Gov. Josh Stein declares State of Emergency in North Carolina due to wildfires (2025)

NEWS. THREE SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AFTER A HOUSE FIRE IN BURLINGTON. CYNTHIA LUNDY, BRANDON SNOW AND PHILIP WREN ARE ALL FACING SEVERAL MISDEMEANORS, INCLUDING INJURY TO REAL PROPERTY AND SECOND DEGREE TRESPASSING. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THEY WERE STAYING AT A HOME ON ANTHONY ROAD, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE HOMEOWNER’S PERMISSION TO BE THERE. DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A HOUSE FIRE AT THAT HOME THIS PAST SATURDAY. THE FIRE ITSELF CAUSED UP TO $100,000 IN DAMAGE. A WOMAN IS ACCUSED OF HITTING A MAN WITH A CAR BEFORE LEADING POLICE ON A CHASE. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 8:00 THIS MORNING ON RUGBY ROAD IN WINSTON-SALEM. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT, ASIAH MANNING, HIT ANOTHER MAN WITH HER CAR AND THEN DROVE OFF. OFFICERS TRIED PULLING HER OVER. SHE REFUSED TO STOP. THAT CHASE ENDED ON WEST 24TH STREET, WHERE SHE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. POLICE SAY MANNING AND THE VICTIM KNEW EACH OTHER, AND THAT WASN’T THE ONLY PURSUIT IN WINSTON-SALEM. POLICE SAY A SUSPECT REVERSED INTO OFFICERS DURING A CHASE ON NORTH MLK JUNIOR DRIVE JUST BEFORE 11:00 LAST NIGHT. THE CHASE ENDED WHEN THE SUSPECT VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE WALL AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST END BOULEVARD AND REYNOLDS ROAD. THE SUSPECT, JOSEPH PICHARDO, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. NO OFFICERS WERE HURT. ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, A CARGO SHIP ACCIDENTALLY SLAMMED INTO BALTIMORE’S FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE, CAUSING THE BRIDGE TO COLLAPSE. SIX CONSTRUCTION WORKERS DIED IN THIS CATASTROPHE. THE PORT OF BALTIMORE WAS BLOCKED FOR WEEKS UNTIL THEY OPENED A LIMITED ACCESS SHIPPING LANE THAT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF. A PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE NTSB SAID THE SHIP LOST POWER SEVERAL TIMES IN THE HOURS LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT, INCLUDING ONE OUTAGE FIVE MINUTES BEFORE IT. ALL WEEK WE’VE BEEN LOOKING BACK ON THAT DREADFUL DAY AND SPOTLIGHTING THE NATION’S INFRASTRUCTURE AS A WHOLE. ALL OF OUR REPORTING IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW ON THE WXII 12 NEWS, YOUTUBE PAGE. CHANGES ARE COMING TO THE WINSTON-SALEM FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND DISTRICT LEADERS SAY IT COULD HELP THEM SAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THOSE CHANGES WOULD INCLUDE ONLY USING STATE FUNDS FOR SUMMER SCHOOL, FREEZING NEW HIRES, FREEZING ANY SPENDING. THAT IS NOT FOR ESSENTIAL PURCHASES, AND ELIMINATING SOME LONG TERM SUBSTITUTES AND REALLOCATING CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. SUPERINTENDENT TRICIA MCMANUS REVEALED DURING LAST NIGHT’S MEETING THAT THESE CHANGES COULD HELP WINSTON-SALEM, FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS COME UP WITH THE $8 MILLION IT NEEDS THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDS JUNE 30TH, TO HANDLE A $5 MILLION DEFICIT. SHE ADDED THE DISTRICT WANTS TO SAVE $16 MILLION FOR THE 2025 2026 FISCAL YEAR, REACHING THAT GOAL WOULD REQUIRE RESTRUCTURING THE DISTRICT’S VIRTUAL ACADEMY, FURLOUGHING THE DISTRICT’S EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, IMPACTING 116 POSITIONS AND ELIMINATING 76. MCMANUS SAYS CUTTING THESE POSITIONS IS NECESSARY DUE TO A DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT AND THE ENDING OF FUNDING PROVIDED TO SCHOOLS FOLLOWING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. COMMITMENT 2025. NOW A LONGTIME GREENSBORO CITY COUNCILWOMAN IS THROWING HER HAT IN THE RING FOR MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM MARY KAY ABOUZEID LATER ANNOUNCED HER CANDIDACY THIS MORNING. SHE WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2011 AS AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, BEFORE BEING NAMED MAYOR PRO TEM EARLIER IN THE YEAR. I WILL NOT BE RUNNING UNOPPOSED, FORMER GREENSBORO MAYOR ROBBIE PERKINS PLANS TO RUN FOR HIS OLD SEAT. CURRENT MAYOR NANCY VAUGHAN, THE INCUMBENT HERE, ANNOUNCED A FEW MONTHS BACK SHE WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION. THE ELECTION IN GREENSBORO WILL BE THIS NOVEMBER. BOTH PANERA AND IBM HAVE ANNOUNCED CLOSURES AND LAYOFFS THAT WILL IMPACT DOZENS OF TRIAD WORKERS. PANERA FILED A WARN NOTICE LAST WEEK THAT IT PLANS TO CLOSE ITS DISTRIBUTION CENTER ON TUDOR LANE IN GREENSBORO, WHICH WILL IMPACT 80 EMPLOYEES. IBM FILED A NOTICE ON WEDNESDAY THAT IT PLANS TO LAY OFF 72