North Carolina

North Carolina grapples with growing nursing shortage

Published

2 years ago

May 20, 2024

North Carolina grapples with growing nursing shortage

North Carolina faces an estimated nursing shortage of 12,500 workers by 2033.

One projection by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says long-term effects of the pandemic could cause that to jump to 18,600.

Braxton Nowell, UNC Health RN, has experienced the strain of a nursing shortage firsthand.

“One wonderful thing about medicine is people are living longer, healthier lives. However, we also have to have the nurses to take care of them,” he said.

The North Carolina native started working for UNC Health in January of 2020 as a nursing assistant.

“My grandmother is really my main reason for nursing,” Nowell explained. “I saw when she was in the hospital – she’s been hospitalized multiple times throughout my life – I saw the care she was given and how nurses advocated for her. I knew that’s what I wanted to do for people as well.”

He had only been on the job a mere three months before the healthcare system experienced an unprecedented shift in patient care due to a global pandemic.

“This unit was the COVID unit,” Nowell explained while showing WRAL News around the medicine progressive care unit at the Chapel Hill hospital.

Despite widespread burnout with healthcare as COVID cases climbed, Nowell continued his training. He graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2022.

As UNC marks the recent graduation of 113 BSN students and another 70 graduate students from its school of nursing in Chapel Hill, Nowell hopes more students will follow suit to work in the Tar Heel State.

But, he says a lack of program space is a big issue.

“There’s not enough slots for people that want to be nurses. I think at UNC, they have 120 spots and I know they get more than 200 applications,” Nowell explained. “They always can’t give people who I know want to be nurses a slot.”

Kylie Goodman is in the midst of her first year in the accelerated bachelor of science nursing program through UNC.

“Originally I thought I wanted to be a dietitian but growing up I was always really passionate about healthcare,” said Goodman. “I’m very interested in the overall body as a whole and helping people who are sick more in that aspect.”

He and other nursing students take classes in Roper Hall with the School of Medicine while the university’s School of Nursing is demolished. A new building is expected to open in 2026. Officials say it will help the university reach its goal to increase nursing program capacity by 50%.

The UNC Health system currently has about 1,400 openings.

Goodman and dozens of others in the ABSN program are looking to one day fill some of those roles.

“I really do enjoy (pediatrics) but I also like adult,” Goodman shared. “I think trauma sounds interesting.”

When asked why she still wished to pursue a career in medicine in the wake of a global pandemic, Goodman said she just wanted to help people.

“Just to be able to come home from work today and say I know I made a difference in someone’s life,” she said. “Patients are in a stressful environment and they’re vulnerable. I want to be that person to help them in those situations.”

She added, being a student during such a difficult time makes her better equipped to handle a stressful career like nursing.

“I think the ability to adapt is really going to help me in this career and the ability to just take things as they come and adjust to them,” Goodman said.

US News and World Reports ranks Duke’s undergraduate nursing program the best in the country. UNC is ranked No. 4.

Terry McDonnell, senior vice president and chief nurse executive for Duke University Health System, said Duke’s current nurse vacancy rate “is less than 1%.” McDonnell said this is due to the use of “team-based models” used to provide care.

McDonnell added, “Duke nursing care benefits from partnership with the Watts School of Nursing and close collaboration with Duke University School of Nursing, Durham Tech and Wake Tech, as well as by undergoing efforts to reduce administrative burdens on nurses.”

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North Carolina

North Carolina is hot, dry, and about have fireworks everywhere. Why isn’t there a burn ban?

Published

8 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

North Carolina is hot, dry, and about have fireworks everywhere. Why isn’t there a burn ban?

Right now, it’s unmissable. North Carolina, and especially the Triangle, is both very hot, and very dry. Fireworks stands are popping up, just in time for the Fourth of July. So why isn’t the state under a burn ban?

It’s a straightforward question, with a complex answer.

Both the state, through the North Carolina Forest Service, and individual counties can declare burn bans. The vast majority of the time, county fire marshals listen to the Forest Service. And right now, the Forest Service says the danger isn’t great enough – yet.

“We’re still dry, fire danger is still high, but we haven’t reached that hazardous category yet,” said Phil Jackson, a Forest Service spokesperson.

Jackson points out that the state has two fire seasons, spring and fall, and conditions right now are very different.

For one, humidity is much higher right now, and humidity “tends to bring relief to fire risk and any ongoing wildfire activity that might be happening at that moment,” said Jackson.

Leaves are also key. In spring, plants are trying to wake up from their long winter sleep. Doing that requires a lot of water, drying out the soil.

“Think of each individual root system as being a straw that is just pulling water out of the ground,” said Jackson.

In the fall, the ground is covered in lots of new dry leaves, increasing the danger again.

“When they’re in full green, like they are now, they tend to be more fire resistant,” said Jackson.

Jackson points out it’s not impossible to have a summer-time burn ban. The Forest Service is constantly monitoring conditions, and it’s possible those conditions could get worse in the coming weeks. For now, though, the fire danger, Jackson says, is “manageable.”

But while the fire risk might be manageable, that doesn’t mean people should be careless.

“We always encourage residents to avoid outdoor burning, unless it’s absolutely necessary,” said Johnston County Fire Marshal Travis Johnson.

Johnson says, especially with the Fourth of July right around the corner, anyone burning or lighting fireworks should always have a source of water nearby to douse any runaway flames. “We never want anything to happen, but want to make sure that you’re safe while using those,” said Johnson.

If a burn ban were to be implemented, it would impact Fourth of July fireworks shows. For now, though, those shows are allowed to go ahead, and remain the best option, Johnson says, for anyone who wants to see fireworks this year.

Johnson, and other fire marshals WRAL spoke with, also stressed official fireworks shows are put on by professionals, are strictly permitted and regulated, and there are always firefighters there, on standby, just in case.

“Just be safe, and enjoy the holidays,” said Johnson.

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North Carolina

Man killed, teenager hurt after wrong-way crash in Caldwell County

Published

18 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

Man killed, teenager hurt after wrong-way crash in Caldwell County

The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.

GRANITE FALLS, N.C. (WBTV) – A man was killed and a teenager was hurt after a head-on crash in Caldwell County on Sunday.

The deadly crash happened along Highway 321 near Glenn Ridge Drive in Granite Falls, just before 7:45 p.m. on June 28.

North Carolina state troopers said 65-year-old Marvin Wayne Anderson was driving the wrong way on Highway 321 when he crashed head-on into an 18-year-old.

Troopers said Anderson died on the highway, while the teenager was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

Highway Patrol said its initial investigation did not find speed or impairment to have been factors in the wreck. Troopers did not say why or how Anderson ended up on the wrong side of the road.

The crash reportedly shut Highway 321 down for several hours but it has since reopened.

Also Read: Mail worker killed in broad daylight in rural North Carolina, officials say

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North Carolina

NC Lottery Pick 3 Day, Pick 3 Evening results for June 28, 2026

Published

1 day ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Sunday, June 28, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 28 drawing

Day: 2-0-8, Fireball: 7

Evening: 4-1-9, Fireball: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 28 drawing

Day: 7-7-6-5, Fireball: 4

Evening: 8-6-1-5, Fireball: 0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from June 28 drawing

06-08-11-16-37

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Double Play numbers from June 28 drawing

02-03-10-15-39

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 28 drawing

04-11-31-54-58, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:

Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.

When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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