North Carolina
Married more than 76 years, the Potters have eaten at same NC restaurant since 1968
GARNER, N.C. (WTVD) — It’s another lunch rush at Angie’s Restaurant in Garner, as servers whir by tables, dropping off dishes and filling up drinks. And while every restaurant has their regulars, there may be no couple whose more at home here than the Potter’s.
“Most of it is the love that they show for the people. And on top of that, the food is extra good,” said Vernon Potter.
They’ve been coming here since 1968 when it was under previous ownership. However, they started coming more often after moving closer to the restaurant, once it was opened by current owner Angie Mikus in 2011. Ultimately, it’s become a daily stop, often twice a day, including Thursday. By the time we sat down with them, it was the second time they’d eaten here today.
The Potters have been eating at Angie’s in Garner, NC since 1968
“I had three eggs over light, piece of lean fatback and potatoes,” said Vernon of his breakfast order.
Their orders and tables change, but what draws them out of the house does not.
“It’s one of the most important assets that we have is that we can mingle with people. You can talk to people, and find out what they’re thinking, (of what) you’re thinking and a lot of times it’s compatible. And by doing that, we have our little family we call it at Angie’s,” said Vernon.
The couple met in 1948, when Vernon was 18 and Margaret was 17.
Vernon and Margaret Potter have been married for more than 76 years.
“I fell in love the minute I saw her. And six months later, I married her,” said Vernon.
“We liked singing, and we sang well,” said Margaret.
The pair have continued singing together for years, often in church, even showing off their skills inside the restaurant Thursday; the performance drew applause from other diners.
One estimate from population experts states there are currently 1,000 couples in the United States that have reached 75 years of marriage.
“They just have a level of commitment that just isn’t prevalent in our culture today. It just shows me that people can be committed to each other. But it takes love and it takes understanding and patience,” said Pat Zimmerly, one of the Potter’s four children.
Zimmerly said their relationship has served as an important example to model after, valuable for the Potter’s twenty-two grandchildren, and now the next generation of great-grandchildren.
Vernon and Margaret Potter have been married for more than 76 years.
“Daddy held her, my mom held her. We just cried. My son and I, my daughter-in-law because the legacy that they bring through me, to my son, to Isla, it’s going to impact her life in a positive way,” said Pat, referring to her first grandchild who was born earlier this year.
Vernon spent more than 40 years in the North Carolina National Guard, with the family living in New Bern, Rocky Mount, and Raleigh before the couple ultimately retired in Garner. Margaret served as President of the Volunteer Auxiliary at WakeMed, a role that led her to travel the country. Her efforts were recognized in 1999 when she was honored by the Governor’s Office.
“Their whole life is just social. And that goes along with church and everything. They just need people in their lives,” said Zimmerly.
Now in their nineties, a lot has changed from when they first met.
“A hamburger was 10 cents. A Pepsi-Cola was a nickel, a Baby Ruth Bar was a nickel,” said Vernon.
But what’s bonded them together – a shared love of family, faith, and helping others – has remained the same.
“Her beauty and her love for me has never changed,” said Vernon.
Vernon and Margaret Potter have been married for more than 76 years.
SEE ALSO | Pinehurst couple celebrates 72 years of marriage
Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
North Carolina
Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam
Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.
In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.
Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.
Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.
On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.
“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”
She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.
Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.
Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.
Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.
However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.
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