Raleigh North Carolina News

FLORENCE, S.C. — Authorities say more than 129 guns were found inside the South Carolina home of a man charged with killing a police officer and wounding six others earlier this month. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday that it appeared only three of the guns were fired at the officers on Oct. 3 — a pistol and two military-style assault rifles. Lott said 74-year-old Frederick Hopkins set his house up to ambush law…

When sheriff’s deputies went to serve a warrant related to a child sex crimes investigation in Florence, South Carolina, there were at least 129 guns in the home, according to investigators. Police say Frederick Hopkins opened fired at officers from a second-floor window on October 3. “This was a planned ambush,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, tasked with investigating the shooting, said Tuesday. He described walking into the home where the alleged shooter lived as…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — The community support for the ABC11 Food Drive was outstanding, and now all of that generosity is headed to those impacted most by Hurricane Matthew. The ABC11 Hurricane Relief Food Drive brought in 15 truckloads of food; the equivalent of 80,000 pounds. READ MORE: ABC11 viewers make Food Drive a huge success Six of those truckloads have already been sorted by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and sent…

North Carolina elementary schools who were hard hit by Hurricane Florence will get some relief from having to give state-required tests while they recover from the effects of the storm. The State Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday to waive a policy requiring kindergarten through third-grade students to take three reading assessments this school year. State education officials say districts that were hardest hit by the storm, such as those where students lost significant amount…

Only weeks following Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle leaving a trail of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas. Several organizations are working to provide relief through the mobilization of trained volunteers, food, clothing and supplies to tens of thousands of people. If you would like to help, please go to Feeding America, the American Red Cross or The Salvation Army. Report a Typo (Copyright ©2018 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.)

Joanne Garone Behnke has replayed every possible scenario in her mind a hundred times. Maybe her 79-year-old aunt sought shelter at the sturdy condo nearby that withstood Hurricane Michael’s devastating winds. Maybe she was rescued and is lying in a hospital bed somewhere. The pile of rubble that was once her Mexico Beach home is shallow, too shallow for a body to go unnoticed, Garone Behnke tells herself. “It’s torture,” says Garone Behnke, who last…

Tropical Storm Tara is dropping heavy rain on west-central Mexico while moving just offshore, and forecasters are warning of the danger of possible flash floods and high winds in some coastal areas. The storm that formed Monday is moving slowly off Mexico’s Pacific coast and is expected to remain close to land for the next few days. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tara had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) Monday night….

The Latest on President Donald Trump’s visit to areas hit by Hurricane Michael (all times local): 6:30 p.m. President Donald Trump has heard from Georgia farmers whose crops were wiped out by Hurricane Michael. Trump on Monday visited a farm near Macon where fourth-generation farmer Kevin Rentz grows cotton and peanuts. Rentz said he lost 100 percent of his cotton crop. He says they’re still digging up peanuts but the problem is finding someplace to…

RALEIGH (WTVD) — North Carolina lawmakers have passed an $800 million relief package. On Monday night lawmakers passed the Florence Emergency Response Act, which will now head to Governor Roy Cooper’s office for his signature. “I appreciate legislators responding quickly and taking this initial step to help North Carolinians recover from this devastating storm, particularly in the areas of education and the federal match. However, we must continue to work together to provide more for…

By Kasey Cunnintham, WRAL reporter Raleigh, N.C. — Country music stars from North Carolina are using the release of their latest single to help with relief efforts for Hurricane Florence victims. When members of the band Parmalee saw images and videos of their home state under water, they knew they wanted to help somehow. Their desire to do something turned into their latest song, “Down Town.” Throughout their musical career, members of the band have…

The Latest on a special legislative session in North Carolina designed to approve money to help recovery in communities flooded last month by Hurricane Florence (all times local): 9 p.m. North Carolina legislators are spending $400 million to speed recovery from Hurricane Florence and setting aside another $450 million for upcoming needs, temporarily setting aside the sharp partisanship that’s typified government. Legislators on Monday approved a second emergency spending plan a month after Florence slammed…

The sharp partisanship that’s typified North Carolina’s government was buried temporarily on Monday as legislators debated $400 million to quickly help people and communities reeling from flooding left by Hurricane Florence and setting aside another $450 million for upcoming needs. An emergency spending plan unveiled a month after Florence slammed into the state would help farmers and fishermen who suffered economic losses, keep college students in school despite storm-related setbacks, and repair damaged school buildings….

Newly formed Tropical Storm Tara soaked parts of west-central Mexico with heavy rains Monday as it drifted off the country’s Pacific coast. Forecasters said precipitation from the storm had the potential to cause dangerous flooding, though its center was likely to remain out to sea while remaining near the coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tara was centered about 65 miles (100 kilometers) south-southwest of Manzanillo while heading to the northwest at 2 mph…

In Florida, a grim task is unwinding slowly: How many people were killed during Hurricane Michael? The storm that ravaged the Florida Panhandle left incredible destruction, but so far getting a firm grasp on how many died is proving elusive. Search and rescue teams have crawled and walked through thousands of buildings and ruins for days in places like Mexico Beach, which was virtually wiped out when the storm roared ashore last week. Yet the…

LELAND, N.C. (WTVD) — Tom Meyer’s home was one of more than 30 in the Stoney Creek Plantation subdivision in Leland that flooded. “I had no place to take all my animals so we decided we were going to stay,” said Meyer, as he recounted how he survived Hurricane Florence a month ago. Some residents are living in campers outside their homes, at hotels, in rentals or with family and friends. Meyer, his daughter, and…