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No on-going threat, but no arrest either in Raleigh’s 4th fatal shooting of the week :: WRAL.com

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By Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

Raleigh, N.C. — Raleigh police were investigating a shooting on Justice Union Court, the fourth shooting death in the City of Oaks this week.

A body was visible in a driveway along the street, which is part of the 540 West development between the Neuse River and Interstate 540 on the far eastern side of town.

Police said the man was a landscaper working in the subdivision, but they did not release his name.

Work in the neighborhood stopped while police interviewed members of the construction crew.

Officers on the scene said a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds. By the time they arrived, whoever had fired the shots was gone.

Lt. Jason Borneo said police did not know whether or how the victim and shooter knew each other, but that there was no on-going threat to the community.

“Part of the investigation is to determine what relationship they may or may not have had,” Borneo said.

Police did not release any additional information about the man, his condition or the circumstances of the shooting.

“Any loss of life in our community is a tragedy. We are asking the community that anyone who believes they have information — helpful information — is asked to call Raleigh Crime Stoppers,” Borneo said. That phone number is 919-834-4357.

Yogesh Sharma, who moved in nearby just days ago, said, “It’s really scary. I am more concerned now. I have small kids, so I need to be more careful.”

Three shot and killed in two incidents on July 5

On Tuesday afternoon, a 33-year-old man was shot at a New Bern Avenue gas station and died of his wounds at a hospital. Two people – Thursday Trayvon Tarique Reams and Tia Asia Kemp – were arrested in connection with that crime.

That evening, a 27-year-old man and a 23-month-old child were killed in shooting at a north Raleigh apartment complex that witnesses described as an accident that stemmed from an argument between two men.

Natanael Ezequiel Baez, 22, was charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. The child who was killed, whom neighbors know as Bubby, was his son.

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Sports

NBA player, a Raleigh native, charged with DWI :: WRAL.com

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Raleigh, N.C. — A Raleigh native and NBA player was charged Thursday with driving while impaired.

Devonte’ Graham, point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans, graduated from Broughton High School in 2013. He was charged with DWI near the intersection of Peace Street and Capitol Boulevard early Thursday morning.

Graham was stopped for going 63 mph in a 40 mph zone, and troopers suspected that he was impaired. He recorded a .11 blood alcohol concentration. (In North Carolina, anything above .08 is illegal.)

Graham was released under $3,000 bond.

According to the arrest report, Graham currently lives in Kenner, La.

When Graham, now 27, played point guard for the Charlotte Hornets in 2020.

He led the Capitals to an appearance in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A state championship game his senior year and was a two-star prospect coming out of high school.

After playing at Brewster Academy for a year after high school, Graham signed with the University of Kansas, where he played four seasons.

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Science

Earth is farthest from the Sun today :: WRAL.com

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By Tony Rice, NASA Ambassador

As temperatures rise into the 90s, you might guess that Earth is closer to the Sun now than during the winter months, but the opposite is true.

Earth is at aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun in its not-quite-circular orbit, on July 4, 2022. On January 4, we’ll be 3.1 million miles closer at perihelion.

Aphelion does have an effect on our weather, but it is not what you might think.

The amount of energy Earth receives from the Sun varies by only about 3.5% over the year. Temperatures are lower in winter months because the Sun’s rays reach us at more of an angle, spreading that energy out over a larger area. When the Sun is more directly overhead, the energy is more concentrated, raising temperatures,

This is easier to see when you look at it from the Sun’s point of view in these images from the GOES-16 weather satellite that the WRAL Severe Weather team uses everyday in putting together forecasts.

The increased distance slows Earth’s trip around the Sun about 1000 m/s (2237 mph) this time of year compared to perihelion in January. This impacts the length of the seasons. Spring and summer are about 93 days long, autumn and winter last about 89 days.

Aphelion on other planets

Astronomers describe the shape of an orbit as eccentricity, a number between zero and one. Zero is a perfect circle, and as long as that number doesn’t reach 1 (a parabola), the planet, moon or whatever else, stays in orbit.

Earth has an eccentricity of 0.017, Venus is the most circular at 0.007. Mars has an eccentricity of 0.094 which has a big impact on its seasons. Summer on Mars is 25 days longer than winter and spring is 52 days longer than autumn.

Pluto is the winner with an eccentricity of 0.244. Its orbit is so elliptical than it was actually closer to the Sun than Neptune between 1979 and 1999.

So summers are hotter in Australia, right?

You would think that even the small increase in the Sun’s energy that the Earth receives around perihelion, would make for summers that are a little warmer in the southern hemisphere. The opposite is true here as well.

The northern hemisphere is about 3.5º F warmer over the year because there is so much more ocean than land south of the equator (80%/20% water/land vs. here in the northern hemisphere). This is easier to see when you look at the Earth from the poles:

Water requires significantly more energy to increase its temperature than land. Think about that the next time you step out of the cool surf at the beach onto the hot sand.

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Health

Doctor warns beach-goers of flesh-eating bacteria :: WRAL.com

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By CNN Newsource

Lake Charles, La. — A Louisiana man is recovering in the hospital after getting infected with a flesh-eating bacteria.

Experts say the bacteria is showing up earlier this year than usual and are warning beach-goers to be cautious.

“This infection is something that will go from a fun day at the beach to an extremely painful wound within hours,” said Dr. Stephen Castleberry, a surgeon at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “Overnight can be sepsis and septic shock and aggressive therapy to try to do what you can to save life and tissue.”

That’s exactly what happened to Jessie Abshire, who is now recovering in the ICU after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria while crabbing in Cameron Parish.

“Not long in the water either,” said Belinda Abshire, his wife. “Just a couple hours we were there at the most.”

Belinda and their daughter, Amanda Savoie, are sharing Jessie’s story in hopes it saves even one person from suffering like he has. They called it a near-death experience and said it can happen to anybody.

“He’s getting better slowly each day,” Savoie said. “We got a long road ahead of us.”

“Who would have thought we had gone crabbing in ankle-deep water, then two days later, you’re almost dying in the hospital,” Belinda said.

This type of flesh eating bacteria — vibrio vulnificus — can affect the intestinal tract. Doctors expect Jessie to recover from the infection, but not everyone is so lucky.

Castleberry said this time of year doctors are most worried about skin infections.

“What we worry about is anyone that’s immunocompromised, so even just diabetes, mild liver disease when patients don’t know about it, and any break in the skin, even a several day old tattoo, a small cut that you don’t even recognize beforehand,” he said.

Castleberry said the bacteria is showing up about four to six weeks earlier than what he’s seen in past summers and is advising people to take extra caution if they’re headed to the beach this summer.

“Anytime you’re in brackish water, Gulf water, during these times of the month, it doesn’t hurt to wash off after you leave the beach,” Castleberry said. “If you have any kind of fresh wounds, don’t go in the water.”

He recommends washing any abrasion with soap and water immediately if you get a scrape from the rocks or a wound from a fishing hook or net.

If a wound is getting painful, always seek medical care immediately.

“When in doubt, go see somebody quick,” Castleberry said.

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Science

June’s strawberry moon will light up the sky this week :: WRAL.com

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By Rachel Fadem and Ashley Strickland, CNN

June’s full moon, the strawberry moon, will illuminate the sky this week.

The moon will appear full from Sunday moonrise to Wednesday moonset, according to NASA. It will reach its peak at 7:52 a.m. ET Tuesday but will not be fully visible in North America until moonrise. This year’s strawberry moon is the first of two consecutive supermoons.

While there is no single definition, the term supermoon generally refers to a full moon that appears brighter and larger than other moons because it is at its closet orbit to Earth.

To a casual observer, the supermoon may appear similar in size to other moons. However, the noticeable change in brightness enhances visibility and creates a great opportunity for people to begin paying attention to the moon and its phases, said Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab.

The ideal time to look at the moon is when it is rising or setting since that’s when it will appear the largest to the naked eye, said Jacqueline Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History. (The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s calculator can help you find out what time the moon rises and sets in your location.)

The best views of June’s full moon in the United States will be in the southern half of the country and the Southwest. A series of weak storms will move through the Northeast and Great Lakes regions early in the week, creating cloudy conditions that will make it difficult to get a clear view, CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said.

Petro recommends that moon gazers seek out a clear horizon and avoid areas with tall buildings and thick forestry. He also urges people to stay away from bright lights if possible for maximum visibility.

The name strawberry moon is rooted in the traditions of Indigenous groups in the Northeastern US, including the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota communities that saw the celestial event as a sign that strawberries, and other fruits, were ripe and ready to be gathered. The Haida people refer to the moon as the berries ripen moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

In Europe, this moon is often called the honey moon or the mead moon, and historical writings from the region suggest that honey was ready for harvest around the end of the month. Additionally, the name honey moon may refer to June’s reputation as a popular month for marriages.

This full moon corresponds with the Hindu festival Vat Purnima, a celebration where married women tie a ceremonial thread around a banyan tree and fast to pray that their spouse lives a long life.

For Buddhists, this moon is the Poson Poya moon, named after the holiday celebrating the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in 236 BC.

There will be six more full moons in 2022, according to The Old Farmers’ Almanac:

  • July 13: Buck moon
  • August 11: Sturgeon moon
  • September 10: Harvest moon
  • October 9: Hunter’s moon
  • November 8: Beaver moon
  • December 7: Cold moon

These are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, but the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes.

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be one more total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.

A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. This partial solar eclipse will not be visible from North America.

A total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET, but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

Meteor showers

Check out the remaining meteor showers that will peak in 2022:

  • Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30
  • Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31
  • Perseids: August 11 to 12
  • Orionids: October 20 to 21
  • Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5
  • Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12
  • Leonids: November 17 to 18
  • Geminids: December 13 to 14
  • Ursids: December 21 to 22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn’t littered with city lights to get the best view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes — without looking at your phone or other electronics — to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.

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Health

2 cases of Legionnaires’ disease possibly linked to a Wake County hotel, says Wake County Public Health :: WRAL.com

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Wake County, N.C. — Wake County Public Health said it is alerting the community Friday to two diagnosed cases of Legionnaires’ disease.

Before they became ill, Wake County Public Health said both people visited the Clarion Pointe Wake Forest Hotel. The County said both individuals are recovering after treatment.

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella that are found usually in water.

Wake County said it encourages anyone who visited this hotel between May 1 through June 2 to monitor themselves for symptoms and seek medical care with their primary care physician or primary care clinic for Legionella if symptoms do occur.

Signs and symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease include:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Muscle aches
  • Headache
  • Fever

Most healthy people who are exposed to the bacteria do not get sick. Being 50 years or older or having certain risk factors can in increase your chances of getting sick. These can include people who:

  • Are current or former smokers
  • Have chronic lung disease
  • Have a weakened immune system from diseases like cancer, diabetes or kidney failure
  • Take medication that weakens their immune system

Anyone with questions can call Wake County Public Health at 919-250-1029. If no one answers this line over the weekend, please leave a message and someone will respond.

Wake County Public Health and Wake County Environmental Services, along with the North Carolina Division of Public Health, said they are currently investigating all potential sources of exposure to the Legionella bacteria in these two cases.

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Health

Common virus may be linked to liver failure in healthy children :: WRAL.com

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By UNC Health Talk

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on UNC Health Talk.

Doctors around the world are trying to understand what is causing children to develop severe hepatitis (liver inflammation) that in some cases results in liver failure. These puzzling cases have been linked to a common adenovirus that typically causes colds, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), and stomach cramps and diarrhea.

The number of known cases is very small, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Still, both organizations are asking doctors to report any cases of otherwise healthy children who develop liver disease.

In North Carolina, two school-age children with severe hepatitis and acute liver failure were recently treated at UNC. But both tested negative for adenovirus type 41, the strain suspected of causing hepatitis.

However, nine cases positively linked to adenovirus have been reported in Alabama in children younger than 10, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Two of those patients required liver transplants.

So what’s going on? No one is quite sure yet, but doctors and researchers are working hard to figure it out.

“There’s a lot of guesswork right now concerning the cause,” says Steven Lichtman, MD, a UNC Health pediatric gastroenterologist.

Cases of acute liver failure in North Carolina not linked to adenovirus

Dr. Lichtman says the two children hospitalized at UNC, ages 9 and 11, were very ill with acute liver failure.

“These kids were sick enough to be listed for transplant,” he says, “but fortunately they have both recovered without a transplant and gone home.”

While both children lived in the same part of the state, they did not know each other and had no connection.

“They came in a day apart,” Dr. Lichtman says. “This was very unusual. We usually see about one case of liver failure in a child a year, maybe one every two years.”

Dr. Lichtman says he was aware of the cases in Alabama and also a cluster in the United Kingdom, so he ordered testing for adenovirus type 41 and other common viruses known to cause hepatitis, but no cause was found. Tests were done to see if the children had come in contact with a toxic substance, but there was no sign of that either.

No other cases have been reported in North Carolina, he says. However, in the wake of the health advisory from the CDC, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has asked all medical professionals in the state to be on the lookout for acute pediatric hepatitis cases of unknown cause and report any such cases to the state so any spread of the disease can be tracked.

The WHO reports that as of April 21, at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis with an unknown cause have been reported from 11 countries in Europe and in the United States. Of those, 17 children have required liver transplants. These cases are not thought to have any connection to COVID-19.

What parents need to know

While doctors monitor the situation to see if patterns emerge, parents should be aware that if the whites of your child’s eyes start to look yellowish—even a little—you’ll want to contact your pediatrician right away. The doctor can do a blood test to see if your child has hepatitis. In most cases of hepatitis, the liver recovers on its own without treatment.

Vaccines for hepatitis A and B are part of the routine CDC-recommended immunization schedule for children. While these vaccines are important to protect your child against hepatitis A and B, they will not prevent infection with an adenovirus that could affect the liver. Still, make sure your child is up to date on all their vaccines, including hepatitis A and B, to prevent illness caused by those specific viruses.

But parents need not panic, Dr. Lichtman says. So far, there is not evidence of childhood hepatitis spreading throughout the United States. The cases may disappear as mysteriously as they started, he says. But in case they increase in number and affect more children, it’s important for doctors and parents to be aware.

If you notice that the whites of your child’s eyes look yellowish or discolored, see your doctor as soon as you can, or find one near you.

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Health

North Carolina up to 9 reported cases of hepatitis in children :: WRAL.com

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By Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter

State health officials are warning parents to be on the lookout for rare cases of hepatitis in their children. As of Wednesday, there are nine pediatric cases in the state — up from four last week.

Doctors stress that hepatitis, which is known to cause severe liver damage, isn’t usually common in children. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at more than 100 possible cases and five deaths.

“It’s very odd for us to have these number of cases,” said pediatrician Dr. Steven Lichtman.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and is caused by viruses or heavy alcohol use, according to medical experts. Lichtman says adenovirus may be a potential link to the sudden spike.

“Adenovirus is a really, really common virus that causes colds or pink eye,” he said.

With an unknown cause, doctors are urging parents to know what symptoms to look for before seeking help.

“You only have to worry if you see that the urine looks dark and if the eyes are starting to turn yellow,” said Lichtman.

Rocky Mount parent Adam Omar said he’s going to watch out for the sudden uptick in cases.

“We try to keep them safe from everything,” said Omar.

Experts say there doesn’t appear to be a link between hepatitis and COVID-19

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Raleigh officers shoot, kill man throwing Molotov cocktails near police station, chief says :: WRAL.com

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By Cory Dinkel, WRAL multiplatform producer and Leslie Moreno, WRAL multimedia journalist

Raleigh, N.C. — The Raleigh Police Department said Saturday that a man shot and killed by police in southeast Raleigh was throwing “incendiary weapons” believed to be Molotov cocktails at police vehicles and officers prior to the shooting.

The shooting occurred at the Raleigh Police Southeast District Saturday afternoon.

Part of Rock Quarry Road was blocked off before 2 p.m. for multiple police units at the scene, which is not far from Southeast Raleigh High School.

Police said officers observed the suspect throwing what they believed to be Molotov cocktails at police vehicles in the parking lot of the Raleigh Police Southeast District station.

Police said at least 2 vehicles were caught on fire.

According to Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson, 4 officers confronted the man and asked him to stop. The man then began throwing the Molotov cocktails at the officers

All of the officers opened fire, according to Patterson, striking the man multiple times.

The man was transported to the hospital and Patterson said his family has been notified that he was killed.

A video circulating on Facebook showed the aftermath recorded on a stream.

The video shows at least one police car on fire and several officers giving someone CPR.

It is unknown if any officers were injured during the incident.

Both body cameras and cameras at the station captured the shooting.

Patterson said an internal investigation is underway as well as an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation.

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Violent week in Rocky Mount ends with woman killed, teenage employee shot at Rocky Mount Chili’s :: WRAL.com

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By Eric Miller, WRAL multimedia journalist

Rocky Mount, N.C. — Two people — a woman and a 15-year-old — were shot inside a Chili’s in Rocky Mount on Friday night. Natasha Berry, 38, was pronounced dead at UNC Nash Healthcare after the shooting.

The teenage boy, also an employee at the Chili’s, was treated a local hospital and released on Friday.

Nytica Battle, 25, was arrested later at her home after the Rocky Mount Police said she fled the scene of the shooting. She’s facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and going armed to the terror of the public.

Rocky Mount Police said that the two women knew each other and got into a fight. Witnesses said the shooting happened at the restaurant’s bar. After hearing gunfire, witnesses say they ran into the restaurant’s kitchen, looking for a place to hide.

Battle is being held at the Nash County Detention Facility without bond.

A violent week in Rocky Mount

Also on Friday, Chief Hassell and Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson put out statements addressing the recent gun violence.

Mayor Roberson wrote that the city’s recent shootings “are not random” and “detectives are following up on all leads.”

Six people were shot this week in Rocky Mount and four people were killed.

A woman died after being shot in her home Sunday night in Rocky Mount. Police believe that someone fired shots into her home and left the area. Rocky Mount Police have not made any arrests in this shooting.

Two people were shot at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Monday and 24-year-old Rodrick Battle was killed. An 18-year-old was arrested and charged with murder in Battle’s death.

Battle was an aspiring rapper, who leaves behind two young children and a wife.

On Thursday, a 20-year-old man was shot and killed in his car in Rocky Mount at around 8 a.m. According to police, Javonta Crandall was shot and killed when a car pulled alongside the vehicle he was in and opened fire. Later that afternoon, a driver believed to be fleeing from gunfire plowed into a home near Marigold Park.

Police have not arrested anyone in connection to Thursday’s shootings.

Rocky Mount police said in a statement early Saturday morning that they would be increasing patrols in the city with hopes to reduce gun violence. They are also planning to hold a press conference on Tuesday to address the city’s rise in gun violence.

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