License plate scanners, Goodyear closure, Super El Niño: Today’s top Triangle stories
Friday brought a mix of public safety debate, infrastructure milestones, business upheaval and weather news across North Carolina. Here’s a roundup of the top stories from The News & Observer on May 15, 2026.
Here’s a quick digest of the top stories:
- SBI seeks statewide camera expansion: The State Bureau of Investigation is asking lawmakers for grants to expand its license-plate scanner program to cover “all entrances and exits” to North Carolina, with over 100 cameras already capturing more than 150 million plate scans. Read more: SBI wants license-plate scanners covering ‘all entrances and exits’ to NC
- Ole Time Barbecue founder dies at 73: Jerry Hart, co-founder of Raleigh’s Ole Time Barbecue, died Wednesday, May 13, from a recurrence of aggressive throat cancer. Hart and his wife, Kathy, opened the Hillsborough Street restaurant in 1993, and it celebrated its 33rd anniversary just days before his death. Read more: Longtime Raleigh BBQ restaurant owner dies after cancer battle, community mourns
- Goodyear to close Fayetteville plant: Goodyear Tire & Rubber plans to shut its Fayetteville factory by December 2027, eliminating roughly 1,700 jobs in one of the largest North Carolina factory closures in recent years. The company reported losing $249 million in early 2026 and $1.7 billion in 2025. Read more: Goodyear aims to lay off 1,700 as it shutters longtime Fayetteville factory
- Super El Niño could reshape NC weather: Forecasters now see an 82% chance of El Niño emerging by July and continuing through winter 2027, with a 37% chance of a “very strong” event that could rival the strongest on record. The pattern typically brings wetter winters to the Carolinas and could influence the upcoming hurricane season. Read more: Is a super El Niño hitting NC getting more likely? What that means for weather
- New Cary pedestrian bridge opens: Cary has opened a 285-foot weathered steel pedestrian bridge standing 50 feet above Black Creek, along with the first two phases of a 2.5-mile greenway overhaul. The town is spending $16.5 million on the greenway upgrade and $9 million on the parkway bridge project. Read more: Renewed greenway trail and a signature pedestrian bridge open in Cary
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Nicole Stockdale
The News & Observer