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Community Corner

🌱 Progress On New Social District + Pedestrian Saves Family From 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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(Patch Media)

Anyways, happy National Work From Home Day Raleigh!

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 90 Low: 72.

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Here are the top five stories today in Raleigh:

  1. The Raleigh City Council has been considering the creation of a social district since the state changed controls on alcohol beverages. On Tuesday, the city's Economic Development and Innovation Committee met to discuss how the social district along Fayetteville Street would work. Raleigh Emergency Management and Special Events Coordinator Whitney Schoenfeld says that the city is not looking to create a New Orleans style environment. The proposed district is bordered by Dawson, Morgan, Blount and South streets. (CBS17, WRAL)
  2. Dozens of Raleigh families are without childcare after a Sunday explosion at Wake County's Crosby-Garfield. The building was home to the Learning Together Center on East Lenoir Street and serves 50-70 children year round, many of whom have some type of developmental delay. Daycare officials are working with Wake County to find somewhere for students to go, but do not have a timeline to reopen. (CBS17)
  3. A Raleigh family was awoken by a passing pedestrian who noticed a fire burning in their attic. The pedestrian was walking by around 11:30 p.m., and ran to the home to alert the family. More than 40 firefighters worked to put out the fire, and put it under control in around 20 minutes. The home was destroyed, and the family of four are now displaced. (WRAL)
  4. Numbers from the Raleigh Police Department show that shootings are up 34% from this time last year. There have been 70 shootings so far this year, compared to 53 at this time in 2021 and 50 in 2020. The increase in gun violence is in line with a national trend, and a spokesperson for the RPD says we are not immune to it. The county is in the early stages of creating a comprehensive gun violence reduction program, and Commissioner Matt Calabria says that the goal will be to address gun violence from a social perspective as well as a criminal justice approach. (CBS17) North Carolina drug overdoses and poisonings have also increased 8% over June of 2021. (WRAL)
  5. Several lane closures exist throughout Raleigh due to ongoing projects, but many will be removed ahead of the 4th of July weekend. The North Carolina Department of Transportation says they will remove almost all lane closures throughout the state to help with traffic congestion. The lane closures will be removed this morning and remain open until the evening of July 5. The only traffic projects that will keep their current traffic patterns are long-term bridge replacement projects. (CBS17)

Today in Raleigh:

Bonus: 10 Things to do with kids this weekend (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's National Work From Home Day, and if home is starting to feel too much like a cubicle, then don't worry, Raleigh has a variety of coworking spaces available to mix it up. Check out the coolest Raleigh coworking spaces according to Linchpin.
  • If you are trying to plan ahead, WRAL has put together a list of 14 family events coming up this summer that you should check out!
  • Blend Raleigh is celebrating their 2nd Anniversary with specials, raffles, and giveaways from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • One year ago Wednesday, locals discovered a venomous zebra cobra on the loose in a Raleigh neighborhood. (WRAL)

Now that you are all caught up, I want to address one small thing. I received a comment yesterday that asked that I "keep it non-political" and "just stick to what is happening." This isn't the first comment I have received regarding politics or political matters. I want to make one thing very clear, I do not believe in influencing your political opinions via this newsletter, however politics is what is happening. I will not ignore vandalism at the GOP headquarters simply because it mentions a political party.

I was also criticized a while back because I mentioned a Democratic rally in Raleigh, but did not mention a visit by former President Donald Trump in Johnston County. I do my best to keep the news focused on Raleigh; if Raleigh is fairly calm, sometimes I branch out to Wake County. It is not my intention to leave out things you care about, but I do not go out of my way to search for what is happening in Selma, NC when there is news in our city.

I frequently receive criticism when the news features political matters, but I will not omit notable news because it may be more appealing to one "side" or the other. If you have any questions, concerns, or feel that I have revealed my own personal stances in reporting the news, feel free to email me directly at raleigh@patch.com.

— CJ Fullford

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

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