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Community Corner

🌱 Freezing Winds Pummel NC + Warmth For Wake Applications Increase

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Merry Christmas Eve Raleigh!

I want to take this opportunity to give you a heads up that I have decided to take the next few days to myself as I celebrate the Christmas holiday with my family. I also hope you have or have had very happy holidays this year and I can't wait to reconnect with you all on Tuesday. Until then, I have gathered all the notable news that you will want to be aware of before you jump right into the weekend, including:

  • At least one person was arrested in connection to Cary burglaries.
  • A cookie swap might make driving to Durham very worth the trip.
  • Here's a recap on everything happening in the Raleigh restaurant world.

But first, today's weather:

Colder; breezy in the morning. High: 29 Low: 18.

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Here are the top four stories today in Raleigh:

  1. More than 200,000 people across North Carolina were without power as freezing wind chills have barreled through the state. In Wake County there were more than 25,000 outages reported during the day. Many events such as WRAL Night of Lights and the Chinese Lantern Festival had to be cancelled due to wind damage. A wind advisory remains in effect for the state until Saturday morning. (abc11, WRAL)
  2. As the cold front makes its way through North Carolina, Wake County has seen a 55% jump in applications for financial help heating homes. County officials attribute the cold and higher energy costs to the increase in applications from 600 in December 2021, to 930 so far this month. The program has already allocated more than $1 million to help families in need, and has another $3.8 million available. Since Thanksgiving the Warmth for Wake program has distributed around 50 emergency space heaters, and 93 Wake County homes receive firewood through the program. (CBS17)
  3. UNC Health Rex will be hosting its annual teddy bear gift today. Every year on Christmas Eve, volunteers with Rex Guild donate and deliver teddy bears to every patient in the hospital. The tradition helps brighten the spirits of those in the hospital for the holiday. Due to the high surge of respiratory illness, Rex Guild volunteers dropped off the bears early and nurses will deliver them to patients. (CBS17)
  4. A Raleigh man has been arrested in connection to daytime burglaries that took place in the Cary area. According to a Nextdoor social media post, the suspect wore a safety vest and hard hat. If the residence was found to be unoccupied, they would force entry. Police are still investigating the incidents and additional charges are forthcoming. (CBS17)

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Today in Raleigh:

  • Christmas Eve Skate at United Skates of Raleigh (11:00am-4:00pm)
  • Christmas Eve Cookie Swap at The Glass Jug Downtown Durham (12:00pm-5:00pm)
  • The Nutcracker by the Carolina Ballet at Duke Energy Center (3:00pm)
  • Raleigh Ghosts and Dark History Guided Night Walking Tour (8:00pm)
  • 9th Annual Royal Blue & Black Comedy Bash (8:00pm-11:00pm)

Sunday in Raleigh:

Bonus: Weekend Best Bets (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's Christmas Eve and since I'll be taking a few days off to celebrate, here is Triangle on the Cheap's day by day guide to what is coming up in the Triangle.
  • Check out WRAL's recap of all the foodie news happening in the Triangle.
  • Bittersweet bar manager, Lewis Norton is sharing his hot cocktails tips to help you celebrate in high spirits this Christmas. (Spectrum News 1)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! See you tomorrow morning for your next update.

— CJ Fullford

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

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