Episodes
Aug. 16, 2023
Will there be enough Wake County school buses to get students where they need to go this year?
It’s a struggle every single year for school districts across North Carolina to get enough drivers to man their buses and their routes. It’s especially tough for the state’s largest school district, Wake County, to manage its...
Aug. 15, 2023
Construction blasts surround nearby homes with thick clouds of dust and cause damage
Blasting at a construction site in North Raleigh is sending thick dust clouds onto people’s properties. Think dust so thick that you wouldn’t be able to see a foot in front of you. One North Raleigh homeowner caught the blast...
Aug. 14, 2023
Casino plan is a big bet on North Carolina
In recent months, a behind-the-scenes battle over legalized commercial casinos has emerged in North Carolina. Gaming companies have stocked up on lobbyists and they’ve donated to lawmakers. Meanwhile, dark-money groups have s...
Aug. 11, 2023
Fighting to stop fentanyl overdoses in Nash County, NC
4000 people are dying in North Carolina every year as the result of drug overdoses. A whopping 77 percent of those deaths are related to the powerful drug fentanyl according to authorities. The scary thing is that even in the...
Aug. 10, 2023
Emotional account of the wildfires in Maui from a Triangle man who is there
Greg Taylor splits his time between North Carolina and Maui. The wildfires that have devastated the island killing dozens of people and destroying everything in their wake have Taylor grieving for his adopted home. In this sp...
Aug. 10, 2023
The century plant is going away
After attracting hundreds of visitors over the summer, the century plant in the WRAL gardens is finishing its reign. It bloomed and grew to more than twenty feet in the past few months. It is scheduled to be cut down, but don...
Aug. 9, 2023
Rising above it all; one woman’s determination to thrive despite the odds
Connie has had a hard life. Her family was plagued with addiction and poverty, and without good role models it looked like her future might not be bright. But, she built a home and a happy, fulfilling life for herself, her pa...
Aug. 8, 2023
Can office space in high-rise buildings be turned into residential space?
Everywhere you look there are high-rise office buildings that seem to be empty, or at least partially empty, in our area. Currently, 18.1% of the office space in the Triangle is vacant. At the same time a new study reveals th...
Aug. 7, 2023
NC’s GOP ticket could take a right turn in 2024
If Republican front-runners win key primaries next year, the top GOP general election ticket in North Carolina could be more socially conservative than any in recent memory. WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht explains...
Aug. 4, 2023
WRAL’s investigation into the death of a quadriplegic man at a Raleigh rehab center
In July, Carl Michaud, a quadriplegic, fell out of bed at the Raleigh Rehabilitation Center and died. His father wants to know how this could have happened. So far, he’s gotten no clear answers. He turned to the WRAL Investig...
Aug. 3, 2023
New information in the disappearance of a Moore County woman
Allisha Watts has been officially missing since July 16 and her community is desperately seeking answers about where she might be. WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan has uncovered new information about the person of interest in th...
Aug. 2, 2023
Scientist from Raleigh has real life ties to “Oppenheimer” movie
It’s one of the hottest movies in the country right now, Oppenheimer, which documents the true story of the scientist who created the atomic bomb. One of the scientists who worked on the team in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Dr. Le...
Aug. 1, 2023
North Carolina’s rising temperatures lead to more extreme heat waves
Scientists tell WRAL that climate change is creating more extreme and more frequent heat waves in our state and across the country. The Raleigh-Durham area has on average forty more high temperature days per year that pose ri...
July 31, 2023
State and local leaders differ on school funding
Across the state, county school leaders say they need more money for facilities, staffing and safety measures. But state spending isn't rising fast enough for counties to keep up with their needs. And local leaders aren't fin...
July 28, 2023
Unprecedented increase in ocean temps off the NC coast could impact weather and ecosystems
Scientists have tracked a steady climb in ocean temperatures since April. This is causing unprecedented heat stress conditions in the waters surrounding Florida and in the Gulf. More isolated marine heat wave conditions have ...
July 27, 2023
WRAL puts devices that spot hidden cameras to the test
These days camera technology is so advanced that one can be disguised as something as small as a run-of-the-mill USB device. With so many potential hidden cameras on the market, it can be a scary prospect to stay in a vacatio...
July 26, 2023
Tornado devastation and recovery in Edgecombe and Nash Counties
An EF-3 tornado touched down in parts of Edgecombe and Nash Counties on July 19 leaving major damage in its path, including to the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount where part of the roof was ripped off. The company ...
July 25, 2023
2 Nash County children die after recommendations that they should be removed from their homes are ignored
Two children involving separate cases in Nash County died after recommendations that they be removed from their homes following investigations of mistreatment were ignored. WRAL has learned that administrators with the Nash C...
July 24, 2023
Uncovering gas-guzzling commutes in state vehicles
State employees are supposed to reimburse the state if they take an official vehicle home. But several officials at the state Department of Adult Corrections don't - despite having long commutes in gas-guzzling vehicles. WRAL...
July 21, 2023
Summer excursions: History comes alive in a secret garden in Tarboro
If you’re a fan of cemeteries and the history they hold, there’s one in Tarboro you must visit. Enclosed in a gothic-style churchyard, graves covered in ivy sit beneath a lush canopy of century-old trees. It can only be descr...
July 20, 2023
Summer excursions: North Carolina's fountain of youth
At one time it drew people from all over the state, people hoping that the mineral spring nestled quietly on a farm in North Carolina would have healing properties that could make them well. The town that we know of today as ...
July 19, 2023
Summer excursions: Visiting ghost towns in North Carolina
You’ve probably driven by one and not even noticed it… a ghost town. North Carolina is full of them. Why go to the beach this summer when you can visit one of these spooky places? WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah s...
July 18, 2023
Summer excursions: Hidden remnants of Raleigh’s first zoo in Pullen Park
It’s right in the middle of the bustling city. On any given Saturday or Sunday families with children flock to Raleigh’s Pullen Park to enjoy the small train, the paddle boats, the playground or the carousel. But did you know...
July 17, 2023
Will NC make a $1.43 billion bet on start-ups?
State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would pump $1.425 billion into unproven companies. Supporters say the money is needed to spur economic growth in the state. Opponents say it has too many risks, and the money wo...