get one of the computer generated numbers, because $1.5 billion sounds nice, right? yes, it nice to dream and winning the big power ball jackpot but let's stop and think about why we're playing in the first place. >> a portion will go to help students and schools across the state. >> reporter: the state will get about $65 million. about 25 million of that will be going to education. granted when all is bought and spent, the money the lottery brings in only amounts to 4% of the state's full education budget.

for every $2 you spend on a powerball ticket. about 76-cents goes to education. >> our primary purpose is to raise as much as we possibly can. it's then the lawmakers who decide where it goes. >> back to what you could win, the $1.5 billion being advertised isn't quite accurate. >> there's not 1.5 billion jacks in the pot. there's less than a bill. >> reporter: the lottery is guilty of some false advertising in a sense. >> the prize is only worth 530 million after taxes you're

>> reporter: just look at this way. >> your money is not going to waste. >> reporter: it's not they're post popular. the more popular ones are the instant or pick three, but of course the one that everybody cares about is this one. we'll have it on wncn news at 11:00. as carleigh said, the odds, one in 292 million. so far more than two and a half billion dollars' worth of tickets have been sold. this is a line where people are colorado. this is a time when scammers people.

out to inform people of secondary winners. lottery scams are one of the biggest reports to the state of 2015. remember, the drawing is 11:00 tonight. we'll push the numbers out, download the new wncn news now app for apple and android devices. the mayor says they will be focusing on relationships and developing long and short term goals. she says being away allows for fewer distractions. the price tag, 31,000 of your tax dollars which the mayor weighed in on this afternoon. >> we're going to look at the price tag of $31,000 say it just too much? >> it's an invest. i own my own business -- well, i did own my own business and

you certainly do a lot and it really does make a lot of difference in the engagement. >> reporter: all staff evers are on the trip and expected to return friday evening. a master mind plotting an attack on the d.a. the kidnapping of frank jansen who was rescued later in atlanta. his daughter had previously prosecuted melton by using a smuggled cell phone. and east chapel hill, kenzy rust died when a plane she was in crashed last monday. her visitation starts in about 20 minutes from now. he was actively involved in her jump roping team.

a bar will lose its license for three weeks. leaders finalized the punishment. >> the bar was one of two places that chandler -- went before he got into a dui deadly crash. a little girl was killed. her family says it's not enough. the bar will lose its license for three weeks. and pay a fine in order to avoid a 30 day violation. it's a punishment one of the victim's families says does not go far enough. >> je niece beard would have turned seven this year. her family is now disappointed in what they are calling a

bars the driver went to on tonight of the crash. >> i understand the law doesn't permit that but i think the law should and i think a longer suspension would be appropriate. >> reporter: he's not here to lose his alcohol license essentially putting it out of business. but both sides were able to reach an agreement 2 days before going before a judge. a judge may have handed down a softer penalty. >> one of the victim's family has said that the punishment right now they don't believe that's enough. >> i can certainly understand that. if it were my 6 year old child who was killed, there could not be any punishment strong enough frankly. >> reporter: it's something the sheriff says is not taken seriously. >> they better not come back before us again and i hope they clearly understand that. >> reporter: the bar's

the other business since the crash already served their punishment. their licenser were suspended for two weeks and paid $5,000 fine. the lawyer known for helping to defend the wrong way accused took the stand in her own defense this week. accused of violating the rules of professional conduct. more from today's hearing. >> the district attorney was stressing the importance of identifying the true perpetrator. >> reporter: the case which brought her before the state bar. the case of joseph sledge who was exonerated after being found guilty of murder. >> the director of the north carolina center on actual innocence is accused of taking a water bottle from the home of

suspect in the sledge case without that come's consent and testing it -- consent and testing it for dna. >> it does not rise if an ethical violation. >> reporter: they included the kathy tath case. jason will ford was later convicted of the crime. police charged him after testing his discarded cigarette butt for dna. >> miss mumba far understanding dna better than i would, made a reasonable conclusion -- >> reporter: duane dale who spent 18 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit. >> chris mumba saved my life. i lived in tore meant.

>> if she's not allowed to continue her work then the world is going to be a worse place. >> reporter: muma could face a punishment from a reprimand to disbar.. wncn news now. a panel including two attorneys and -- will ultimately rule on this case which is expected to wrap up by the end of the week. 1300 citations in the red light camera program last month. it is designed to target people who run red lights. where is the money going? nate. >> reporter: we're here at brag boulevard, the camera behind me recorded a little more than 750 drivers going through the red light through the last several months. overall the city says it is going well and they may even

>> two of them ran the light at the same time. that was on cain and brag boulevard. >> reporter: eight of the city's most traveled areas. they according to nearly -- caught nearly 7500 in the last six months running red lights. >> you could get badly injured or someone else could get hurt. >> reporter: check out this video, the white vehicle nearly slam into three other cars. they received the highest traffic incidents over the last six months. some 1300 people were caught running the red light here. >> we have heavy traffic volumes, we also realize a transient population. >> reporter: the effort was not the make money, but to save lives. the city has not seen a decrease in violations but

>> we have done some virtual town halls, a lot of public awarness and trying to resonate the seriousness of red light running. >> reporter: 95% of the people don't get a second ticket once they get one. >> those people use that place someplace else rather than give it to the city. >> reporter: now remember each citation costs $100. it's a 35-65% split between the school district. the school district confirms they have received so far about $100,000 from the program. nate rodgersers wncn news now. it's the car that had us all driving and was almost a total loss. next, what crews had to do to get it back to the owner.

that you -- and we're about to thaw out. what a former ram has to say and moving to the west coast. >> reporter: this is a look at

everything is running smoothly a bad start to the new year got even worse. the s&p dropped 164 points and the nasdaq 159. the down countdown is underway in the city. these keep pounding banners went up today. the panthers kicked off the motto. this video from the previous fundraiser was found to help parents with cancer.

>> it's a fabulous event. well many living near coal ash ponds are concerned. some people living near ash ponds received letters from the state health department warning them of elevated contaminants of well water. butenvironmental groups say they just want to see the ponds cleaned up so it will no longer be an issue. >> reporter: i think the coon fusion factor is the letters coming out from dhs s saying you're at risk if you drink the water and at the same time deq saying you're fine. >> we would like to see this agency do its job, follow science, recognize common

and get coal ash cleaned up. >> they have not determined if any of it is coming from the coal ash ponds. places across the country will no longer accept driver's license licenses, illinois, minnesota, missouri, new mexico and washington d.c. did not apply. >> banning hover boards in residence halls. they are being asked to be removed for safety reasons. u nc and north carolina central have already launched similar bans. an update from a-story we first brought you monday at 6:00. >> yeah, remember this car off of lake erie in buffalo, new

they say it was the toughest frozen car case they have ever had. it took a lot of salt to melt it. thankfully we weren't cold enough to freeze. as we take a look outside. the sunset a little after 5:20 but you can still kind of see the glow of the sun as we look off to the distance. temperatures only made it into the 40s today have now dropped down to 36-degrees and going forward tonight will slowly fall through mid and low 30s tonight. skies will stay clear. no rain in the forecast and you're out the door tomorrow morning thursday morning 27- degrees, a little bit of a wind chill, will feel like 25- degrees. the cold front worked, right? temperatures in the 50s yesterday, 40s today. high pressure behind it will stick around through tomorrow but it's going to be a little different because high pressure

which will bring our winds from the south and that's going to warm us up, not into the 60s or 70s, but back into the 50s. that high doesn't stick around and here comes a low pressure from the gulf of mexico which we hear is wet and is going to bring wet weather. we have rain likely in the afternoon and evening and i always clarify this for this time of year, it will be rain and nothing else. then the weekend and the air of low pressure goes away. we still have some unsettled rain in the forecast saturday and sunday, then another cold blast of air in the highs of 30s next week. we are leaving small chances of rain in the forecast this weekend. might get some snow in the

and what's the last thing in the middle of january? we have been keeping an eye on subtropical storm alex formed a few hours ago. 50 miles an hour winds, it's closer to africa, so no worries but a little bit of history. this is the fourth time in january that one has formed since 1978. we have sunshine and warmth in the mid an upper 50s. so from 55 tomorrow, back off on friday, 50, good chance of rain saturday and sunday. 48 sunday as that cold front starts to come through. definitely not a wash out this weekend and as we get into next week after that cold front,

20 before we start to warm up wednesday. 55 today. we're been our 3-degrees meaning another $100 at allen kelley heating an air. the people at duke home care and hospice serve nine counties, it's not just hospice care, check them out and maybe if your loved ones are getting up in years, maybe you can check it out.

out one of the players for the greatest show on turf spoke and his former team moving to the west coast. the st. louis rams will move back to the city of angels. north carolina angel tori hotel spoke to wncn one-on-one about the move. >> reporter: kind of sad, but also excited about las angeles getting a new start. we have great fans awaiting the team, so it's going to be fun. >> they also have the option to join the rams guys, to celebrate super bowl 50 i'm rewarding fans with a special offer. order a large pizza and get a second large pizza for 50 cents. 50 cents?! that's pocket change! if only we had pockets... what? purely decorative. get a large,1-topping pizza foronly 50 cents when you order any large pizzaat regular menu price.

better ingredients. better pizza.

well, it chilly. >> but the sunshine was good to see. >> sunshine will be back but the 40s will not. after a cold start at the bus stop tomorrow morning. 27. we have a high of 55. i like this day better than

because rain is back on friday then some small chances of precipitation this weekend. but the big-story is the cold front next monday and look where that leaves us tuesday

>> thanks for joining us. test test test. tonight, iran releases americans. dramatic images of the were seized.

efforts to free them