8AM News on WRAL - Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Here, Fivo! Come, Fivo! Who's a good girl? Did you say your dog's name is 5-0? Yeah. Ever since I opened my go-green checking at Coastal Credit Union, I'm earning up to 5% annual percentage yield. It's all I think about. So I named my dog after it. 5-0! So while she fetches sticks, your go-green checking fetches you more money? Yep, she barks better, and I bank better with Coastal Credit Union. Visit coastal24.com to start earning more. Federally insured by NCUA. Membership eligibility required. Winter is back for St. Patrick's Day and the next few days. How long the cold air lasts and when highs are back in the 70s. Terrifying moments, a tree crashes through the roof of a home in Durham, injuring a young child. The damage left behind after severe weather came through. Added expense, the cost of taking your child gets a lot more expensive because of rising diesel costs. Today, how Wake School leaders are working to address that situation. WRL News at 8 on Fox 50 starts in 30 seconds. At Leith Honda in Raleigh and Autopark Honda in Carry, we make your buying process easy. And with every new car purchase, you'll enjoy complementary oil changes and exceptional service. It's no wonder we've earned so many five-star reviews. You'll also get peace of mind pricing with every used vehicle. And if it's not the perfect fit, no problem. Bring it back within three days for an easy exchange. Visit our showroom at Autopark Honda and Carey or Leith Honda in Raleigh. It's easier here. Live from WRL News headquarters in Raleigh, your number one source for local news. WRL News, coverage you can count on. Okay. 8 a.m. on Fox 50 here. We thank you so much for joining us on this St. Patrick's Day. And thanks for joining us, Ken Smith, along with Laura Levine. Let me take something. There was a shock to the system when you opened the door this morning. Tell me about it. Had to bring out the coat and gloves today. And Elizabeth bought out how puffy coat walking all the one that comes all the way to my knees. Absolutely. Not messing around. It looks pretty out there right now. But you'll see people walking up and down Fayetteville Street here with their coats on. This is a live look from our Jimmy Vee camera down to our Memorial Auditorium. with these beautiful sunny skies. It is 31 with the northwest wind at 7. And it's enough of a wind that we do have a wind chill out there. I'm going to show you that in a second. But right now, of course, we're in the low to mid-30s, pretty much everywhere. With winds gusting 15 to 20 miles per hour through the afternoon, it's going to feel cold. So it feels like 24 in Durham and Raleigh. It feels like 27 in Rocky Mount, 26 in Fayetteville, and in southern pines. And we're actually in for a hard freeze overnight tonight, even colder than it is right now. We'll look at that in just a bit. But currently...

our temperatures are anywhere from 30 to 35 degrees colder than this time yesterday. 50 for the high this afternoon. Later on this evening, we're still in the mid-40s at around 6 o'clock. Coming up, we're going to talk more about how long this little blast of winter sticks around. Ken? All right, Elizabeth. Happening now in the W.O. Travickson, boy, a lot of congestion building on a lot of a major odds. But first, I want to get to a situation in Garnett's on Highway 70. We're trying to confirm some type of a gas leak in that area around Rainer Road, not far from White Oak, also several vehicle. crash in that particular area. We are picking up a little bit of a slowdown day on Highway 70, those westbound lanes. As soon as we confirm anything, get eyes on that situation. We'll let you know exactly how this will continue to affect your morning commute. But boy, we're picking up to them to congestion on all of our major routes for the most part, coming in from apex, looking at a delay coming in on US1 north. We're also seeing some heavy delays in the southern loop of the belt line as well as that northern loop of the beltline as well. Things have gotten a little better coming in from I-87 on Nidell. So, you know, it's a situation where this is the type of thing that we see this time of the morning. Right now, in Apex, you're looking at a 22-minute delay. So plan accordingly, you might want to take the 5-40 interchange as a result of this. That southern move on the beltline, you're looking at a 1-minute delay. Actually, a 5-minute delay on that southern move of the belt line. Look at this. You're coming in from Nidell this morning. You're looking at a 16-minute delay. Of course, you're getting ready to head into the car. Tune. It's in on the radio, 101.5. H.D. 3. Ken, thank you. The severe storms that came through yesterday caused some damage all over our viewing area, including in Durham, where a four-year-old boy was hurt when a tree fell onto him home. Now, WRL's Alley Catl Bar is live on Red Oak Avenue. She's been out there all morning. And Ali, those crews were out there for several hours last night trying to clean that mess up. Yeah, they were trying to get the roof off of the back of the home and secure. They were trying to get the tree off of the back of the home and secure the roof. We can even see pieces of that oak tree. Look how large these pieces are. We can also see equipment still on the street here in front of the house. Take a look at this video from the WRAL Breaking News Tracker. You can see the oak tree just laying on top of the house. Marion Linay says his wife, grandson, and him were inside when this happened. His grandson was playing with toys on. on the floor when the tree fell and hit him. He was taken to the hospital. He's expected to be okay. Linnae did invite our crews inside and we saw branches and limbs just crashed through the roof. Debris was scattered everywhere. He's not sure how long they'll be displaced. The damage is extensive. I'm concerned about a timeline as far as getting it repaired.

Yeah, that timeline, he says it could take a long, long time. We're working to find out if and when crews will be back here to start that lengthy repair process. We're also working to get an update on his grandson, the four-year-old who was injured. We're working to find out if he's out of the hospital this morning. When we hear back, we'll let you know. Reporting live in Durham, Alecabbar, WRAL News. Yes, we hope he's okay. Well, another tree fell on a home on Milton Road near Somerfield Drive in Durham yesterday. Emergency Service Director Mark Lockhart said no injuries were reported. Well, at the height of the situation that happened yesterday, there were thousands of people without power all across the triangle up until about 6 o'clock this morning. There were more than 500 people without power around that Milton Road area. But since then, power has been restored in Durham and other parts of the triangle as well. Of course, we'll continue to monitor this situation here in the WRL Newsroom. And Ken, we're following some breaking news out of Johnson County. Sky 5 flying over US 70 and Shoreline Drive. This is near Princeton. And right now, here's what we're seeing. Johnson County Sheriff's vehicle, it looks like, has pulled over this car. But the thing is, when Sky 5 can pull out here and we can see a larger law enforcement presence of some kind of investigation happening that we're working to confirming. But I'm counting at least a dozen cars farther back on this stretch of Highway 70 and we see some sheriff's deputies vehicles as well as state troopers, maybe some utility trucks as well near this wooded area. So we're working to find out what they are investigating. We have sent Kelsey Coffey out that way to find out more from the ground as to what is happening here. We don't see a whole lot of slowdowns on this stretch of U.S. 70. It looks like traffic is getting by. They have not blocked any lanes there. Once again, this is in Johnson County near Princeton, SkyFive, flying over US-7D near Shoreline Drive. We will keep making calls on this and let you know as soon as we have any new updates. Renee, thank you. The U.S. military is now sharing new details about the war in Iran. The Pentagon says about 200 service members have been wounded in the weeks since the war started, and those injuries have happened across seven different countries. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command says most of the injuries have been minor, and more than 180 of those troops have returned to duty. 13 U.S. service members have been killed. At the White House, President Trump was asked about the timeline for ending the conflict in the Middle East. Can we wrap this war up this week? Yeah, sure. Will we? I don't think so, but it'll be soon. Won't be alone. And we're going to have a much safer world when it's wrapped up. It'll be wrapped up soon. The president is urging U.S. allies to send warships to help reopen the strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked the shipping route. So far, none have publicly agreed to the U.S. demands. About 20% of the world's oil supply is transported through the waterway. Well, Afghanistan is accusing Pakistan of killing some area for people. A spokesperson for the Taliban says it happened around 9 o'clock local time Monday in Kabul. He says at least 400 people were killed and more than 200.

150 were injured. Pakistan has denied the accusation that was responsible. Well, back here at home, gas prices continue to rise as a result of that war on Iran. New data from AAA shows the national average up seven more cents to $3.79. In North Carolina, it's up four cents at $3.56. And in Raleigh, that price is $3.59. Well, today, Wake School leaders will talk about how to keep these buses running for the rest of the school year with the rising cost of diesel of fuel taking your child to school just got a lot more expensive. So the district says it believes it has enough fuel to last through the end of April, but they'll need to buy more fuel for May and some of June. Costs vary by school district, but bulk diesel prices for state vehicles have jumped by a dollar since the beginning of March. Wake County will discuss using leftover money from special education. transportation to cover any additional fuel costs. You can follow along with this story and what school leaders decide on on WRL.R.L.com. Just click the education section. Happening today, the NCAA men's basketball tournament gets underway, at least for the Wolfpack. They will be in Dayton, or they should are in Dayton, Ohio, by the way. The Wolfpack will take on the Texas Longhorns in the first four rounds starting tonight. The winner will play BYU in the opening round of the tournament Thursday. is set to tip off tonight at 9.30. Duke and UNC will play their first games Thursday as well. In the women's tournament, Duke, UNC and NC State will start play Friday. The next steps in one of the states most closely watched primary elections could become a lot clearer today. Senate leader Phil Berger has until noon to request a recount in his Republican primary race against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Page leads a longtime senator by 23 votes. Berger's campaign told us last week it anticipates requesting a recount. Now, even if Berger does not do so, his campaign has until 5 p.m. to file an election protest. Both campaigns formed legal. in anticipation of what could be a lengthy legal battle. Your time now is 810. Tornado touches down in Charlotte, the high winds ripping off the roof of a building. We have a look at the damage left behind as severe weather moved across the state. And speaking of severe weather spiking, scientists are noticing conditions for storms popping up more in the southeast, how climate change is playing a role in that new shift. And it's lovely in Lewisburg this morning. Look at the trees are starting to bloom here on the courthouse steps and we're looking at clear skies. It's a cold start this morning. I'll show you how long below normal temperatures will be with us this week. 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. Bill Gates open at 3 p.m., J.V. kicks off at 4. Varsity action starts at 5. Get your tickets now at High School.

Two Democratic leaders in Congress are now accusing former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of perjury. Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Jamie Raskin are asking the DOJ to investigate. They accuse Kristi Noem of lying to the White House and Senate Judiciary Committees during her testimony earlier this month. They say she made multiple false statements. USA Today reports Homeland Security denies those accusations. The DOJ is also ruling out a possible investigation into Kristi Noem. U.S. Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino is retiring. Two Border Patrol officials have confirmed that he will be leaving at the end of the month. Bovino was a leading figure in President Trump's immigration crackdown in cities like Chicago, L.A., Minneapolis, and Charlotte. Bovino was removed from that role in January after the deaths of U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pready. The Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Center is preparing to go dark for two years. Yesterday, the board voted unanimously to approve a temporary closure for renovations. President Trump says the shutdown will allow for work to be completed more quickly. Critics warn a long closure could drive away performers, donors, and audiences. President Trump overhauled the center's board last year, installing loyalists who later elected him as chairman. Cruise in Southern California battled this fast-moving fire at a pallet yard on Monday. This video just shows the massive cloud of smoke, as you can see here in the sky, as the fire spread. It began just after 3 p.m. at a business and quickly burned through stacks of wooden pallets. Strong winds fueled the flames that damaged at least two other buildings. No one was injured. Listen, it was anything but smooth sailing for passengers on a Princess cruise ship. More than 150 passengers in crew on Princess Cruze. ship came down with norovirus just days into their voyage. The cruise line says sick people were isolated until they could get off the ship. Cruise were brought in if the extra cleaning and disinfectant situation, the Centers for Disease Control is investigating the source of that outbreak. Air travelers at two of the nation's biggest airports will have one fewer airline options starting this summer. After June 4th, Southwest Airlines will no longer offer flights out of Chicago's O'Hare or Washington, D.C., Dallas International Airport. The airline says all flights booked after June 4th will be canceled. Rebooking or refund options will be offered to customers. In a statement, Southwest says it has been, quote, challenging to operate out of Chicago O'Hare. The damage from yesterday's severe weather was felt across our state. An EF0 tornado tore the roof off a warehouse in Charlotte. The National Weather Service says the tornado had 85 mile an hour winds when it hit the building. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The tornado tracking tool used by FEMA is back up and running. The key mapping program is used by search and rescue teams nationwide. It helps them pinpoint a tornado's path within minutes of touchdown. The agency's contract with a vendor expired last month.

And here in the WRL Severe Weather Center, we saw some pretty strong storms yesterday, including this time lapse, really showing it all for us. Yeah, this was a neat one. This was in the evening right before sunset, so between 7 and 8 p.m. And you can see, you know, the clouds are moving really, really fast, and then all of a sudden we have a bigger cell that comes right over the camera. And you can see right there, that's the Mix 101.1.5 Radio Tower, and it just gets covered up there. So, yeah, it was something. We ended up with a number of reports of some wind damage. We had some trees down. in places, but we were fortunate not to have as much widespread severe weather as we saw back to the west. One of the reasons for that could be all the rain and thunderstorms that we saw to start the day. That's helped to stabilize the atmosphere before that stronger line came through later in the day. We had snow in the mountains yesterday, and of course we did have our share of some damage as well. Kristen Hurtow in Evelyn had this tree fall in her neighborhood. Huge tree there looked like it did some damage. didn't have any tornado reports in our area, but Sharon Fields of Middlesex. You can see it looks like that's a funnel cloud, doesn't it? But again, no reports of a tornado in Middlesex, even though that was an interesting one. Mark Bowman in Raleigh had a tree fall in his neighborhood as well, like he was out there taking a picture of it. And this is a look at some of the winds. These are some of the peak wind gusts, southern pines at 38 miles per hour. Fayetteville at 53, 49, Goldsboro and Rocky Mount, 42 Jay Clayton, and at RDU 55 miles per hour yesterday. So we did see some damage from that. A good bit of rain yesterday, anywhere from half an inch to about an inch and a half of rain. And it was good to see that soaking. And now we've dried out and the cold air has arrived. A pretty look at Zebulin. The trees here, I believe those are cherry trees out front. Blooming looking absolutely gorgeous. It is 31 degrees right now with the northwest wind at about seven miles per hour. And it'll be a bit breezy through the afternoon. Winds gusting 15 to around 20 miles per hour. We look down the road at our next chance for rain. And Friday... into Saturday. We have the potential for a sprinkle or two. Look at that. Ah, this is a new run of the computer model where it looks like there's a little bit more late Friday night into early Saturday. I'm giving it about a 20% chance right now. And maybe a better chance later in the weekend, like late Sunday into Monday. There's Sunday at 9 a.m. And you could see this next front sinking southward. Sunday at 5 p.m., you could see those showers. That's moving a little bit faster than the previous run of our computer model. So I'm going to give it a 20% chance late Friday into early Saturday. like we may need to add a maybe 20% chance on Sunday. Sunday looks nice and warm. So to Saturday, upper 70s to around 80 degrees. I wouldn't change any plans just yet, but we'll continue to keep our eye on what's happening, getting into the weekend with that chance for rain. All right, Elizabeth, happening now in the W.O. Traffic Center. We've got some good news to report about that situation down in the Garner area. Here's a live look with the help of photographer Michael Joy. He tells us, you can see Rainer Road is back open right now. State Trooper wrapping things up there in that Garner area. So again, Rainer Road is back open. Traffic flowing nicely in all directions. Back here into the W.O. Traffic Center. Boy, traffic is not flowing nicely. on that northern loop of the Beltline. As you look at I-440 and New Bern Avenue, there was a crash there about an hour ago. That's a sense clear, but this is the usual morning congestion that we see this time of the morning. So here's what you're looking at, a 10-minute delay, because really the congestion builds from the 87-4-40 interchange all the way to Capitol Boulevard, and then just touch and go from there. But 10 minutes in terms of that northern loop of the Beltline.

So let's look at that southern loop of the Beltline, bump in a bumper traffic as well. These are the Westbound lanes coming toward us this morning. So as we look at our sensors right now, you're looking at just a four-minute delay on that southern loop of the Beltline. If you're coming in from Garner-Johnson County, no delays between Highway 36 and the Beltline at this hour. You're getting ready heading to the car, though. Tune us in on the radio, 101.5 HD3. We have much more news just ahead. Saving at the grocery store. Rising costs have more people looking to stretch their dollar. Five on your side shares. the ways that you can save with digital coupons. As you get into your car, tuned to WRL News Plus on your radio and Raleigh on 99.3 FM. In Durham, 96.5 FM and everywhere on 101.5 HD3. Good morning. The time is 826. I'm Laura Levine. We're starting off the day with a whole lot of sunshine. A big difference compared to yesterday. Meteorologist Elizabeth Garner with a look at the forecast. We take a look at what's happening here in Wake County as we look over toward Garner. Lots of sunshine. Just a few high, thin clouds out there. But of course, it is so much colder than this time yesterday. 31, Southern Pines, 32 in Roanard Rapids, 33 in Wilson and Rocky Mount. So we're in the low to mid-30s right now. We'll climb into the mid-40s at lunchtime. But if you're taking your kids to after school. practices right after school around 3 or 4 o'clock. That'll be our high for the day at around 50. But then later on in the evening, we drop back into the mid-40s. And overnight, we're going to drop solidly into the 20s. We have a hard freeze in our forecast tonight, Ken. Elizabeth, we're monitoring some heavy congestion on some of our major routes, including the northern loop of the buttwind. As we look live at I440 near the Newburn Avenue exit, you can see the bump of the bumper traffic there. So we're going to widen out the view, give you a look at the entire section of that northern loop of the buttwind. You know, you're looking at a nine-minute delay because really, truly, the big delays are between the 87-440 interchange all the way to Capitol Boulevard. And it's just touch and go. But once you get past Glenwood Avenue to Way to Avenue, it's clear sailing. I have another update and check out some other routes coming into the Raleigh County area. Ken, thank you. Today is the deadline for Senate leader Phil Berger to request a recount in his Republican primary race against Rockingham County Sheriff, Sam Page. Page leads Berger by 23 votes. If Berger doesn't put in a request, his campaign has until 5 p.m. to file one. Happening today, WIG school leaders will think about changes to cover the increased costs of fueling school buses. The bulk diesel prices have jumped by a dollar since the beginning of March. The district is considering reallocating funds from other departments to address to costs. And coming next up next on Fox 50, we have a lot more news to go and traffic as well. Breaking news out of Johnson County, Sky Five, showing a large law enforcement presence along U.S. 70 near Princeton. What we're learning about the investigation. Winter is back for St. Patrick's Day and the next few days. How long the cold air lasts, and win highs are back in the 70s. Terrifying moments, a tree crashes through the roof of the home in Durham, injuring a young child. The damage led behind after severe weather came through.

Lots to get to here in this half hour. We're always happier with us. I'm Ken Smith. And I'm Laura Levine. Yes, we're going to get to all of those stories in just a bit. But let's bring in meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. A whole lot of sunshine out there, Elizabeth, but a very, very cold morning. It is 30 to 35 degrees colder than it was this time yesterday. We take a look at downtown Raleigh. This is from our Dix Park camera looking toward downtown. Looks beautiful. Lots of sunshine, just a few high, thin clouds. But it's below freezing. Looking at 31 degrees. We have a northwest wind at 7, and that's making it. feel even colder. A little breezy today. We'll see winds gusting 15 to 20 miles per hour or so, especially later this afternoon. So we're still waking up to a wind chill. Feels like 24 in Durham and Raleigh. Feels like 27 in Rocky Mound and South Hill, 26 in Fayetteville and in southern pines. And overnight tonight, our temperatures will drop solidly into the 20s. We have a hard freeze in our forecast. This morning, our temperatures are running a little over 30 degrees colder than this time yesterday. Lunchtime for St. Patrick's Day in the mid-40s. Our afternoon. high right around 50. Again, a cold day for tomorrow. Then I'll show you a bit of a warm up and what it will feel like the first day of spring on Friday, Ken. All right, Elizabeth, happening down with the W.O. Traffic Center. We're picking up some heavy congestion on some of our major routes, including the northern loop of the beltline. This is I-440 near the Newport Avenue exit. You can see the bumper-to-bumper traffic. And this is the usual part of our morning congestion as we see. So as we widen out the view, right now you're just looking at a seven-minute delay from the 87-440. interchange all the way over to Wade Avenue, the bulk of the delays happening between that interchange and Capitol Boulevard. Now that's Southern Loop of the Beltline. Boy, look at this. These are the westbound lanes coming toward us this morning. Just bump at a bump of the traffic. Right now, you're looking at just a four-minute delay as congested as that looks. Of course, if you're navigating I-40 westbound through Wade Avenue, you're looking at a two-minute delay, but no delays whatsoever if you're coming in from Garner and Johnson County on I-40 Westbound. So as we widen out, if you give you a look at some of those. Delay time's coming in. Things are getting better coming in from Apex. You're just looking at a seven-minute delay coming in on US1. Seven-minute delay if you're coming in from Wake Forest and US-1 South, and just a five-minute delay if you're coming in on I-87 in 90s. So things are getting better on I-87 as well. You're getting ready to head into the car. Tunis in on the radio, 101.5 HD3. Okay, Ken, thank you. Right now we are following breaking news this morning. There is a large law enforcement presence in Mike Johnston County. You can see here this is happening on US 70 near Princeton. Kelsey Coffey just arrived at that scene in the WRL breaking news tracker. And Kelsey, catch us up to speed here. Tell us what you're seeing out there. Laura, new information from deputies here on scene within the last two minutes. They say that a man was shot here on U.S. 70 and shoreline drive near Princeton. They say that this all stemmed from a road rage incident, so we're working to find out more information about the shooter. We should be able to show you some sky five video as well so you can see a view from up top. We know that sky five video showed us maybe about 15 minutes ago. of a beige car. Well, we saw that beige car being taken away by a tow truck probably within the last 10 minutes. So again, we're working to find out.

Any information about the shooter, but again, one man was shot. He's now in the hospital, and we're working to get an update on his injuries. Kelsey Coffey, W. Oriol News, live in Mike Johnston County. Very active scene. Kelsey, thank you. Well, yesterday's powerful storm left behind more than just damage in Durham. A four-year-old was hurt when a tree came crashing down onto the home here on Red Oak Avenue. You're taking a look at that mess that the tree made inside the home. W. REL's Alex Padilla Bar is. in Durham this morning where we're getting a closer look at the damage. Crews worked overnight to remove the tree from the roof and secure the roof. And we can even see these large pieces of that oak tree. We can also see equipment still in front of the home, possibly more work to be done today. Take a look at this video from the WRAL breaking news tracker. You can see that oak tree just laying on top of the house. The homeowner Marion Lanay invited our crews inside. Branches and limbs crashed through the roof. Debris was scattered everywhere. His wife, grandson, and him were inside when this happened. His grandson was playing with toys on the floor when the tree fell and hit him. And my wife was very frightened as well. She's a very concerned grandparent. And she was trying to comfort him and he couldn't stop hollering. As I say, it's a very frightening experience. As of last check, Linnae's grandson was in the hospital, expected to be okay. We are working to get an update this morning. We're also working to find out if and when crews will be back to start this lengthy repair process. When we hear back, we'll let you know. Reporting in Durham, Alley Cad the Bar, WRAL News. Another tree fell on a home in Durham, this time on Milton Road near Summerfield Drive. Durham County Emergency Service Director Mark Lockhart said that no injuries were reported. Traffic came to a standstill in Wake County when a tree came down on I-540 near Creedmoor Road as the worst wind pushed through that area. No one was hurt. And remember, the WREL weather app is a great tool to have when severe weather rolls in. You can get important alerts and choose for more than a dozen radar views. It's free to download. New this morning, Israel's defense minister says it has killed Iran's security chief. He is the highest-ranking official to be killed after the supreme leader Ali Khamenei's death at the start of the war. Here's what else we're learning overnight. Israeli officials say they've also killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards all volunteer force used to suppress demonstrations in that country. The Trump administration is urging the world to join the fight to protect themselves from Iran's retaliatory attacks. U.S. diplomats have been directed to tell fraud. government, they must move expeditiously to diminish the capabilities of Iran. That's because of an elevated risk of attack on their own countries. Several countries have already rejected President Trump's call to join a military coalition to protect the street of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, gas prices are on the rise again this morning. New data for AAA shows the national average up seven more cents to 379. In North Carolina, it's up four cents to 356. And in Raleigh, it's up three cents to 359. You can find the lowest gas prices in the area with the WRL fuel tracker. Just open the app and search fuel. Well, lower rising fuel costs are hidden closer to home, impacting how local schools are operating day to day. Today, Wake school leaders will talk about how to keep buses running for the rest of the school years. The cost of diesel fuel rises. The district says it believes it has enough fuel to last through the end of April, but the district will need to buy more fuel for the month of May and possibly in June. Rick school leaders believe they have enough left over money from special education, transportation costs to cover any additional fuel costs. They'll meet today around 3.30. You can follow along with what school leaders decide on the education section of WRL.com. The next steps in one of the states most closely watched primary elections could become clearer today. Senate leader Phil Berger has until noon to request a recount in his Republican primary race against Rockingham County Sheriff, Sam Page. Page leads Berger by 23 votes. Even if Berger doesn't request a recount, his campaign has until 5 p.m. to file an election protest. Both campaigns have formed legal funds in intensification of what could be a lengthy legal battle. You can watch. Watch more about this race on our WREL YouTube page. That's where you can also find the final voting results, statements from both candidates and the legal battle that could ensue if a recount is requested. We're learning more this morning about a Mike Johnston County shooting that left a mother dead and forced her 18-year-old son to jump from a second-story window. The shooting happened early Saturday morning on Valleyfield Drive near Jay Clayton. According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, 41-year-old Jerry Williams shot and killed his girlfriend, Princess. Russell. Williams also shot and injured her son, 18 yells at Keith Shaw. WDC, they heard gunshots when they arrived, then saw Shaw jumping from that second floor window. We spoke with a neighbor who watched this all unfold from his bedroom window. There was blood all over his back. After the first two cops came, he pulled out like a rifle and assault rifle. Obviously it surprised me. I thought everybody here was peaceful. Well, deputies say they found a 10-year-old girl inside that home. She was okay. Jerry Williams is now facing several charges, including first-degree murder. So this morning, we're learning more about a crash in Mike Johnston County that killed the driver of a tanker truck. The W. REL breaking news tracker captured the aftermath of yesterday's crash on I-42 near Ranch Road. Investigators say 55-year-old Robert Williams of Selma died. State troopers say he went off the road and overcorrected, causing the tanker to roll over. Troopers do not believe speeding or alcohol contributed to the crash.

TSA staffing shortage issues are surging, rather, due to a partial government shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security says there were more than 100 incidents where shortages threatened operational integrity Sunday alone. The surge in callouts came the same weekend. Agents missed their first full paycheck due to that partial government shutdown. Democrats have delayed Republican efforts to pass a bill to fund DHS after expressing concerns over how the agency handled immigration enforcement. man. Happening today, Raleigh City Council will discuss a new roadway safety plan. It's called Safe Streets for All. It identifies the most significant causes and locations of deadly and serious crashes in Raleigh. Today's meeting starts at 1130 with an afternoon session starting at 1 p.m. Happening today, the NCAA men's basketball tournament gets underway. NC State begins a journey in Dayton, Ohio. The Wolfpack will take on the Texas Longhorns in the first four round that starts tonight. The winner will play basketball. BYU in the opening round of the tournament Thursday. Now, tonight's game is set to tip off at 9.30. Duke and UNC will play their first games Thursday as well. In the women's tournament, Duke, UNC, and NC State will start play Friday. On WRO's YouTube page, our WROS sports team has what you need to know about March Madness. That includes a breakdown of the brackets and what to expect from our local teams. Be sure to like and subscribe for more content. Well, coming up, digital coupon savings. Paper coupons are still around, but in many stores, the best discounts have gone digital. Five in your side shows you just how much savings you can catch up on. And we've cleared out nicely overnight, and it's a beautiful start this morning. Notice the flag on the Franklin County Courthouse whipping around. We do have a bit of a windshield to deal with this morning. I'll show you what it will feel like as you head out the door and through the afternoon.

844. Gosh, it's a beautiful start this morning. We take a live look from our Dix Park camera over downtown Raleigh. Beautiful blue skies, just a few high, thin clouds. It's chilly. Our temperatures are in the low to mid-30s right now. 31 in Raleigh and Durham. 32 in Roanoke Rapids, 33 in Wilson. Our hour-by-hour forecast stays cool all day. Lunchtime, mid-40s, and we'll see a high of 50 degrees this afternoon. Once we get closer to sunset, we're right back down into the mid-40s, and it's going to be a very cold start for tomorrow morning. We'll see a hard freeze with temperatures in the mid-20s. We'll take a look at that, and when we finally start to warm back up. Coming up, Ken? This is what's happening down. The W. Traffic said, boy, things have gotten a lot better. on that southern loop of the Beltline. Look at what we're talking about. There's a look at I-40 near the Lake Wheel of Road exit. These are the westbound lanes coming toward us this morning. So right now, maybe you're just looking at a three-minute delay because we're picking up a little bit of slowdown around the Gorman Street exit. But other than that, it's clear sailing. Hey, it just jumped up to five minutes. So it's probably around the Gorman Street exit we're talking about. If you're navigating I-40 Westbound through Wade Avenue, you're looking at a four-minute delay at this hour. And thank you. You can expect more law enforcement on the roads and highways this week. There will be increased patrols and checkpoints across the state. It's part of the booze didn't lose a campaign for St. Patrick's Day. The increased patrols run through Sunday. Law enforcement issued 738 DWI charges during last year's campaign. Well, when it comes to coupon clipping and saving on your grocery bill, you've probably noticed most of the discounts have gone digital. Five on your side's Ashley Rose shows us how you can use digital coupons to save on your next trip to the grocery. Coupons have been part of grocery shopping for generations, but today the savings are often digital, loaded in the store's app, which you can sometimes combine with other deals. If you're willing to take just a few minutes and peruse those circulars or clip digital or paper coupons, those offers can shave hundreds of dollars off your grocery bill over time. To see how much those savings can add up, Brian Vines with Consumer Reports put coupons to the test. While at the grocery store, Breyer's 48-ounce containers of ice cream were priced at $5.99 each, because he was a member of the store's rewards program, the ice cream was on sale for $2 for $8. I got further savings because I downloaded that store's digital app, which gave me a dollar off that same ice cream deal. To unlock these digital deals, most stores require you to create an account and join a loyalty program. In exchange, retailers may be able to collect data about your shopping habits. That information can be used to target ads and potentially to charge different prices to different shoppers, a practice known as surveillance pricing. If you prefer not to rely on apps, some stores offer in-store kiosks where you can scan your physical rewards card or enter your phone number to load digital discounts. Other stores may apply.

discounts at checkout if you ask. Ashley Rowe, five on your side. A recent move by a federal judge is pausing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..'s vaccine policy agenda. The judge blocked a plan that would reduce the number of diseases included in the nation's routine childhood vaccination schedule. The judge also put a hold on newly appointed members of the advisory committee on immunization practices. The committee's meeting that was scheduled for this week has been postponed. A certain pinball wizard is returning to the big screen. David Daniel has that and more in today's Hollywood Minute. Crazy flip our fingers I've never seen him fall That depth I'm blind here

Tommy is back for its 50th anniversary. The classic rock opera from The Who is screening exclusively in IMAX theaters this Tuesday and Wednesday only. It takes not a super sane person. We're away from our families for two straight months. These guys aren't paid salaries. PBA only pays prize money. Dollar. They're trying to just make a living. You got some W-2s. Too bad the money didn't equal the W-2s. Born to bowl looks at the handful of people trying to support themselves as professional bowlers. work day jobs, and when they're on the tournament circuit, they pay for their own travel and lodging. The first episode of the docuseries is now streaming on HBO Max. Brenna Whittaker channels Olivia Newton-John with her new cover of Hopelessly Devoted to You. Her music video for the Greece classic shows her with Newton-John's longtime colleague, John Farrar, who wrote and produced the original song. The video is now on YouTube. Holden on until the end in Hollywood, I'm David Daniel.

All right, well, reunions on TV and Broadway. Yeah, let's take a look at those stories in what's trending this morning. Some familiar faces are returning for the 50th anniversary of Book of Mormon. The show debuted on Broadway in 2011, and some original cast members will be returning during Magical Mormon Mystery Week, including Josh Gadd and Andrew Reynolds. The special guest member will be a surprise each night. That will be from June 9th through the 14th in New York City, and I'm sure. Fans of the Book of Mormon are like, we're booking a trip to the year. Yes, and the surprise guests each night, that's really cool to see. Yeah. Well, listen to this. The cult classic show Firefly could be returning in a new format. The show star Nathan Fillion says there may be an animated Firefly series in the works. He says there is a script and creator, Joss Whedon, has already given his stamp of approval. Firefly originally aired for one season in 2002, and there was a spinoff movie in 2005. called serenity. It's developed quite a following. Yeah, certainly. Well, starting to the forecast now, boy, oh boy, winter is back. It's holding on. With a look at the tips right now and Elizabeth, it's brutally cold out there. It's a full-on fight this time of year. You know, we had 70s, 80s, and then winter's like, no, no. know I'm coming back. But this time of year, it's typically, you know, warmer, more warmer temperatures than cold temperatures, but we're going to have some of these on and off. Definitely today and tomorrow. We're going to be feeling it. New, we're looking at the potential for maybe some unsettled weather to wrap up the weekend and start next week. We'll keep an eye on that going forward, of course, as we get closer to the weekend. Right now, our temperatures are more than 30 degrees colder this morning than yesterday. And we're looking at a nice late week warm up just in time for the first day of spring. Beautiful. In downtown Raleigh, as we look from our Dix Park camera, we're looking at blue sky, just a few high, thin clouds. It is still 31 degrees. It's 8.51. And boy, that cold air is just entrenched, not going anywhere anytime soon. We're seeing winds gusting to 16 miles per hour in Roxborough. It's been a little bit breezy for us this morning. Our temperatures are currently as cold as 29 in Chapel Hill, as 32 in Carey, 31 in Apex, 32 in Garner and in Nightdale. So it's been real chilly this morning. Right now, temperatures are... about 30 to 32 degrees colder than this time yesterday. Of course, the cold front has moved offshore to open the door to that cold air. There was some snow in the mountains, some accumulation. I looked at some of the cameras in the mountains this morning. See a nice coating of snow there? I know, I know. It's almost spring. Mid-40s at lunchtime on this St. Patrick's Day. And we'll see high of around 50 degrees. If you're going out for a pint of Guinness later on, temperatures will be in the mid-40s. So hopefully you've got a good jacket for that. nice weekend to get outside and play with the puppies. We'll see Friday and Saturday. Temperatures back into the 70s. 63 is our normal high and we're well below that for today and tomorrow. Forecast for tonight. Temperatures will be in the 20s. 26 in Raleigh, 28 in Fayetteville. So really cold temperatures for first thing tomorrow morning. It'll be a hard freeze. But by Thursday, we begin to warm up. And again, just a very small chance of a shower. Maybe a thunderstorm Sunday into Monday. Okay, Elizabeth, thank you. And before we go, here are the winning lottery numbers. We'll get another check on the weather and traffic next.

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