🌱 Rob Steele Advocates for Change + 1 Year With LGBTQIA+ Liaison

Happy National Crab Meat Day Raleigh!

Today's going to be a great day so don't get crabby on me! I've got another roundup for you that includes all of the most important information to know before you start your day, including:

• WCPSS superintendent search
• A skee-ball tournament at Boxcar
• Highlights from the city council meeting

But first, today's weather:

Sun giving way to clouds. High: 62 Low: 44.

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Here are the top six stories in Raleigh today:

1. Rob Steele, fiancé of the late Mary Marshall who was killed in the mass shooting on October 13, 2022, gathered with Democratic leaders on Tuesday as they introduced gun safety bills. Steele has spent much of his time following the shooting advocating for gun legislation. Following the shooting, he surrendered his gun to police saying that "I red-flagged myself. If I had my gun, I might have made a dumb decision, and that happens all the time." In Governor Roy Cooper's State of the State address, he said he believes that lawmakers need to make changes, and said, "If you support responsible gun ownership that we are granted under the Second Amendment, then we cannot accept this." (WRAL)
2. This month is one year since the Raleigh Police Department appointed its first LGBTQIA+ liaison. Michael Ballen was selected to serve in the role after a career as the community policing coordinator since 2008, a role he still maintains along with his liaison position. Ballen says that he is able to discuss safety before public LGBTQ gatherings, and help victims of hate crime feel taken care of. (Spectrum News 1)
3. The Wake County Board of Education has decided to hire the North Carolina School Boards Association to search for the new superintendent. The board plans to collect public and employee feedback on what they are looking for in a new superintendent. The board is still discussing a timeline as they hope to have someone hired by the beginning of next school year, and will meet to finalize their timeline on Friday. (WRAL)
4. A northern Raleigh staple is being forced to close their doors after 23 years. The Sawmill Tap Room, located in Raleigh's Greystone Village will be forced to close in May when their current lease expires. The landlords were informed that they would need to spend $1 million to renovate the inside of the location, but owner Chris Morgan said they politely declined. Morgan says they would consider reopening in a new location, but due to their refusal to renovate, the landlord will not renew the lease. (abc11)
5. Investigators are looking into a shooting that took place near a pawn shop on New Bern Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. Police received a call regarding the shooting around 5 p.m. Officers found a man with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police have not released suspect information but have said they do not believe the shooting took place at the pawn shop. (CBS17, WRAL) While on route to the shooting at the pawn shop, one Raleigh police officer was involved in a two-vehicle crash. (WRAL)
6. A teen driver has been charged following a fatal pedestrian crash on Tuesday night. The accident occurred around 11 p.m. near Capital Boulevard. Jubril Parks was driving a Jeep Wrangler northbound when the victim, Charles Kudla attempted to cross the intersection while the light was green for north and southbound traffic. Parks was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, failure to reduce speed for pedestrian and unsafe movement. (CBS17)

Today in Raleigh:

• Bingo at Wake Service Rentals (5:30pm-10:00pm)
• Music Bingo: Mookie's Cary (6:30pm-8:30pm)
• Trivia: Norse Brewing Co WF (6:30pm-8:30pm), Real McCoy's WF (7:00pm-9:00pm), House of Hops (7:30pm-9:30pm), High Craft Cary (7:30pm)
• Comedy at The Hop Yard (7:00pm-10:00pm)
• Wicked Weed Skee-Ball Tournament Series at Boxcar Raleigh (8:00pm)
• Karaoke at Barcode Raleigh (8:00pm-11:00pm)
• Latin Dance Party at Umami Bistro (9:00pm-11:30pm)

Friday in Raleigh:

• The Hiking Club at Durant Nature Park (11:00am-1:00pm, Register Here)
• Entrepreneurs & Poets Open Mic Event at The Nest Raleigh (6:00pm-10:00pm)
• Music Bingo at Triangle Beer Co. (7:00pm-9:00pm)
• Bar Trivia at Barcode Raleigh (7:00pm-10:00pm)
• Don't Tell Comedy Show on Capital Blvd in Raleigh (7:30pm)
• Clean Comedy Series with Rik Roberts at Holly Springs Cultural Center (7:30pm)
• The Body Party Presents Oh My Prom! at Ruby Deluxe (8:00pm)

From my notebook:

• It's National Crab Meat Day and the Raleigh Crab House can get you hooked up with some incredible crab legs!
• The Raleigh Little Theatre will be running Fancy Nancy: The Musical beginning on March 17-26, with tickets on sale now. They will also hold a special sensory friendly performance on April 1. (Raleigh Little Theatre Instagram)
• "Here are a few highlights from the March 7 City Council meetings!" (City of Raleigh - Government via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new update!

— CJ Fullford

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