Tonight, "A Christmas Carol" begins its 50-year at performance at DPAC in Durham. This will be Ira David Wood III's last show after creating it and playing Scrooge since he was 27. His son will be taking over the role. My guest today is Mark Olexik, a WRAL photographer and a talented actor who dreamed of being in the play when he first saw it as a little boy. That dream eventually came true. His interview is a true testament to a magical show that has become a timeless Triangle holiday tradition...
Dec 13, 2023•12 min
An EF-1 tornado with winds as high as 110 miles per hour touched down in Garner Sunday. It hit just seconds after the warning was issued. Amazingly, no one was injured, but the tornado damaged homes, cars, and uprooted trees. WRAL reporter Eric Miller was one of the first journalists at the scene. In this episode, he shares what he saw, what people experienced, and how they are cleaning up the mess.
Dec 12, 2023•10 min
Lawmakers recently set aside millions of dollars for a pair of education projects that are raising some eyebrows. The companies receiving the money didn’t compete for the contracts, and the state agency that has to implement the projects they fund didn’t have much say in the process, revealing a disconnect between lawmakers and agency officials. WRAL State Government reporter Travis Fain, who teamed up with Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst to look into the contracts, explains how they ended u...
Dec 11, 2023•12 min
Three people were shot and killed at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police. Witnesses have identified the as a former professor with ties to North Carolina. He was a tenured professor at East Carolina University and graduated from Duke's business school. Chelsea Donovan spoke to people who knew Anthony Polito and joins us with what she learned.
Dec 08, 2023•8 min
Imagine your child is sick and you don't know what's wrong. Then a routine blood test at the doctor's office reveals she has lead poisoning. A Wake Forest couple recently experienced this nightmare. After testing everything in their environment, they learned a snack food was the source of the lead. WRAL's 5 On Your Side team investigated this case. Producer Pritchard Strong joins us with what they learned.
Dec 07, 2023•9 min
Tuesday night was the first Wake County School Board meeting since a 14-year-old student was stabbed to death at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School last week. Several people related to the students involved say that the school was warned that violence could erupt and that they did nothing to stop it. The school system has not responded to this allegation as of this recording. WRAL's Aaron Thomas was at the meeting Tuesday night and says that parents who spoke out want assurances that students ...
Dec 06, 2023•9 min
For many Americans, medical bills are the thing that pushes them over the edge to a place where financial recovery seems impossible. One in ten people are still paying off medical bills in our country; that’s 23 million people. Fifteen years ago, a Durham police officer tried to save a man’s life after a heart attack. The man died. As a result, Jerry Elliot asked the Durham Bulls to install two defibrillators on the property. One of those was then used to save HIS life one year later. But fast f...
Dec 05, 2023•12 min
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is causing a rift within the Democratic Party. President Biden has been criticized by some within his own party for not doing enough to help Palestinians who have been hurt by Israel’s attacks on Hamas. Meanwhile, some North Carolina Democrats have faced criticism from some within the party for not showing enough support for Israel, the U.S.’s top Middle Eastern ally. The tension is taking the party’s focus off of the 2024 elections in North Carolina — a sta...
Dec 04, 2023•18 min
Sometimes, you visit a place so magical it’s hard to believe that it’s real. When you go to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge you feel like you’re in another country. It is so spectacular, so magical, that it takes you on a journey. In this episode, WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shares the story behind the bridge, the gardens, and the local art that makes it come alive.
Dec 01, 2023•10 min
Three Cumberland County middle school students were treated and released from the hospital after eating gummies on a school bus. It’s not clear whether the gummies were infused with CBD, THC, or something else. The sheriff’s office is investigating. WRAL Fayetteville reporter Gilbert Baez is covering the story and joins me in this episode to share what he has learned about the incident.
Nov 30, 2023•10 min
Southeast Raleigh High School was closed Tuesday after violence on campus took the life of a 15-year-old student and sent a 16-year-old to the hospital. A 14-year-old is in custody facing a juvenile petition in the fatal stabbing. The entire school community is in mourning as staff, students and parents try to wrap their heads around the tragedy. WRAL has a team covering this unfolding story. In this episode, we speak to reporter Matt Talhelm about his role in our coverage.
Nov 29, 2023•12 min
In August, the unthinkable happened in our backyard-a shooting on a college campus. It took place at UNC Chapel Hill. A professor was killed. For hours students and staff sheltered in place in campus buildings while police searched for the shooter. A graduate student was eventually captured and charged in the professor's death. He was in court today, so was WRAL investigative reporter Sarah Krueger. In this episode, she shares what happened in the courtroom.
Nov 28, 2023•9 min
The 2024 race for North Carolina attorney general is expected to gain outsize attention — and loads of spending — as the role becomes more politicized. No longer is the position just for going after scammers and defending the state in lawsuits. In recent years, partisan debates over abortion rights and voting laws have pitted states’ judicial and legislative branches against one another. The two likely frontrunners for state AG in 2024 are among North Carolina’s most politically outspoken member...
Nov 27, 2023•15 min
It’s one thing to mispronounce the name of a colleague or a new friend, but what about mispronouncing the name of the highest elected official in the state of North Carolina? Well, that’s exactly what we’ve all been doing for a very long time. State government reporter Travis Fain discovered this and decided to set the record straight. He joins us in this episode with what he learned.
Nov 24, 2023•8 min
This story falls into the category of cool jobs I didn’t even know existed. The fancy name is “graphic facilitation.” Basically, it’s an artist who creates a visual representation of a meeting on a whiteboard for all the participants to see and digest. The idea is that these images can help people brainstorm in a way that opens up their minds to new strategies and solutions. In today’s episode, we speak with Nicole Karp, a North Carolina native, who lives in Raleigh and works as a graphic facili...
Nov 23, 2023•12 min
Sushi has become the go-to food of choice for many Americans today. But how much do we really know about what is in the sushi we eat? WRAL Investigates purchased a variety of sushi in the Triangle and had scientists test it to see what we’re really eating when we ingest America’s favorite meal. Senior Producer Randall Kerr joins us in this episode with what they found.
Nov 22, 2023•11 min
Rabbi Eric Solomon of the Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh traveled to Israel last week to support victims of the Hamas attack. He was transformed by what he saw, by what he heard, and by what he experienced. In this episode, he shares his emotional journey with us and his feelings about a possible Raleigh city resolution calling for a cease fire.
Nov 21, 2023•12 min
Democratic former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan is an uphill fight in the North Carolina governor's race. To stand out, he released an unusually cinematic ad that has generated some buzz. Will it be enough for him to overtake Democratic frontrunner Josh Stein? WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain shares details from his recent interview with Morgan and political experts. And WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht shares what he's learning about messaging in the Republican pri...
Nov 20, 2023•17 min
N.C. State University officials unexpectedly closed Poe Hall Friday after toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found inside the academic building. WRAL 5 On Your Side Producer Pritchard Strong explains what was found and who might be most affected by exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals. He reveals concerns dating back years from faculty and staff who worked in the building.
Nov 18, 2023•15 min
It's hard to believe it has been almost a year since 11-year-old Hailey Brooks was hit by the truck driving her dance school float and killed. She was dancing down Hillsborough Street in the Raleigh Christmas Parade, a day that she and her family had been looking forward to for weeks. The Brooks family sat down and shared their story with WRAL anchor and reporter Debra Morgan. In this episode, Debra talks about their heartbreak and their path forward.
Nov 17, 2023•17 min
Rabbis from across the country and from North Carolina are in Israel to providing healing and comfort to the victims of the attack by Hamas and their families. One of these rabbis, Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, spoke to me after his first full day in Israel from his hotel room about the heartbreaking things he has already experienced.
Nov 16, 2023•14 min
More than half a million North Carolina taxpayers were overtaxed by the state this year. This is related to a major glitch in the department of revenue’s tax system. The number of people getting incorrect bills is climbing daily. WRAL’s 5 On Your Side team investigated the situation. In this episode, Producer Pritchard Strong joins us with what they learned.
Nov 15, 2023•10 min
The words “nuclear power” have the ability to make a lot of us fearful. In the Triangle, Shearon Harris comes to mind. The cooling tower is located in southwestern Wake County on 5400 acres. The 36-year-old plant can power one million homes. But big nuclear power plants may soon be a thing of the past. In this episode, WRAL Investigates’ Senior Producer Randall Kerr explains what the future of nuclear power in our area looks like.
Nov 14, 2023•11 min
A decision by Toyota to build an electric vehicle battery plant has had a cascading effect on the state's economy. Under Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, the state has spent billions of dollars on tax-payer funded incentives, luring clean energy manufacturing jobs to the state. WRAL state government reporter Will Doran shares what he learned about those inverstments after speaking with Cooper and economists.
Nov 13, 2023•14 min
5 On Your Side recently did a story about a fake hotel listing on Expedia that duped both the customers and the business that was located at the actual address—a law firm. As a follow-up, they decided to create their own fake hotel listing to see what would happen. Would the vetting process that the online platform has in place actually work this time? In this episode, reporter Keely Arthur joins us with what transpired
Nov 10, 2023•9 min
Pets are family. When we lose a pet the grief can be overwhelming. What if there was a place you could go to remember and pay tribute to your beloved pet, a place where people who understand what you're going through gather together? There is such a place. It's called the Rainbow Bridge. In this episode, WRAL's Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shares the story behind the bridge, her very personal connection this sacred place and how she turned her grief into hope.
Nov 09, 2023•15 min
Okay, so most of us are familiar with home-sharing apps like Airbnb and VRBO, but have you heard of a pool-sharing app? Yes, I said pool. It was only a matter of time before everything could be shared. “Swimply” rents private backyard pools. But one county’s health department in North Carolina is threatening to shut the site down saying the rentals don’t comply with the state’s rules regarding public pools. In this episode, 5 On Your Side producer Pritchard Strong fills us in on what all the fus...
Nov 08, 2023•10 min
It’s a little bit like hurricane season. Meteorologists now have the science and the technology to help them predict what our winter weather might look like this year. It’s a big deal for companies who want to make sure their employees can get to work and for parents who get anxious that school will be canceled. In this episode, WRAL meteorologist and weather department executive producer Aimee Wilmoth joins us with a sneak peek at what we can expect.
Nov 07, 2023•10 min
Overcrowding is forcing thousands of Wake County families to move to new schools every year - the result of a population that is outpacing the county's ability to build schools. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains how the county determines who moves here, how the county determines who moves where, how this year's reassignment plan will affect families and students, and what families can do if they don't want to be moved.
Nov 06, 2023•16 min
For a year, WRAL’s 5 On Your Side team has been studying ways to help you navigate the headaches of waiting in line at the DMV. People have been complaining to WRAL for years that there are few appointments, and the lines seem endless. Reporter Keely Arthur asked North Carolina’s DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin what the secret is to breezing through the unwelcoming experience. In this episode, she shares what she learned.
Nov 03, 2023•9 min
