Published: 2020-06-24 09:14:00Updated: 2020-06-24 18:30:11Local NewsTags:By Jessica Patrick, WRAL multimedia journalist — Three women face charges of reckless driving and impeding traffic by slow speed for their role in a slowdown protest on Interstate 40 Wednesday morning.Hundreds of cars slowed to 10 mph in the westbound lanes of I-40 just before 9 a.m., creating a backup that stretched for up to 10 miles through Raleigh. The protest, organized on social media, was the latest in response to nationwide acts of racism and the death of George Floyd.Before 9 a.m., on I-40 West near Hammond...…Published: 2020-06-24 09:14:00Updated: 2020-06-24 18:30:11Local NewsTags:By Jessica Patrick, WRAL multimedia journalist — Three women face charges of reckless driving and impeding traffic by slow speed for their role in a slowdown protest on Interstate 40 Wednesday morning.Hundreds of cars slowed to 10 mph in the westbound lanes of I-40 just before 9 a.m., creating a backup that stretched for up to 10 miles through Raleigh. The protest, organized on social media, was the latest in response to nationwide acts of racism and the death of George Floyd.Before 9 a.m., on I-40 West near Hammond...WW…

Published: 2020-07-24 12:03:00Updated: 2020-07-25 08:58:22Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL reporterThe North Carolina State Board of Education said on Friday that students and teachers who show symptoms of COVID-19 can return to school 24 hours after the last symptom has passed. This decision is based off of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a negative test criteria is no longer required for determining when people are no longer contagious for the virus.In updated guidance issued along with a strong recommendation that schools reopen to in-person...…Published: 2020-07-24 12:03:00Updated: 2020-07-25 08:58:22Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL reporterThe North Carolina State Board of Education said on Friday that students and teachers who show symptoms of COVID-19 can return to school 24 hours after the last symptom has passed. This decision is based off of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a negative test criteria is no longer required for determining when people are no longer contagious for the virus.In updated guidance issued along with a strong recommendation that schools reopen to in-person...WW…

Published: 2020-09-30 05:01:00Updated: 2020-09-30 23:30:33Local NewsTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, & Adam Owens and Julian Grace, WRAL anchor/reporters — Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that coronavirus cases are stable enough in North Carolina to move the state into the next phase of reopening businesses and resuming social activities during the pandemic.The shift to , which will allow bars to reopen for outdoor seating and movie theaters and amusement parks to reopen, takes effect at 5 p.m. Friday."We're cautiously encouraged about where we are in this...…Published: 2020-09-30 05:01:00Updated: 2020-09-30 23:30:33Local NewsTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, & Adam Owens and Julian Grace, WRAL anchor/reporters — Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that coronavirus cases are stable enough in North Carolina to move the state into the next phase of reopening businesses and resuming social activities during the pandemic.The shift to , which will allow bars to reopen for outdoor seating and movie theaters and amusement parks to reopen, takes effect at 5 p.m. Friday."We're cautiously encouraged about where we are in this...WW…

Published: 2020-08-12 18:23:00Updated: 2020-08-12 18:23:00Health TeamTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — Duke University research that showed how poorly some face coverings perform wasn't exactly the intent of the study, researchers said Wednesday.The showed neck gaiters do a better job at spreading the coronavirus than containing it, a detail that has since gotten nationwide media attention.But Martin Fischer, an associate research professor in Duke's chemistry department who participated in the study, said the research was geared toward demonstrating a way to study the...…Published: 2020-08-12 18:23:00Updated: 2020-08-12 18:23:00Health TeamTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — Duke University research that showed how poorly some face coverings perform wasn't exactly the intent of the study, researchers said Wednesday.The showed neck gaiters do a better job at spreading the coronavirus than containing it, a detail that has since gotten nationwide media attention.But Martin Fischer, an associate research professor in Duke's chemistry department who participated in the study, said the research was geared toward demonstrating a way to study the...WW…

Published: 2021-01-29 08:03:00Updated: 2021-01-29 19:01:35Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — At least three cases of a coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom have been detected in North Carolina, and at least two cases of a second variant, first found in South Africa, have been reported in South Carolina.The variants could put more strain on area hospitals, as they are believed to be more contagious than the virus the U.S. has been battling for almost a year."The South African variant does appear to be more contagious. It transmits somewhat easier than...…Published: 2021-01-29 08:03:00Updated: 2021-01-29 19:01:35Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — At least three cases of a coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom have been detected in North Carolina, and at least two cases of a second variant, first found in South Africa, have been reported in South Carolina.The variants could put more strain on area hospitals, as they are believed to be more contagious than the virus the U.S. has been battling for almost a year."The South African variant does appear to be more contagious. It transmits somewhat easier than...WW…

Published: 2020-12-30 18:06:00Updated: 2020-12-30 19:47:13Health TeamTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief, & Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — North Carolina health officials have adjusted the priority list for receiving coronavirus vaccinations to align with recent federal recommendations, officials said Wednesday.A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last week updated its guidance, calling for than they previously would have.Because such a large group was moved up in line while the amount of...…Published: 2020-12-30 18:06:00Updated: 2020-12-30 19:47:13Health TeamTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief, & Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — North Carolina health officials have adjusted the priority list for receiving coronavirus vaccinations to align with recent federal recommendations, officials said Wednesday.A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last week updated its guidance, calling for than they previously would have.Because such a large group was moved up in line while the amount of...WW…

Published: 2020-10-21 12:12:00Updated: 2020-10-21 19:29:25Local NewsTags:By Keely Arthur and Adam Owens, WRAL reporters — When Gov. Roy Cooper allowed bars and movie theaters to reopen with limited capacity on Oct. 2, the state had seen weeks of basically stable numbers of new coronavirus cases and deaths. After a week of increasing cases and record numbers of deaths and hospitalizations, on Wednesday, he put any further openings of businesses on hold for at least three weeks."Like states across the country, our numbers are higher than we want," Cooper said in announcing he'd keep the state...…Published: 2020-10-21 12:12:00Updated: 2020-10-21 19:29:25Local NewsTags:By Keely Arthur and Adam Owens, WRAL reporters — When Gov. Roy Cooper allowed bars and movie theaters to reopen with limited capacity on Oct. 2, the state had seen weeks of basically stable numbers of new coronavirus cases and deaths. After a week of increasing cases and record numbers of deaths and hospitalizations, on Wednesday, he put any further openings of businesses on hold for at least three weeks."Like states across the country, our numbers are higher than we want," Cooper said in announcing he'd keep the state...WW…

Published: 2020-10-01 17:59:00Updated: 2020-10-02 16:07:24Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — Supporters of a well-known Wilson restaurant are defending the establishment and pushing back on the need to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic.An Asheville man visited Parker's Barbecue last weekend while in Wilson for his son's soccer tournament and reported workers without masks behind the counter and in the kitchen."Let me put it this way, it was a horror show," Robert Green told WRAL News. "There were a dozen people behind the counter in the kitchen area, very small...…Published: 2020-10-01 17:59:00Updated: 2020-10-02 16:07:24Local NewsTags:By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter — Supporters of a well-known Wilson restaurant are defending the establishment and pushing back on the need to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic.An Asheville man visited Parker's Barbecue last weekend while in Wilson for his son's soccer tournament and reported workers without masks behind the counter and in the kitchen."Let me put it this way, it was a horror show," Robert Green told WRAL News. "There were a dozen people behind the counter in the kitchen area, very small...WW…