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Michelle Mackonochie - familiar to WRAL viewers after five years as part of the morning news team - will anchor the 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts with Dan Haggerty, and the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts with Gerald Owens. 

WRAL welcomes Michelle Mackonochie to evening newscasts beginning Jan. 5

Michelle Mackonochie

What it really means to be an organ and bone marrow donor

Stay up to date with WRAL’s Ancestry news and reporting coverage

Ancestry News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

Ancestry Coverage

After nearly two decades in business, San Francisco-based 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday and said it would pursue a sale - a sale that could put genetic data of millions of customers at risk. The company an its assets - including that extremely sensitive DNA data  -- will likely soon be up for grabs to the highest bidder.

23andMe is looking to sell customers' genetic data. Here's how to delete it

Tracing Charleston’s History of Slavery, From a Burial Ground to a DNA Swab

Coming from Indiana nearly five years ago, WRAL anchor/reporter Julian Grace said he's always found a deep connection to Raleigh. During this Black History Month, he decided to learn more about his connections to one of Raleigh's oldest Black neighborhoods.

Julian Grace: Learning my family's connection to North Carolina's dark past

James Caldwell (left) and Julian Grace and his family (right)

When it comes to history, especially Black history there is so much still untold. Alonzo Felder has made it his mission to capture and share some of those stories.

Free ancestry research service connects families of color to their past

black history

About 20 percent of Americans have taken a genetic test, perhaps with the hope of finding answers about their family origins or potential health problems.

SHE WAS ORIGINALLY FROM NEW YORK AND BECAME A PARATROOPER AT FORT BRAGG IN 2019. SHE WILL BE POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE HUMANITARIAN MEADOW. >>> AT HOME DNA TEST CAN REVEAL INFORMATION. MANY PEOPLE DO THAT THINKING IT COULD BE FUN OR INTERESTING. AS MONICA LIBERTY CAUTIONS, YOU MAY LEARN MORE THAN EVER EXPECTED. >> Reporter: THE KIDS ARE REALLY POPULAR. TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ONE OF THESE TESTS. BEFORE YOU TAKE ONE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE REALLY READY FOR THE RESULTS. THE TESTS ARE SIMPLE, SHARE A SAMPLE, UNLIKE ANSWERS. ONE LIKE 23 AND ME AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS. SARAH GOT ONE AS A GIFT. THE RESULT SHE GOT, AND EFFECTIVELY CHANGED HER LIFE FOREVER. >> I GOT MY RESULTS BACK, WHICH DATE SHALL I CARRY THE BRACKET OF TWO MUTATIONS, WHICH INCREASES MY RISK OF DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER BY QUITE A BIT AND OVARIAN CANCER. >> Reporter: A GENETIC COUNSELOR CONFIRMED HER 23 AND ME RESULTS. SARAH ENDED UP GETTING A PREVENTATIVE DOUBLE VASECTOMY WITH RECONSTRUCTION. WHILE GRATEFUL SHE TOOK THE TEST, SHE KNOWS IT IMPACTS SO MANY OTHERS. >> ONCE YOU GET YOUR RESULTS, THAT PROBABLY MEANS YOU NEED TO INFORM PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY YOU'VE EITHER GOT IT FROM ONE OF YOUR PARENTS, THAT COULD AFFECT YOUR SIBLINGS OR YOUR COUSINS. >> Reporter: KNOW SOME OF THESE TESTS COULD HELP DETERMINE IF YOU ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP DISEASES SUCH AS CANCER OR ALZHEIMER'S, THEY CAN ALSO GIVE YOU A FALSE SENSE OF RELIEF, OR THE OTHER EXTREME, FEAR. >> WHILE A POSITIVE RESULT FROM ONE OF THESE TESTS CAN MEAN YOU HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF A CERTAIN DISEASE, A NEGATIVE RESULT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU ARE OUT OF THE WOODS BECAUSE THAT COULD BE OTHER BARRIERS THAT CAUSE THE DISEASE NOT DETECTED BY THE TEST. >> Reporter: 23 AND ME SAYS IT CLEARLY EXPLAINS TEST LIMITATIONS TO USERS. ANOTHER CONCERN, ABOUT 10% OF PEOPLE IN THE SURVEY SAID THEIR REPORTS CONTAIN UNSETTLING INFORMATION SUCH AS NEWS SOMEONE THOUGHT TO BE A BIOLOGICAL RELATIVE IS NOT RELATED TO THEM AT ALL. >> IF YOU THINK THESE KITS WILL GIVE YOU A COMPLETE PICTURE OF YOUR ANCESTRY AND YOUR HEALTH, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY IT COULD REVEAL INFORMATION YOU MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. >>  BOTTOM LINE, A DIY DNA TEST KIT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY FOR EVERYTHING THAT COULD COME WITH YOUR RESULTS. AND NOTE, THERE ARE VERY FEW LAWS THAT REGULATE WHAT A COMPANY CAN DO WITH YOUR GENETIC DATA ONCE THEY RECEIVE IT. IT COULD BE SOLD TO A THIRD

5 On Your Side shares result realties with at-home DNA test kits 

For African-Americans, researching African American genealogy can be a challenge, but when WRAL reporter Nia Harden's mother began exploring their family tree, Harden connected with her deep North Carolina roots and found she had an ancestry of heroes.

WRAL reporter traces family tree to NC's first black senator

WRAL's Nia Harden discovers a North Carolina hero in her family tree

Nia Harden finds NC ancestor

The Oscar-winner portrays the beloved TV personality in the film, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." The movie hits theaters in the U.S. on November 22.

Tom Hanks discovers he's related to Mister Rogers

Tom Hanks is taking getting into character to a whole new level. He's actually related to one.

Tom Hanks just found out he's related to Mister Rogers

Shaking the family tree for information can yield some wild results. 

Bill Leslie:  Shaking the Family Tree

William A. Leslie, Sr.

What are your favorite family names and unusual stories of ancestors?

Bill Leslie: The Great Tree

1986: Bill Leslie in Scotland

With all the focus on family during the holiday season, many experts say it's important to focus on your family tree and several free genealogy apps can help. 