TOP STORIES: NC Primary results, jet fuel leak aftermath concerns, DHS Sec. Noem hearing
North Carolina voters on Tuesday decided which candidate they want to represent their party ahead of the midterm elections later this year.
Voters attend polling stations for North Carolina's primary electionsFormer Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will face off against former Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley in the race to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate, AP reports. This race will be key for either party as Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate, meaning Democrats only need a net pickup of four seats to win back the chamber.
Laurie Buckhout — who narrowly lost to Rep. Don Davis in 2024 — will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Davis in November after she won the Republican primary in redrawn district NC-01. North Carolina's Congressional primaries were held based on new district boundaries drawn in 2025 as part of President Donald Trump’s push to gain House seats, with North Carolina's 1st Congressional District redrawn to favor the GOP.
Republican Rodney Rawls, a Master Patrol Sergeant with the Kill Devil Hills Police Department, will be the next Dare County sheriff following Sheriff Doug Doughtie’s retirement. Incumbent Republican Tommy Wooten has secured another term as Pasquotank County sheriff with 75.8% of the total votes, defeating challenger Juanita "Nina" Daniels after all votes were counted. There was no Democratic challenger in either race for Sheriff.
In the GOP primary to become District 1 State Senator, Jerry Tillett will face Democrat Melissa Zehner in November.
Questions are lingering among the public after a jet fuel spill at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Questions linger after jet fuel spill at Newport News ShipbuildingAlan Guttman was enjoying a bike ride in the Old Wythe neighborhood of Hampton on a recent Saturday afternoon when he noticed a strange smell. "The minute I got into this wide open water area where we are the smell was just so strong and just very noxious - no smell that I've smelt before," Guttman said. What he was smelling was a jet fuel spill into the James River at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding facility that happened Friday, Feb. 13 during a fuel transfer. He began contacting different local, state, and federal agencies trying to get information, but didn't get confirmation about what happened until Sunday evening.
News 3 reporter Brendan Ponton submitted a request to review communications from Newport News City Manager Alan Archer to figure out why neighbors weren’t notified sooner. Archer wrote a text message saying he was just learning about the spill — two full days after it first happened. He wrote: "We are late to the table on messaging about this event. I am sorry that the shipyard did not contact the administration directly." News 3 asked HII about the incident. A spokesperson responded, saying they reported the spill to the EPA on that Friday, and said: "The initial visual estimation of fuel released into the river Friday was subsequently increased over the weekend based on pumping calculations to provide a maximum potential volume released to assist in remediation and cleanup efforts."
Estimates of the amount of fuel spilled were initially up to 7,000 gallons, HII now estimates about 4,700 gallons actually leaked. HII says the cleanup is now complete. Guttman says he just wishes neighbors like him had been told sooner. "I'm sure they're going to do their best to make sure it doesn't happen again, but for me they need to do a better job on the communicating to residents," Guttman said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department’s immigration enforcement tactics in front of a Senate committee on Tuesday and is set appear Wednesday in front of a House committee.
It was Noem’s first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of the two protesters galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration is executing its mass deportation agenda, a centerpiece policy of President Donald Trump’s second term. At the time, Noem portrayed the protesters, two U.S. citizens, as agitators, although accounts from local officials and bystander video contradicted assertions from her and other administration officials.
The department's immigration tactics triggered a clash in Congress over its routine funding, which remains unresolved, although a spending bill passed last year granted it a significant infusion of cash for the Republican administration's mass deportation policy. Noem defended her agency's treatment of immigrants caught up in enforcement activities, and blamed activists and others for attacks against officers. She also lashed out at Democrats for the congressional funding showdown. "The latest Democrat-led shutdown of DHS is reckless," Noem said. "It's unnecessary, and it undermines the American national security, and it harms the men and women who work at DHS and their families."
Noem faced questioning from Democrats who say officers under her control have abused their power, used excessive force and violated people's constitutional rights in carrying the Trump administration's agenda. "I was getting reports from the ground from agents at the scene, and I would say that it was a chaotic scene, as you've seen in Minneapolis and St. Paul," she said. Her officers "worked at targeting the worst of the worst" and many times faced violence from protesters, she added.
This morning's weather: Ending the week with several days in the 70s
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says watch out for a few areas of fog this morning. We will see a mix of sun and clouds today with the most sunshine near midday. Temperatures will warm to near 70 today, about 20 degrees warmer than yesterday and above normal for this time of year.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
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For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.
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