Highs near 95°F Saturday with heat index up to 102°F. Heat Advisory for nearby counties noon–8 p.m. Saturday; scattered storms may bring brief heavy rain.

NWS issued a special weather statement for western North Carolina Friday, warning of pea‑sized hail, gusts to 40 mph and frequent lightning across mountain communities.

A former Dunn Housing Authority director was sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to repay $232,488 after prosecutors say she diverted funds meant for tenants. Her husband has also been ordered to pay restitution.

The state budget names the Diaper Bank as North Carolina’s official supplier of period products for schools, but advocates warn funding and distribution still lag demand.

Gov. Stein signed Executive Order No. 39 to create a Health Care Affordability Commission co‑chaired by Brad Briner and Dev Sangvai, charged with lowering costs and improving access.

Wake Tech will use its share of a new state funding package to hire instructors and expand labs for in‑demand programs, college leaders say.

Douglas Byrd High held a campus rally after an activity bus overturned near Leland; counselors and medical staff were on hand as students were checked.

Three separate shootings wounded three people overnight in Durham; police describe the incidents as isolated and say investigations are ongoing.

Exceptional drought has lowered reservoir levels in Orange County; OWASA says supplies are holding but farmers and private-well households are already feeling the impact.

Highs near 98°F Friday, July 10; heat advisory affects counties south of Raleigh. Cooling centers will be available for residents without AC.

A police response at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill followed a reported safety threat; aerial video shows officers searching the stadium and parking lots.

Dorothea Dix Park’s five‑acre sunflower field is at peak bloom and the park is hosting a daylong celebration Saturday; here’s where to park, what’s allowed and accessibility notes.

A Durham water main ruptured Friday, shooting a roughly 30‑foot fountain into the air near the Parkwood neighborhood as city crews moved in to cap the line. Roads were closed and traffic rerouted while repairs got underway.