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Community Corner

🌱 Storms Impacts + 'Five Ribbon' Maternity Hospitals + Record Heat

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Raleigh.

Christina Fullford's profile picture
Christina Fullford, Neighbor
(Patch Media)

Happy National Learn to Swim Day Raleigh!

First, today's weather:

A thunderstorm around. High: 93 Low: 72.

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Here are the top stories in Raleigh today:

  1. Thousands in the area were without power on Friday morning as a result of the overnight thunderstorms. The storm brought 70mph wind gusts, quarter sized hail, and downed large oak trees. While some areas did not see much impact, Garner had a high volume of outages and in Wilson County the schools had to close due to impacts. (abc11, CBS17, WRAL)
  2. A second arrest has been made in the Lakes Apartment Complex shooting that killed Geovanni Emilio Valero on Tuesday. Deja Mone Simmons was charged with murder on Thursday afternoon. Rodney Vaughn Stotts Jr. was the first charged, and he and Simmons are both being held at the Wake County Detention Center. (abc11, CBS17, WNCT9)
  3. Several Triangle hospitals have ranked among the best maternity hospitals in the US. WakeMed Raleigh, WakeMed Cary, and UNC Rex all earned "five ribbons" in the Newsweek evaluation based on three data sources. The survey asked professionals to recommend top hospitals for maternity care and considered patient satisfaction and cesarean birth rates. (WRAL) I delivered both my children at UNC Rex and am inclined to agree.
  4. Yesterday, Raleigh broke a record for the hottest May 20th on record at 95 degrees. This surpassed the 1938 record of 94 degrees. (abc11) As temperatures climb, with more hot days ahead, Wake County is continuing their Cool for Wake program to provide fans and air conditioners to those in need. Wake County is still accepting donations of funds or gently used fans/air conditioners, and households who are eligible for the program can request a unit through their social worker or reach out to Denise Kissel. (CBS17)
  5. Tourism numbers for Wake County are ahead of predictions, although still lagging behind pre-pandemic figures. COVID remains a lingering concern for summer and tourism, but the continued upward trend is bringing optimism to those in the travel and leisure industry. Wake County's hotel occupancy outpaced the state and national averages in the first quarter of 2022, with 92% occupancy during the Dreamville Festival. (abc11)

Today in Raleigh:

Bonus: Weekend Best Bets (WRAL) & 10 Things to do with Kids (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's National Learn to Swim Day and Raleigh Aquatics has group classes and private lessons to help you or your kids conquer the water in time for summer fun.
  • Wake County Sheriff Incumbent Gerald Baker officially announced on Thursday that he will be pursuing a runoff election against challenger Willie Rowe for the Democratic nomination. (abc11)
  • The Garner Police Department is hosting a Self-Defense Class for Women and Teens today from 8:00am-3:00pm.
  • Baptist Grove Church is hosting their Life Harvest Food Pantry today from 10:00am-11:00am.

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— CJ Fullford

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

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