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Community Corner

🌱Cases Dropped Brought By Arrested Cop + Fatal Apartment Fire

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

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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Happy World Plumbing Day Raleigh!

Huge shout out to Kathy who kept you up to date while I was out. Today is going to be a little extra thick to make sure you didn't miss anything while I was gone.

First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and milder. High: 62 Low: 53.

Prepare for the likelihood of severe storms and freezing temps this weekend. (CBS17)

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

  1. Following the arrest of Raleigh police officer, Kevin Rodriguez on federal drug charges, some of the charges brought from his arrests have been dismissed. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has not said how many of the charges have been dismissed or why. The case is now being prosecuted federally because of the amount of drugs involved in the arrest of officer Rodriguez. (WRAL)
  2. An apartment fire in Cary on Monday took the life of a 9-month-old baby and seriously injured others. Four people were hospitalized including the baby's mother who is in critical condition. Monday's fire was the second this year and a report found that just four days before the fatal event, an inspection showed multiple violations including electrical hazards, exposed wires, and past date fire extinguishers. (WRAL, WRAL)
  3. Two unrelated shootings took place on Wednesday in Raleigh. Late on Wednesday night a man was found shot near the Mini City shopping center. He was found conscious just before midnight, and was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. (CBS17) On Wednesday evening, a man reported that his wife had been shot in the face with an airsoft gun near North Hills. Police said that Melissa Abrahamsen was walking her dog when a truck slowed down and someone fired at her, narrowly missing her eye. (WRAL)
  4. New research from NC State suggests that recent flood maps from FEMA aren't adequately reflecting flood risks. Floods are one of the costliest natural disasters in the U.S. and many utilize the FEMA maps to determine if they want to invest in flood insurance. According to the researchers, 85% of reported flood events between 2006 and 2020 happened outside of high-risk areas, and they have created the first wall-to-wall map of flood risk for the entire nation. (CBS17)
  5. The surging gas prices continue as the average rate in North Carolina at $4.18 per gallon, and $4.19 in Raleigh. Here are just some of the effects of the soaring prices:
    1. Triangle transit lines announced that it would be continuing suspended fares through June 30 and GoRaleigh is seeing a 73% rise over pre-COVID ridership. (WRAL)
    2. Delivery and rideshare drivers are struggling with the sharp increase in prices, and some eateries are contemplating increasing their delivery fees, while others see drivers eating the costs. (abc11)
    3. North Carolina breweries are also buying time before they are forced to increase costs for their brews in light of fuel costs and the strain on supply chains. (abc11)
    4. Many people have already started shifting travel plans from driving to flying, but you can expect an increase in airfare as the prices of crude oil begin to affect jet fuel. (CBS17)

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Today in Raleigh:

Bonus: WRAL weekend best bets (WRAL) and 7 thing to do with kids (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's World Plumbing Day and if you want to make sure you have a qualified professional, the NC Licensing Board can help you verify licenses.
  • The New Kids on the Block will be heading to Raleigh on July 22nd with Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Rick Astley. (CBS17)
  • The cost of babysitters in Raleigh are among the highest in the nation. (abc11)
  • NC State experts are launching a program to help eradicate the Bradford pear trees in North Carolina. (WRAL)

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You're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update!

— CJ Fullford

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