Court warrants show a 3-year-old was hospitalized with a gunshot wound after a babysitter reported a loud bang at a Trinity Commons apartment; investigators seized a Glock. Local and state officials point to rising child firearm injuries and push safe-storage changes.

Tolling is off the table for the Capital Boulevard rebuild, but NCDOT still expects construction years from now. Here’s what the delay means for Raleigh and Wake Forest.

Raleigh crews extinguished a blaze Wednesday at an abandoned apartment building off Marriott Drive; it was the second fire at the site this week.

Hillsborough resident Steven Smith claimed a $100,000 MAX-A-MILLION scratch-off prize and took home $72,018 after taxes. The ticket was purchased in Roxboro and several top prizes remain.

A late‑night shooting at Magnolia Pointe Apartments left a woman with life‑threatening injuries; police detained a suspect and are asking the public for tips.

JP's Pastry, a certified gluten-free bakery from Benson, will open at 7072 Highway 751 in Durham with a March 14 grand opening featuring giveaways and free samples.

A bipartisan, 22‑member commission met in Raleigh to begin replacing North Carolina’s decades‑old election data system and overhaul campaign‑finance reporting. Officials say upgrades will speed results and tighten security.

Raleigh‑Cary is seeing a surge in new homes — inspectors urge pre‑drywall and independent checks so buyers don’t inherit hidden defects. Document repairs and know how to file complaints.

A head-on collision on N.C. Highway 56 near Louisburg killed one person Tuesday morning, troopers said. Investigators say the Nissan crossed the center line.

Sen. Ted Budd says $229M in FEMA aid for Western North Carolina is being held up and blames Democrats. Federal approvals exist, but congressional fights and legal tangles have muddied the timetable for county reimbursements.

District data shows 371 Wake County students were restrained or secluded this fall, and incidents rose from the prior year. The numbers are part of reporting required by a 2023 settlement.

Michael Ray Vernon, charged in an April 2025 Eden crash that killed four linemen, died Sunday while held at Raleigh Central Prison. The case had prompted indictments and local calls for change.

The UNC Board meets Feb. 25 6 to decide tuition increases and a systemwide academic‑freedom definition that could change teaching and prices across campuses.