Natalie Matthews

Sep 1, 2023 | wral.com | Natalie Matthews |Amanda Lamb |Greg Clark

Rip currents off the North Carolina coast can be deadly. Often times, the person who goes out to rescue a swimmer in trouble is the one who ends up losing his or her life, experts say. In an effort to help save lives, WRAL's Amanda Lamb headed to the coast to talk with lifeguards who rescue hundreds of people each year from rip currents. Lt. John Scull, with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department Ocean Rescue Team, says rip currents are nearly impossible to see, unless you're trained to spot them.

Aug 25, 2023 | wral.com | Natalie Matthews |Amanda Lamb

Novelist Nicholas Sparks says problems at the private Christian school he founded in his North Carolina hometown were claiming too much of his attention before cutting ties with a headmaster four months after he started.

Aug 25, 2023 | wral.com | Natalie Matthews |Gilbert Baez |Michael Joyner

Black leaders in Fayetteville are calling for the removal of the image of the Market House building from the city seal, saying it is a symbol of slavery. Past president of the Fayetteville Area Minority Lawyers Association, Allen Rogers, has written the mayor and city council asking the seal be changed. The president of the local NAACP agrees. "I think it is offensive and I think it's divisive," Rogers said.

Aug 25, 2023 | wral.com | Natalie Matthews |Gilbert Baez |Michael Joyner

Monday, Jan. 23 is the deadline for North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Matthew to register for federal assistance. Several-dozen North Carolina counties affected by the storm are in an area that has been declared for individual assistance. Registering with FEMA is the first step toward determining eligibility.

Aug 25, 2023 | wral.com | Natalie Matthews |Gilbert Baez

One soldier was killed and seven others were injured Thursday morning during a training exercise at Fort Bragg. Among those injured was one civilian. According to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the incident occurred during a demolitions training incident on Rage 69 at Fort Bragg and involved students and cadre from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Staff Sgt. Alexander P. Dalida, 32, of Dunstable, Massachusetts, died as a result of the incident.