Lucy Ritchie

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Gov. Josh Stein signed a new $34 billion state budget into law Tuesday morning, approving pay raises for teachers and state law enforcement employees and one-time bonuses for local officers. The budget includes teacher pay increases averaging about 8%, along with one-time bonuses based on experience. The move comes weeks after teachers gathered in Raleigh to call for higher pay and more investment in public education.

BERTIE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A week after inmates took over the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail for roughly nine hours, many questions remain unanswered for residents who live near the facility and want to know how it happened — and what changes, if any, will follow. More than 20 law enforcement agencies responded to the takeover and eventually regained control of the jail, according to officials.

KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) - If you’re noticing higher meat prices ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, you’re not alone. As families get ready to celebrate with backyard cookouts, the cost of beef is still putting pressure on some holiday budgets — for buyers and for the small businesses selling it. At The Whiskey Pig Craft Butchery in Kinston, 10th-generation owner Jenell Pridgen said she’s seeing customers adjust what they buy. “I’m not seeing as many steaks as I had previously.