This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

🌱 32 Cadets Graduate + Wake County Animal Center Fears Euthanasia

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Raleigh.

Christina Fullford's profile picture
Christina Fullford, Neighbor
|
(Patch Media)

Happy National Ugly Sweater Day Raleigh!

Are you team cute-ugly sweater or team ugly-ugly sweater? I myself am a connoisseur of Christmas sweaters and dabble in both camps. I love them all equally. As the temperature drops, grab one to rock today and get all caught up. Don't worry, if you don't have one, below I've got my #1 recommendation for the best spot to get a Christmas sweater, along with:

  • Wake County's tips to combat waste
  • A mommy and me cookie decorating class
  • How to order more at-home COVID-19 tests

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 53 Low: 31.

🏠 If you're a real estate agent in Raleigh, of course you're looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. We can help you do that with an exclusive sponsorship in the Raleigh Patch newsletter. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories today in Raleigh:

  1. The largest class of cadets in years has graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy at Wake Tech. On Thursday, the 32 cadets received certificates and awards during a graduation ceremony. Local law enforcement agencies have been struggling to hire, as the problem persists regionally and nationally. Graduates of the program have to go through 768 hours of training and pass drills and ability tests. (abc11, CBS17)
  2. Pedestrian deaths in Raleigh have more than doubled this year, with 27 deaths so far this year. The most recent pedestrian fatality took place on Glenwood Avenue on Wednesday morning. Terry Lansdell, the executive director of BikeWalk NC says that the roads should be designed in a more pedestrian friendly way and emphasizes that the driver has a responsibility by law to see a human 200 feet ahead of them. Over the summer Raleigh adopted its version of Vision Zero, the statewide initiative to cut down on traffic fatalities. (CBS17)
  3. A report from the Inspection Support Network has identified the Raleigh metropolitan statistical area as the second-fastest growing area between 2016 and 2021. According to the report, the area that includes Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties grew by 11.1% in the five year period. (WRAL TechWire) As the City of Raleigh continues to battle the limited affordable housing in the area, a new program aims to make Accessory Dwelling Units (AUDs) more affordable. The new Accessory Dwelling Unit Fast Track Program hopes to make it easier to build by having a building team review plans for homes ahead of time to make the process faster and cheaper. Homeowners will be able to use AUDs for rentals, aging relatives, or other family and friends. (CBS17)
  4. The Wake County Animal Center has not had to euthanize animals in the past six years, but the center is concerned it may have to if the shelter remains over capacity. As of Wednesday, there were 87 dogs in the facility, and 61 in the non-public rooms. The shelter has run out of space for double-sided enclosures which are important to prevent the spread of disease in the shelter and are forced to use single-sided enclosures. The shelter already launched its "Home for the Holidays" adoption special and will continue to offer the discount to prevent authorization. The shelter is asking families to cancel their surrender appointments, as there is a high chance pets will be euthanized if you must surrender them at this time. (WRAL).
  5. According to Wake County, Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The county is sharing tips to keep trash out of the landfills this year. Government officials are sharing tips to help reduce waste as residents discard all the extra that comes with the holidays. Wake County has places where you can recycle broken string lights, live Christmas trees, used cooking oil, electronics, clothes you no longer want and more. It encourages avoiding disposable or single use dinnerware, grocery bags and other similar conveniences. Among the last tips are to compost excess food and gift experiences instead of items. (WRAL)

From our sponsor:

Today's Raleigh Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today's Raleigh newsletter possible.

Today in Raleigh:

Saturday in Raleigh:

Special notice:

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile for two new series: Local Heroes and Star Student Athletes. The goal is to highlight heroes and star athletes in Raleigh!

  • If you want to nominate a local hero, click here
  • If you want to nominate a local athlete, click here.

From my notebook:

  • It's National Ugly Sweater Day and as you probably noticed above, the Ugly Sweater events are abundant. If you want to join in the fun, I highly recommend finding a good thrift store sweater. I have collected several among the years but my best, and ugliest came from a Goodwill and is decked out with shimmery pompoms and tinsel. Triangle on the Cheap has a quick list of some thrift stores in the area to get you started.
  • The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission announced proposed changes for 2023-2024 and are looking for feedback. (CBS17)
  • You can order another round of four free at-home COVID-19 tests per household via COVID.gov. (CBS17)
  • Axios gave us a tease of Christmas weather predictions yesterday, but WRAL really ran with the thought. Here's a more in-depth look at the chances of a White Christmas this year. (WRAL)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— CJ Fullford

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Raleigh Daily? Contact me at raleigh@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Raleigh