to see how narrow the lanes are -- some are inside to see how narrow the lanes are. >> the first thing you notice is how wide it is. it is about the same width as the lane we are in. it creates issues for truckers and other drivers. >> look at the view from the side. >> it makes for a bumpy ride. >> it is rough. there are groups. i think it is dangerous to be honest. >> we drove well under the posted 65 mile-per-hour speed limit the whole time. >> we were asking questions about safety for weeks now. the state sent us this statement today acknowledging that the lanes are narrow and said they will drop the speed limit to 55 as construction picks up.

adding a $250 fine if you are caught speeding. we looked into it further. the federal highway administration recommends lowering the speed for lanes less than 12 feet wide especially with small shoulders. the state said this is "in accordance with d.o.t. guidelines for this project". >> along i-77, channel 9, eyewitness news. >> there have been 600 crashes on i-77 in mecklenburg county so far this year. this includes more than 162 just so far in march. the highway patrol says that is double the number of crashes on i-85 in mecklenburg county. we posted video from our drive through the construction area and linked that to the past investigations on wsoctv.com. a beautiful evening across the charlotte area. we're in for another chilly night. kiest monday is in the severe weather center tracking a chance for freezing

>> it is not just frost concerns. we will all have frost in some form tonight. temperatures at or below freezing will be the issues. down i-40, to states so, to charlotte -- all in a freeze warning. many of us -- especially up here around hickory and morganton, in the 20s out the door tomorrow morning. temperatures now are not bad. warming into the 50s. watch how quickly into the night temperatures start falling below freezing. by the morning, that stretches in from the metro and north. those neighborhoods have the best chance for getting to the freezing point is not below. kind of a sporadic chance for the temperatures to fall below freezing down south. coming up, we will talk about tuesday's the coldest weather. we will pinpoint what to expecting your neighborhood when you walk out the door tomorrow morning. and a nice warm up on the way for the rest of the week. he has been convicted of killing two women. accused in the murder of a third. today, he was back in front of a judge. channel 9 has followed this high-profile development in

we were the only station in court today. >> and our eyewitness news reporter is live at the gaston county courthouse with an exclusive look at what henry demanded from a judge today. >> reporter: almost a year ago, the state overturned the conviction for the murder. the court said the prosecutors used too much evidence. he pled guilty to that murder. even though those cases are very similar. today, henry said the charges should be dismissed. >> he is a man who confessed to three murders and is in prison for two. >> today, he spoke of justice for himself. >> i have 180 days to try this case. >> six years ago, he confessed to killing a woman.

her in his gastonia home. he says days after the murder, he did the same to another woman. he pled guilty to second-degree murder. jurors found him guilty and sentenced to death row. forthe the supreme court overturned the conviction. today, the district attorney announced plans to retry the case in september of 2017. >> the laws should be enforced. the case should be dismissed. >> he said he and his -- and his assistant have five more murder trial set have to be heard -- trails that have to be heard. >> he said his attorney should be ready, if not -- no need. he will have to wait. a speedy trial does not mean a trial in six months. >> no matter what happens in

26 year sentence for the murder of randy saldona. channel 9, eyewitness news. you can get cut up -- caught up on these cases from the beginning at wsoctv.com. we have linked our past stories on the homepage. following breaking news out of lincoln county where dispatchers there just confirmed that there was a shooting on highway 27 west. we're are calling -- we are calling paramedics to find out if anyone was hurt in the shooting. and reaching out to law enforcement to find out if they are searching for a gunman. -- chopper9 is on the way to the scene. we will bring you information as it comes in. we have updated you on the historic trip to cuba. today president obama and raul castro will take part in a state dinner at the palace of the revolution.

the communist country has been marked -- today he visited the independence memorial. and was officially welcomed at the palace of the resolute -- revolution. the president met with raul castro behind closed doors. afterwards, the cuban president said relations could return to normal only when the embargo tvs and the u.s. leaves guantanamo bay -- only when the embargo ends and the u.s. leaves guantanamo bay. >> president obama says his visit is proof of of any respect between the two countries. experts say it is of course not without challenges. the world news team is in cuba tonight. and anchor david mueller had a chance to speak to president president barack obama about the historic trip in cuba. look for that interview after eyewitness news at 6:00. a woman -- a man charged with raping a woman 20 years ago is taking his case to the jury. prosecutors say couric evans picked up a woman along beatty

and drove her to another location and raped her. he was arrested after a dna link him to the crime. his trial is expected to last most of the week. all new at 6:00, a young couple looking for a home near newton ends of calling 911 when they say they were robbed. the suspect was someone right in the neighborhood. >> i was shocked. why would you do that right outside your house? >> our news reporter was there as deputies arrested the suspect and learned why his wife was also locked up. >> sheriffs deputies were out here for nearly two hours trying to get the man to come out of this home. we could see this all end right over at the front door. >> the catawba county sheriff deputies maneuvered to make the arrest at this springdale neighborhood near newton. this woman told deputies she did not want anyone going inside of her home.

handcuffs. deputies say she was charged with obstructing the officers. >> why can't they go in your house? >> because my husband is epileptic. i know how the police work. >> have a seat. >> deputies say it was lorenzo washington that they were looking for after a couple called 911 claiming they were robbed. chelsey cook says she and her boyfriend drove into the neighborhood looking for a place to rent when a man approached their car. >> he was directing us toward a house located that way that was for rent. that is when he grabbed the money and took off. >> tonight lorenzo washington is not charged with a robbery but he is charged with failure to appear in court. deputies say they are still investigating the claims that he robbed a couple. >> you are not involved in a robbery? >> no. >> his wife explained that she did not want police going inside because of her husband's medical condition. >> i was making sure they

i was trying to get his medications. they put me under arrest. >> tonight cook says she has no intention of living in this neighborhood. she hopes sheriff deputies are able to recover the money stolen. reporting from catawba county, channel 9, eyewitness news. tonight sharla leaders will vote on a plan that would lead to a massive redevelopment -- charlotte leaders will vote on a plan that would lead to a massive redevelopment in south park. they went to rezone for hotel, apartments and shopping. the council meeting last month -- had people supporting the plan with signs. the hotel, apartments and retail and fitness space would be built around this area. count on channel 9 to be inside the meeting for you tonight. we will update you on the outcome tonight at 10:00 and 11:00. people are looking for plate -- for people who robbed a gas station at gunpoint in university city. cmpd responded to the speedway gas station on university city boulevard saturday night just before 11:00.

rifles at the clerk and demanded money. they say they got away with $500 in cash. investigators told channel 9 a cigarette started a fire that caused $20,000 in damage to a home. fire crews were called out to the scene in north charlotte just after 8:00 a.m. we saw a lot of damage to the front of the home. the fire displaced four people. the union county school board is moving forward on the search to hire a new superintendent at a meeting today. the board voted to end superintendent applications on may 17. current superintendent dr. mary alice announced she will retire june 1. deputy superintendent mike webb is retiring july 1. sunshine and affect all day today. warming -- we only warms into the upper 50s. but that was an improvement from yesterday. wind is still breezy. when the wind dies down, the chill comes in.

the broker charged with steering investigators toward a company he owned.

this former north carolina broker is accused of stealing -- steering investors and the wrong direction.

company with "robin hood" in the title but took money from unsuspecting investors and had a ponzi keep -- a ponzi scheme going. we uncover the major case and the red flags that people missed. >> federal prosecutors say the man, new federal regulators are onto them back in 2014 -- even going as far to throw a laptop into a burning fire pit. prosecutors say it had information about the scheme on it. >> he has already been in the county jail on fraud charges. but he will now appear at the charlotte federal courthouse scheme. investigators say, starting in 2012, he abused his position of from legitimate investments. and guaranteeing returns at companies he controlled. all which went by a collection of robin hood related names. >> someone was making a guarantee of a return. that should be a red flag. >> this attorney, who

said the warning signs were there. >> almost never should you be investing in anything that isn't publicly traded. >> investigators say once people invested in the robin hood companies, this man took the money out for purchases at an art gallery, car washes and numerous hotels as well as to make ponzi payments to previous investors. lpl financial, the company he was a broker for, terminated him. >> i learned it was the same company that was fined more than $10 million last year for widespread supervisory failures. >> today court officials scheduled this for support -- first appearance here at the federal courthouse. he has already reached a plea agreement. at the federal courthouse, channel 9, eyewitness news. a spokesperson for lpl says that monitors advisers to make sure the following policies and procedures -- -- makes sure they are following the policies and procedures.

will be a special session to address charlotte's lgbt the house speaker told us both -- both the house and senate got the majority needed to call a special session. they will convene wednesday at 10:00 a.m. lawmakers want to overturn the part of the ordinance that allows people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with before the ordinance takes effect on april 1. just a few weeks ago, governor pat mccrory said he was also against that part of the ordinance but would not call a special session because he did not believe it was worth the taxpayer money to bring lawmakers back early. this would cost $42,000 every day they are there. we are working to learn more about the changes the lawmakers are making for the special session. about 10 minutes away from breaking news. we have been telling you about this out of lincoln county. we have no information. dispatchers say there was a shooting on gilbert road involving a boyfriend and

we're told the boyfriend shot the girlfriend. the suspect drove away and crashed on highway 27 west. we're told right now the suspect is in custody. one of the men arrested as part of a round up of the ms13 gang wants to have a separate trial from some of the other defendants. a motion filed by his attorney said that lumping him with other defendants, three of them, would imply that he was involved in the same crimes. only eight have pleaded guilty. over to the severe weather center. we're hearing the sun will go down and the temperature will drop. >> the sunshine helped us a lot. now we're getting more of spring. the sun warmed us up quickly after lows this morning in the 30s. a beautiful picture out there. crystal clear sky. as that clear sky -- allows

out, it will get cooler. most folks generally between 54 up to 56. the breeze is still there. when you have that wind, it evens out the temperatures. low 40s in the mountains. heading into this evening, the sunset at 37 -- 7:37 p.m. into the 40s by 9:00. and into the 30s by midnight. we keep seeing those numbers drop off quickly through tomorrow morning. i'm forecasting 30 in charlotte. these scenarios with the dry air on the light wind and the clear sky, the numbers really bottom out. especially around sunrise. these are the numbers you expect to see out the door. mid-20s in the mountains. a hard freeze for you. not that unusual for this time of year. temperatures close to freezing in most neighborhoods around the metro. back into the low 40s by 9:00 tomorrow. we warm into the mid to upper 50s. it is a layers kind of day for the kids. jackets early. won't need them tomorrow afternoon.

into the mid-60s. close to the seasonal average for this time of year. that is the last morning we will deal with these really cold temperatures. a nice warm up on the way for the rest of the week. cold in the mountains. twentys early. back in the 30s by 9:00. mid-50s in the high country tomorrow afternoon. not that far from 70 tomorrow. a nice warm up on the way. for most of us, close to 70 degrees as we head into the middle of the week. if not above. seventy-four, wednesday. that is the pick day of the week. clouds coming back thursday. during the day, we stay dry. the rain is here for thursday night. it will likely be gone by the morning drive friday morning. that does reset the temperatures back to average into the mid-60s as the we head into friday and saturday. that will likely be the one rain chance we will see. we will make some timing updates as we head through the week. we will get the latest forecast update any time right there at

free download from the wsoctv weather app. download that free from the app store and google play. the 5-day forecast. the weekend in view. we bounce up nicely after a cold start to the morning tomorrow. sixtys tomorrow. thursday, 70s. early rain chance on friday. we dry out for the rest of the week. and the weekend preview -- that easter sneak up on anyone else? i'm like, wait a minute. it is this weekend? we might get some rain. we will detail that. >> the easter bunny, rain or shine, is going to come. >> you have to find those baskets. let's take a look at the wall street close.

nasdaq up more than 13. aq up more than 13.

for the charlotte hornets. tonight is a good one. versus the san antonio spurs. the hornets look to end a two game losing streak at home. both teams entered the game red- hot. charlotte 8-2. and the san antonio spurs 9-1. right now, charlotte has a game -- and 13 games to play. the guard says tonight's game will be a great way to gauge were the team is. >> they are off to a great start right now. the record is second best in the league. i think it will be a good measure -- to get out there and compete against those guys. and see where we are offense of lee and defensively. >> i don't know about you but i'm definitely going to the ncaa tournament -- going through withdrawals. the ncaa will not fire up until thursday. talk about a dominant performance by the acc. carolina and duke just two of the six teams advancing the most in terms of -- tournament history. duke will play in oregon thursday. the tar heels battle indiana on friday night. south carolina men's basketball

around two of the nit -- hosting georgia tech. south carolina is 16-2 at home this season. the gamecocks won the opening- round game versus high point last tuesday night. 88-66. the nfl annual meetings are underway in florida. the carolina panthers general manager dave gettleman is named sporting news of 2015 nfl executive of the year. he definitely earned the honor after a remarkable year. the panthers won a franchise record 15 games. ten panthers are in spots for the most in franchise history. team last season. >> drafted polo -- pro bowler's came on shore. they signed left tackle michael orr -- just to name a few. david gettleman and the front office have been busy. the panthers announced they signed former washington redskins safety robinson -- position. robinson had started seven games before being placed on he had 52 tackles before

the contract is worth a one- year deal. we will have to wait and see how that pans out. it is always good. david gettleman loves to collect these guys. >> he seems to be pretty good at it. >> it has worked so far. temperatures are dropping fast. when the sun goes down. freezing late tonight. seventys as we get into wednesday. >> something to look forward to. >> thanks for making us your choice for news at 6:00. the world news is next. see you back here at

of the night. tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight" from cuba. the president making history here, proclaiming the united states and cuba are no longer enemies. standing side by side with raul castro. the extraordinary moment. castro taking questions from reporters. pressed on human rights. and the uncomfortable moment with president obama. and right after, my exclusive interview with the president. we asked, what was said inside that room with raul castro.

trust president castro? do you believe that he truly wants change here? we also asked the president about criticism back home and the arrest of disdepartments right here in cuba, even as he arrived, as he now prepares for his historic speech to the people of cuba. tonight, donald trump with. defending his supporters. what he's now saying tonight, and we ask president obama about trump's prediction of riots, if the republican party tries to stop him. good evening tonight from havana, where we witnessed and historic moment today. president obama standing side by side with cuban president raul castro. saying, the united states and cuba are no longer enemies. a thaw, decades after the cold war ended. but there were tense moments today. the two leaders did not always see eye to eye. there was the hand shake between