RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) -- A new report on air quality in North Carolina has mixed results. New findings from the American Lung Association show some signs of improvement and some cause for concern. "It was a little bit of a mixed bag. So the ozone, smog increased in that area,” said Danna Thompson, advocacy director for the American Lung Association in North Carolina. “Dirty air is a dangerous public health issue. It causes people to suffer immediate and potentially fatal medical problems.” Thompson said the rising ozone levels in the state are concerning. Exposure to ozone pollution can have se ..read more

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Mobile sports betting launched in North Carolina in March — just in time for the men's and women's teams from all of the Triangle's universities in the Atlantic Coast Conference to make their respective NCAA basketball tournaments. With the big presence of local teams in the tournaments, combined with the high interest North Carolinians famously have in college basketball and sports in general, it's no surprise hundreds of millions of dollars was spent on sports betting in a short period of time. According to a report released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commissi ..read more

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — An infant died after a crash in Greensboro earlier this month, and a driver faces several charges, according to a Guilford County Sheriff's Office news release. On April 16 around 11:17 p.m., a deputy with the GCSO attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Pleasant Garden Road near Industrial Avenue. Serious injuries reported after school bus crash in High Point The driver, later identified as Alton Johnny Bright Jr., 28, of Greensboro, accelerated to a high rate of speed and drove away from the deputy. The deputy followed Bright Jr. for about a mile when the vehicle cra ..read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- The chief district court judge for Mecklenburg County will be removed from her position, a statement obtained by Queen City News confirms.  Judge Elizabeth Trosch has served the position for District 26 for four years, and said through the District 26 Administrator's Office she will be removed by the N.C. Supreme Court Monday.  “On April 22, 2024, the Chief Justice informed me that he wants a different direction in leadership for Mecklenburg and that he has appointed Judge Roy Wiggins to the post of Chief District Court Judge effective May 1, 2024 ..read more

ETOWAH, Tenn. (WNCN) -- An earthquake in eastern Tennessee was recently reported about 10 miles from the North Carolina border. The 2.0 magnitude quake hit at 8:24 a.m. about 2.1 miles away from Etowah, Tennessee, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The reported location was about 10 miles from the North Carolina border and 20 miles from Murphy, a town in western North Carolina. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Tuesday's earthquake hit at a depth of eight kilometers or about five miles. The quake hit about 10.5 miles south of Athens, Tennessee, and about 24.3 miles south of C ..read more

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has halted the enforcement of a North Carolina law that made it a serious crime for someone to vote while still on probation or parole for a felony conviction when they had simply violated the voting law by mistake. The ruling was celebrated by groups representing poor residents and Black union members — and is limited, addressing some allegations of illegal voting conducted before 2024. That's because the General Assembly amended the law last fall so that starting Jan. 1 a felony offender has to know they were breaking the law by voting for there for it to ..read more

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — More than 700 criminal justice leaders are in Raleigh this week focusing on how to help those transition to a life outside of prison. State corrections leaders say the North Carolina Rehabilitation and Reentry Conference is about strengthening the support process for those coming out of prisons and detention centers. State leaders announced Tuesday that $1.9 million from the adult corrections budget will be used to create reentry councils in 27 new counties. Secretary of Adult Corrections Todd Ishee told CBS 17 that’ll mean a total of 54 reentry councils statewide to hel ..read more

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) -- A local pastor is sharing his shock after learning someone stole his vehicle from the parking lot of the church he preaches at in the middle of the day. It’s a moment Pastor Barry Washington had to see on surveillance video to believe. Former Parkland High School substitute claims student recently charged with assault also assaulted them Last Thursday right before noon, a thief rolled up in a wrecker to the Whole Man Ministries Church Parking lot, hitched Washington’s 2015 Chevy Equinox and rolled away in less than a minute. While the Winston-Salem pastor sat insi ..read more

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) — Twelve new VinFast stores are anticipated to begin opening starting this month, including one in Greensboro. This will bring the total number of VinFast dealers in the country to 18, spanning across seven states. "Leveraging the network of stores, market experience, and capabilities of leading US dealers, VinFast will quickly deliver high-quality, competitively priced electric vehicles to consumers, along with outstanding after-sales policies. This establishes a solid foundation for VinFast's strong growth in the US market," said David Duncan, Vice President of Sales ..read more

DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A woman has been charged after allegedly trying to abduct two children. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office says that on Saturday they got a call about a child abduction. They spoke with a man who said that Jennifer Lynn Pence, 54, had come to his home and taken his 11-year-old son. Pence "also attempted to take his 4-year-old daughter against his will." The 11-year-old was found and returned home. Pence was arrested and charged with child abduction and attempted child abduction and given a $25,000 bond. Man charged after being seen on Irving Park Elementary sur ..read more