Triangle/Local Archives - Page 13 of 17

New pilot program seeks to increase college access for North Carolina students

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – The University of North Carolina System today unveiled NC College Connect, a streamlined college application program designed to simplify the process for high school seniors. The initiative will allow qualifying students to bypass traditional applications to select universities as well as all 58 community colleges in the state. The new program enables students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher at the end of their junior year to apply easily to participating institutions within the UNC System and the North Carolina Community College System.… Continue Reading

Republican Liz Cheney endorses Kamala Harris at Duke University event

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney says she’ll be voting for Democrat Kamala Harris for president. Cheney made that announcement at an event at Duke University in North Carolina on Wednesday night. Cheney was a conservative Republican who co-chaired the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She became an outspoken Trump critic and the former president targeted her Wyoming seat during the 2022 Republican primaries. Cheney lost that contest. She has remained vocal about the danger she believes Trump poses to democracy. On Wednesday she said voters don’t have the “luxury” of writing in another candidate or voting third party to stop Trump.… Continue Reading

North Carolina court reverses contempt charge against potential juror who wouldn’t wear mask

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina appeals court has decided a trial judge wrongly found a potential juror in criminal contempt for refusing to wear a mask in 2022 due to COVID-19. The three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed unanimously Tuesday to reverse the order against Gregory Hahn, who also received a 24-hour jail sentence in October 2022. Hahn first said he wouldn’t wear a mask while in a jury assembly room. A Harnett County Courthouse directive at the time gave judges the discretion to require masks in their courtrooms. Tuesday’s prevailing opinion declared Hahn’s actions didn’t interrupt court proceedings and found the directive was invalid anyway.North Carolina court reverses contempt charge against potential juror who wouldn’t wear mask… Continue Reading

Wake County libraries unveil new library card designs

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Wake County Public Libraries are introducing a fresh new look for their library cards, replacing the current bright yellow design with updated options. The new cards are available at all 23 library locations throughout Wake County. Residents who already possess a library card can easily swap it out for one of the new designs by visiting any library branch and speaking with a librarian. For those new to the Wake County Public Libraries system, obtaining a library card is simple and free of charge.… Continue Reading

Ready or not, election season in the US is about to start. The first ballots will go out within days

It might feel like the presidential election is still a long way off. It’s not. Election Day on Nov. 5 is only about two months away, and major dates, events and political developments will make it fly by. The first mail ballots will start going out to voters on Friday. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 10. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is scheduled to be sentenced in his New York hush money case on Sept. 18. And early in-person voting will start as soon as Sept. 20 in some states.… Continue Reading

AI in N.C. schools

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – With the introduction of artificial intelligence into many schools across the state, teachers and students are figuring out how to navigate the new technology in the classroom. Generative AI is being used in more industries, and educators are tasked with teaching students how to use it properly. Allison Reid, Wake County Schools director of digital learning and libraries, tells WPTF News that teachers have also been learning how to put AI to work.… Continue Reading

Small plane makes emergency landing on highway, then is hit by a vehicle

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say one person was injured when a vehicle hit a small plane that had made an emergency landing on a highway near an airport. Greensboro police say Piedmont Triad International Airport communications received a distress call around 8 p.m. Wednesday from a small, single-engine plane experiencing mechanical failure. Police say the plane made an emergency landing on westbound Interstate 840. After it stopped, a passenger vehicle hit the plane. One of the two people on the plane was taken to a hospital with a minor injury.… Continue Reading

Eric Trump discusses his father’s presidential campaign, endorses Robinson for governor

RALEIGH (WPTF) — Eric Trump, the son of former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, downplayed recent indictments filed by special prosecutor Jack Smith. In an interview with the WPTF morning show, Trump told host Chris Edwards he wasn’t surprised by the filings, which he argued was part of a broader effort to stop his father’s campaign. Eric Trump also said he and his father are strongly endorsing Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s bid for Governor.… Continue Reading

Dix Park launches statewide call for new artist residency

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — The Dix Park Conservancy, in collaboration with Raleigh Arts and supported by the Carlyle Adams Foundation, has launched an open call for its inaugural Artist in Residence program. This new initiative aims to attract artists or artist teams from across North Carolina, particularly those with an interest in environmental art, land art, and sustainable practices. The year-long Artist in Residence program will provide selected artists with a budget of $80,000, which includes a $2,000 monthly stipend, as well as funds for artwork fabrication and community event supplies.… Continue Reading

New Wake County Superintendent discusses return to school for traditional calendar students

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Wake County Schools, North Carolina’s largest public school system, welcomed back traditional calendar students Tuesday, officially kicking off the 2024-25 school year. Wake County Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor shared that while the start of his first year brings excitement, it also comes with a few first-day jitters. Taylor reflected on his own school days and emphasized the importance of building strong connections between students and teachers—something he sees as the foundation of education.… Continue Reading