Jessica Jones

State fair officials say attendance has been strong at the annual event this year.

Last year the state fair set a record attendance level of more than a million people. But spokesman Brian Long says he and other officials aren't really interested in breaking that record.

Brian Long: "We're very pleased with where we are right now numbers-wise, but we just want people to take advantage of the good weather that's coming up and come on out. "

Protesters who say they're concerned about corporate greed and social inequality plan to gather at Raleigh's old state capitol grounds tomorrow.

Raleigh voters have elected the city's first new mayor in a decade-- City Council member Nancy McFarlane.

McFarlane beat Billie Redmond and Randall Williams with 61 percent of the vote. She says she's thrilled to be the city's next leader.

Nancy McFarlane:" It's a huge honor and it's very humbling to know that that many people have faith in you. It's also very exciting to know that that many people share a vision of Raleigh and where we're going to go. "

Voters in Raleigh approved transportation and affordable housing bonds by about two-thirds of the vote.

Voters in Raleigh will help choose a new mayor at the polls tomorrow.

State lawmakers have wrapped up their short legislative session this week.

Voters in North Carolina will decide next May whether to add an amendment to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage. Earlier today, the state Senate voted with a three-fifths majority in favor of a proposed amendment that recognizes marriage as being between one man and one woman. The House passed the measure yesterday. Republican Senator Buck Newton says adding such an amendment to the state constitution would make it more difficult for judges to overturn bans on same-sex marriage.

Lawmakers in the North Carolina House have passed a bill to let voters decide whether to add an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. 75 legislators voted in favor of the bill, after three and a half hours of debate.

State lawmakers are back in Raleigh this week for a special session to vote on potential amendments to the state constitution.

The North Carolina Zoo is leading an emergency fundraising effort for the Tripoli Zoo in war-torn Libya. Political chaos there has left zoo keepers without money to buy food for the animals, and they have only a week's supply on hand. North Carolina Zoo Director David Jones has led similar international fundraising efforts for zoos in Afghanistan and Iraq. He says he's happy to help Libya's main zoo as well.