Friday is now a WRAL Weather Alert Day. Parts of Hoke, Cumberland and Sampson counties are under a level 2 risk for storms Friday afternoon and evening. The biggest threat will be damaging winds and heavy rain, but an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out in our southern counties. The storms are expected to impact these areas from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

🚨WRAL Weather Alert Day🚨 Risk upgraded to Level 2 for southern counties, damaging winds & isolated tornadoes possible Friday

Officials are encouraging residents to take steps to prepare for extreme weather ahead of hurricane season. New data shows flood and wind risk is changing in the state.

Inland homes at risk for high winds, flooding during hurricane season. Here's what you can do now.

Holly Springs shed damage

More than a dozen former employees say understaffing at Brynn Marr Hospital contributes to what they describe as a dangerous place for patients and employees. Hospital officials say allegations of violence, sexual assaults, overmedication and lack of mental health therapy are unfounded.

Former employees say short-staffed NC psych hospital rife with violence, abuse

Brynn Marr Hospital

Some Oxford residents want a statue that has honored Civil War soldiers for more than 100 years in the town moved from its current site to a less visible location.

OXFORD, N.C. — Some Oxford residents want a statue that has honored Civil War soldiers for more than 100 years in the town moved to a less visible location.

The 30-foot monument stands in what will be the front of an expanded city library, and residents, like Eddie McCoy, say that when the library is finished, more people will see the statue.

Beau Minnick

Battle waged in Oxford over Civil War statue

Oxford statue

They say they find it offensive and want it moved to the Old Oxford Cemetery, a few hundred yards away.

The city of Oxford has said it would allow residents to move the statue if they are able to raise the necessary funding to do so.

But Ronnie Boyd, commander of the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, doesn't think the statue should be moved. He said it has to do with heritage and has nothing to do with race or slavery.

&quot;These men, in this period of time, they answered the call, just like our men and women of the armed forces answer the call today,&quot; Boyd said. &quot;I'm proud of my heritage, and I'm proud of my history.&quot;

The statue played a role in Oxford's 1970 race riots, when some people threw a rope around the statue to try to take it down.

McCoy, who says he was part of that group, doesn't want the statue destroyed but out of sight.

&quot;It's just as simple as that,&quot; he said.

The Granville County Board of Commissioners voted this week to move forward with plans to expand the library and keep the statue where it is.

&quot;The monument is a tribute to the Confederate dead of Granville County of all races,&quot; Granville County Manager Brian Alligood said in a statement.

Granville County lost 260 people in the Civil War.

&quot;The monument is one of thousands to the dead of our country's most tragic war,&quot; Alligood said.

McCoy said a petition opposing that decision is circulating.

Confederate statues can be found throughout the state, and so can the controversy.

For years, the Silent Sam statue has stood in the face of controversy on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. The United Daughters of the Confederacy gave the statue to the university as a memorial to the 321 alumni who died in the Civil War.

A minister in Pitt County also tried to remove the Confederate statue from the courthouse lawn there, because, to him, it express support for slavery.

Kelly Gardner

Some Oxford residents want Confederate statue moved

Confederate statue

Friday is now a WRAL Weather Alert Day, with an upgraded risk for severe storms in our southern counties.


🚨WRAL Weather Alert Day🚨 Risk upgraded to Level 2 for southern counties, damaging winds & isolated tornadoes possible

Severe risk for Friday 

Around 5 a.m., WRAL's Kelsey Coffey heard police say, "Come out and put your hands up." Coffey heard about 10 popping sounds. 

Man hurt in shooting at north Raleigh apartment complex, police heard telling someone to come out with hands up

One man hurt in north Raleigh shooting, police remain on scene

Durham police said the shooting happened at The Village at Auburn Apartments on Woodcroft Parkway.

8 shot in 3 days in Durham: Woman, man shot at Durham apartment complex marks 4th shooting this week

Woman, man shot at Durham apartment complex

The Carolina Hurricanes try to turn the tides against the New York Rangers in Game 3 at PNC Arena. The Canes are down 2-0 to the Rangers.

Hurricanes fall in overtime to the Rangers, trail 3-0 in the series

Hurricanes_Rangers_Hockey_22564

The state has a budget surplus of more than $1 billion for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

Top North Carolina lawmaker considering sending money back to taxpayers

NC Senate leader Phil Berger weighs in on inflation's role in budget proposal

WRAL-TV News Broadcasts: Watch each newscast live or watch the most recent newscast on demand.

WRAL Late News 

WRAL Noon News

Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

Carolina Hurricanes players and Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour talk about Game 3 on Thursday night against the New York Rangers. 

Canes players, coach talk about Game 3 against New York Rangers

Videos

Dozens of people showed up on Douglas Street in Wilson on Thursday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Carolina Mudcats' new Wilson stadium.

Wilson breaks ground on new Mudcats baseball stadium

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The New York Rangers erased an early deficit to take momentum, only to squander their own lead late with a huge postseason road victory only minutes away.

Artemi Panarin scores in overtime, Rangers beat Hurricanes 3-2 to take 3-0 series lead

Rangers_Hurricanes_Hockey_22876

JT International -- which makes and sells Winston, Camel and other cigarette brands -- plans to move its U.S. offices from New Jersey, bringing more than 100 jobs to Raleigh's North Hills area. 
