Across the state, county school leaders say they need more money for facilities, staffing and safety measures. But state spending isn't rising fast enough for counties to keep up with their needs. And local leaders aren't finding the help they need in bills that are moving in the legislature. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst breaks down the disconnect. 

Scientists have tracked a steady climb in ocean temperatures since April. This is causing unprecedented heat stress conditions in the waters surrounding Florida and in the Gulf.

More isolated marine heat wave conditions have been detected off the East coast, along the path of the Gulf Stream, which directly impacts North Carolina’s coastal waters. WRAL’s climate change reporter Liz McLaughlin joins us in this episode to explain why this is happening and how it could take a toll on our ecosystem.

These days camera technology is so advanced that one can be disguised as something as small as a run-of-the-mill USB device. With so many potential hidden cameras on the market, it can be a scary prospect to stay in a vacation rental for example and not know if you are being watched. WRAL’s 5 On Your Side Team learned that while there are many small cameras on the market, there is now also easy-to-use technology to spot hidden cameras. The team put this technology to the test. In this episode, 5 On Your Side Producer Pritchard Strong explains what they found.

An EF-3 tornado touched down in parts of Edgecombe and Nash Counties on July 19 leaving major damage in its path, including to the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount where part of the roof was ripped off. The company lost 50,000 pallets of medicine, one hundred vehicles and its temporary closure has put hundreds of people out of work. Homes and local businesses were also damaged or destroyed. Our Keenan Willard was the first reporter on the ground for WRAL. In this powerful interview, Keenan shares the human cost of what he saw and experienced and explains what’s next for the people impacted by the tornado.

LINKS:

https://www.wral.com/video/resident-on-town-hall-road-reacts-to-tornado-damage/20962117/

https://www.wral.com/video/couple-thrown-100-feet-by-nc-tornado-family-says/20964406/

Two children involving separate cases in Nash County died after recommendations that they be removed from their homes following investigations of mistreatment were ignored. WRAL has learned that administrators with the Nash County Department of Social Services did not agree with the recommendations to remove the children and allowed them to stay. The WRAL Investigates team spoke with DSS workers who shared a harrowing behind the scenes look into these deaths which they believe could have been prevented.

State employees are supposed to reimburse the state if they take an official vehicle home. But several officials at the state Department of Adult Corrections don't - despite having long commutes in gas-guzzling vehicles. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain explains why the department is OK with it. 

If you’re a fan of cemeteries and the history they hold, there’s one in Tarboro you must visit. Enclosed in a gothic-style churchyard, graves covered in ivy sit beneath a lush canopy of century-old trees. It can only be described as North Carolina’s very own “Secret Garden.” And that’s not all, just down the street sits the the Colonial-era Town Common dates which back to 1760. In this episode, WRAL Hidden History reporter Heather Leah takes us back in time and unlocks the secrets of Tarboro.

https://www.wral.com/amp/19293352/

At one time it drew people from all over the state, people hoping that the mineral spring nestled quietly on a farm in North Carolina would have healing properties that could make them well. The town that we know of today as Fuquay-Varina grew up around the mystical healing waters. The spring now sits in the middle of a public park where you can take in its beauty and its history. WRAL Hidden History reporter Heather Leah fills us in on what’s behind the legend of this ethereal body of water.

You’ve probably driven by one and not even noticed it…a ghost town. North Carolina is full of them. Why go to the beach this summer when you can visit one of these spooky places? WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shares what’s behind these abandoned communities—and tells us which ones are accessible.

https://www.wral.com/story/ghost-towns-from-above-bird-s-eye-view-of-abandoned-communities-across-nc/20530696/

It’s right in the middle of the bustling city. On any given Saturday or Sunday families with children flock to Raleigh’s Pullen Park to enjoy the small train, the paddle boats, the playground or the carousel. But did you know that the park has a rich and interesting history? WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shares some of its secrets in this episode including where you can find remnants of Raleigh’s very first zoo.

https://www.wral.com/story/when-pullen-had-alligators-and-bears-remnants-of-the-old-zoo-at-pullen-park/19632299/