In all three of these sewer blowback cases, the homes were below the grade of the road or downstream from the main sewer line itself.

How sewage floods at home turned into nightmares for Raleigh families

Sewage floods inside Raleigh homes

A year later, the full impact of the North Carolina abortion law is becoming clearer for both supporters and opponents.

A year later, impact from NC's 12-week abortion ban coming into focus

Ultrasound

All assets associated with the tag: graves

Graves Coverage

Sandy Thompson is upset that her husband's name is misspelled on his gravestone and that there are other problems at Wayne Memorial Park. She wants the park to fix the problems.

Damaged graves: Loved ones raise concerns over care at Wayne Memorial Park

THEIR WAY INTO THE HOME. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY COULDN'T SAVE THEM. THEIR IDENTITIES HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED. FAMILY MEMBERS REACHED OUT TO WRAL, FRUSTRATED WITH THE CONDITIONS WHERE THEIR LOVED ONES ARE LAID TO REST. TAKE A LOOK. >> DAMAGED GRAVES, FIRE AND EVEN A MISSPELLED NAME. THESE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU SEE AT WAYNE MEMORIAL PARK WRAL'S HEIDI KIRK WENT TO DOUBLE A TO SEE THE DAMAGE FIRST AND AND SPOKE WITH ONE WOMAN WHO SAYS SHE'S DISAPPOINTED. >> I'M RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM WAYNE MEMORIAL PARK, WHICH IS TOUTED AS THE LARGEST CEMETERY HERE IN WAYNE COUNTY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GRAVES THERE, BUT WRAL GOT ONE TIP INTO OUR NEWSROOM THAT THEY'RE NOT ALL BEING TAKEN CARE OF. >> SITES. ANDY THOMPSON NEVER THOUGHT SHE'D SEE. I LOOKED AT I JUST DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT TO ME. A MISSPELLING ON HER HUSBAND'S GRAVESTONE AT WAYNE MEMORIAL PARK. >> AND I CAN'T LOOK INTO IT. AND I REALIZED GORTON WHERE G OR IN AND HIS FIRST PGA OR AND WRAL REACHED OUT TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT WITH THOMPSON'S CONCERNS. IT RESPONDED THAT DOCUMENT SHOW THOMPSON SIGNED OFF ON THE GRAVESTONE DESIGN. >> THOMPSON SAYS SHE WAS MORNING AND DID NOT NOTICE THE MISTAKE. BUT WHEN SHE WROTE THE MISSPELLING TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, SHE WAS DISMISSED. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU ASKED THEM TO FIX IT? ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO? AND I'M AT THE TAIL. >> WHAT HE WAS TALKING TO YOU. HE DIDN'T CARE. >> THOMPSON SAYS IT'S ONE OF SEVERAL ISSUES SHE'S SEEN HERE AT THIS PARK FROM DAMAGE GRAVE, SEEN HERE. 2 UNCAPPED GROUNDS, EVEN FIRE ANTS ON THE PROPERTY WE PAID FOR THIS AREA. >> YOU KNOW, AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. IT'S BEEN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS SINCE THOMPSON'S HUSBAND'S PASSING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, SHE SAYS SHE JUST WANTS THESE ISSUES FIXED AS SHE COMES HERE OFTEN TO MOURN. AND THAT JUST UPSET MAY CAUSE. YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THINGS TO BE RIGHT AS MY HUSBAND. I WANT TO LOOK GOOD HIKER, WRAL NEWS, WAYNE COUNTY. >> WRAL ALSO REACHED OUT TO WAYNE MEMORIAL PARK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE DAMAGE. GRAVES. IT RESPONDED THAT MANY OF THE GRAVES IN BAD CONDITION HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AND THEY ARE

Loved ones raise concerns over damaged graves at Wayne Memorial Park

Vick Cemetery, along Lane Street, was the public cemetery for African-Americans in Wilson from 1913 to the 1960s. Now, descendants of families buried there are  reclaiming the sacred space, starting with reconstruction service and the restoration of records.

ALUMNI EARN A MEDIAN STARTING SALARY OF $55,000. >> THIS CLEARED LAND YOU SEE HERE IN WILSON COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR SOCCER FIELD OR MAYBE A PARK BENEATH THIS BEAUTIFUL GREEN GRASS ARE MORE THAN 4,000 UNMARKED GRAVES. VIC CEMETERY ALONG LANE STREET. IT WAS THE PUBLIC CEMETERY FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THE CITY FROM 1913, TO THE 1960'S NOW DISSENTED. SO FAMILIES BURIED HERE. ARE WE CLAIMING THE SACRED SPACE STARTING WITH THIS RECONSTITUTE IN SERVICE WRAL'S MATT TALHELM SHOWS US WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO RESTORE THE RECORDS OF THEIR MANY LOVED ONES. IN THE SOIL OF VICK'S EMMA TERRY, DON'T ASSUME THAT HER >> THAT MANDATE HAS HENRYETTA MCINTOSH SEES HER FAMILY TREE ROOTED IN THIS RESTING PLACE. MY FOLLOWED THEM FOR SURE. AND THEN I HAVE ON AND OFF THE COAST THERE THAT IF I REMEMBER THE AS A LITTLE GIRL IN THE 1930'S, SHE REMEMBERS THE FAMILY TRIPS HERE TO HONOR THOSE LOVED ONES LOST. IT WAS CHECKED A NICE PLACE. SCHAEFER PLAY. SURE. WISH FOUND BEAUTIFUL TOMBSTONES ALL AROUND THE PLACE. >> ROUND NEW 6, 0, NICE AT 96. NOW MCINTOSH, HOLD ON TO THOSE MEMORIES BECAUSE THE HISTORY YOU COULD READ ON THE HEADSTONES. >> AS A RACIST OR SAY YES. >> AND NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU NO ONE'S BETTER AT IT. YOU'VE GOT NO EVERY DAY. WHERE, WHERE, WHERE YOU COULD HAVE AN A FOR ONE OF THE FEW VISIBLE REMINDERS LEFT ON THIS LAND. >> THE CONCRETE TOP OF AN EXPOSED VAULT. WILSON KEPT NO BURIAL RECORDS FOR ITS BLACK CEMETERY. >> THE CITY NEGLECTED VICK CEMETERY FOR BECAME OVERGROWN MUCH LIKE THIS CEMETERY RIGHT NEXT TO IT. THEN IN 1994, THE CITY CAME IN AND CLEARED THE LAND. THEY REMOVED ALL THE TOMBSTONES. >> WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IS A MYSTERY. THE CITY PUT UP A SINGLE MONUMENT WITH A PLAQUE BENEATH THE EARTH AND SIDE REST THOSE WILSON CITIZENS KNOWN. BUT TO GOD, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT. >> BUT WE CAN TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AND WE CAN HONOR. >> THIS SPACE THAT'S BEGINNING NOW. THANKS TO LISA HENDERSON, THE WILSON NATIVE ALSO HAS FAMILY BURIED HERE. SHE STARTED THE LANE STREET PROJECT TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THIS SACRED GROUND. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE ABUSE THAT IT HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO. IT'S IT'S BOTH HURTFUL AND IT'S ANGERING. HENDERSON GOT THE CITY TO HIRE AN ARCHEOLOGY TEAM TO SURVEY WHAT'S BENEATH THE SOIL HERE. WHAT THEY FOUND IS STARTLING. THEY USED GROUND PENETRATING RADAR AND PRODUCE THIS REPORT. BLUE MARKS ON THE CEMETERY MAP REVEAL 4,224 PROBABLE GRAVES. THAT'S NEARLY 3 TIMES MORE THAN ANYONE THOUGHT IT WAS MIND BLOWING. >> I SAID, OH, MY GOD, THAT MANY PEOPLE. >> MORGAN REMEMBERS THE CLEANUP THAT CLEARED THE CEMETERY GROUNDS OF ITS GRAVE MARKERS. WAS THAT A MISTAKE? I THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE. EVERY LIFE MATTERS. AND WHEN YOU GO INTO INTERNMENT, YOU NEED TO BE LAID TO REST WITH DIGNITY. MORGAN IS NOW WILSON CITY COUNCILOR SHE'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY PUT UP SIGNS ABOUT THE HISTORY HERE AND A FENCE TO PROTECT THE GROUNDS. WE WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT WITH THIS. BUT THAT STATEMENT THREATENS TO DISTURBED THE GRAVES AGAIN, MORE THAN 100 WORDS STAKES MARK BURIAL SITE ALMOST TO THE EDGE OF THE STREET WHERE A FENCE WOULD GO. UTILITY POLES ALREADY PUNCTURE THE CEMETERY GROUNDS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING A WRONG. WE JUST CAN'T FIX EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG. WE CAN START FROM HERE. AND MOVE FORWARD. WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE CITY? DOES HERE? >> I HOPE THEY WOULD COME AT IT IN KIND OF STILL SOME FOUR-DOOR MCINTOSH HOPES THIS HALLOWED GROUND RETURNS TO ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW. >> OUR HISTORY. THAT CAN AMERICA HISTORY, YOU KNOW, CAUSE. >> WE'LL HAVE TO HIT. WE DON'T SEE NOTE HISTORY. YES, SO ITS NOT FORGOTTEN FOR EVER. MATT TALHELM WRAL NEWS WILSON. >> A SINGLE MARK ARE THERE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. HENDERSON, HE'S CALLING FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE REMOVED HEADSTONES WILSON CITY COUNCIL WILL GET AN UPDATE ON THE CEMETERY REPORT TONIGHT. THEN THEY CAN REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. MY HEAD SPINNING AFTER THE STORM. NOT QUITE SURE WHAT TO WITH THE RESOLUTION IS

Families working to restore the records of loved ones buried in unmarked graves

A graveyard hires goats to come in and trim back the vegetation one chomp at a time. 

The hillsides so steep that you can't get equipment down there, tractors and stuff, so we're using livestock to get into areas that are inaccessible by machinery. It's fun when they first come off and they're starving because they've been traveling for several hours and they get out here and it's just like munching away at everything.

Graveyard hires goats to help trim back grass 

Graveyard goats 

Enforcement of a policy banning many of the mementos placed on grave markers at a Vance County cemetery has sparked outrage among the families of people buried there.

Families upset at floral vase-only policy at Henderson cemetery

Cemetery crew tosses flowers, other items left at graves

BRING YOU, THE BULLS HOME OPENER IS TUESDAY. IT'S LOOK DRYER. >> THANKS, KAT. >>> THERE IS OUTRAGE OVER A NULL ENFORCED POLICY AT A VANCE COUNTY CEMETERY BANNING MANY OF THE MEMENTOS PLACED ON MARKERS. THE CEMETERY IS LOCATED IN HENDERSON. LOVED ONES SAY THEY WERE GIVEN NO NOTICE AND THOSE MEMENTOS ENDED UP IN A LARGE PILE OF TRASH. WRAL IS IN HENDERSON WITH HOW THE OWNER OF THE CEMETERY IS RESPONDING. >> I THINK IT'S SAD. >> Reporter: ASHLEY HAS SEVEN FAMILY MEMBERS BURIED AT SUNSET GUARD INS IN HENDERSON. WHILE PAYING HER RESPECTS LAST WEEK -- >> I PULLED UP, AND I START WALKING, AND ALL OF HER STUFF IS GONE. >> Reporter: SHE NOTICED THE FLOWERS DISAPPEARED ONLY TO FIND OUT THEY WERE REMOVED BY CEMETERY STAFF, ALONG WITH THIS PILE OF PRECIOUS MEMENTOS. >> AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT CONTACTING THE FAMILIES. >> Reporter: ROSA PERRY FULLER SAYS A PLAQUE AT HER LATE HUSBAND'S GRAVESITE WAS ALSO CLEARED AWAY. >> IT BROKE MY HEART. >> Reporter: THIS SIGN OUTSIDE THE CEMETERY OFFICE SHOWS THE POLICY. FLOWERS IN VASES ONLY. NOTHING AROUND MARKERS. >> WE GOT OVER 11,000 GRAVES OUT HERE. >> Reporter: RICKY PEARCE BOUGHT THE CEMETERY IN DECEMBER AND SAYS HE IS TRYING TO CLEAN THE PLACE UP. THE RULE DATES BACK TO THE '70s, HE SAYS, BUT WAS NOT ENFORCED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. >> AND IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO MAKE THAT FIRST DECISION TO GO BY THESE RULES RIGHT HERE. I SWALLOWED HARD, AND IT WAS HARD TO BREATHE. >> Reporter: AND IN RESPONSE TO THESE COMPLAINTS, PEARCE IS NOW ALLOWING PEOPLE TO EITHER HAVE AN LED LIGHT OR A FLAG WITHIN THEIR FLOWER ARRANGEMENT. HE SAYS THIS IS A COMPROMISE HE HOPES WILL MAKE A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAPPY. I'M JOE FISHER, WRAL NEWS,

While earlier in the pandemic, many families postponed funeral services, the industry has evolved ways to enable families to safely gather in-person for small services or virtually, for large ones.

How to handle funeral services in the era of COVID-19

Many funeral homes broadcast services

Death is not easy when a loved one is lost, but maybe the love is not gone, perhaps that door can remain open.

TRAVEL BUT THE AGENCY SAYS IT IS NOT CONSIDERING THAT AT THIS TIME. >> >>> OUR TAR HEEL TRAVELER IS WITH A SON WHO HAS DEEP FEELINGS ABOUT HIS DECEASED PARENTS. >> WE FIND SCOTT IN BENSON AT A GREAT SITE LAVISHED WITH LOVE. >> THIS IS NOT EASY, WITH A LOVED ONE IS LOST. MAYBE THE LOVE IS NOT GONE, PERHAPS THAT DOOR CAN REMAIN OPEN? >> I GOT TO BUILDING AND IT WAS A CONVERSATION PIECE. >> WOULD YOU THINK YOUR PARENTS WOULD SAY? >> I HOPE THEY WOULD ENJOY IT, IF NOT THEY'D BE MAD AT ME. >> THEY WERE SUPER FRIENDLY AND NICE AND VERY LOVING. >> THEY ARE BURIED AT ROSELAWN CEMETERY IN BENSON AND THEY ARE REMEMBERED SEASON AFTER SEASON AND EVERY HOLIDAY EVERY YEAR. >> IT IS A COMFORT TO ME. >> A COMFORT TO DECORATE HIS MOM AND DAD'S GRAVE. AT VALENTINE'S DAY, EASTER, HALLOWEEN, THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS >> I WAS NEVER RAISED TO LEE'S EITHER ONE OF THEM, NOT EVEN TO THIS DAY. >> REQUEST YOUR PARENTS? >> OH, YES. >> MATT AND YNEZ. THEY RAN HOLLAND FURNITURE COMPANY IN BENSON. >> IT STARTED IN 1956. MY FATHER AND MOTHER STARTED IT'S. >> THE STORE CLOSED AFTER THEIR DEATHS. MAX WAS 83 WHEN HE DIED IN 2005. YNEZ WAS 84 WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY IN 2007. >> IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE YOU LOST THEM, DOES IT STILL HURT? >> YES THERE. EVERYDAY. >> HE REMEMBERS THEM AND HONORS THEM AND DECORATE THEIR GRAVE ELABORATELY, DEVOTEDLY, LOVINGLY . DO YOU FEEL THEIR PRESENCE? >> YES. I FEEL MY MOM IS WARPED. I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, I WOULD SUCK MY THUMB IF I HAD FIVE MORE MINUTES. I AM THE BABY. >> A DEVOTED SON THAT FAITHFULLY DECORATES HIS PARENTS GRAVE. >> I HAVE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME STOP IN THE GRAVEL YARD WHEN I PUT IT UP AND HOLLER HOW GREAT IT LOOKS. >> IT LOOKS LIKE OTHERS REMEMBER THEIR LOVED ONES BUT IT ALSO LOOKS AS IF THEY DON'T. >> I BET SO MANY PEOPLE BURY THEIR PARENTS AND THAT IS THE END. >> THAT'S A LITTLE SHOCKING. IN THIS GRAVEYARD THEY ARE TOTALLY FORGOTTEN. >> DEATH IS TOUGH. >> IT IS. I WILL NOT BE THE ONE TO TELL YOU THAT IT WILL EVER GET BETTER. IT HAS NOT FOR ME. >> THIS MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THIS AND THIS AND THIS. >> I KNOW THEY ARE IN HEAVEN AND I HAVE SECURITY ON THAT BUT THAT TOUCH AND LOVE AND SMILE, THAT KINDNESS YOU MISS IT. >> HE SAID HE HAS SEEN OTHER

Season after season, Benson man decorates parents' gravesite 

Historians believe victims of the city's 1921 race massacre could be buried at one of three sites currently being investigated.

inch by inch crews are digging into the history of the 1921 Tulsa race. Maciver gonna be starting off with heavy machinery, which you've all seen out there today Way will shift over from using the heavy machinery work to doing hand excavation. A team of scientists and historians from the University of Oklahoma, Michigan and Florida or in Tulsa to excavate at Oakland Cemetery are doing basically kind of an inverted pyramid to stair. Step it down to get down to that lower level Andi, where we're gonna be excavating that that area to determine if there are present there searching a 16 by nine feet area where the Oklahoma Archaeological survey found an anomaly in October of 2019 with ground penetrating radar, Tulsa's mayor, G. T. Bynum, initiated the investigation to try and find if there any victims buried in mass graves from the massacre in Tulsa. If you're murdered, we're going to do everything that we can to find out what happened to you and to render justice for your family. It should not have taken 99 years. While the official count of victims stents at 36 historians believe there could be as many as 300 victims. I did my first aural history interview with the Survivor in 1975. So for the past 45 years, often on I've been researching and writing about this event. If the team happens to find human remains, the Oklahoma Archaeological survey says there will be no recovery right away. But there are a lot of logistical considerations that we need to make sure our in place appropriately. Doctor Stack Quebec says the preservation of any remains is critical to finding costs of death and confirming if they belonged to any of the race massacre victims. But until then, the excavation efforts will continue for the next 3 to 6 days. Very answers by the end of our commitment from the city government, though, is that we're going to follow the truth on this where ever it takes us

Search for mass graves resumes in Tulsa

Tulsa graves

Floodwater from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence swamped nearly all of the graves at Cross Creek Cemetery No. 3, many of which are for children. The storms have also eaten away at dirt at a cliff now creeping closer to the graves.

NC, FEMA approve $7.8 million to help move graves in Fayetteville cemetery

Infants' graves are moving as cemetery's land erodes

WRAL's Bryan Mims spoke with those working to make sure a Christmas wreath is on the graves of every veteran in time for the holidays.

Groups work to put Christmas wreaths on all vet's graves

Groups working to put Christmas wreats on all vet's graves

Part of Interstate 95 is about to double in size in Cumberland, Harnett and Johnston counties. WRAL's Bryan Mims explains what happened when progress disrupted their eternal rest.

Graves removed for I-95 widening in Dunn

Graves moved due to I-95 widening

Fayetteville officials plan to relocate graves at one of the city's oldest cemeteries because of floodwater fears.

Flooding fears prompts Fayetteville to relocate cemetery graves

Fayetteville graves to be moved

Members of the Carrizo Comecrudo tribe say they are prepared to stand in front of bulldozers in south Texas to prevent border wall construction from displacing the graves of their ancestors.