minor delays starting to clean up. be careful through that area. you can stay up to date on the drive times by using wsoctv.com, just click on traffic before you head out the door. in the breaking news center right now, thieves targeted two charlotte gun shops overnight. it's a trend we told you about for months now, but this time they didn't get away with anything. eyewitness news reporter brittany johnson is live at hyatts guns in west charlotte to explain what we know at this point. so they weren't able to get inside? >>reporter: they were not, john. we spoke to the owner of hyatt gun shop just moments after he surveyed the damage caused when thieves tried but failed to get into his gun shop here on wilkinsburg road this morning. police say they used a car to smash into the back of the shopping center on wilkinson and they ended up breaking a gas line and causing thousands of dollars in damage, but they did not get inside. investigators believe the same people tried to break into the family dollar store which is just right next door, but, again, they also did not steal anything. an hour earlier police were on

miles away, this time on north tryon and east way at gun outlet and pawn. the owners there told us that someone tried to ram the back door. they did not get in, but police were towing away a jeep cherokee. now, hyatt told us that he knows that gun stores are a real target right now and that's why they go through such great lengths to secure their stores. police did tell us that they are looking for a chrysler sebring in connection to the attempted break-ins at this shopping center. and we're working to find out if all three of these attempted break-ins are connected. live in west charlotte, brittany johnson, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> brittany, thank you. this morning lawmakers will hold a special session about charlotte's controversial lbgt non-discrimination ordinance. new at daybreak, we obtained a draft of the bill that would overturn part of the ordinance, including the part allowing transgender people to use rest rooms for the gender they identify with. the draft also requires schools, agencies and college

biological sex. the house speaker hopes to wrap the day. a special session like this cost taxpayers $42,000 per day. eyewitness news reporter jim today's debate. you can follow his live updates throughout the day on twitter @jimbradleywssoc9 and updates starting at 5:00. back in the news center, following breaking news out of lincoln county. just got some new video of the damage that was left behind at a building, look at this. it's hard to see in the dark, but you can see not much left of that structure, it burned down this. is behind a home in lincolnton. we first told you about this about 30 minutes ago on drive. that building was destroy. no one was injured, but it took fire departments, four of them to put this out. we're asking fire officials if they've determined a cause just yet. billedge drive just opened. we'll bring you any new

huntersville, firefighters working to learn what caused an early morning fire on grapper hill drive. it start in a bedroom about 1:00 this morning. medics did treat two people for smoke inhalation. in the last five minutes we learned this fire here on king george drive in northeast charlotte was accidental. firefighters say it started in the chimney. a man, his wife, two kids were home. no one was hurt. the red cross is assisting the family now. 6:04 now. right now there is a manhunt for a top suspect in yesterday's brussels terror attacks. within the past hour we learned the suspects had ties to the paris attacks in november. authorities identified the two airport suicide bombers on the left-hand side as khalid and brahim el bakraoui. the man on the right is on the loose. the airport does remain closed today, but the subway is operating on a modified schedule after yesterday's bombings that killed 34 people. the exact ties tot paris attacks are unclear. we found out in the past 15

the paris attack suspect arrested in brussels last week is now delayed until tomorrow. a man from the raleigh area was in the brussels airport when those bombs went off yesterday. mark knowle was buying a magazine in an airport shop and said the shop's wall is all that separated him from the explosion. he dove for cover under the counter as the ceiling collapsed. >> unfortunately i did see a number of pieces of clothing [ socks. >> well, knowle is thankful he's okay, other than inhaling shaken. channel 9 did reach out to belgium natives who live in charlotte and watched in horror as terrorists attacked their home country. this man said he had trouble reaching family members at first because phone lines were busy. he later found out they're okay, but he still worries about the country.

of movie. i know the airport very well, even the train station. i took pictures with relatives and family and friends in front of the royal palace now that, you know, is under siege. >> he says he's concerned that the country that prides itself on being tolerant and open to all people may now change. coming up in 30 minutes on "daybreak" the differences local experts point to between the terror threat in europe versus america. and you can express your condolences for the terror attack victims by sharing this pray for brussels badge on your facebook page. you can find it on wsoc-tv's page. today former north carolina state senator malcolm graham will officially kick off his campaign for congress. the democrat will run in the new district 12 which now only includes mecklenberg county. he'll run against current congresswoman elma adams, trisha cotram. adams lives in greensboro which is part of the old district 12

on the republican side leon free filed last week to run as well. you'll remember that state lawmakers redrew the congressional districts last month. federal judges ruled the old lines were drawn based on race. the naacp claims the new lines were unfair as well and wants judges to redraw those lines themselves. judges have not made a decision. the state is holding a special primary june 7th to give everyone time to sort all of this out. today charlotte city leaders will get an update on the plan to build a school on the old eastland mall property. cms wants to buy the land, build a kindergarten through eighth grade school. last week city council delayed a vote on the sale to give cms more time to sort out all the details. the superintendent will lay out the terms of the sale today. city council will vote next month. this morning we're asking lincoln county deputies if a friend of a shooting suspect will face charges. they say he removed a gun from the scene of the crime. it all started yesterday. deputies say ronnie whitworth

eisenhower in the shoulder on gilbert road. they say he then drove off and crashed a few miles away on highway 27. whitworth was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. new this morning, south carolina's department of transportation secretary wants legislators to spend money on the crumbling highways rather than send the money to counties. secretary christy hall says the agency's lack of funding means those crumbling, highly- traveled road are on a 24-year paving cycle compared to the industry standard of 10 years. the budget being debated in the house this week is expected to include roughly $400 million for roads. but the proposal 17s $185 million of that to counties to fix less traveled secondary roads that don't qualify for federal matches. today you can weigh in on plans to raise the cost of bus fares. cat is restructuring its weekly pass. it's also considering raising

and possibly removing the 10- ride pass discount. the meeting is at the government center at 5:30. commissioners will also get an update on the vision for the silver line which would run from uptown to union county. channel 9 got our first look inside an underpass for the new links blue line extension. light rail will exit the north tryon street median, travel on new ground an then up tot unc- charlotte campus. >> there are a total of level bridges, but this structure is unique in that it's the only one that will take the train underground. >> now that underpass is complete and crews are backfilling and begin rebuilding the northbound north tryon street lanes. the extension is expected to be complete august of 2017. weather and traffic every 10 minutes. >> here's meteorologist vicki graf with those temperatures that are much improved today. >> that's right, stephanie. in fact, we're about 20 degrees warmer than where we were this time yesterday.

matthews, 51 in ballentine and 59 in mount island lake. so already a warmer start to the day. you don't have to worry about the heavy winter coats. wakeup weather, by 7:00 we'll be in the upper 40s and by 9:00 low 50s. keeping the sunshine around throughout the day today, however, you will notice it's going to be warmer than it was yesterday, close to 76 degrees by 4:00. it's also going to stay windy and that's going to enhance the fire danger threat for today. i'll show you when we could provide some relief with rain, that's all coming up ahead. first we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. stephanie has a look at the morning drive. >> well, vicki, we are still not seeing any major issues this wednesday morning. that includes i-77 from cornelius to huntersville. the flow all are green right now, meaning traffic is moving just fine right now. southbound drivers moving at 70 miles per hour. we want to give awe live look at that area, we want to show you the area right near catawba avenue, look how quiet that is, as vehicles move through the stretch at the speed limit.

this area, though, as we start seeing it back up as usual in the next 45 minutes. you can get the latest information on your drive by using wsoctv.com. we've got all the information you need under the traffic tab. people who live in one east charlotte neighborhood are frustrated the post office won't deliver their mail. ahead at 6:30, the reason the post office says the area is just too dangerous for the carrier. the charlotte hornets are making history naming the first full-time female analyst in nba history. >> this has been a job that i've been waiting for my entire professional career. >> ahead on "daybreak," the you neek way she says she handles criticism about how she does her job. cmpd arrested a teen who they say robbed another teen at gunpoint while cutting school. next this morning the specific problems police say teens

class. go police say cutting class led to an armed robbery involving two teens. >> they said this happened in the woods near west mecklenberg high school yesterday. a 15-year-old skipping school robbed a 14-year-old who was also cutting class.

exwn away from the robber and -- the gun away from the robber and ran back tot school to call for help. police found the suspect shortly after that. they say one of two things is usually happening to student hoss skip school >> kids are not in school, they are either committing crimes themselves or becoming victims of crimes. >> well, police don't think the teens knew each other. we've been telling you now for weeks about other violent crimes involving teens. last week a 14-year-old and 15- year-old shot at a cmpd officer. and earlier this month a 13- year-old robbed a convenience store. people in greenville, south carolina came together to honor a police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty. the greenville police department held a public prayer vigil for officer alan jacobs yesterday evening. his funeral will be held tomorrow. governor nikki haley has asked that the flags be flown at half staff. a 17-year-old gang member shot and killed officer jacobs last friday. authorities say jacobs was questioning the teen about a

took off, then fired at jacobs. police say the teen then shot and killed himself. more than 207,000 will go toward helping north carolina workers improve their skills. this money is all coming from the latest n.c. works grant which reimburses employers for training costs. $11.000 will go forward employees at an asheville-based brewery. it will be used to train three workers in several areas, including brewing technology and stainless welding. three of the nation's major airlines have lost big after betting fuel prices would go up. united, delta and southwest locked in fuel purchases at prices above the current market value in case the prices went up. but instead prices plunged. the airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars. southwest stands behind the strategy -- stands behind their strategy saying it helps predict costs as much as it can. a new report lays out the most congested cities in america, with charlotte, of course, makes the top 50.

los angeles top the list for the worst gridlock in the country. in 2015 drivers there spent an extra 43 minutes in traffic. charlotte ranked 43 on that list. the amount of time drivers spent in charlotte traffic actually dropped to 16% in 2015 compared to 18% in 2014. the report found people spend an average of 22 extra minutes in traffic everyday. the businessees time of day is a thursday between -- businessees time of day is a thursday between 5:00 and 6:00 at niement. the study shows february 27th was the most congested day last year. wonder why that was. this all comes after a report last week showed that americans wasted 8 billion hours in traffic last year. it also listed i-485 in south charlotte and i-85 between w.t. harris and speedway boulevard as the worst traffic spots in our area. happening today, charlotte officials and members of two international soccer teams will be at bank of america stadium. this comes as more soccer heads to the queen city.

houses barren munich and int milan will be battling it out at the stadium july 30th. third year in a row charlotte has hosted a big game like this. officials will discuss the big game today at 2:00. weather and traffic every 10 minutes >> here's meteorologist vicki graf in severe weather center 9. a nice warmup today >> it's already a warmer start to the day. temperatures just updated, mid- to low 50s right now, quite a difference compared to this time yesterday, and that's going to be the trend as we go throughout the afternoon. you don't have to worry about the heavy winter coats early on. by 9:00 low 50s, lots of sunshine throughout the day. by midday 66 degrees, good day to go outside for a walk or a run, maybe around lunchtime or maybe later this evening. we will make it to around 76 degrees here in the charlotte area. that's about 10 degrees warmer than average. and it is also going to be windy from time to time. as we go through your neighborhood forecast for matthews, lots of sunshine, hices for today close to -- highs for today close to 75 degrees by 5:00. just a picture perfect spring-

but changes are on the way. we need the rain and it's going to arrive tomorrow night. we're dry right now on live early warning doppler 9. it will stay dry today and throughout most of the day tomorrow as well. but as we head towards tomorrow evening, that's when we'll see a better chance for showers. so by lunchtime tomorrow still staying quiet, but we will start to see more clouds building in, and then as we head towards around 7:00, 8:00 tomorrow evening, rain first arriving in the mountains, and then that line of rain will push through the charlotte area late tomorrow night, closer to around 10:00, 11:00. this will slide through as we head towards early friday morning. still could see some downpours, though, from albemarle, rockingham and chesterfield early in the day, so you might be dealing with some wet roads early friday, but then that will clear out by friday afternoon. so your threat tracker shows the main concerns will be heavy rain at times. as of right now, though, the flood threat will stay low. can't rule out an isolated storm or gusty winds, but the overall severe weather threat will stay low.

the way as we head into the weekend. saturday looks good, but by sunday clouds building in, a dry start to the day for easter sunday. however, we toll you there will be the potential for some showers on easter. i think if you have any easter egg hunts or brunch early on, you should be fine. the latest updates i just got in now push this back a little bit. so this is going to arrive later sunday night into early monday. monday could be an unsettled day, not just in the morning, but also through the afternoon and that rain will clear out by monday evening. so your easter forecast, as of right now it looks like it should be a dry start with the threat for some showers later in the evening. with any changes to the forecast, you can track is with our wsoctv weather app. as of right now our five-day forecast shows rain arriving by thursday into friday, and then, again, a slight chance for easter sun. we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. let's get a look at the morning drive with john >> the roads are starting to pick up right now. channel 9 is monitoring them for you right now.

a crash i-77 near exit 6 woodlawn road. starting to see some very minor backups. nothing major at this point as you approach 77 from billy graham. we'll keep an eye on that. let's take a live look at the stretch of road from our d.o.t. camera. best to use caution as you move through this area, but we're not seeing anything from here. cmpd says there is a road blockage at fairview road near barclay downs drive this. is in south charlotte. no major traffic issues there either, so use caution, though, when you're driving through that area. people who live near duke energy's allen steam station in belmont are worried about how the company plans to close its coal ash pond. >> it's a complete cleanup of this toxic, cancer-causing will be a disgrace. >> at 6:30, the changes they want state officials to make to the plan to keep them safe. cities across the u.s. are showing their support for brussels in the wake of yesterday's terror attacks. ahead at 6:30, the steps

taking to keep a similar attack from happening here at home. the charlotte hornets have made history by naming the nba's first female analyst. next this morning the way that she says she'd rather have people recognize her accomplishment. and checking wall street

the dow is down nine points, w is dow 6:25. right now the charlotte hornets are trying to win a playoff series for the first time since 2002. >> if they don't, though, the hornets have already made history this year. stephanie ready is the first full-time female analyst in nba history. the entire hornets organization has been supportive in her groundbreaking role. but it's slightly different on social media. as for the nasty comments, she ignores most of them, but will comment sometimes. >> i'll always say be nice, you know, and that's kind of my common response, and i find that it works. you know, people who were really negative a year or two ago, now they're all bubbly and fun and sunshine. >> ready says she wants people

went after what they wanted and worked extremely hard to get it. new this morning, a measure to sharply increase state income tax exemptions for military retirees is now headed to the south carolina senate. the house approved that measure tuesday. it increases the current tax exemption on retirement income for veterans from $3,000 to $15,000 every year. it also doubles tax exemptions for veterans over 65 from $15,000 to $30,000 annually. if the senate passes the measure, it'll then head back onto the house. a charlotte veteran is one of dozens of people the postal service refuses to deliver mail to because of where he lives. >> [ inaudible ] >> next at 6:30, what the post master says is keeping the carrier from getting to those homes. sunshine, low humidity and strong winds will make for an

coming up. >>reporter: security experts are taking a close look at the terrorist attacks in brussels, trying to stop the same things from happening here. i'm brittany johnson live in charlotte with the security

es on the gro a manhunt for this man wanted in the brussels terror attacks that killed 34 people. just ahead the efforts to protect people here and the different motives local experts say could be behind any future terror attacks in america. and you can see charlotte showing its solidarity with the brussels victims with the duke energy building lit up in the colors of the belgian flag right there. thanks for joining us on this wednesday morning. i'm stephanie maxwell >> and i'm john paul. right now 6:30. let's get over to meteorologist vicki graf in ottawa severe weather center 9 with a first look at the weather. first thing folks will notice as they head outside, it feels a lot better than it did yesterday >> that's right. about 20 degrees warmer than this time yesterday and that's going to be the trend as we go throughout the day today. so the temperatures just updated into the weather center. we're in the low 50s right now here in the charlotte area. 41 in albemarle, 48 in shelby and 33 degrees in boone. so in some spots you might need

lots of sunshine expected as we go throughout the day today. we are going from upper 40s by 7:00 to mid-70s by 5:00. no problems for your drive as we go throughout the afternoon. but i am tracking the potential for some showers on thursday. i'll have the timeline of when that rain will arrive in your neighborhood coming up. first we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. let's get a look at the morning drive with stephanie >> well, this morning we are monitoring a minor wreck on i- 77 in the southbound lanes. highway patrol told us just about 10 minutes ago this is happening near exit 6, woodlawn road. we are seeing some very minor delays as you approach that area, but no alternate route needed right now. there's also some sort of road blockage right now at fairview road near barclay downs drive. use caution as you move through that area. we want to give you a live look independence at briar creek from one of our numerous d.o.t. cameras. you can see traffic starting to move through that area right now. no major issues, but a lot of volume. you can also monitor your drive by clicking on our website,

under the traffic tab. right now people in brussels are returning to work amid heightened security. there is a manhunt for a man right here seen pushing luggage through the airport before those bombings yesterday. channel 9 spoke to local experts to learn what the terror attacks in brussels mean for people here >> eyewitness news reporter brittany johnson learned any potential attack in america would likely have a different motive. brittany. >>reporter: that's right. everyday people and security experts are asking if something like this could and how could it happen here and experts say that it could, but the reasons would differ. right now cities like charlotte and others across the country are lighting up their monuments and their parks to show solidarity with belgium following the deadly attacks. experts say that when it comes to terror threats, the u.s. faces different issues than european countries. they say there, for example, muslim communities are more

bulles says those who attacks in america are inspired by isis not directed by them. they say the intelligence community will be looking for key words online to track them and stop them while boosting security. >> you're going to see an increased presence around transit systems, around our symbolic and high-profile facilities throughout the united states states. >>reporter: experts say hate could fuel a repeat of what we saw in brussels, but they say it is important to note they do not believe there is an immediate threat locally. live in west charlotte, brittany johnson, channel 9 eyewitness news. channel 9 saw additional officers at charlotte douglas attacks in brussels. even though the tsa says there is no credible threat to u.s. airports. officers with guns and dogs were very visible near the ticket counters and outside the security checkpoints. the brussels terror attacks are already becoming a point of debate among u.s. presidential candidates.

donald trump won arizona, ted cruz won utah, each taking all delegates from their winning states. hillary clinton won arizona, but bernie sanders won utah and idaho, winning six more delegates than clinton for the night. our political expert told channel 9 the brussels attacks may help the frontrunners on both sides gather more support. they said clinton's experience as secretary of state could help her and trump's aggressive strategy to deal with isis may attract voters. he continued his call for a temporary ban on muslims coming to america. >> we have no choice, and you're going to make certain exceptions and you're going to make exceptions on hez of state and certain people, and i'm not saying you don't do that, but we have a real problem. >> some of my opponents want to build walls and shut the world off. well, you tell me, how high does the wall have to be to keep the internet out? >> meanwhile cruz is calling on law enforcement to patrol and secure muslim neighborhoods.

just in within the last 15 minutes we learned former republican presidential candidate jeb bush is now supporting ted cruz for president. bush called his former rival a principled conservative and is now urging fellow republicans to reject donald trump as the party's presidential nominee. today a civil rights group will speak out about what they call discrimination during north carolina's primary last week. southern coalition for social justice says they have video of people who are denied the right to vote. they claim new laws that repeal same-day registration and require voters to show a photo i.d. discriminate against minority voters. but new numbers out this morning show only 2,400 voters in north carolina had issues with voter id's. that's only 1/10 of a percentage of the 2.3 million people who voted. the state said 40,000 people had to fill out provisional ballots because of various issues which include someone who tried to vote in the wrong party's primary or goes to the

6:35 right now. more permanent change rs coming for pageland's police department. chief larry brown announced he will retire. brown has been on leave now for four months because of a s.l.e.d. investigation that is still open. despite our questions, officials still have not said exactly what that investigation is about. earlier this month the city named county sheriff jay brooks as the interim police chief. chief brown has been working under sheriff brooks. new this morning a chesterfield county woman died in a crash after a chase with darlington county sheriff's deputies. jennifer sims died when the car that she was in ran off the road monday night and overturned. the car sims was in was being chased by a deputy. they had been looking for a woman and her accomplices after a robbery on sunday. three others were injured and deputies say charges are likely. the postal service is refusing to deliver to an east charlotte neighborhood until they can track down a dangerous dog. we obtained a letter from the postmaster to residents on fox

it says a dog attacked a carrier february 17th and service was being suspended for safety reasons. we talked to an 81-year-old veteran who says his medicine comes in the mail, an he has trouble going to get it. >> i'm a veteran. i can't get out and do things like other people. i sacrificed my body for this country, at least they could deliver this in the mail. >> the dog's owner told us the dog ran away the day of the attack and has not been seen since. we called the postmaster to ask when they will restore delivery service. we are still waiting to hear back. belmont residents are angry with how state leaders are handle ago nearby coal ash pond. hundreds came to this hearing last night to discuss their concerns and explain why the state should classify allen steam station's coal ash pond as high risk rather than low risk. low-risk ponds don't have to be shut down until 2029. one woman call it is a life-or- death decision and says her husband died from lung cancer,

>> i feel that it was definitely something that had to do with our water. >> neighbors are also concerned about how the coal ash pond will close. some say if it's just capped or covered, the ground water will still be impacted for at least 100 years and lead to the same problems. taxes in lancaster county are going up after voters approved a $200 million bond for local schools last night. the money will go toward updates to security, new science labs, athletic fields, two new schools in indianland. the tax hike will be about $120 a year for people who own a $200,000 home. new this morning a study says women are still earning less than men right now with $65,000 lost over a 30-year career. the glass door economic research study says when adjusted for factors such as age, education and job title, the adjusted gender pay gap falls to 5.4% in the country.

pay than women on average. a computer programmer is the number one job with the biggest adjusted pay gap. happening today, the supreme court will hear arguments from faith-based groups objecting to president obama's efforts to ensure employees and students can get free birth control. the 2010 law is making its fourth supreme court appearance in just the last five years. this issue -- the issue this time is the arrangement to make sure religiously-oriented colleges, charities and advocacy groups do not have to pay for contraceptives it objects to, but makes sure women cover under the healthcare plans can still get birth control. there's growing evidence president obama's healthcare law is the reason behind the increase in americans with health insurance. an associated press report shows under obamacare the number of americans without coverage has dropped to historic low of about 9%. some critics say the nation's economic recovery could be behind that. the recent survey shows the number of people covered by

it's about 20 minutes until 7:00 now. we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. >> here's meteorologist vicki graf with a look at the warmer with. >> and it is a warmer start to you'll notice that difference as soon as you head out the door. it's 52 in charlotte, 46 in rockingham, 45 in lancaster and 51 in stairtsville. still a little cool? statesville. still a little koomer in some spots, so you might need a layer early on in the day but later on nice and sunny. temperatures 76 here in charlotte. that's about 10 degrees warmer than average. it's also going to be windy today. we'll see the winds coming in from the south/southwest at 10 miles per hour. with the sunshine, low humidity and strong winds, that's going to create an enhanced fire danger threat throughout the day. but i'm tracking the threat for rain throughout the day. i'll track when it arrives and if we could see showers into the weekend. that's all coming up ahead. first we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. let's get a look at the morning drive now. an overturned vehicle in

traffic issues this. is at popper tent road near middlecrest drive. police told us the area is now down to just one lane with traffic alternating through the area. we've got a crew on the way to that. you can use mccollier road instead of poplar tent right now to avoid all the congestion there. we're also monitoring a minor wreck on 77, southbound lanes here. highway patrol told us just about five minutes ago there are no injuries in the crash near woodlawn. there are some delays approaching 77 from woodlawn. you can always monitor your drive by clicking on our website, wsoctv.com. you'll find all the information under the traffic tab. the x games could be coming to charlotte as early as next year. ahead on "daybreak," the venue to host the event and the economic impact it might have. in just a few hours state lawmakers will convenient in special session to -- will convene in special session to discuss charlotte's anti- discrimination ordinance.

he requihoney, would some captain d's make you feel better? yeeeaah! (woo) when you love seafood this much... back again? i hope it's just a clumsy phase. ...it's gotta be d's. anything's worth it for our new home-style flounder meal or double dozen shrimp. also, try our grilled menu featuring new tuscan tilapia. for full meals starting at just $4.99,

6:44 right now. back in the breaking news center, thieves targeted two charlotte gun shops overnight. now we're asking if these are connected. eyewitness news reporter brittany johnson is live at hyatt's gun shop in west charlotte. this is the latest target in what seems to be a trend we've been following now for months. >>reporter: it is. we told you about a string of burglaries at gun shops across the area back in january. and overnight charlotte police say thieves targeted two gun shops, including this one,

tried to break into this family dollar. this is just right next door. police say people drove a car into the back of the shopping center right here on wilkinson boulevard around 3:00 a.m. they did not get inside, but they cut a gas line and they caused thousands of dollars in damage. a very similar scene played out on north tryon and eastway at gun outlet and pawn shop there. the owners told channel 9 that someone rammed a car into the back, but they did not get in. now, police told us they are looking for a chrysler sebring in connection to the attempted break-ins at this shopping center on wilkinson. we are working to develop suspect information to see if all three of these cases could possibly be connected. live in west charlotte, brittany johnson, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> thank you, brittany. a major story we're following for your day ahead, north carolina lawmakers will hold a special session about charlotte's controversial lgbt non-discrimination ordinance. new for "daybreak," the associated press obtained a draft of a bill that would overturn the ordinance,

transgender people to use public rest rooms for the gender they identify with. the draft also requires schools, agencies and college campuses to have bathrooms based only on people's biological sex. eyewitness news reporter jim bradley is in raleigh for today's debate. you can follow his live updates throughout the day on twitter. jim bradleywsoc9 and see his full report on eyewitness news starting at 5:00. in the breaking news center now, following three morning. want to show you the damage left behind after fire broke out. this is behind a house in lincolnton, and this is the building there. it's destroyed. this is on bill lynch drive. no one was injured, but it did take four fire departments to put this thing out. we're asking right now if they've determined a cause for this one. now, over in huntersville, medic treated two people for smoke inhalation after this fire on grapperhall drive. firefighters say it started in a bedroom at around 1:00 this morning. they're still trying to figure out the cause of this one.

fire, though, on king george drive in northeast charlotte was accidental. crews tell us it started in the chimney. a man, his wife, two kids were in the home. they weren't hurt. the red cross is now helping that family out. today charlotte city leaders will get an update on the plan to build a school on the old eastland mall property. cms wants to buy the land and build a kindergarten through eighth grade school. last week city council delayed a vote on the sale to give cms more time to sort out the details. city council will vote next month. state and local education leaders will be at winding springs elementary school charlotte today to kick off this year's summer reading program. the give five read five campaign aims to help students keep up with their reading skills over the summer. schools collect books to give to students in need. today former north carolina state senator malcolm graham will officially kick off his campaign for congress. the democrat will run in the new district 12 which now only includes mecklenberg county.

congresswoman alma adams. trisha cotham and rodney moore are also in the primary. on the republican side leon threat filed last week. you'll remember federal judges ordered state lawmakers to redraw the congressional districts last month, causing a major shuffle in which candidates represent people in the area. the state is holding a special primary june 7th to give everyone time to sort all this out. 6:48 now. we have weather and traffic every 10 minutes. >> meteorologist vicki graf in severe weather center 9 with the chances we have for rain this week. >> and we are going to see that threat for rain moving n. it's not going to get here until late thursday night, though. so if you've been suffering from allergies, this will provide some relief. for today, though, it's already a mild and warm start to the day. we could cool off a little bit before the sunrise gets under way a little before 7:30. and as we go throughout the afternoon, keeping that sunshine around and highs will be warmer, in the mid-70s. it's also going to be a little bit windy from time to time, and that will create an

through the afternoon. your neighborhood forecast for jefferson low 40s early on, and warming quickly by midday, 56 degrees and highs getting into the upper 60s, just a really nice afternoon across the carolinas. enjoy it. changes are on the way. we're quiet right now on live early warning doppler 9, but tomorrow that's when we'll see more clouds moving in as well as the threat for rain. the rain won't get here, though, until late thursday night into erm friday, so you don't have to worry about packing your rain gear tomorrow as you head out for the morning drive. it's friday morning that we could still see some lingering showers and we are tracking the potential for some showers again for easter sunday. so to time everything out for you on futurecast, thursday a dry start. as we head towards midday still holding off on the rain. it's not until thursday night, though, right around 7:00, 8:00 then we'll start to see the rain moving into the mountains first. and then that will push through the charlotte area late tomorrow night, closer to 10:00. this will stick around overnight friday, and then as

that's when we are tracking the heavier rain east of the area. as we go throughout the afternoon on friday, more of a clearing and then another chance for showers will come in on sunday. however, your weekend which is always in view, saturday still looking good. by sunday i've been looking at some of the data that came in overnight, and this now slows down that system which would mean the rain won't get here until late in the day on sunday. good news there, especially if you do have any easter plans. so your five-day forecast shows we are going to see lots of sunshine today, mid-70s, more rain pushes through thursday night into friday, and you can track the showers as they arrive with our wsoctv weather app. that will come in handy. you can use interactive radar and also get your five-day forecast. we'll be watching sunday very closely with easter on the way. so hopefully this trend will continue and we might not get that rain until monday. >> you don't want to cover up all those nice easter clothes with a rain coat >> the easter egg hunts, all that. >> vicki, thanks. breaking right now traffic

vehicle in concord that is causing some traffic issues this. is at poplarton road near middlecrest drive. police told us the area is now down to one lane with traffic alternating through the area. the highway patrol is investigating. you can use mccauley road instead of poplarton right now to avoid that congestion. in the last few minutes we learned of a crash on north sharon amity road not far from w.t. harris. there are some minor backups on sharon amity, but nothing major. checking stocks this morning, wall street futures the dow 4 1/2, the nasdaq down just one. channel 9 has learned the x games could come to charlotte. next how much money these games could bring to the area if a deal is reached. breaking right now, local belgian media say the brussels airport attack suspect is in custody.

raleigh man who survive raleigh man who survive 6:54 right now. breaking in just the last 30 minutes, belgium state media reported the third suspect in

has now been arrested. >> najim lanchroui was arrested overnight. they identified the two bombers as khalid and brahim el bakraoui. all three had ties to the paris attacks in november. meanwhile, a man from the raleigh area was in the brussels airport when the bombs went off yesterday. mark knowle was buying a magazine in an airport shop feet away from that explosion. >> emotions extremely high. most everyone was crying profusely. >> knowle dove for cover as the ceiling collapsed and said he inhaled dust but is otherwise okay. "good morning america" will have live coverage from brussels with the very latest on the aftermath and the arrest of that third suspect. that is right here after eyewitness news "daybreak." the x games are leaving austin, texas after this year, and that could mean charlotte has a good shot to get them. the austin statesman owned by channel 9's parent company is reporting the queen city has a chance. charlotte motor speedway

in 13 and tells us the games would have been held at the dragway and the speedway. they couldn't confirm that the games are coming, but they are talking to espn. >> we've had some very preliminary discussions with them about what the future could look like moving ahead. >> according to the paper, the x games bumped more than $170 million into the austin economy. traffic team 9 continuing to follow breaking news in concord where there's an overturned vehicle. this is happening at poplarton road near middlecrest drive. police told us the area is down to one lane with traffic alternating through the area. investigating. we do have a crew on the way right now. to get around that area, you can use mccally road instead of poplarton. use caution on either road. weather wise pretty good day >> nice day, get ouz and enjoy it if you can. big changes are on the way as we head towards tomorrow. for this afternoon, though, warming up quickly. by midday 66 degrees, highs getting into the mid-70s.

little bit windy and we are going to keep the threat for some showers as we head towards late thursday night into early friday. vicki, thanks. your local news continues morning on tv 64. >> and you can see charlotte is paying tribute to brussels terror attack victims. this is the duke energy

of the belgian good morning, america. breaking news in the brussels bombing. reports the third suspect seen in this hat arrested overnight. these two others identified as brothers and new clues in this surveillance photo. what the single gloves two of them wearing tell us. >> stay down. stay down. >> and the dramatic moments of survival from inside that airport and on the metro train. the hero physician who helped the injured. >> cut off so many to find just massive shrapnel wounds. >> and the miraculous teen surviving the third terror attack in his life. we'll hear from him. >> all of europe on high alert. the dramatic warning for americans right now.

stage on the campaign trail. donald trump winning big in arizona. and ted cruz takes all in utah. as the gop rivals get into a nasty war of words overnight over their wives. and hillary clinton and bernie sanders split victories in three states. the results coming in right now. we say good morning, america. new headlines on the brussels terror attack coming in. european sources telling abc news the third suspect has been arrested. reportedly this man seen here with the other two many boers in the airport. >> just now a moment of silence in brussels and across belgium. amy robach is there and will report in a moment. here's what we know right now. at least 31 killed in the three attacks, at least 250 hurt including nine americans and this morning the state department issued that blanket alert for all americans planning travel to europe.