A UNC-backed survey and state records show mixed compliance with North Carolina’s classroom phone ban: many students follow local rules, but others still spend hours on phones.

Sunny and unseasonably warm in Raleigh with highs near 85°F. A statewide burn ban is in effect—avoid open burning and use caution with equipment.

Lawmakers in Raleigh will consider overriding Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of HB 87 to opt North Carolina into a federal tax‑credit scholarship program. The vote could hinge on a single swing vote.

Black bear sightings are creeping closer to Raleigh and Durham as populations rebound. State officials urge residents to secure trash and remove birdfeeders.

Raleigh police are searching for the person who fired shots into a car on Glenwood Avenue early Wednesday. Investigators are asking witnesses to come forward with tips or video.

A crash at Hawkins and Kennedy closed the intersection Wednesday night; two Raleigh officers were among four people involved. Authorities are investigating.

A new North Carolina foster‑care Medicaid plan briefly put an 8‑year‑old's CAR T‑cell treatment in limbo as networks and records scrambled. Families say rollout hiccups forced delays.

State officials say discarded cigar ashes sparked the Jumping Branch Fire near Marion; a Marion woman was cited as crews battled roughly 185 acres under a statewide burn ban.

Vara Trinity Park — a 267‑unit complex from The Spectrum Cos. — has begun construction at 1618 North Duke St., adding housing near Northgate Mall as neighbors press for affordability.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Joe Exotic’s murder‑for‑hire appeal, leaving his conviction intact while a Pittsboro sanctuary mourns a rescued tiger’s death.

Federal prosecutors say a Wilmington man was arrested after an FBI probe found he allegedly voted while ineligible; he faces federal charges under voting statutes.

A dead shark was found Monday along Ligon Mill Road in Wake Forest; photos of the grisly discovery circulated online. Officials had no immediate explanation.

White Lodging bought the 353‑room Sheraton next to the Raleigh Convention Center for about $27.75M and plans to convert it to a Westin with major renovations starting in early 2027.