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Community Corner

🌱 State Of Downtown + Gathering Downtown For Overdose Awareness

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)

Happy National Lazy Mom's Day Raleigh!

I need a good stretch after gathering up all this news for you! Get ready, it's a lot. Gear up for a great mix of stuff below, including:

  • Two lists of the best restaurants in Raleigh
  • A reminder that this is the First Friday, and if you haven't gone out for First Friday yet, it's time
  • Two Raleigh mothers worth knowing about.

First, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 90 Low: 69.

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

  1. On Wednesday, more than 600 city leaders, developers, business owners and realtors heard the annual State of Downtown report at the Raleigh Convention Center. The report highlighted nearly $2 billion in investments added within the last year, 1.7 million square feet of office space in development and more than 8,300 residential developments in the works. Although there are several things to highlight, there were also three areas that Downtown Raleigh is still lacking in, including affordable housing, grocery stores and more hotel rooms. (abc11, CBS17, WRAL)
  2. Dozens gathered in Downtown Raleigh on Wednesday for International Overdose Awareness Day. The gathering began outside of Bicentennial Mall where a candlelight service took place and speakers were present. Then the crowd marched to the State Capitol grounds. Parents of those lost to fentanyl overdoses helped organize the event, and spoke about their losses. Barbara Walsh is working to ensure the availability of naloxone statewide and has started the Fentanyl Victims Network of NC to help educate and advocate. (abc11, CBS17)
  3. A church in Cary is speaking out with concern for its congregation, after flags were burned on Wednesday morning. Glenwood Forest Baptist Church began putting Pride and Black Lives Matter flags outside of the church after the death of George Floyd to mark themselves as an affirming church. This is not the first act of vandalism on the flags and they frequently disappear, but the escalation has church leaders more alarmed. Cary Police are investigating the offense and the church is taking donations from the congregation for more flags if vandalism continues. (WRAL)
  4. Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union headquarters celebrated its 55th anniversary on Thursday by helping to package meals with Rise Against Hunger. The company's president and CEO, Chuck Purvis, said that events like these are important to the community and the team. The event was an opportunity for employees to socialize, have some fun, and give back to the community. The goal was to pack 55,000 meals, and they will be sent off to countries experiencing emergency crisis in South Africa, Southeast Asia, and Haiti. (CBS17)
  5. A portion of St. Mary's Street was closed down on Thursday after a car crash brought down a power pole. Officials at the scene said that a drunk driver hit the pole around midnight at the Clay Street intersection. No one was injured and no power outages were reported, but power lines were in the road. (abc11, CBS17, WRAL)
  6. As summer is winding down, it seems as though foodie season is ramping up. U.S. News and RaleighMag both compiled their list of the best restaurants in Raleigh in the last few days. As a self proclaimed foodie, I can say Raleigh has an incredible food scene. U.S. News utilized dozens of review sites to come up with its 19 Best Restaurants in Raleigh. Now I'm supposed to be impartial and I'm totally not going to imply that one list is superior, but Raleigh Magazine compiled its list of 25 Best Restaurants through living and eating in Raleigh. Check them both out and let me know your thoughts!

Today in Raleigh:

Saturday in Raleigh:

  • Yoga Flow at Dorothea Dix Park (9 a.m.)
  • Arts and Crafts Fair at Fortnight Brewing Co. (noon -5 p.m.)
  • Kidspreneur Pop-Up Market at Casa Cubana (noon - 5 p.m.)
  • Labor Day Food Festival at The Honeysuckle Tea House Chapel Hill (noon - 5 p.m.)
  • Raleigh Jerk Fest on Sunnybrook (1 - 9 p.m.)
  • Downtown Durham Oktoberfest Party (2 - 10 p.m.)
  • African American Cultural Festival at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (7 p.m.)

Bonus: 12 Things to do with kids (WRAL) & Weekend best bets (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's National Lazy Mom's Day and I really want to share with you local celebrity Kim Holderness' blog. She is sharing her journey in September as a personal Mental Health Focus Month. As a mom, sometimes focusing on your mental health seems lazy to those outside looking in, but it makes you such a better mom, and should never be devalued.
  • Jauslyn Stewart, a longtime employee of UNC Rex Healthcare in Raleigh has gotten the opportunity to create a mural to brighten up a courtyard. (WRAL)
  • Duke's now retired basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was inducted into North Carolina's highest honorary society on Thursday in Raleigh. (CBS17)
  • The North Carolina Museum of Art is sporting a new logo, inspired by the work of Raleigh artist Thomas Sayre, whose work is featured in the museum. (INDY Week)
  • Jessica Mancinik has started a TikTok, Hangry Helper to help mothers that struggle with "picky eaters." Mancinik is a Raleigh mother of two who works as a speech language pathologist and feeding behavior specialist. (WRAL)

That's it for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— CJ Fullford

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

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