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

Dismissal News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

Dismissal Coverage

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 --  It is long past time to repair our schools, invest in our school systems' workforce and ensure every child has the opportunity to learn in a safe and warm environment. Anything less is unacceptable.

MARISA BRYANT: The cold truth about schools without heat

Seven Wake County schools close due to no heat during cold snap

Seven Wake County public schools are dismissing early on Tuesday due to a lack of heat in the buildings.

NEWS. COVERING WAKE COUNTY TODAY, STUDENTS AT 7 SCHOOLS WERE SENT HOME EARLY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE HEAT. >> THE BUREAU SKY 5 WAS OVER CARPENTER ELEMENTARY AFTER CHILDREN HAVE ALREADY LEFT THE BUILDING. DESTINY. PATTERSON IS LIVE TONIGHT AT THE WAKE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM'S CENTRAL OFFICE. WHAT DISTRICT LEADERS ARE DOING ABOUT THIS DESTINY. >> DARRELL DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAY THAT THIS COLD WEATHER HAS REALLY BROUGHT THE SYSTEM ISSUES TO A HEAD. IN FACT, IN THE PAST 2 DAYS, THE FIRST 2 DAYS BACK FROM THANKSGIVING BREAK 10 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT HAVE HAD TO CLOSE DUE TO THESE HEATING ISSUES. AND ONE PARENT TELLS ME THAT IT REALLY PUTS A STRAIN ON BOTH HERSELF AND HER ENTIRE FAMILY. >> CHILDREN STILL OUT OF CARPENTER, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SENT HOME EARLY DUE TO HEATING ISSUES. TODAY THE TEACHER MENTIONED IT WAS 50 DEGREES IN THE CLASSROOM. AN ISSUE, WAKE COUNTY PARENT YOU WANT TO. PEREZ HAS DEALT WITH MORE TIMES THAN SHE CAN COUNT. WE'VE DONE A LOT EATING AND THEIR ISSUES. >> THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE PRE-K. SO IT'S LIKE IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE A WELL DEAL WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY. 7 SCHOOLS CLOSED TODAY DUE TO HEATING ISSUES. 3 CLOSE YESTERDAY. THIS COLD SNAP IS REALLY THROWN US FOR A LOOP. THE DISTRICT'S CHIEF OF FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS CLAIMS MANY OF ITS HVAC ISSUES ON UNDER STAFFING FUNDING GAPS AND OLD EQUIPMENT. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THE SAME THING FOR MONTHS YEARS. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM? >> WELL, THAT GREAT QUESTION. I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME SITUATION FOR A GOOD TIME AS A SINGLE MOM. PEREZ SAYS LEAVING WORK EARLY IS JUST NOT AN OPTION FOR HER. YOU KNOW, WINTER IS COMING AND NO CUSTOMERS HERE. >> MAKE SURE YOUR STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, OFTEN, YOU KNOW, TO MAINTENANCE AND ALL THAT MUCH LIKE YOU CAR, YOU DO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, BUT THINGS STILL RIGHT. >> SO GLENN SAYS THAT HE EXPECTS THE SCHOOLS WILL BE BACK UP AND RUNNING TOMORROW. BUT IN ADDRESSING THE LONGER TERM ISSUES HERE, I ASKED THE DISTRICT IF THEY'RE MAKING ANY PROGRESS WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING AND STRICKLAND SAYS THAT THEY HAVE, BUT THEY STILL HAVE SOME VERY CRITICAL STAFFING NEEDS. IN FACT, HE SAYS THAT THEY MET WITH HR JUST THIS MORNING AND IN DOING SO. THEY WERE COMING UP WITH NEW STRATEGIES FOR RECRUITMENT,

Several elementary schools and one early college in Wake County closed early on Tuesday due to the schools not having any heat.

Seven Wake County schools with no heat dismiss early Tuesday 

Carpenter Elementary School

After their charges were dropped, Matthew Lewis Simms and Keyon Quarice West were released from jail. 

WE ARE JOINED LIVE FROM THE JAIL WITH NEW DETAILS. >> Reporter: THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE CASE. WITHIN THE PAST HOUR OR SO, WE HAVE WATCHED TWO MEN CHARGED WITH MURDER WHO SPENT YEARS BEHIND BARS WALK OUT OF THE DOORS. WE HAVE VIDEO TO SHOW YOU. ONE OF THEM, MATTHEW SIMMS WALKED OUT TO HIS CHEERING FAMILY MEMBERS. HE HAD BEEN LOCKED UP FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS CASE FELL APART WHEN ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS WHO ADMITTED HE WAS THERE IMPLICATED THE OTHERS AND ENDED UP RECANTING HIS STORY. WHILE THE FAMILIES OF THE MEN ARE NOW CELEBRATING, THEY'RE PRAYING, THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS ARE SHOCKED AND ANGRY. THE AUGUST 2017 SCENE WAS SIMPLY HORRIFIC. JAMES AND JANICE HARRIS AND JAMES AND PEGGY WHITLEY PLAYING CARDS AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, ALL FOUR SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE. HARRIS' GRANDDAUGHTER AMANDA DUNCAN FOUND THEM. >> LIVING THIS TRAGEDY DAY AFTER DAY FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. >> Reporter: THEN FRIDAY'S NEW GUT PUNCH. THESE FOUR MEN, COTTON, SIMMS, WEST, POWELL. IN COURT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY DISMISSED CHARGES AGAINST ALL BUT POWELL. >> I AM ANGRY. I AM BEYOND WORDS. I CAN'T EVEN PUT INTO WORDS THE HURT AND PAIN THAT IS GOING THROUGH OUR FAMILY RIGHT NOW. >> I AM JUST HAPPY TO BE WITH MY FAMILY. I AM GLAD THE TRUTH CAME TO LIGHT, THAT I AM AN INNOCENT MAN. IT'S MESSED UP I HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS AND BE AWAY FROM MY FAMILY BUT WE MADE IT. >> WE CAUGHT UP WITH WEST AND HIS FAMILY MOMENTS AFTER. >> WE STUCK TOGETHER AND MAINTAINED. WE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN HIM. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A DOUBT. >> THE FAMILY HAD NO COMMENT ON POWELL WHO IMPLICATED WEST AND OTHER DEFENDANTS. THE SHERIFF SAYS POWELL RECANTED STATEMENTS BUT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE PLACES HIM AT THE SCENE. DUNCAN SAYS SHE'S FRUSTRATED NOT BECAUSE SHE THINKS GUILTY MEN ARE WALKING FREE BUT BECAUSE SHE WAS LED TO BELIEVE INVESTIGATORS BUILT A BETTER CASE. >> I AM FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IT WASN'T A STRONG CASE TO BEGIN WITH. IF THEY CAN'T EVEN SAY THESE ARE THE ONES THAT DID IT, HOW CAN I CALL THEM A KILLER? IT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. >> Reporter: WHILE WEST AND SIMMS WALKED OUT FREE MOMENTS AGO, COTTON AND POWELL REMAIN AT CENTRAL PRISON IN RALEIGH. COTTON FACES OTHER UNRELATED CHARGES AND HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO MAKE BOND. POWELL OF COURSE IS STILL CHARGED IN THE MURDERS. WE REACHED OUT TO THE D.A. FOR HER COMMENT. I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. THE SHERIFF TELLS ME THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

Two accused of murders in Enfield go free after charges dropped

After searching for more than a decade for the head of an Angier plant that sold bacteria-tainted syringes that killed five people, federal authorities have given up and dropped criminal charges against him.

Feds drop charges against Angier company president on run for 12 years

AM2PAT plant in Angier

The majority of cases involving a convicted felon illegally possessing a firearm in Durham County have been dropped in recent years, according to a new report.

DAs say there are reasons gun charges may be dropped

Search underway for shooter after gunfire sprays Durham townhome

Report: Durham prosecutors dismiss majority of felon firearm possession charges

Two Wake County schools closed early Friday because of a power outage.

Power outage closes two Wake schools early

WRAL News

Durham County prosecutors have dropped a murder charge against a Chapel Hill man after a key witness in the 2016 case was killed.

Durham murder charge dismissed after witness killed

Curtis Marcel Barnette

A county with a history of driving while impaired troubles in the courtroom is seeing another spike in dismissed cases, a WRAL News investigation found.

Johnston DA, law enforcement blame courts for spike in DWI dismissals

Johnston judge disputes notion that DWI cases improperly dismissed

A county with a history of DWI troubles in the courtroom is seeing another spike in dismissed cases, a WRAL News investigation found.

Representatives of every law enforcement agency in Johnston County showed up for a recent interview WRAL Investigates had scheduled with District Attorney Susan Doyle to discuss a high rate DWI dismissals.

Johnston law enforcement united in seeking DWI convictions

Kevin Munn had more than a dozen felony convictions on his record before he killed businessman Tommy Ellington and psychologist Nancy Alford. He also had five felony charges dismissed by prosecutors around the time Ellington was gunned down in his home.