The North Carolina Senate voted along party lines Wednesday to ban anyone from wearing masks in public for health reasons, following an emotional debate about the wisdom of the proposal.


NC Senate votes to ban people from wearing masks in public for health reasons

Protestors gather in Graham 

North Carolina is a hotbed for hurricanes. Here are the best tips and facts for hurricane season in NC.

Hurricane season begins June 1. Here's what every North Carolina resident needs to know

Hurricane Season in NC

All assets associated with the tag: bond referendum

Bond referendum Coverage

The proposal would have paid to build ball fields, pickleball courts and parking at Hilltop-Needmore Park and Preserve. Upgrades to the community center and a new park, indoor sports complex and greenway were also part of the bond.

Fuquay-Varina voters reject $60 million parks bond

Leslie Ahrens brings her granddaughter to the Hilltop-Needmore Park and Preserve, which is near her preschool.

The idea that someone charged with murder would be able to just walk out of the jail doors and be right back on the streets is scary to a lot of people.

Stats show murder suspects being out on bond isn't uncommon in NC

North Carolina courtroom

Supporters says it would have given residents more choice on who represents them. Those against the proposal say it was an attempt to dilute Black voting strength in the city.

Fayetteville voters turn down move to add at-large seats to city council

Vote to add more at-large seats to Fayetteville City Council fails

Voters in Wake County widely favored investing in schools and parks, voting yes on bonds for those issues.

WE KNOW WE'RE FINALLY STARTING TO GET SOME OF THOSE WAKE COUNTY VOTES IN. >> WELL, THE BIG PICTURE HERE IS WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A BIG DIVIDE BETWEEN THE YES VOTES AND THE NO VOTES. LET'S START WITH THE PARKS BOND FOR RALEIGH. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 82,000 VOTES SO FAR FOR PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR YES, THIS PARK ON THE GO FORWARD WITH THAT MONEY AND THEN 27,000 PLUS 4. NO. >> NOW WE WANT TO MOVE OVER NOW TO THE WAY TECH BOND. THIS IS THE ONE TO IMPROVE SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE EXISTING IN THE WAKE TECH SYSTEM WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT. ARE WE LOOKING AT THE WAY SCHOOLS HERE AS WELL? READ THAT IT'S LOOKS LIKE 1995 96,000 ARE FOR YES. AND THEN JUST OVER 70,000, NEARLY 71,000 FOR NO FOR SCHOOLS. AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE WAY TECH, WE'RE STILL SITTING AROUND 190 FOR YES AND A SIGNIFICANT LESSER AMOUNT FOR NOW. SO AGAIN, A LOT OF

Yes votes take early lead for bonds to fund Wake schools, parks

Raleigh voters are deciding whether they're willing to pay higher taxes to get improvements done for parks, trails, and greenways.

Largest parks bond in Raleigh history could create aquatics center, urban park, Dix expansions

Raleigh voters consider biggest bond in city history for parks

The City of Fayetteville is asking voters to approve at $97 million bond to pay for infrastructure, housing and public safety.

Fayetteville voters will consider bonds for infrastructure, housing, public safety

$97 million bond on ballot in Fayetteville

Wake Technical Community College is asking homeowners to raise their own taxes to pay for an expansion of the community college system.



Wake Tech promises payoffs - jobs, upward mobility, access - if voters agree to tax increase for new campus

Wake Technical Community College

Families in Johnston County can expect a big ask from school board members at the polls this fall.



Johnston County Board of Education approves $177M bond referendum, heads to November ballot 

$177M bond referendum approved to support staffing, infrastructure needs 

ASKING THE CITY HOW LIKELY THAT IS. >> FAMILIES IN JOHNSON COUNTY CAN EXPECT A BIG ASK FROM SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AT THE POLLS THIS FALL THIS EVENING. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED A 177 BILLION DOLLAR BOND REFERENDUM AS A PROPOSAL FOR VOTER APPROVAL. GOOD EVENING. I'M DEBRA MORGAN AND I'M GERALD OWENS. THIS IS AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS OVERCROWDING IN SCHOOLS AS THE COUNTY CONTINUES TO GROW. >> AARON THOMAS IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE JUSTIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE WITH WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. PARENTS. >> IN GENERAL, THIS IS A TALKING POINT DURING TONIGHT'S MEETING, WHICH IS STILL UNDER WAY BY THOSE BOARD THIS ONE TOPIC IN PARTICULAR, YOU HAVE OVERCROWDING AND OUTDATED EQUIPMENT. THEY SAY HAVING FAMILY SUPPORT THIS PLAN THIS UPCOMING FALL WILL HELP THEM BILL NEW SCHOOLS AND ALSO OF GREAT NEW FACILITIES. TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR SCREEN. THESE ARE SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT SCHOOL LEADERS I GOT TO LOOK AT, AS WELL AS SOME FAMILY MEMBERS ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OUTDATED EQUIPMENT. WE LEARN SOME OF THIS STUFF LIKE THE HVAC EQUIPMENT. SOME OF IT IS A MORE THAN 30 YEARS OLD. THE CHIEF OF FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION SAYS THAT THINGS LIKE HVAC EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED 12 YEARS AGO. ADDITIONALLY, DAWSON, COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS USING 186 MOBILE CLASSROOMS TO DEAL WITH OVERCROWDING. THEY SAY THAT THIS BOND PUTS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO HANDLE CURRENT CHALLENGES. >> UPGRADES AND NEW FEATURES ADDED THAT CAMPUSES TO IMPROVE THE SAY SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. ASSESSMENT OF ADA ACCESS TO. >> CERTAINLY A LOT OF MOVING PARTS IN PLAN. ADDITIONALLY, IT CALLS FOR A NEW HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN WILSON'S NO AREA OF

$177M Johnston Co. bond referendum headed to November ballot 

Johnson county elementary school

The City of Raleigh is expected to ask voters to approve a $275 million parks bond in November. A large part of that would pay for a play plaza planned for Dix Park.

WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AND UPDATE YOU HERE THIS EVENING IN THE WRAL LIVE CENTER. THAT'S GOING TO SLOW THINGS DOWN. THANK YOU, MARK. >> MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PRIVATE DONATIONS ARE MOVING RALEIGH'S DIX PARK CLOSER GROUNDBREAKING ON A DESTINATION PLAYGROUND FOR FAMILIES, THE GIFTS AND PLAY PLAZA AT THE LAKE WHEELER ROAD ENTRANCE TO THE PARK IS THE BIGGEST PROJECT IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PARK'S TRANSFORMATION. WRAL'S MATT TALHELM IS LIVE TO SHOW US HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO MAKING THAT SPACE APP AND MATS. >> WELL, DENVER, WE LEARNED TODAY THAT GROUNDBREAKING ON THE SIGNATURE PLAY SPACE WILL HAPPEN IN AUGUST. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE DOG PARK IS HERE RIGHT NOW. JUST ALONG LAKE WHEELER ROAD. THIS WILL BECOME THE GATEWAY FROM THE FULLER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD HERE INTO DIX PARK AND AN ATTRACTION FOR FAMILIES >> WHAT'S THE MASCOT? THIS TRIP TO THE DISC GOLF DIX PARK. MAYBE MORE FOR DAD, BRIAN LYNSEY AND IT'S FUN. I LIKE IT. A LOT OF TERRAIN. THEN 3 YEAR-OLD HE LIVES RIGHT IN THE BUGGY. NORTH. MORE THAN WALKING UP AND DOWN THE HILLS THIS WAY. ALL 6, THEY'RE FLYING THROUGH THE COURSE JUST DOWNHILL FROM THE FUTURE HOME OF GIBSON PLAY PLAZA. SERIOUS HISTORICALLY KIND OF A LACK PLACES LIKE THE KIDS IN THE FAMILY. I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IT'S REALLY TO HELP THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAY PLAZA ON THE LAKE WHEELER. ROAD SIDE OF DECKS WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT DOG PARK WITH 18 ACRES OF GARDENS AND PLAYGROUNDS INCLUDING A SAND BOIL WATER PLAY MOUNTAIN AT A PICNIC GROVE WITH TABLES AND GRILLS WHICH WILL BE WERE MANY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN GATHER AS THEY PLAY IN THE PARK AND STOPPED TO TAKE A BREATHER. >> A 2 MILLION DOLLAR DONATION FROM TRUIST BANK WILL SPONSOR THE PICNIC GROVE THAT'S HELPING GET THE 55 MILLION DOLLAR PLAY PLAZA PROJECT TO GROUNDBREAKING DONATIONS. MAKE UP 20 MILLION DOLLARS OF THAT TOTAL CITY TAXPAYERS WOULD COVER THE REST WITH 35 MILLION DOLLARS FROM A PROPOSED PARKS BOND. IF VOTERS WOULD SAY NO TO THAT, WHAT HAPPENS THAT PROJECT WILL HAVE TO GET REALLY AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS WE HAVE TO DO THIS AND I THINK THE VOTERS ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PLAY PLAZA IS THE FIRST MAJOR PROJECT IN THE PARKS TRANSFORMATION FROM OPEN FIELD SURROUNDING STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUILDINGS INTO A DESTINATION. ONCE WE GET THAT COMPLETED AND PEOPLE SEE THE POSSIBILITIES AND WHAT CAN BE AT DIX PARK AND WHAT TAKES PART COMMITTEE. THAT'S THE GAME CHANGER NEXT ON WEDNESDAY AND LOOKS FORWARD TO BRAXTON HAVING HIS OWN PLACE TO PLAY IN THE PARK I THINK WILL BE HERE. A LOT MORE ALTER ONCE IT BECOMES A THING. >> CONSTRUCTION ON THE PLAY PLAZA HERE IS EXPECTED TO TAKE 2 YEARS WITH THE GOAL OF OPENING UP HERE IN THE SUMMER OF 2024. >> RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL WILL DECIDE IN JULY WHETHER TO PUT THAT PARK'S POND ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. DEBRA, WE CONTINUE TO WATCH THE PROGRESS