And sources say former player Justin Ganey is coming back to leave the pack. NC State's board of trustees announced an emergency meeting for today to approve the new hire, and that meeting is slated for 3 p.m. Not only did Ganey play for the Wolfpack from 96 to 2000, but he's North Carolina board and bred. Ganey grew up in High Point and played high school basketball in Greensboro. He's also previously coached at App State and Elon Musk. Students we spoke with, say, They're excited, but they're kind of apprehensive about Ganey stepping in to leave the pack. And you can follow all of these coaching developments from UNC to NC State, including an in-depth analysis. And what Coach Will Wade had to say about the Wolfpack during his first press conference with LSU. That's all on our WRL YouTube page. All right, well, right now, of course, we are looking forward to the launch of Artemis II, where the countdown is underway for the first launch to the moon. In 53 years, we have a live look there at the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Space Center. Tomorrow, four astronauts will step aboard the Orion capsule after several testing delays. The crews include one Canadian and three Americans, including the first black man to go deep into space. The purpose of this mission is to create an infrastructure that will allow astronauts to live and work at a lunar base. The crew is scheduled to travel nearly 250,000 miles from Earth and approximately 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon. It's a mission that's been years in the making and is not complete until the crew returns safely to Earth. So the Orient spacecraft is expected to splash down some 50 miles off San Diego's coast. The Artemis Deputy Landing Recovery Director is among 100 NASA and contractor personnel, as well as military support, who are getting into place for that moment. Personnel will perform a series of checks. Once that's complete, a medical team will be the first to make contact with the crew. I get very emotional about it just because of, you know, there are people involved and we understand the sensitivity and, you know, their families are counting on us to do everything that we can do to ensure their safety. So this historic trip comes with serious risks from dangerous radiation exposure to likely communication disruptions because of the sheer distance and physics involved with the flight. So we're here with Kat Campbell now, who actually gets to talk to Tony Rice all about this. Really exciting, Kat. Oh, I'm excited. This is something that's been on my calendar for months, and then I've had to erase it and reschedule it. So it looks pretty good for tomorrow's launch.

An 80% chance of a go is about as good as you're going to get. The 45th Weather Squadron, not too far away from the site. That's a part of the Space Force is involved in the forecast for the launch. Temperatures are going to be in the mid-70s. They can't be dipping down in the 40s and they can't be above 95. So mid-70s is that perfect middle ground. It'll be a little breezy. That's one of the concerns is the ground wind. And that's why it's an 80% chance, not 100%. The ground wind, as well as the cumulus clouds, are the... two things that we'll have to watch for tomorrow. The launch window is between 624 and 824 tomorrow evening. And we will have live coverage on WRAL throughout the day. We'll talk to Tony Rice, who's going to be there at the site of the launch. And of course, NASA has many cameras set up. So we'll have the live feeds from those as well. Should be a lot of fun. What a beautiful day today. Pinehurst. You can see the golfers are out and about enjoying the gorgeous weather. 1 o'clock, 78 degrees by 3 o'clock. We're in the low. 80s and you get to enjoy the summer warmth, but without the summer humidity for the next several days. 68 is our normal high this time of year, so temperatures in the mid 80s are still well above normal for this time of year. Carolina Beach looking beautiful again today. There are more beachgoers, I would say, today than yesterday. Temperatures are a little bit warmer out there than they were yesterday, and temperatures continue to climb just a little bit throughout the week. Some people actually in the water. I would not be in the water right now. Water temperatures are still pretty chilly, but congrats to them. They're much braver than I am. WRL Gardens should be beautiful tomorrow. 8 a.m. It's already 63 degrees by noon 77. And at 4 o'clock, we're up to 86 tomorrow. Come visit the gardens. The azaleas are in bloom. The tulips are still thriving. It is perfect weather this week to come to the gardens and take your pictures out there. Get your Easter pictures done, prom photos, senior photos, all the things. And it's so fun to see everybody and all the celebrations and photos going on in the gardens each day. 73 tomorrow at Ocean Isle Beach, as well as Myrtle Beach, 75 for Ritesville Beach, 68 at Emerald Isle and the Outer Banks warm up into the 70s tomorrow. Thursday. Can't roll out an isolated pop-up storm. No big deal. The bulk of the day is going to be dry at the coast still. 76 degrees at Ocean Isle Beach. 77 for Wright'sville Beach. New Bern, 81. Nags had 73 degrees. Nice weather still expected Thursday. So for the day tomorrow, we've got this 20% chance for rain. This is what we're watching for. Late in the evening, we could see a couple of those storms from the mountains make their way in, especially tomorrow night. So tomorrow night, we may hear a rumble of thunder. You may see some lightning in. the distance and maybe even a little bit of rain. Wouldn't count on that. Thursday looks drier and then Friday we're going to watch for an isolated pop-up storm once again during the afternoon and evening hours. Over the next seven days, temperatures hold steady. We're going to stay in the mid-80s.

pretty much every single day after today, low 80s today, so not far off. Temperatures dip into the low 60s at night. It'll come with just a small chance for rain each day. And our next big change comes late Sunday into Monday. Rain chances climb late Easter Sunday, and the rain is trending faster Sunday on some of the new models. So check in for an update this evening on WRL News. And we'll have the update of rain timing for Easter. Okay, Kat, thank you. Still to come, a football frenzy. The NFL is going pro with flak football, led by stars and Olympic hype. How fast the new leagues are growing. And we do have a look at your winning powerball numbers right here on your screen. 7, 11, 31, 41, 57. The power ball is 20 and the power play multipliers, too. Well, as we wrap things up, here's a look at a few of the headlines that we're following this afternoon. A 19-year-old from Wake County accused of plotting a mass shooting will stay in federal jail. Attorneys say while Eric Bird was involuntarily committed, he was making plans to escape and delete any evidence being used against him. They also pointed out a note that included expletive-laden messages directed at the FBI, his family, and the world. The judge determined Byrd needs to remain in custody because he poses a serious danger to the community. For the first time in almost four years, the national average for gas and a gallon of gas is $4. The war on Iran continues to send oil prices surging. North Carolina isn't at $4 just yet. AAA data shows the average is 383. In Wake County, that number is higher at $389. This afternoon, we expect NC State to approve a contract for its next men's basketball coach. Sources tell WRL the school will hire Justin Ganey. Ganey played for the Wolf Pack in the 90s and currently works as an assistant at the University of Tennessee. NC State has a news conference tomorrow scheduled to introduce the coach. The National Football League is launching a professional flag football league for men and women. Big names like Peyton Manning and Serena Williams will help lead the effort. League officials say flag football is growing rapidly with more than 4 million kids now playing nationwide. That's up more than 50% since 2020 and more than 100 colleges now offer women's programs. The push comes ahead of the sports Olympic debut in 2028. The league is expected to begin play before the... Los Angeles games. Paris celebrates the return of Celine Dion with a light show at the Eiffel Tower. The French Canadian singer is making her return to the stage for 10 concerts spread out over September and October. She put her career on hold in 2022 after she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. It causes severe muscle spasms and it left her unable to sing. In a video message to fans, the Grammy winner announced her recovery is going well and she is ready to perform again. And singer and actress Brandy now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her singing career spans over three decades with one Grammy and a dozen nominations as well as selling multiple platinum records. Brandy also starred in the sitcom Moesha as well as appearing in several films. She called the moment profound, full circle, and sacred. The ceremony comes a day before the release of her memoir phases in which she opens up about one of the most emotional parts of her bond.

with Whitney Houston. Both of them in the adaptation of Cinderella. I love that production. All right, our pet of the day is a lovely lady lab from the Way County Animal Center. You can meet Taffy. She quickly will win the heart of everyone she meets. And then she approaches new situations with caution, but it's quick to open up with the help of supportive, loving people. She doesn't do well with cats, but she has otherwise done great. And they... home setting. She loves to play fetch. She loves to go and walks and most importantly cuddle. If you're interested in learning more about Taffy, you can reach out to the volunteer matchmakers at the email address right there on your screen. Coming up at 4 on WRL, tick season is here and health professionals say the threat is increasing with more people getting sick from bite. What your family needs to know and the steps you can take to protect yourself. NBC News Daily is next on WRL with your next local news update in about 30 minutes. And you can get breaking news updates anytime with our WRL News app. We hope you have a great day.

Keep watching WRL News over the air channel 34 and Spectrum Channel 1257. Tomorrow starts tonight. The energy you have, the patience you show your family, the focus you bring to work. It all begins with sleep. I'm Megan Giggling with Parkway Sleep Health Centers. If you've been putting off getting help because you thought it would take months, Parkway is different. Most patients start care within weeks, not months, with convenient virtual visits and home sleep studies. Because life is better when you sleep well. Parkway Sleep, your fastest path to better sleep. Start today at ParkwaySleep.com. Sound sleep. Sound health.