
TOP STORIES: Apartment fire displaces 43, NC mumps case, ceasefire details
An electrical fire at an apartment complex in Western Branch ignited Wednesday. 43 residents were displaced, according to the Chesapeake Fire Department.
Crews responded to a call about a fire at Sunstone Apartments, located at 4600 Peek Trail, at 6:21 a.m., fire officials say. Firefighters found a fire behind the electrical meters on the rear of the structure—the meters control power to 36 apartments.
Dominion Energy was called and power was secured to any apartments with minimal structural damage. There were no reported injuries and damage was kept to a minimum thanks to the fire department's quick action, according to Sunstone Apartment’s property manager.
According to the Chesapeake Fire Department, the power cannot be restored and apartments cannot be occupied until repairs are made.
The property manager says all of its residents have found temporary housing while repairs are made. They said work on the units will be done over the next few weeks.
The fire department has not released any information on what caused the electrical fire.
43 displaced after electrical fire at Sunstone Apartments in ChesapeakeA student at River Road Middle School in Elizabeth City has been diagnosed with mumps, according to Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools. The rare disease had less than 400 cases reported last year, according to the CDC.
The school district shared a letter with News 3 that was sent to families on Sunday, Jan. 12. The letter confirmed the student's diagnosis and asked families to contact the school nurse if their child has mumps symptoms.
The CDC says most people completely recover from mumps within two weeks.
Mumps symptoms include the following, according to the CDC:
- Puffy cheeks
- Tender, swollen jaw
- The most serious complication is brain inflammation
People who are infected with mumps don’t get sick right away, the CDC added. It can take two to four weeks for them to show symptoms.
Mumps case in Elizabeth City draws attention to vaccine ratesMediators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal on Wednesday. This will put a pause in the 15-month long conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The agreement still needs to be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This deal capped off many weeks of negotiations in the Qatari capital. The ceasefire is expected to deliver an initial six-week halt to fighting that is to be accompanied by the opening of negotiations on ending the war altogether.
Hamas promised the release of 33 of the nearly 100 hostages in phases.
Israel promised the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and they would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. They would also allow needed humanitarian aid into the devastated territory.
Israel's vehement response to the October 7 attacks led to the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
More than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza in a week-long truce in November 2023.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire brings feelilngs of heartbreak mixed with relief
This morning's weather: A cool Thursday, temperatures to climb leading into weekend
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says temperatures are in the teens and 20s this morning. Highs will reach the mid 40s today, warmer than yesterday but still below normal. Expect sunshine this morning with clouds building in by midday.
Lots of sunshine on Friday with highs in the mid 40s.
Warming to the 50s to start the weekend, before a cold front moves in. Scattered rain showers are expected for both Saturday and Sunday. Highs will drop back to the 40s on Sunday. Some rain could switch to snow later Sunday if moisture lingers long enough and if temperatures fall fast enough.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
This morning's traffic:
So far this morning, there haven’t been any major traffic incidents in our area.

Interactive Traffic Map
For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.

We Follow Through: Uncovering a multi-million dollar coupon scheme
A Virginia Beach couple's $31 million coupon fraud ploy has made a national impact. Now, five women across the country face new charges in connection to the scheme.
Prosecutors say the couple was held accountable for operating one of the largest coupon fraud schemes ever discovered, and News 3 continues to follow through on this case.
Lori Ann Talens was sentenced to 12 years. Her husband, Pacifico, got 7 years.
During a search of her home, the FBI says it found thousands of counterfeit coupons, rolls of coupon paper, and coupon designs for more than 13,000 products on her computer.
Now five more women are facing conspiracy, mail, and wire fraud charges. The new federal indictment outlines the amount of money allegedly generated by these five other women spread out across the country in Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, and two in Florida.
Prosecutors allege each one paid Talens for counterfeit coupons. They say a 39-year-old woman paid Talens over $19,000 in 274 transactions, generating a $1.3 million loss to retailers.
Law enforcement says the others had dozens of transactions with losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"We are very, very pleased that you know some of her most active alleged clients have been arrested," said Bud Miller, executive director of the Coupon Information Center.
Miller is the executive director of the nonprofit Coupon Information Center, a group that works to combat coupon fraud daily. He says his organization first spotted the fraud.
"Everybody gets hurt by coupon fraud, even if you don't use coupons," said Bud Miller, executive director of the Coupon Information Center.
Experts say fraud makes it more difficult for legitimate coupon users, causes stores to have to increase security, and even raises prices for products when they face large losses.
He says law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear, and the simplest way to avoid problems is never to pay for coupons.
Watch the full story on News 3 This Morning here.
