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Community Corner

🌱Estella Patterson Talks Violent Crime Stats + Trafficking Task Force

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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(Patch Media)

Happy National Hot Tea Day Raleigh!

Strap in, because today's recap is a doozy! I genuinely believe that every one of the top stories are relevant to every single Raleigh resident. There is a ton of information on what to expect from our city for the present and future. I fully expect you to want to click into several of these stories to find out more, but I think I've done a pretty good job of hitting the highlights for you. Check out everything below, including:

  • World University Games coming in 2029.
  • Raleigh-Durham is expected to grow in spite of the recession.
  • A Raleigh business was featured as "Good Neighbor of the Year."

But first, today's weather:

Showers, mainly later. High: 65 Low: 48.

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

  1. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the violent crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2022. Patterson said that one notable concern is the number of teenage suspects involved in violent crimes, with about 30 aggravated assaults connected to juveniles with access to firearms in the last three months. Patterson called for local community groups and nonprofits to partner with RPD, and to provide gun awareness and anger management training for local youth. Patterson also emphasized that Raleigh is growing and "it's naïve to think that you're not going to have a criminal element that is a part of that growth." According to Patterson, the RPD had 115 vacancies as of Wednesday. (WRAL)
  2. Although North Carolina did not succeed in its bid to host the World University Games in 2027, the state will host the games in 2029. The International University Sports Federation announced the locations on Tuesday evening. The 2027 games will be hosted by South Korea, but Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and Greensboro will host the 2029 World University Games. More than 7,000 athletes are expected to compete in 18 sports over a 12-day span in the North Carolina cities. The event is expected to bring more than $150 million to the state economy. (abc11, WECT)
  3. State legislators returned to Raleigh yesterday, and House Republicans wasted no time setting up new rules for their chamber that could help them override gubernatorial vetoes. The rule change passed along party lines, and allows the chamber to vote to override a veto with no notice. Republicans fell one seat shy in the House of Representatives of having a supermajority, but with the rule change, a vote could be called at any time, and if a Democratic representative has stepped out of the chamber, they could be able to override vetoes. For the past decade, members could not vote to override a gubernatorial veto "until the second legislative day following notice of its placement on the calendar." According to Republican State Representative Destin Hall, the House rules committee chairman, the new rules are temporary, but they do intend to pass a more permanent rules package in early February following floor debate. (abc11, WRAL)
  4. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley announced new efforts to combat human trafficking, including the launch of a dedicated task force. The task force will initially focus on the Raleigh-Cary area, and will meet regularly to help share information and develop law enforcement agencies. The task force includes members of three prosecutorial offices and 11 law enforcement agencies, including the Wake County DA's office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and more. The goal of the task force is to use lessons learned from the task force to develop regional task forces and better serve North Carolina residents. (Justice.Gov)
  5. Economic researchers are predicting a recession is on the horizon for 2023, but the Raleigh-Durham combined metro is projected to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. The American Growth Project's January Report ranks Raleigh-Durham at number 4 for the fastest growing cities in 2023. Although the GDP growth prediction is slowing from 2022, as economists predict that the second half of 2023 will see a recession across the nation, expected growth indicates that the metro will be protected from many of the impacts. (abc11)

Today in Raleigh:

Friday in Raleigh:

  • Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo at the NC State Fairgrounds (9:00am-7:00pm)
  • Let's Go Camping for Early Childhood at Prairie Ridge (10:30am-11:30am)
  • Traffic Light Party at The Platinum (8:00pm)
  • Comedy Night with Azeem at The Cary Theatre (8:00pm)
  • Karaoke at the Brickhouse of Raleigh (9:00pm-1:00am)

From my notebook:

  • It's National Hot Tea Day and if you're looking for a tea experience in Raleigh, check out RAL Today's picks for the best places to enjoy tea in Raleigh.
  • Raleigh's A Place at The Table will be featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show today during the show's "Good Neighbor of the Year" segment, to discuss the impact of the pay-what-you-can cafe. (WRAL)
  • As many people are working on their New Year's resolutions, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a list of downtown businesses that offer health, fitness, and wellness services.

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Events:

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— CJ Fullford

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

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