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Community Corner

🌱 Ben Crump Calls for Manslaughter Charges + Council Reinstating CACs

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Fat Thursday Raleigh!

I'm going to keep today's introduction pretty short and sweet since I am feeling under the weather and refused to compromise on the meat of the article. So without further ado, here's a sneak peek of what you can catch up on today:

  • Raleigh tops new rankings.
  • The Minority Report is "a comedy-variety show with minorities reporting on stuff."
  • NICU babies celebrate Valentine's Day in style.

But first, today's weather:

Breezy, warm. High: 77 Low: 63.

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

  1. Ben Crump, the attorney retained by the family of Darryl Williams, is calling for manslaughter charges to be brought against officers involved in his death in custody. Crump is set to visit Raleigh today, and he will meet with the Williams family and visit the scene where Williams was taken into custody to lay a wreath. Six officers have been placed on administrative duty as investigation into the night continues. (CBS17)
  2. Wake County has fortified government buildings with bulletproof glass, following the riots in downtown in May 2020. Wake County representatives said that the $4 million repair project was necessary following the riots that led to vandalism in the city. According to Raleigh city leaders, 178 buildings were damaged in the riots, and in October 2020, a man fired a dozen shots towards the Wake County Sheriff's Office. The funds will reinforce the Public Safety Center and the Wake County Courthouse. (WRAL)
  3. Raleigh dismantled citizen advisory councils (CACs) three years ago, and residents have long called for their return. CACs give residents the opportunity to speak on topics that impact the city, and were advised in a community engagement plan that was presented to the city council in late January. The immediate plan to reinstate CACs involves reaching out to former chairs, but doesn't cover the entire city just yet. (INDY Week)
  4. On Tuesday, two guns were found on central North Carolina school grounds, one of which was in Wake County. Law enforcement confirmed that a student was found with a gun at Wendell Middle School and the student's mother is now facing charges for storing the firearm in a way that was accessible to the student. According to the investigation by law enforcement, they did not find any evidence suggesting the student intended to harm any other students, but was just showing the firearm off to peers. (WRAL, WXII12) Oberlin Middle School was forced to evacuate at 11 a.m. on Wednesday after a gas leak was discovered. A spokesperson from Dominion Energy said that the sourced of the odor was from a leak on customer-owned fuel lines. The gas was shut off and all students were safe. (CBS17, WRAL)
  5. A study released by LendingTree has named North Carolina's biggest three cities as some of the top 10 "boomtowns" in the country. Durham, Raleigh and Charlotte came in at 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively. The study used growth and metric data to compile the rankings list that was dominated by Southern metros. (WRAL) Raleigh and Durham also ranked among a list of the hottest real estate markets in the US compiled by the U.S. News & World Report. Raleigh ranked as the #1 real estate market, with Durham coming in at No. 3. (CBS17)
  6. On Wednesday, students and lawmakers collectively requested more funding go to HBCUs in the state. Students from Shaw, North Carolina Central and other HBCUs spoke about their experiences and why they believe schools deserve more funding. North Carolina lawmakers formed the first bipartisan HBCU caucus last month. (CBS17)

Today in Raleigh:

Friday in Raleigh:

  • The Downtown Raleigh Home Show at the Raleigh Convention Center (11:00am-9:00pm)
  • The Carolina Hurricanes Fan Fest on Fayetteville Street (1:00pm-9:15pm)
  • Southern Songbirds: Ask Me Anything at North Carolina Museum of History (7:00pm)
  • Ballroom Social at The Matthews House Cary (7:30pm-9:30pm)
  • Comedy Night at Sammy's Tap & Grill (8:00pm-10:00pm)

From my notebook:

  • It's Fat Thursday! If you are like me and take donuts, and excuses to eat them, very seriously, you will love this interactive donut map!
  • The Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC are anticipating a surge in need as federal COVID relief comes to an end. (abc11)
  • NICU babies from Rex and WakeMed got the chance to get dressed up in their Valentine's Day best for the holiday. (abc11)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— CJ Fullford

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

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