Local & North Carolina state news from Raleigh, NC

Local/State

Raleigh participates in World’s Largest Swim Lesson

Swim instructor Emmanuel Wilder holds George Apicella, 4, in the air during a lesson on floating Tuesday, June 18, 2013, at Optimist Pool during an attempt to set the World's Largest Swim Lesson for Guinness World Records. Optimist was one of many locations around the world conducting the lesson simultaneously in part to raise awareness about water safety.

Swimmers at Optimist Pool participated in The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on Tuesday, possibly contributing to a world record and learning the swimming basics that can help reduce their risk of drowning.

Read story

Featured

Download the new N&O iPad app

The free app delivers real-time breaking news and content specifically formatted for your iPad.

Thumbs Up

A showcase for achievements by Triangle youth

Archive by category ''Local/State

EDUCATION

Wake hires Jim Merrill as schools superintendent

James Merrill, the superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools and a former Wake school administrator, was named the new Wake County schools superintendent Tuesday.
Related
- Gallery: Jim Merrill named Wake County Schools superintendent | 06.18.13

EDUCATION

Report: Most teacher ed programs are substandard

Teacher education in the nation’s universities is “an industry of mediocrity,” says a new report that rates hundreds of programs and gives less than 10 percent at least three stars on a four-star scale. Among the North Carolina programs rated, only one made the report’...
ORANGE COUNTY

OWASA will continue fluoridating water in southern Orange County

An agency serving southern Orange County will continue to fluoridate its drinking water, and the Durham County Board of Health has recommended that Durham do the same.
EDUCATION

Wake school safety task calls for more counselors

A task force recommended Tuesday hiring more counselors but not letting school employees or volunteers carry weapons in Wake County schools. The group’s study and report came in response to the December school shootings in Connecticut.
CRIME

Inmate, on life support since Wake jail altercation, has died

Shon Demetrius McClain had been on life support at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh since he was involved in an altercation with a Wake County Sheriff’s Office detention officer on the evening of June 4.
ROAD WORRIER

Road Worrier: Speed-loving legislators would lift NC limit to 75 mph

The House will review Senate legislation to raise the top speed limit on some North Carolina highways. The state’s chief traffic engineer says DOT would OK the 75 mph limit only where studies show it is safe.
STATE POLITICS

NC Superintendent Atkinson’s suggestion for a teacher tax exemption flops

Legislators rejected a suggestion from elected state schools chief June Atkinson that the state exempt teachers from personal income taxes.
STATE POLITICS

84 more arrested on ‘Moral Monday’ as protesters decry ‘outsiders’ label

More than 80 people were arrested Monday at the NC statehouse, bringing the total number of arrests in the past two months to more than 480.
WAKE COUNTY

Wake event demonstrates how hot cars can kill children

In front of the Wake County Public Health Center on Tuesday, people ate s’mores melted inside a car to demonstrate the dangers of leaving children in a vehicle unattended, especially in the summer.
ORANGE COUNTY

UNC-CH to stage emergency drill Wednesday

UNC-Chapel Hill will close campus roads around Davis Library for an emergency drill between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday.