🌱 Former RPD Officer Pleads Guilty + Street Racing Suspect Arrested

Happy Small Business Development Centers Day Raleigh!

Today's news recap contains some definite must know news. Catch up because I'm certain there's going to be conversations had around what's below. Some of the things I'm most excited about are:

• NCDOT Plans for 1-40/I-440 Interchange by Cary
• The Jurassic Encounter
• TSA amping up recruitment

But first, today's weather:

Breezy, frost in the a.m.. High: 56 Low: 29.

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

1. A former Raleigh police officer has pled guilty to drug and firearm trafficking. Former officer Kevin Rodriguez distributed cocaine while on duty. He faces at least ten years in prison. Rodriguez must permanently surrender his law enforcement certification and will be permanently barred from any law enforcement certification. Rodriguez was arrested in February 2022, after a confidential informant helped catch him selling cocaine while on duty. (abc11, CBS17, WECT, WRAL)
2. The Wake County Board of Commissioners are discussing plans for violence interrupters. The board held a work session on Monday and received an update on the program. Chair of the Public Safety Committee Matt Calabria hopes the program will combine various groups including, law enforcement agencies, community members and the District Attorney's Office. Law enforcement would focus on areas experiencing the most gun violence with proactive prevention and intervention. Calabria says that coming months will focus on how the program will be structured, how many paid positions there will be and how to get community feedback. (CBS17)
3. Raleigh Police have arrested one person in connection to the deadly street racing crash that killed one man and injured two others. The crash happened around 4:30 a.m. on March 7 when a vehicle driven by William Ortiz hit another vehicle head on, killing Ortiz. The driver of a Camaro fled the scene following the incident, and police believe that man to be Manuel Antonio Cerrone who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony hit and run causing serious injury or death and misdemeanor death by vehicle. (abc11, CBS17)
4. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is anticipating overall car volumes in the city to increase by 55% to 70% in the next 20 years. In anticipation of the increase, NCDOT is planning two projects to repair the interchange from I-40 and I-440 near Cary. The first project will add lanes on I-40 between the I-440/U.S. 64 interchange, with construction expected to begin in 2025. The second project will reconstruct the I-40/I-440/U.S. 1/U.S. 64 interchange. (CBS17)
5. Before a high school cheerleading competition at Broughton High School in Raleigh, a 17-year-old student became unresponsive. Initially, it was believed she was having a seizure, but coaches discovered that she did not have a pulse and CPR was started. The teen was taken to WakeMed after an automated external defibrillator (AED) helped administer a necessary shock. He mother is raising awareness, praising the availability of the AED that saved the teen after what was later discovered to be a heart attack. (WRAL, WTKR)

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Today in Raleigh:

• Art In Bloom at NCMA (9:30am-4:00pm)
• Moms Meet Up at Southeast Raleigh YMCA (10:30am-11:30am)
• The Jurassic Encounter at Fenton Cary (2:00pm-6:00pm)
• Raleigh Brewing Run Club (6:30pm-8:30pm)
• Trivia: Back to the Future @ Southern Peak Apex (6:30pm-8:30pm), 2000's Pop Culture @ Chubby's (7:00pm), Edit Beer Co. (7:00pm-9:00pm), Gizmo Brew Works (7:00pm-9:00pm), Clouds Brewing (7:30pm-10:30pm)
• Latin Dance Night at Bull City Ciderworks Cary (9:00pm-11:30pm)

Thursday in Raleigh:

• The Jurassic Encounter at Fenton Cary (9:00am-6:00pm)
• Trivia: Norse Brewing WF (6:30pm-8:30pm), Raleigh Brewing Co. (7:00pm), Real McCoy's WF (7:00pm-9:00pm), House of Hops (7:30pm-9:30pm), HighCraft Cary (8:30pm)
• Thursday Night Cornhole at Good Times Garner (7:00pm-10:00pm)
• Artspace Unplugged at Artspace (8:00pm-9:00pm)
• Karaoke: Barcode (8:00pm-11:00pm), Secret Garden (10:00pm)
• Wicked Weed Skee-Ball Tournament at Boxcar (9:00pm-11:00pm)

From my notebook:

• It's Small Business Development Centers Day and Raleigh's SBTDC is located at NC State University and has a variety of tools to help you get your business started.
• Monster Jam is returning to PNC Arena this weekend with shows on Saturday and Sunday.
• TSA is ramping up recruitment ahead of the summer travel season, and they are holding an application assistance event today from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the NC Works Career Center in Durham. (abc11)

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You're all caught up for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— CJ Fullford

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