CarolinaEast struck a short-term pact with UnitedHealthcare to remain in-network through Dec. 31; Blue Cross Medicare Advantage members face out-of-network hospital coverage starting Wednesday.

Prosecutors told jurors surveillance video, phone records and DNA tie Darrius Tyson to the disappearance of club promoter Shawn Burton, whose truck was later found on railroad tracks.

A fallen tree struck a main feeder line early Wednesday, cutting power to more than 25,000 Durham residents as crews work to repair damaged equipment.

Two parking-lot break-ins in Wake County hit 19 cars in Cary and Morrisville; police are investigating and asking for tips and footage.

Two people were found dead in a Raeford home and another man was wounded in a separate weekend shooting, Hoke County authorities said. Investigators are asking for tips.

NC State and UNC are lining up a Dec. 15, 2026 neutral‑site game at First Horizon Coliseum — a rare nonconference Tobacco Road clash amid coaching turnover and schedule shifts.

Holiday travel is set to surge while pump prices sit in the mid‑$3s — AAA says millions will drive and local averages are leaving long trips pricier than a year ago.

A severe thunderstorm warning swept through parts of eastern North Carolina Sunday, with NWS tracking hail up to 1 inch and gusts near 60 mph.

The National Weather Service warned of strong thunderstorms for East Carteret Sunday evening, with gusts up to 55 mph, heavy rain and lightning that could cause localized flooding.

NWS Wakefield warned of nickel‑size hail and 60‑mph gusts for parts of northeastern North Carolina; small towns from Cape Colony to Snug Harbor were named in the warning.

Mary‑Dell Chilton, the NC biochemist who helped create the first genetically modified plants, died at 87 in Carrboro. Her work underpins modern crop biotechnology.

A stolen‑car crash in Raleigh injured three Thursday as forecasters warn returning heat and gusty storms. Also in today’s roundup: NC tops the U.S. for snakebites and a $60M fraud plea.

Police found a bullet-damaged car and shell casings at Plaza West early Thursday; no injuries were reported as detectives processed the scene.