WLOS Top Stories

Massive Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma, 51 Dead

Mon, May 20 2013, 08:16 PM EDT

MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office says 51 people have been killed by a tornado that hit suburban Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon. 20 of the 51 are children. The death toll is expected to rise.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says "hearts are broken" for parents wondering about the fate of their children after a tornado devastated suburban Oklahoma City and officials say the search and rescue effort will continue throughout the night. ...

Woman Held At Knifepoint

Mon, May 20 2013, 09:45 PM EDT

The search continues for a man police say kidnapped a woman and then held her at knifepoint. Police say after a fight, Jose Aguilar chased his girlfriend down Asheville Highway. He then rammed his vehicle into hers, pulled her out of the car and then took her back to an apartment. ...

Bed Bug Invasion

Mon, May 20 2013, 09:58 PM EDT

Colleen Curry has lived in the Cedar Hill apartment complex in Brevard for the last four years. She's been collecting bedbugs in plastic baggies to prove just how bad the bug problem is in the complex.
"I think its an infestation is what I would call it," said Curry. ...

Boston Fundraiser

Mon, May 20 2013, 09:54 PM EDT

Asheville's Texas Roadhouse Restaurant holds a fundraiser to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. They're one of 50 Texas Roadhouses donating 10% of Monday night's food sales to One Fund Boston. Local diners included two young women who attended Boston University. ...

Special Report: Special Delivery

Mon, May 20 2013, 04:48 PM EDT

Don't be surprised to see an Asheville mom sporting a gorilla suit or dressing up like Prince.

"I've always been kind of intrigued by singing telegrams," says Jillian Isele AKA Sarah Nade.

"Put another candle on your birthday candle on your birthday cake, your birthday cake," she recited recently, pounding her chest in the fuzzy gorilla outfit. ...

Special Report: Guns Marketed To Children

Mon, May 20 2013, 08:13 PM EDT

Most Americans agree that the 2nd Amendment gives individuals right to bear arms, according to a 2003 Gallup poll. But recent tragic events like the shootings in Newtown have reignited the debate about gun ownership in America. Particularly inflammatory to some is the marketing of guns towards children. ...

Assault On Mount Mitchell

Mon, May 20 2013, 10:16 PM EDT

Twelve hundred bikers took on one of the toughest road challenges in the mountains Monday. They took off from Spartanburg Monday morning for the annual Assault On Marion and Assault On Mount Mitchell. The bikers raged in age from 15 to 84 years old.

Armed Robbery Suspect Search

Mon, May 20 2013, 06:34 PM EDT

The Rutherfordton Police Department is looking for assistance in identifying the suspect seen in this photograph.

On May 19, 2013 around 8:35 p.m. the suspect shown entered the Smoke Shop located at 480 South Main Street in Rutherfordton, NC 28139 with a shotgun where the suspect robbed the business at gun point. ...

Severe Flooding Soaks Yancey Co.

Mon, May 20 2013, 06:25 PM EDT

The clean up continued Monday in Yancey County after severe flooding a day before washed out several bridges and roads and caused huge sink holes.

The majority of the damage happened in the Jack's Creek area near Burnsville. One resident told News 13's Mario Boone this is the worse damage he's seen since the great flood of 1977. ...

Notice To Teachers Sent

Mon, May 20 2013, 05:46 PM EDT

Dozens of Macon County teachers got a letter saying they may not have a job next school year.

Under state law, Superintendent Jim Duncan had to send them the notice by May 15th. It says that there's not enough money in the budget to renew their contracts. ...

Church Leaders Take On State Lawmakers

Mon, May 20 2013, 04:36 PM EDT

At a Downtown Asheville news conference, local church leaders take a stance against the NC General Assembly.

"We are not a formal group but we have come out to speak today," says Reverend Joe Hoffman of First Congregational United Church of Christ. ...

McCanless Sentenced To At Least 14 Years

Mon, May 20 2013, 03:55 PM EDT

A judge sentences a Black Mountain man to 14 years in prison for sex crimes against a child. A jury on Friday convcited Steven McCanless of attemped sex offense and taking indecent liberties with a 7-year-old girl. Today the judge set a minimum of 14 years and a maximum of 18 years for those two felonies. ...

Meth Arrests

Mon, May 20 2013, 03:50 PM EDT

On May 18, 2013 at 12:36 pm, Forest City Officers were dispatched to Gator's Automotive, located at 1080 West Main Street in Forest City, in reference to a suspicious vehicle and a breaking and entering that had occurred to a vehicle located on the property. ...

McCanless Sentencing Begins

Mon, May 20 2013, 12:40 PM EDT

Today, testimony started in the sentencing of a man in Black Mountain, convicted of an attempted sex offense and taking indecent liberties with a child.

On Friday, the jury found Steven McCanless guilty of those 2 charges.

Testimony began today with McCanless' step-sister, who told the court that he suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his step-father. ...

Troopers Celebrate 20 Years of "Click It Or Ticket"

Mon, May 20 2013, 12:29 PM EDT

State troopers are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Click It or Ticket program by starting a crackdown today, Monday May 20.

North Carolina was the first state to launch the seat belt safety initiative in 1993, now every state participates. ...

Weekly Fuel Prices Update

Mon, May 20 2013, 09:18 AM EDT

Average retail gasoline prices in Asheville have risen 0.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.42/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 259 gas outlets in Asheville. This compares with the national average that has increased 8.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $3. ...

Camping Preparations

Mon, May 20 2013, 05:32 AM EDT

People in the U.S. average about 12 1/2 days camping per year, and the camping numbers keep going up.

Part of the reason is the growing options for ways to take the "rough" out of roughing it.

The team at Camping World showed News 13's Victoria Dunkle some of new camping options and gear making it more appealing. ...

Silver Alert: Albert Francis Parsons

Fri, May 17 2013, 09:52 PM EDT

The N.C. Center for Missing Persons has issued a Silver Alert for a missing endangered man, Albert Francis Parsons.

Citizens are asked to be on the lookout for Albert Francis Parsons, who is believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment. ...

Carrie Tracy Fund Kickoff

Sat, May 18 2013, 11:39 PM EDT