NWS issued a thunderstorm alert for parts of eastern North Carolina Thursday, warning of gusts to 40 mph, frequent lightning and localized flooding in coastal counties.

Tony Michael Crisco, 35, was ordered to serve 50 years in federal prison after prosecutors say investigators found hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse. He also faces separate state prison time after a recent plea.

A Cary congregation will clear part of its campus for the Timothy Ash Carr Center, a mixed‑use project that includes 51 affordable apartments, childcare and program units for working families.

Apex resident and former Durham County EMS worker Andrew Eric Childs was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to child‑pornography and animal‑cruelty charges.

A 41-year-old Pittsboro man is jailed after deputies say he shot and killed the family dog and injured his wife and 4-year-old son inside their home. Arrest warrants list multiple felony counts.

A Morrisville gas-station stop turned into a $250,000 scratch-off win for a Triangle man who said he was "about to cry." After taxes he took home $180,039.

Durham’s century-old M&F Bank is merging with Optus Bank to form a roughly $1.3B institution; the combined headquarters will move to Columbia and local branches will be rebranded.

Court records show Jose Jimy Chavez‑Fuentes pleaded guilty to photographing a sexual act after a Tinder date; the judge ordered sex‑offender registration, probation and digital restrictions.

A blaze tore through an auto shop in the 2700 block of Hillsborough Road on July 22; crews found flames in multiple bays and the cause remains under investigation.

Pitt County investigators say bomb‑detection K‑9 Chilli died after being left in a hot patrol car; the sheriff’s office is now asking commissioners to fund temperature‑alert systems.

A new in‑house DNA lab at the Wake County Detention Center will let local analysts process evidence faster; officials say it has already produced a DNA profile in a sexual‑assault case.

Two people were wounded Wednesday evening in the 700 block of Marshall Street. Henderson police say one victim suffered a non‑life‑threatening head wound and investigators are seeking tips.

A coastal bagel brand and a Durham sushi-and-hibachi spot are joining Celebration at Six Forks in North Raleigh, adding breakfast and sushi options along Six Forks Road.