frank kracher joins us live in clyde. frank, folks are getting ready for one final rally. >> frank: they are. they're just beginning to gather now outside the education center. this is where the board meets. this was supposed to happen back in february 8th. winter weather postponed that. it is just raining right now so this meeting tonight is on. now the board of education has already approved a $2.4 million budget reduction for the next school year. things like declining enrollment. officials say closing central and consolidating it with other elementary schools could save half a million dollars. put parents say this school offers their children quality education that they deserve. to decide. >> something needs to change. this isn't a solution for budget crisis in our state. because we're just the first of many that this is going to happen to. >> frank: if central is shut down, most students will go to either hazelwood or junaluska elementary. those are both about two miles away from central. back out live, folks braving

. >> larry: news 13's frank kracher joins us live from weaverville. frank, are you seeininany snow in north buncombe county? >> frank: just a little bit. it started falling about 10 minutes ago. regardless of what's going on here right now, staying ahead of the storm means better safe than sorry. and getting started early. chopping off a very big tank to deliver a salt and water mix. 4,000 gallons of brine. the goal taking on snow and ice before it ever arrives. >> the forecast isnot the amount of the previous storm. we're trying to take a more proactive approach. >> frank: it's an approach that involves treating many miles of mountain interstate. releasing a salty load. >> we've done our best to prepare for it. i think we'll handle it fine. >> frank: mountain residents at places like ace hardware where the sign tell the story. >> it was so crazy busy in here on that thursday. >> frank: that thursday was more than two weeks ago now. the eve of the storm that brought record snowfall. they sold out of so many things from shovels to ice melt, which means

news 13's frank kracher has been out there for hours. >> darcel: frank, what's it like out there where you are now? >> frank: well it has been on and off raining, pouring. we have waves going through. we're kind of in the middle of one. it's provided kind of decorative coating on trees around here. it looks nice here. it has been and continues to be one heck of a night out here. >> it's terrible. >> frank: no better way to describe it. up and down i-26, drivers losing control. vehicles sliding across the pavement. a few even flipping right over in to the ditch. the dot put out the warning that many folks were simply caught off guard. >> i think different parts of the county it's a little warmer and colder. so they're used to maybe thinking that it's wet. they go a little further and it's certainly not. >> frank: the best way to show you just how hazardous it is out here, you slide right across the asphalt. this mist and this rain is just freezing up right on the pavement. here on highway 25, two cars tangled. one of the drivers told us she'd been cut off, tried to brake and lost contro

and leave asheville with the biggest gift we can. >> frank: in asheville, frank kracher, news 13. >> darcel: the artist group needs help buying paint, supplies and equipment for the project. to help, click news links on wlos.com. >> larry: too bad they couldn't start painting this week. its going to be gorgeous out. >> jason: temperatures getting in to the 60s for almost everyone here. we have to go through some 45 degrees for the high today. we did start out in the low to mid 30s. a little bit better than average. tonight even colder, though. year. we still have a surplus. that cold wind will continue to evening. it might just be the warmest weekend of the month. find out if it is. >> larry: when you're not watching jason, remember you can get your daily skywatch weather sign up, you'll that feeling. you know the one. that "grand-slam, aced-the-presentation" feeling. multiply that feeling. it's the deal of all deals. a moment worthy of celebration. now multiply that. you'u're everyone's hero in the championship of all championships it's that feeling. multiplied. introducing the new

news 13's frank kracher joins us live from health and human services in downtown asheville. frank, how does the program work? >> frank: well if you come here to apply for help under work first, you see a social worker. if there's any suspicion of drug use, you get tested. if you test positive, no benefits. here are the stats so far. over the first five months of applied for help. that means of the total number of welfare applicants, less than 0.3% were denied benefits. >> i think it's a total waste of money. >> frank: he believes drug screening before granting welfare benefits is mean-spirited. >> it's using the stereotype that people who are financially struggling must be using drugs. that's an unfounded stereotype the oppression of people who are struggling financially. >> frank: most who walk through these doors have kids and that the young ones are hurt the most. >> >> we pull the benefits away and >> frank: public opinion is mixed. >> they're not going through and giving them the leadway that they need to try and clean their lives up. so they end up turning back to it b

frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: as we mentioned, a grand jury has returned a first degree murder indictment forr robin richardson. he shot tim fry, a wlos employee back in december. richardson claims she shot him because he assaulted her. >> darcel: the former board of elections director in macon county has been arrested. kim bishop is charged with five felony counts of embezzlement and one count of attempted embezzlement. she was indicted on those state charges last week. bishop pleaded guilty in federal she resigned her position in may of 2014 after investigators discovered dozens of fraudulent checks came from her. >> larry: more than $3,000 worth of equipment was stolen from chase high school. that includes bats, ball gloves, balls and gloves. it happened just two weeks ago right before the start of the season. >> and so our guys are disheartened. i would just say if anyone knows anything, if they are aware of anyone that may have done this to contact our school, our resource officer. >> larry: and if you have any information, you can also call crime stoppers. the number 286-tips. >> da

news 13's frank kracher is standing by live at the buncombe county courthouse. >> larry: frank, have you been able to listen to the call richardson made at the night of the killing? >> frank: we have. we came here and obtained this copy of the cd less than an hour ago. now it's about ten minutes long. routine. questions and answers about where the house is located. where deputies need to respond. but there are some pointed questions about what happened. the dispatcher talking to robin richardson. richardson tells that dispatcher, "i just shot my boyfriend. also, he's dying right now. then you hear in her own words what she later told investigators, her version of what led up to the shooting. >> okay. were you having an argument? >> yes. >> have you been assaulted? >> i'm sorry. >> have you been assaulted? >> yes. >> okay. and where did you shoot him out on his body?

in jackson county, frank kracher, news 13. >> darcel: all new at 6:00, a yancey county man is accused of abusing an infant. 20-year-old jacob howel. howel is in jail tonight. his bond set at $90,000. no word on the child's condition. >>> police are investigating two break-ins within days of each other at the same property. they happened off of hazel mill road in west asheville at the site of a rental home that's under construction. equipment that belonged to a construction company. >> no evidence left behind. this kind of petty theft is pretty common. so really the only way that we can help stop this kind of thing and tax these people is if we look out for each other. report the suspicious activity to each other and also to the police. >> darcel: one neighbor posted the flyer on facebook. he said he appreciated letting his family know of the burglary nearby. if you have any information, contact the police. >> larry: the danger abandoned cars pose and why troopers do not take any chances. >> darcel: and a local school a year to fill one position. >> darcel: the winter storm that blaste

reporting live in asheville, frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: an alert for pet animal control has euthanized almost 30 animals this year because of distemper. just in the last day, the sheriff's office says it's put down five raccoons and a fox vpt a worker found a raccoon. he called the sheriff's office. which people are advised to do. >> we're seeing it in raccoons and foxes. we're just afraid in a matter of time someone's pet is exposed to distemper. >> larry: humans cannot get distemper. but it could be deadly for your pet. make sure their vaccinations are up to date. >> darcel: an expert testifies a murder defendant was mentally ill. richard o'shields is on trial for killing toby mathis back in 2011, which prosecutors say was mathis is charged with in involuntary manslaughter in the death of o'shields' son. there's little chance o'shields could have planned the murder. closing arguments are expected to begin tomorrow. think. a news 13 investigation uncovers glaring gaps at the front gate of aviation security. >> larry: jennifer, who is slipping through the cracks? >> reporter: larry, ma

reporting live in asheville, frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: a woman is missing in mcdowell county. and tonight we're learning new details about the man her family says she disappeared with. >> larry: deputies are searching for a violent felon in connection with this case. >> darcel: ashlea, walter mitchell has a long rap sheet. >> ashlea: that includes arrested for attacking women two separate times. >> me and her are very close. it's just not like her to do this. >> ashlea: family says 36-year-old melanie burleson was last seen at a party where she got in to a fight with mitchell and left him. >> she sounded a little off and scared. but she told me that she wanted to come off of all her medications and everything. and that in a couple of days that she would be fine. and walt got on the phone and he kept saying, you know i'd never hurt your daughter. >> ashlea: mitchell has a criminal history. he had been convicted of accessory to second degree murder and kidnapping. he's gone to jail for drugs and theft. at this point deputies say he's not a suspect in this case. they'd just like

>>>you're watching news 13 with frank kracher, sky watch with karen wynne and sports with ie note. this is news 13 at 6. >> frank: presidential candidates are blitzing voters in new hampshire ahead of the game today. their big game tuesday. for some republicans that means cashing in on last nights debate or trying to make up for lost ground. marcy gonzalez is in manchester with the latest. >> a tamer tone today on the trail. go prgs debate stage. >> let me talk. quiet. >> front runner donald trump moving up more in the polls today. standing by some of his most controversial stances on this week. >> as president you would authorize torture? sgli would authorize something beyond water boarding. >> do you gwen by being more like them? >> you have to do it that way. >> another headline. >> let's start with this fiction that obama doesn't know what he's doing. he knows exactly what he's doing. >> there it is. memorize 25 second speech. >> today some mocking marco rubio for being competitive. >> i don't like that he went back to his 25 second spiel. >> it means more pushing towards jeb b

. >> frank: it's decision day for a popular haywood county school. i'm news 13's frank kracher. awaiting the fate of central elementary. that's coming up in a live report. >>> now from western north carolina's news leader, this is news 13 at 5:30. >> tammy: a brief warm-up today helped to melt some of that ice on the roads. >> frank: chief meteorologist jason boyer starts us off tonight. temperatures dropping again tonight. >> jason: yeah, they're dropping pretty quickly. graham county, swain county,

. >> frank: celebrating a special what one . >>> you're watching news 13 with frank kracher, skywatch weather with karen wynne. this is news 13 at 6:00. >> frank: this valentine's day marks a milestone for an asheville woman. she celebrates 101 years of life and a lifetime of loving those around her. hope hanselman introduces us to someone who credits her health to this holiday. >> hope: we may never feel so young at heart as when we are in love. the same could be said for frankie who has been around exactly as long as hallmark has been selling valentine's day cards. >> 101 years. it's amazing. >> hope: but this is one love story you can't find on the shelf. >> we call her our valentine because she was born on valentine's day. and she fits the description. world wars, civil rights, and depression. >> some of our relatives were working in an ammunitions factory, she went and got a job in a gas station in detroit and sent money home. >> my husband was my one love. >> reporter: she was just 18 at the time. >> we met at church. >> hope: and love was only something they were pretending as

reporting live in waynesville, frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: an update tonight on an asheville triple murder case. a grand jury has indicted pierre griffin on three counts of murder. he's accused of killing alexandra king, tatianna diz and uhon johnson. the two women were shot to death. their bodies recovered from the french broad river a week later. griffin also allegedly killed uhon johnson in pisgah view apartments that very same night. district attorney todd williams tells news 13 he's considering the death penalty. he has 45 days to make that decision. >>> a grand jury also returned a first degree indictment for she shot tim fry, a wlos employee, in his home in december. richardson claims she shot him because he assaulted her. she remains in jail without bond. >> darcel: new tonight, asheville city schools held a community forum about restructuring hall fletcher elementary. many people spoke out against the change saying it would revive the school community. tonight there was a packed house. the plan currently on the table will turn it in to a school for kids in 4th through 8th g

reporting live in asheville, frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: a local community college is vowing to help prepare workers for hundreds of newly available jobs. college is training workers for the 350 new jobs at the gf linamar plant. linamar executives were on the campus today meeting with school officials to set up the program. the plant will need skilled workers to build car parts. >> we're beginning discussions and we're going to flesh out a training and recruiting program with the company all through the months of april. and by march, we should have more details. >> larry: blue ridge community college already has a robust program that turns out skilled workers for machinery plants. governor mccrory announced the plant to be built. it will open at the end of next year. >> darcel: we're following the potential of severe weather. >> larry: after all that rain today, we're now looking at snow. >> jason: if you like manic weather, this is your day. well above average. no records set. 45 the low this morning. way above the average of 31 degrees. we did pick up over an inch of rain toda

frank kracher, news 13. >> darcel: an update tonight on a siberian husky that had to undergo a life saving surgery. claire is now back at the asheville humane society. she just had a litter of puppies right before she had emergency surgery to repair her lung. she's on antibiotics so she still can't nurse her 11-day old puppies. since our story aired friday, $3,000 has been raised for claire's $4,200 surgery. >> larry: a lot of generosity. a lot of rain on the way. it's going to continue through the night. >> darcel: yes, karen wynne is tracking that wet weather. it will be here for a while, karen. >> karen: yes, it will. all night long in to tomorrow morning. we have heavy rain your top headline. very gusty winds developing. the chance of severe storms mix. i'll time it all out for you coming up after the break. >> larry: and a little later, a group of cyclists is recovering after being hit by a car. one of thim is disputing the driver's version of what at humana, we know when you have your health... ...great things are ahead of you like seeing old friends or making new ones, learning some

reporting live in haywood county, frank kracher, news 13. >> larry: developing tonight, police are investigating the shooting of a teenager that happened this afternoon at deaverview apartments in west asheville. 17-year-old kyrie logan is an erwin high school student and football player. he was shot in the head and is in critical condition at mission hospital. no word tonight on suspects or motive. if you have any information about this crime, call crimestoppers. >> darcel: the south carolina republican primary is only four days away. and the six remaining candidates are racing to reach as many voters as possible. today, ted cruz and two underdog candidates tried to woo darren botelho joins us live where senator cruz spoke tonight. darren, how big were the crowds there? >> darren: darcel, the event wrapped up just about an hour and a half ago. over 1,000 people came to the event. but about 200 people came to john kasich's event. among other candidates pulling in large crowds ahead of the first in the south's primary this week. >> ted cruz, the next president of of the united states. >> darren:

>> frank: celebrating a special what one . >>> you're watching news 13 with frank kracher, skywatch weather with karen wynne. this is news 13 at 6:00. >> frank: this valentine's day marks a milestone for an asheville woman. she celebrates 101 years of life and a lifetime of loving those