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Community Corner

School Pandemic Funding + STEM Women + Unemployment Addition End

Check out the latest edition the Raleigh Daily— your go-to for the lowdown on what's happening in town.

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy International Day of Charity,

Today I have news for you regarding unemployment, underutilized school funding, and one woman inspiring other women to explore STEM. Check out that, news, and more below.

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Today's weather, 9/5: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 87 Low: 70.

Here are the top stories in Raleigh today:

  1. North Carolina's federal unemployment benefits expired yesterday. In Mid-August, data showed that more than 100,000 people were receiving unemployment benefits. Without the addition from the CARES Act, North Carolina offers regular unemployment that provides up to 13 weeks of benefits in a year with a maximum weekly payment of $350. Restaurateurs are hopeful the end of additional benefits will bring more employees, however with the delta variant surging they are concerned people will not want to return to food service, fearing potential shutdowns. (abc11) Economists do not anticipate a major effect to the labor market as a result of the change. (CBS17)
  2. A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper was involved in a crash on I-40 on Friday night. The crash caused two eastbound lane closures near the I-440 interchange. The crash was reported around 8:15pm and the Interstate was not reopened until just after 10:00pm. The state trooper was rear ended while stopped in congested traffic, and the patrol car was pushed into the car ahead of it. Joseph Calzaretta of Smithfield was driving the car that hit the patrol car, and he has been charged with failure to reduce speed. (News&Observer:Paid Access, CBS17)
  3. Wake County parents have given money out of their own pockets to increase safety in classrooms, while millions of dollars in federal funding remains unspent. Douglas Elementary School parents pooled their money to purchase air purifiers for some classrooms, and others have created online fundraisers. Parents are now organizing to demand the school system use more of its funds into COVID-19 safety. The North Carolina Department of Instruction gave totals showing that 89% of federal funding designated for pandemic relief in schools has not been spent in Wake County. Justin Parisi, one parent who helped raise the money for the Douglas purifiers said, "We want to make sure all of the children are protected, not just a few because the parents can afford it."
  4. At-home "rapid" response COVID-19 tests are gaining popularity in North Carolina, however the convenience might be skewing results statistics. Many at-home test kits are not required to be officially reported. Dr. David Reif, a NCSU professor who tracks COVID-19 trends says that the lack of reported testing can hinder health officials abilities to make decisions and protect the public. Dr. Charlene Brown, an adviser to Everlywell who got FDA Emergency Use Authorization for it's at-home test kits recommends individuals follow up with their health provider as well as their insurance companies for potential reimbursement after taking the test. (abc11)
  5. NCSU researcher, Alison Waldman is leading a charge to get other women to pursue interests in STEM industries. Waldman and her colleagues developed a better way to study proteins that is playing an integral role in gene expression, using the surface of yeast cells. After discovering her passion for time in the lab, Waldman decided to pursue it as a career, and mentors undergraduates in lab research. She uses her own published research to teach younger students, and is passionate about her studies in epigenetics. (Spectrum News 1)

Today in Raleigh:

Raleigh Patch Notebook

  • It's International Day of Charity and if you're not familiar, Raleigh has a ton of amazing nonprofits you can get involved with. (NC Nonprofits)
  • If you're headed out to one of Raleigh's parks, check out the Explorer Backpacks available at select locations. (Patch)
  • Check out a hidden patch of history in downtown Raleigh, the remnants of the family cemetery of Henry Seawell. (WRAL)
  • If you can't make it out to go putting on the green lately, check out Wego's mobile golf simulator. (abc11)

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That's all I have for today's round up. I would like to ask you all though, someone reached out to me regarding Life on Pandemic Ave, a book apparently written by a Raleigh local. I admit I didn't know about the book prior, but I'd love to be able to share more information about the author with the reader for their granddaughter.

— CJ Fullford

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Raleigh Daily? Reach out anytime to raleigh@patch.com.

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