Crews battle building fire on Richmond Avenue, Burlington Fire Department says

Crews battle building fire on Richmond Avenue, Burlington Fire Department says

Updated: 2:35 PM EDT Jul 13, 2024

GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I’M STAR CONNOR HERE WITH BRIAN SLOCUM AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN JULY. YEAH, I KIND OF LIKE IT BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURES ARE HEADED BACK TO THE 90S TODAY. THEY ARE WARMING UP TO. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY YESTERDAY THE HIGH OF 79 DEGREES WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE’VE HAD A HIGH BELOW 80. IN 40 DAYS. YES. JUNE SECOND. SO I ENJOYED IT. HOPEFULLY I JUST WISH WE GOT MORE RAIN OUT OF WHAT WE SAW, BUT WE DID NOT. AND NOW IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE SKY, NOT MUCH RAIN IN YOUR MORNING FORECAST UNLESS YOU’RE CALLING RAINING SUNSHINE. WE’VE GOT CONDITIONS THAT ARE LOOKING QUITE CLEAR HERE. THERE ARE SOME LOW CLOUDS AND SOME AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SOME PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING. THAT’S MOSTLY IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS, BUT THE STEAMY WEATHER IS STARTING TO BUILD ALREADY AT 75 DEGREES CURRENTLY IN WINSTON-SALEM, DEW POINTS ARE IN THE UPPER 60S. IT’S NOT BAD, BUT IT’S NOT AS DRY AS IT WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. STILL HAVE A NORTHEAST WIND FOR THE MOMENT THAT STARTS TO SHIFT AND OUR TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO WARM. TODAY IS MORE OF A SEASONAL DAY. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT IT’S GOING TO FEEL LIKE A SUMMER JULY DAY SHOULD FEEL LIKE HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE CLOSE TO 90, GOT GOOD SUN WITH A FEW FAIR WEATHER CLOUDS. THIS AFTERNOON. I REALLY DON’T HAVE MUCH OF A RAIN CHANCE THAT IS EASING EASTWARD. IF YOU ARE PACKING THE CAR AND GETTING READY TO HEAD FOR THE BEGINNINGS OF A WEEK AT THE BEACH, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS WILL SATURDAY TO SATURDAY YOU’RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER SOME RAIN. ONCE YOU GET PAST RALEIGH. IN FACT, THE WILMINGTON BEACHES, THE OUTER BANKS, A GOOD LIKELIHOOD FOR RAIN, QUITE STORMY NEAR OAK ISLAND, BALD HEAD ISLAND AND A TOPSAIL BEACH RIGHT NOW LOCALLY, IT’S GOING TO BE A GOOD POOL DAY. WE’VE GOT MAYBE A CLOUD OR TWO THIS MORNING AND THEN MORE SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW FAIR WEATHER CLOUDS WILL POP UP IN THE WARMER TEMPERATURES WITH THE WITH THE STEAMY HUMIDITY AND HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE BACK IN THE 90S. LATER ON TODAY. STICK AROUND AT 91 DEGREES IS GOING TO SEEM COOL COMPARED TO WHAT’S COMING. WE COULD SEE THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR THIS WEEK WE’LL TALK ABOUT RECORDS AND WHERE THEY STAND COMING UP IN A BIT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU BRIAN. FIVE PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT A HOME THIS MORNING AFTER A FIRE IN WINSTON-SALEM. THIS HAPPENED ON BARRY OAK COURT NEAR THE KERNERSVILLE CITY LIMITS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FLAMES WERE SHOOTING FROM THE ROOF. AND THE WINSTON-SALEM FIRE DEPARTMENT TELLS US THAT THE FIRE STARTED WITH AN OUTDOOR GRILL. THEN SPREAD TO THE HOUSE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN A HIGH POINT. 911 OPERATOR IS ACCUSED OF SETTING HER HOME ON FIRE. TERESA VARNER’S THOMASVILLE HOME BURNED DOWN WEDNESDAY MORNING. VARNER IS THE WIFE OF A HIGH POINT POLICE OFFICER, WHO INVESTIGATORS SAY IS NOT INVOLVED IN STARTING THE FIRE. VARNER IS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE ARSON, ONE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE ARSON, ONE COUNT OF FELONY BURNING OF PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND TWO COUNTS OF FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY. A DOG AND CAT DIED IN THE FIRE, AND DURING THE PROCEEDINGS, VARNER’S LAWYER SAID THAT SHE GAVE A FULL CONFESSION TO INVESTIGATORS. HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SAYS THAT THE CONFESSION WAS NOT TRUTHFUL. HIGH POINT POLICE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZED A GIFT CARD DRIVE WEDNESDAY TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY. POLICE CHIEF CURTIS CHEEKS RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING THAT THE DRIVE HAS BEEN PAUSED, BUT THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT. OFFICER VARNER’S BOND WAS SET TO $8,000 AND IF SHE’S CONVICTED, SHE COULD FACE UP TO 527 MONTHS IN JAIL. SHE’S DUE BACK IN COURT ON JULY 26TH, AND THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY SO FAR THIS YEAR HAS INCREASED. 71 OFFICERS DIED THIS WAY NATIONWIDE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR. FOUR OF THOSE DEATHS HAPPENED HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL SAYS THAT THIS IS A 15% INCREASE FROM THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LAST YEAR. 28 OF THE 71 LAW ENFORCEMENT DEATHS WERE DUE TO FIREARMS. THAT’S AROUND 40%, MAKING IT THE MOST COMMON FORM OF OFFICER DEATHS. THOSE NORTH CAROLINA DEATHS HAPPENED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. NOW, AND THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WERE ALL SHOT AND KILLED WHILE TRYING TO SERVE A WARRANT TO A MAN IN CHARLOTTE. FOUR OTHER OFFICERS WERE WOUNDED, MAKING IT THE WORST ATTACK ON POLICE IN ALMOST EIGHT YEARS. OVERALL, GUN DEATHS ARE UP 8%, WHILE TRAFFIC RELATED FATALITIES ARE UP 136%. THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL FUND SAYS ONE REASON THAT NUMBER…