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Sunday News on WRAL - Sunday, June 23, 2024
We saw some dangerous heat across the area to cap off our weekend. Some spots talking record temperatures will show you who coming up. Plus, a man is in custody after a chase with a state highway patrol trooper. The new information we are learning about what happened and the charges he's facing. And an afternoon shooting at a Raleigh apartment complex sent one person to the hospital, but witnesses say happened just minutes before. Well folks, it is another hot day and the dangerous temperatures caused us to issue a WRL weather alert day. Thank you so much for joining us here. I'm Chris Love and good Julian Grace has the night off. Raleigh tied a record for heat today and meteorologist Anthony back Leon is in the WRL weather center Anthony, just how hot did it get? We hit triple digits for the first time this year, Chris, 100 degrees observed they're out at the RDU airport. That ties the record that was set back in 1986 and so that was definitely our biggest reading that we saw today. Here's a look at the other numbers and so that definitely was hotter than some of the other temperatures we saw. 97 there in Rocky Mountain, 91 in Roxborough. We hit 96 for you down in Clinton rather, 97 in Fayetteville. Everyone saw of course another hot day. This is where we sit currently. Feels like values. Check those out. 109 degrees is what it currently feels like in Rocky Mount. Roxborough is our cool spot right now at 91, 102 in Raleigh and Durham. We saw thunderstorm come through some spots earlier this afternoon, just a brief one and that's why those temperatures cooled off a bit for Roxborough. Heat advisory continues until 8 o'clock. What that is saying, just be careful if you are headed out having any extended period of time outside. We could see an isolated shower, maybe a thunderstorm here and tonight. I do think as we get into our Monday, that potential is also there. We will start off nice and calm in the morning, Chris, but then we'll talk about here that chance for storms tomorrow afternoon and a better chance headed this way. We'll talk about when that arrives here in Fayetteville. I would welcome a little rainfall. Thank you so much, Anthony. In addition to the heat, we have hurricane season ahead of us too. So if you download the WRL News app, you can get life-saving severe weather alerts and important local and national news. If you already have the app, make sure it's updated. A 26 year old Rayford man is facing serious charges after leading a trooper on a high-speed chase with a stolen car. This started on I-40 just before midnight yesterday and a car then turned on to I-95 and then they tried to exit at Benson before flipping over. WRL's Carly Haynes is live at the Highway Patrol's office in Raleigh. So Carly, how did this chase even start? Chris, last night, highway patrol pulled over a car for speeding and as the trooper approached that car, the driver sped off. Listen to this broadcastify radio traffic from a Johnson County dispatcher. Son, I don't know if I'll say on the fall front, but for evening, I'm angry at 40 hours patrol trooper is involved. That's the location where the driver of the stolen car eventually lost control and crashed into a guardrail after hitting speeds well over 100 miles per hour. The trooper, unable to stop, then ran into the car. The suspect has been identified as Lemaine McKennley Lowe, he's from Rayford. He faces serious charges for fleeing from law enforcement and having a stolen car, which was reported stolen out of Smithfield. This chase is one of at least 43 involving law enforcement that WRL has covered since the start of the year. WRL data trackers found that chases involving highway patrols specifically have more than doubled across North Carolina since 2019. There were 454 in the state that year and more than 1,000 in 2022. Now, as for last night's crash, neither the trooper nor the suspect involved were injured. Carly Haynes, WRL News, lining Raleigh. Raleigh Police say a person was shot at an apartment complex this afternoon. That person is in the hospital at last check. Video from the WRL breaking news tracker shows police cars blocking off Crockett Court see the crime scene taped there too. Police say they're working to learn what led up to the shooting. But witnesses say they heard two men arguing before the shooting happened, but no charges have been filed yet. Firefighters were sent to an apartment fire that was in Fayetteville this morning. The Fayetteville Fire Department says this happened at Westlake at Morgantown apartment homes just before 4 o'clock a.m. Now, that's on Woodhill Lane. These are pictures from the fire department. You can see the significant damage to a unit on the third floor. Officers are looking into how that fire started. The Halifax County sheriff says it is making changes to its detention center booking processes. That's because two separate cases happened in which guns were found on suspects as they were being booked into the jail. The sheriff's office says another agency arrested Joshua Lawrence for DUI. They brought him to the Halifax County Jail and that was on June 14th. As they were booking him, a detention officer discovered Lawrence had a loaded gun. On June 21st, something similar happened. Another law enforcement agency brought Alito Estrada to the detention center and an officer discovered he had a gun to and crack cocaine. Both Lawrence and Estrada now face additional charges. On Facebook, Halifax County Sheriff Tyree Davis said in part, "This should not have happened." These guns were found in places that should have easily been discovered by the original arresting agency in the field. He added, "This is a learning experience for all and because of these two incidences, we charged our booking process, we changed it that is, to ensure the safety of our staff and inmates in the future." It's not clear what those booking processes changed will be, but WREL will stay with that story. State Highway Patrol says 33-year-old Marie Carney is the woman who died in a crash in Moore County. Carney died after veering off Highway 15-501 after 7-30 last night. Trooper say she hit a tree and that caused her car to flip. She was thrown from her vehicle because Trooper say she was not wearing a seatbelt. Investigators are still working to learn what led up to that crash. Riley police responded to a head on crash near southeast Raleigh High School. The WREL breaking news tracker was there on Rockquarie Road near Shepherd Valley Street. This was around 3-30 this morning. Riley police say there were only minor injuries in this. Three people were rescued from a sinking boat on Harris Lake today. The Wake County Sheriff's Office says the sinking boat was reported around 11-30 this morning. A team with the Sheriff's Office found the boat and was able to rescue one of the passengers. A nearby boater rescued the two other passengers. The Sheriff's Office said the boat sank because of mechanical issues. And another boat having issues this time in Atlantic City at the coast. See right here where the boat is on the sand? This happened yesterday at night around 6 o'clock. Two people were hurt because of this. Others say that the boat was traveling fast when it got to the shore. Victims were on the boat when this happened. But they were taken to the hospital with only minor injuries. Tomorrow former Raleigh City Councilman Eugene Weeks Funeral is scheduled. It's set for noon at Watts Baptist Church. And that is in Raleigh. Weeks passed away on Friday, June 14th. He was appointed as a Councilman in 2010. Weeks was just 83 years old. Today marks six years since Rocky Mountain Police Officer Christopher Driver died on the job. The driver got into a crash in his patrol car while responding to a call in 2018. Today, the police department said on Facebook, Officer Driver was a true hero who embodied the finest qualities of a law enforcement officer. North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell built a reputation for going to battle for state employees and taxpayers, but a probe into his use of state vehicles puts that reputation at risk. WREL's NC Capital team spoke with some of Folwell's colleagues and former associates in state government. They say the investigation runs opposite to their understanding of Folwell as a good steward of public funds. Republicans, Democrats and others spoke to our team about Folwell. You can find our in-depth look at the state treasurer by going to the NCW... NC Capital section of WREL.com. Disability Rights Organization adapt, spend the afternoon rallying and downtown Raleigh. This was at Halifax Mall outside the legislative building. Act is urging state lawmakers to make sure the Olmstead decision is fully implemented. That goes back 25 years ago. The U.S. Supreme Court found the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination. Holy Springs native Andrew Capo Bianco is headed to Paris this summer. He made the team USA's dive team. He had a first place finish in the men's three meter springboard competition. There he goes right there in the water. That was at the Olympic trial today. Capo Bianco won a silver medal in synchro springboard at the Tokyo Games three years ago, and coming up in sports here from Capo Bianco after his qualifying dives. Tonight is the final night of Team USA's swimming and diving Olympic trials. You can of course watch to see who else will make the trip to Paris on WREL starting at 7. As some local runners were competing in the Olympic track and field trials. Last night, UNC's Ethan Strand advanced to the men's 1500 meter final. So race for a spot on the Olympic team tomorrow. And the women's 400 meter two local runners are advancing to the final. Jamesia Ford who went to Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville and Quanera Hayes who is from Hope Mills. Both will compete in the finals this evening. Dominique Alexander from Raleigh and had advanced to the men's 100 meter semi-final. The runner who graduated from Millbrook High School and currently attends Campbell University will compete in the semifinals tonight. You can watch out for local runners competing for a spot on Team USA on WREL. The Team USA Olympic track and field finals start just tonight at 8.30. While local special Olympic softball team is making it to the big stage, it's something one player dreamed of the last 16 years but thought never would happen. This is a child we were told would not walk or talk. She didn't until she was almost four. And to see here up they're playing. Stick around and hear her advice if you ever feel like giving up. And one piece of art at Dick's Park is bringing in a lot of visitors. Let's talk about the meaning behind it and the effect the sculptor hopes it leaves in the community. Don't ever say we don't spoil you folks. Beautiful look at White Lake there, right? A local group of talented athletes will represent North Carolina on the national stage this summer. The softball team was selected to compete in the Special Olympics North American Games in Pittsburgh later this year. WREL's Laura Levine talked with one athlete who continues to beat the odds. The love of sports for Zoe Betts started at a very early age and in 13 she was determined to try. She was going to get out there and try out for Special Olympics. And Julie Betts says her daughter has always been determined, laser focused on her goals. The day of her tryouts she has some vision issues. She got smacked in the face of the softball, broke her nose in two places, and insisted with blood on her everywhere she was going to try out. Giving up was never an option and for the past 16 years Zoe has been playing for the Wake Tornadoes. "It's just great just getting out there, just seeing everyone play their best, just learning about how they got there, what everyone's story is and just seeing how everyone has dedication for Special Olympics and of course just trying to win the gold. That's the point, right? Her bubbly bright personality is contagious yet Mom says her journey to get here was tough. I cry, I cry, you know, partially I'm going to be a mom here for a second, this is a child we were told would not walk or talk. She didn't until she was almost four. And to see her up they're playing." She tells me Zoe's condition affects balance, motor skills and sensory input, yet here she is proving the world wrong. "Catching obviously is my favorite position." She's now on a team for a once in a lifetime experience, heading to compete in the next North American Games. "If you put your mind to it you can do anything, obviously I'm a huge Disney fan so I like this quote that it's fun to do the impossible." Loreleveem, WREL News in Raleigh. "And impossible things are happening every day. The Wake Tornadoes will begin training for the games next month, however the team needs help getting there to learn how to support and donate to their dream, you can visit WREL.com. The town of Fuqua, Varena wants your input on its updated comprehensive transportation plan. Leaders are hoping to hear from you on how to improve roads from all modes of transportation and town. A public meeting tomorrow night will be held where you can share your thoughts, it'll be held from 6 to 7.30 at the John W. Byrne Municipal Building. You can also take a survey on the town's website. A larger-than-life sculpture is drawing crowds to Dix Park and it's going to look amazing when you actually see it there. The sculpture is called Atten. Sculpture at Dewitt Godfrey created this right here, it's made from 80 steel cylinders and is 18 feet tall and 150 feet long. You can find it at the entrance along Boylan Avenue. Visitors are already wandering through the tunnels and holes of it, careful inside their folks. The decision on there, the description it is, says that it's "mit to be explored" and of course it also makes for a great picture moment too. It's really awesome. Lifeguards on our coast stayed pretty busy over the weekend. They had to make nearly 60 rip current rescues. In New Hanover County yesterday, there were 30 rescues at Carolina Beach. Twenty-two rescues at Currie Beach and six rescues at Reitzfield Beach. Red flags are flying at beaches all along the coast to warn about the dangers of rip currents. Lifeguards say these warnings should be taken seriously and not just those kind of warnings but the heat warnings that we're talking about as well. This is why Anthony has been talking about this constantly over the weekend, it's going to be dangerously hot. Yeah, it's something really to keep in mind here if you're headed out and I think it's deceptive for us, Chris. You go outside, you think I'll stay outside 10, 15, 20 minutes and it can be very additive in its effects if you will. If you don't take those precautions, the electrolytes, the water, just cooling off. So please keep that in mind here as we continue to track this. Really just summertime heat for us the next couple of weeks likely. We sit currently at 102 degrees for a feels like temperature across the triangle there. We sit at 109 in Rocky Mountain. That is the highest reading I've seen today, a feels like value 109, 100 Fayetteville, 100 Southern Pines. Wherever you are at, it is hot. I will say though, we had some early afternoon showers and storms that came through for some of us that I'm sure was very much kind of welcome rainfall when it came through. I saw lots of people commenting, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." And I will say into the upcoming week, we do have more chances on the way. I'll show you that here in just a second. Our heat advisory though continues until eight o'clock. This goes for the entire viewing area, essentially what that saying is feels like values up to about 105, 110, like what we're seeing right now. It's not going to get any worse, but it's just something to keep in mind if you're headed out this evening. 100 is what we hit for the actual air temperature, not a feels like value, actual air temperature there at the RDU airport that ties the record that was set back in 1986. So that is not a record that happened two, three, four years ago. That was a long standing record and we tied that today. Here's a look at the other temperatures, 97 Fayetteville is what we saw, 91 in Roxborough at 96 South Hills. So everyone talking the big time heat, and I got to tell you looking over the next seven days, here are those feels like values that I see, 95 in the low end to about 105. I do not see us getting cooler, if you will, anytime soon. We're going to see those above and normal temperatures continue probably through the rest of this summer. That doesn't necessarily mean we're going to see feels like values in the triple digits for the rest of the summer, but I just don't think we're going to see any big cool downs. We go through this evening, though, one bit of kind of a helping factor for us tonight and into the day tomorrow. We may see a couple passing storms like some locations saw earlier this afternoon. Even into tonight, you can see a few passing areas. We get to tomorrow morning, an isolated shower, maybe a thunderstorm is possible to start, but I don't think you'll need the heavy rain gear tomorrow morning. We go through the afternoon and mainly southeast of the triangle, there could be some of these pockets that bubble up and they have the potential to be on the stronger side tomorrow afternoon. Talking places like Fayetteville, Clinton, Goldsboro, some of those where you see the pink showing up right there. That would be some pretty heavy rainfall, maybe some lightning showing up with some of these kind of just summertime storms that get going. Not going to be a washout by any means for us tomorrow. We are talking another day of feels like values close to 100. There's the timing for any storms that get going one to about five o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Some of them, again, could be on the stronger side. It's a decently low and severe threat. We talk about temperatures though the next couple of days, so again, not feeling quite as bad tomorrow, still about a hundred though, so keep that in mind. 96 on Tuesday, close to 100 on Wednesday, but then Chris, we got some rain chances Thursday into Friday. Those look like our best chances right now. Look, I welcome some rain in my neighborhood. All right. Thanks, Anthony. Casey, hands over and support. Take Casey. Hey, Chris. Yeah. Of course, we've got to always have a busy weekend here. How about warm and former panthers tied in? You know, when he's not in the broadcast booth, he's busy raising money for a very important cause. Plus, Holly Springs officially home to a two-time Olympian. We'll hear from him next. A gymnast Andrew Capobianco is a youngster on Long Island. And that's the way to finish. That's the way to punch your ticket to Paris. Boy, what an incredible feat for Holly Springs' native, Andrew Capobianco, a silver medalist on the St. Crowe Springboard at the Tokyo Games just three years ago. He won the individual springboard event at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials with a total score of 971.80. Earlier at the trials, Capobianco, alongside his partner, Quentin Heninger, narrowly missed out on the lone Olympic spot in a synchro competition. But even with a bad miss on his fourth dive in the final, he was in a class of his own today becoming a two-time Olympic team member. Yeah, I don't really have words to describe it. I feel like I was just trying to be in the moment and not try to get ahead of myself too much. I think I maybe got a little bit ahead of myself on that bat, but other than that, I think that that was a great list and really great to battle it out with this guy and so proud of him. Well, Texas A&M, a school that can trace the start of its baseball program all the way back to the 19th century, had never played in the men's college world series finals. Until this year, the Aggies one went away from winning the first baseball title in the program history, meanwhile, Topsy to Tennessee needing two games to win after dropping the first one, the Vols looking for their first title since 1951. To Charles Schwab, filled me, go second game in a row that the Aggies out here waste in no time. Chase, Lavi Olet, blasts in no doubter. That was his 50th career home run A&M, up on nothing, but to the seventh Vols, desperately needing a run, Dylan, dryling, he delivers a clutch to run homer for the lead. Vols go on to take game two for one. That means we've got a winner take all for a college world series title tomorrow night. Well, recently former Carolina Panthers tied in Greg Olson, along with Panthers brass, some top sponsors and former teammates, including Luke Keekley, teed it up in the third annual hardest yard of celebrity classic. The golf tournament is part of Greg and his wife Cara's foundation to raise funds for other babies born with congenital heart disease like their son TJ. The hardest yard helps babies and their families be treated at Sean Jenkins Children's Hospital. The event has raised $600,000 since its inception in 2022. Don't ever take it for granted that people continue to show up. We always say until until people don't resonate until our story doesn't resonate and until people don't want to be here we're going to keep showing up and try to keep doing great things because these families need it. We take a lot of pride in our program, the hardest yard and what we've been able to accomplish and this is the next step. It's one of those things you always want to support your friends because they support you but also the tangible results that their foundation has been able to have over the years have been fantastic. We'll check this out. It was a crazy scene at TPC River Highlands as protesters stormed the 18th green and disrupted the final round of the travelers championship incident occurred just after 4 p.m. just as the final group of Scotty Sheffler, Tom Kim and Akshay Batilla arrived on the green and marked their ball. At least four protesters were seen it being detained by police but not before. They were setting off what appeared to be smoke bombs and dumped white and red powdery substances on the putting surfaces. Just incredible. Now on the other side of that, Chris Scotty Sheffler goes on to win yet again. He's having a heck of a year. He's having a good year indeed. All right. Thanks, Casey. And thank you for joining us here tonight on WREL news. Hope you have a good evening. 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