Dozens of families participated in the event Saturday afternoon. The department also set up games for kids to experience what it's like to be a firefighter.

"It's the citizens' taxes that fund this truck and allow us to have safe, reliable equipment. And so we want them to be a part of the celebration of putting this new truck in service," said Fire Chief Todd Wright.

The department's new truck cost $465,000. It's the department's seventh truck. And it carries more water than most trucks, so firefighters can take it to rural areas that don't have hydrants. It is expected to last 10 to 15 years.

"It's really family-oriented and it gets back to all the old-fashioned stuff that they used to do with the simple games," said participant Serena Johns.

The games, including a watermelon seed spitting contest, are a tradition for some families. Others, like the Sachs family, got a taste of them for the first time.

"Since I'd never done it before, it's my first time... it's awesome," said nine-year-old Samantha Sachs.

Her father, Tom Sachs, added, "it's gonna be a tradition that we hopefully carry on every year."

The town expected more than a thousand people to join in the free July 4th celebrations, which also included a fishing tournament, a parade, and fireworks.

"A lot of people are staying home, having more fun in their back year, so to speak," said Bond Park Supervisor Bill Eucker.

Officials tell NBC-17 News, two people are dead, three others have been injured.

It happened shortly after 9 a.m., Saturday morning near the island's south dock in the parking lot of the NCCAT campus.

"The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department and Hyde County EMS were here and promptly responded en masse immediately after the incident", said Jane Hodges, Hyde County interim Emergency Manager.

"There was an immediate response from Hyde County Sheriff’s Department, the National Park Service, NC DOT Ferry Division, Marine Fisheries, and volunteers to handle the crowds and assess the situation. Fortunately, there were three doctors including a medical examiner and volunteer nurses who responded immediately along with the staff of the Ocracoke Health Center and Hyde County EMS."

Officials say they are all from Melrose Pyrotechnics in South Carolina, and they were setting up the Island's fireworks tonight when the explosion happened.

The Hatteras Island ferry was temporarily suspended but is now open and Highway 12 is clear. The south dock on Ocracoke island for the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries remains shut down until the scene is cleared to ensure safety.

Once clearance is received from Homeland Security, the ferry will resume operations to and from Cedar Island and Swan Quarter. The hours will be extended to accommodate all travelers who had reservations and those in the stand-by lanes.

Nick Samuel was staying in a hotel on Ocracoke when he heard the explosion. “I was in bed at the time of the explosion. It was a loud boom almost like thunder that lasted about 5-10 seconds and at first didnt think anything of it.  But when I left the room I noticed the cloud of smoke. The end of the island, harbor outlet was on fire and burning and the trucks were parked by the old coast guard station, Samuel said.”

Gwen Myers of Washington, who used to work at WITN, is at Ocracoke this holiday weekend.

"The explosion happened near the ferry docks," Myers said. "It was unreal. There was a huge boom. The explosion peeled the top off the 18-wheeler truck."

Myers said even hours after the explosion you can still smell fireworks in the air. She said it’s believed all those hurt are exployees of the company putting on the fireworks.

Two patients were taken to North Carolina Jaycees Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill where one of the victims died a short time later. The names and conditions of the three surviving victims have not been released at this time.

Two volunteer firemen were transported by Dare Co. EMS to be treated for inhalation and exhaustion.

Representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Company will be on site this afternoon to evaluate the scene.

Ocracoke's fireworks display was scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight.

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Many cities held their fireworks displays Friday night instead of on the fourth, including Garner.

Fireworks lit up the night sky with a heavy dose of reds, whites and blues for more than half an hour.

"I like the blue ones," said Kareem Alhertani. "Blue is my favorite color."

It's a spectacle that some 20,000 people came out to Lake Benson Park to see up close -- and that doesn't even count the folks watching from backyard bar-b-ques all over town.

The display capped off what has turned into a major event for Garner.

Hundreds of kids spent the afternoon swarming over a carnival-style play area, while the rest of the crowd sat back and listened to music ranging from classic soul hits by Johnny White and the Elite Band, to patriotic standards by the North Carolina Symphony.

"They come from all over because the communities they live in don't have anything that will rival this," said a proud Mayor Ronnie Williams.

And then of course, there was the food; thousands of picnic blankets covered the grass with all sorts of options.

"Mom and apple pie. You can't beat that," said one woman. "Baked it myself."

"We've seen some hot dogs and chicken over there. We brought sub sandwiches," said Ed Walaski. "If you look around people bring pizza; all kinds of stuff."

The celebration cost Garner about $50,000, but organizers say they're proud of the fact that they can keep it going without ever considering charging folks for it.

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A Garner man wanted in connection with three home invasions is behind bars tonight.

Wake County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Terrance Sherrod Trice, 28, Thursday evening. 

Around 10 p.m. on the evening of June 12, Trice is accused of breaking into a Knightdale home on Amber Acres Lane, arrest warrants stated.

During the robbery Trice reportedly assaulted and stabbed a female victim inside the residence in the arm. The suspect made away with the victims pocketbook containing about a hundred and fifty dollars. 

Several hours later, the suspect is accused of breaking into a home on Seward Drive where a husband and wife were home at the time. The suspect reportedly knocked the female victim to the floor, grabbing her purse before fleeing the house.

Trice is also accused of breaking into a home on Ballston Place. Once inside, he reportedly grabbed the female’s purse containing a small amount of cash and a cell phone inside it.

The arrest warrant states, the suspect threatened the victim with a knife during the assault, putting the knife to the victim’s throat several times. 

Tonight, Trice is in the Wake County Jail under a $1.2 million dollar bond.

He faces charges of common law robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of first degree burglary, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill among other charges.

In the 1760's, taxation without representation had colonies questioning authority, including farmers and merchants in Orange County, North Carolina.

Joel Turner with the Orange County Historical Museum explained the issue of taxes led to an uprising called the "War of Regulation."

"Everything was in upheaval, people knew something was going to change, they weren't really sure how."

After the war, six "Regulators" or rebels, were convicted and hanged in Hillsborough.

"At least in North Carolina it was kind of the first little tremor before the revolution," Turner said.

On July 4, 1776 the colonies broke away from the crown by signing the Declaration of Independence. One of North Carolina's three delegates to sign the declaration was from Hillsborough, William Hooper, whose house still stands today.

And in the heart of Hillsborough is the original site of where North Carolina's delegates debated the Constitution of the United States, and helped change it, to how we know it today.

"They sent it back to Philadelphia and said no we're not going to ratify it until you guarantee us certain rights," Turner explained. "It's because of North Carolina because of the delegates that met here in Hillsborough that we have the Bill of Rights, so, it's something you should be proud of."

Hundreds of people hit Jordan Lake Friday afternoon to kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Including Elizabeth Wilkie and her family from Siler City.

"It's $5 to get in, we brought snacks, it's not a whole lot of money to spend," said Wilkie.

Although she said they're enjoying the three-day weekend, they're still remembering the reason for it.

"It's for our independence day as a nation," said Adam Bullard, Wilkie's nephew. "I think it's an important holiday."

For Ashley Wilkie, Elizabeth's husband, the Fourth of July is extra special. He has a friend serving in Iraq.

"You talk about sacrifice, he has three young ones," said Wilkie. "It's his third tour, when I think of the Fourth of July, I think of him."

He said his family will spend the rest of the weekend with friends, going to the pool and watching fireworks. Wilkie said doing that in a free country is something he doesn't take for granted.

"It means a lot that he's over there fighting for us," said Wilkie. "He's doing it so most of us won't have to."

Instead, many will be at the lake or beach the next couple days, celebrating America and what it stands for.

"Why wait another day? Why not ask store owners to be good servants," Melvin Whitley said Friday. "Safe communities are good for business."

On Thursday, Whitley once again went to three convenience stores to buy glass stems that he says addicts can easily use as a crack pipe.

"Sixteen years ago this was my instrument. This was my tool of misery," he said as he held one up. "I think it's wonderful that today ... I'm God's tool of hope."

Whitley pushed lawmakers to regulate the glass tubes for years now. Last week, Governor Bev Perdue signed a law that will force store owners to keep better track of who's buying novelties like glass pens and "rose in a glass."

"They'll find ways and means to get high," Whitley said. "But why make it easier for them?"

Starting Dec. 1, retailers will require buyers of potential paraphernalia to:

• present a photo ID that includes the person's name and current address
• enter his or her name and current address on a record that the retailer keeps on hand to track these items
• sign his or her name, verifying by signature the glass tube or splitter will not be used as drug paraphernalia in violation of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina.

Bekee Food Store owner Steven Ikecachukwu said the products like the "glass pen" only account for less than two percent of sales in the store, but can be used legitimately.

"If you look at it ... it's a pen. You can use it to write," he said. "It's none of my business to ask them - ‘what are you going to use it for.'"

He thinks regulating the items should start somewhere else.

"If this is a great problem that people abuse some of this, why should the government allow the products even brought into the country," he said. "Most of them are made overseas ... from China."

But Whitley believes controlling problems starts in communities.

"It's like saying the pharmaceutical companies shouldn't be allowed to sell narcotics. It's regulated," he said. "What we're doing now is regulating the sell of an instrument that we already know has a history towards drug addiction."

He hopes store owners will feel the new regulations will mean keeping items like glass tubes on-hand isn't worth the work required.

"Why not send a message: if you want [drug users] to take one step towards recovery, why not use this as a step to say ‘we understand; we're going to help you to do so.' They can take one small step and with this we take a small step."

Read more about the new law.

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According to the police report, 19-year-old John Michael Dean was travelling west on New Bern Ave. at a high rate of speed when he lost control while approaching a curve.

The car collided with a stone wall and "ended in a vertical resting place between two trees", according to the report. Dean was ejected from the vehicle.

The accident report also states that alcohol is suspected in the crash.

Dean has been charged with DWI, careless and reckless driving and provisional DWI.

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