WPTF Afternoon News

Martin General Hospital unexpectedly shut its doors in August 2023. Two years later, ECU Health and Martin County are teaming up to breathe new life into the facility. The Martin County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the signing of a non-binding letter of intent to re-open Martin General Hospital as a rural emergency hospital. Martin County Attorney Ben Eisner says the goal is to reimagin...

Hurricane season has had a fairly typical start in terms of the number of storms. With the fourth named storm of the season in Tropical Storm Dexter forming on Sunday, hurricane season this year is running close to average, as the fourth named storm of the season doesn’t typically form until August 15. Despite the typical start, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is still forecast...

It was another day of heavy rain across central North Carolina on Wednesday. Shortly before noon, Crabtree Creek in Raleigh had risen to 12 feet near Crabtree Valley Mall. The creek was sitting at only four feet before it started raining. The creek is considered minor flood stage at 16 feet and major flood stage at 23 feet. Prestonwood Country Club in Cary appeared to be completely underwater. Nic...

As North Carolina kids prepare to return to school, hunger and the damage it does is a more pressing problem than ever. Already one in five kids – in some rural communities, one in three – go hungry in class. Now, potential deep federal cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and school meal funding will leave more children hungry. What are parents, students, administrators, elected officials, and advocates sayin...

Tick-borne illnesses can be extremely dangerous, and they are on the increase. Legislation in Congress aims to combat the problem, and it’s named after Kay Hagan, the former North Carolina senator who died from a tick-borne disease. In 2019, Hagan, whose career spanned the world of banking to being a stay-at-home mom to politics, died from encephalitis, or brain inflammation. The cause was a rare...

A serious bacterial infection has put a North Carolina man in an Outer Banks ICU, highlighting a growing concern over the flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters. Vibrio Vulnificus is a flesh-eating bacterium that can cause serious illness and lead to sepsis, shock, and large blisters that destroy tissue. Carl Williams is a veterinarian with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human...

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Erica Urquhart joins Jon Champion to discuss what patients should know about insurance, emerging medical technologies, and how to navigate upcoming changes in the healthcare system. A Harvard graduate in biomedical engineering, Dr. Urquhart also holds both M.D. and Ph. D. degrees from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

A dramatic turn of events at the latest Durham City Council meeting. Chicago-based developer Sterling Bay had plans to rezone Hayti Heritage Park into a new life sciences campus. Yet on Monday night, Sterling Bay abruptly decided to pull the request. The move came much to the surprise of Durham mayor Leonardo Williams, who openly wondered about the future of Hayti Hertiage Park. Anita Scott Nevill...

Starting this fall, more than 62,000 North Carolina public high school seniors will be offered direct admission to select institutions in North Carolina as part of the NC College Connect program. NC College Connect provides a simpler and faster way for eligible seniors to be admitted to colleges and universities in North Carolina. Public high school students who complete their junior year with a w...

Expected to be the most expensive U.S. Senate race in history, polling by the Center Square released Friday gave former North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper a lead on Republican Michael Whatley of 47%-41%. The sampling was taken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of 1,000 registered voters. Estimates for spending range from $500 million to $750 million. Neither is expected to have serious competit...

July 2025 shattered records in North Carolina, marking the hottest month ever recorded in the state. Central North Carolina experienced a heat index over 100 degrees every day during the final week of the month. On top of the extreme heat, Tropical Depression Chantal brought devastating flooding to Orange, Alamance, and Durham Counties. Corey Davis, State Climatologist, joined Jeff Hamlin to break...

A new report suggests that UNC may be the first school to leave the ACC in the next wave of conference realignment—possibly even before Florida State or Clemson, despite their lawsuits against the league. UNC has been part of the ACC since its founding in 1952. Andrew Jones, Publisher with 24/7 Sports and CBS Sports, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the potential timeline for the Tar Heels’ departure...

The U.S. job market saw a significant slowdown in July, with only 73,000 jobs added and major downward revisions to job gains in May and June. Economists say President Trump’s trade policies may be a key factor in the weakening trend. N.C. State Economics Professor Emeritus Mike Walden joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the troubling numbers and the administration’s response.

The Raleigh Convention Center and the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts have both received the 2025 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. Only five venues worldwide were honored this year for outstanding operations, safety, team development, and community service. Michelle Bradley, General Manager of the Marietta Center, joined Jeff Hamlin to tal...

Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard' is turning 75 this year. A forthcoming book by Wake Forest University Art Professor David Lubin called “Ready for my Close-Up: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream” looks at the classic starring Gloria Swanson. As part of the celebration, the three-time Oscar-winning film will also be re-released on August 3 and 4 in more than 1,...

A part of Chatham County could be coming down. For more than a hundred years, the water tower has watched over Bynum. It saw the mill workers come and go, children growing up in mill houses, laundry flapping on clotheslines, and muddy baseball games played in the patch of field just beneath it. It was there for the Friday night lights, the church picnics, the first kisses, the long summer evenings...

A very rare species of plant in Raleigh is about to do something special. Plant Delights Nursery at Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh houses the growing Corpse Flower. The plant is 10-11 years old and the tuber weighs 41lbs. Even with previous bloom statistics and measurements our best estimate has been thwarted by mother nature. Kevin Stevens with the Juniper Level Botanic Garden joined Jef...

Leaders at UNC-Chapel Hill aspire to put the school “on the global map” with the development of a new stadium to host cricket, rugby and soccer games ahead of the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, according to a proposal for the Carolina North campus. The UNC Board of Trustees discussed plans on Wednesday afternoon for the “NC Colosseum,” a proposed stadium that would be constructed less than t...

It’s been nearly a month since Tropical Depression Chantal devastated Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill and the cleanup continues. The weeks after have been full of cleaning up damage, paying their workers temporarily, and now figuring out what's covered. Part of the issue is that unlike Hurricane Helene, which brought widespread damage to western North Carolina, Tropical Storm Chantal spare...

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper —who is undefeated in statewide elections over a long political career — said Monday that he would run for this battleground state’s open U.S. Senate seat. RNC Director Michael Whatley is expected to soon announce his candidacy. Republicans have long been preparing for a likely battle against Cooper — even before Tillis said last month that he wouldn’t seek re...

Wednesday is National Whistleblower’s Day. Attorney Gary Jackson says whistleblowers are more important than ever, especially with the threat of tariffs from the Trump Administration. Jackson says as the U.S. government raises tariffs on imported goods, a troubling consequence could be an increase in tariff fraud by importers intentionally deceiving U.S. Customs to evade paying the higher tariffs....

The General Assembly killed the state’s 70% emissions target, approving an energy bill some analysts say will raise power bills while supporters claim it keeps electricity reliable and affordable. Chris Herndon, director of the North Carolina Sierra Club, called the decision “corporate greed winning over the public interest.” Mikaela Curry, the Campaign Manager for the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal”...

The rivalry between Richard Petty and David Pearson wasn’t solely a battle between two stock car drivers. It propelled NASCAR from a regional sport to a national passion for race fans. Writer Michael Hembree has covered stock car racing since the 1960s and has a new book called “Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry that Shaped NASCAR.” Hembree joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how Petty vs. Pearson made eac...

Back-to-school season is almost here, and many local students are preparing to return to class without even the most basic supplies—no backpack, notebook, or pencils. While families are doing their best, essential needs like food and housing often take priority. The Salvation Army of North and South Carolina is hosting a Stuff the Bus school supply drive on Friday at the Wake Forest Wal-Mart. Chri...

There are renewed efforts by state mental health experts to get potentially life-saving resources to those who need them most. According to the N.C. Department of Health and Humas Services, rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts in Black kids are surging across the state, leading them to release a new action plan with hopes of reversing that trend. A new plan called COPE aims to champion suicide p...