🌱United Healthcare and WakeMed Reach Agreement + GoTriangle Reduction

Happy National Adoption Day Raleigh!

I hope you got the opportunity to go enjoy the Raleigh Christmas tree lighting last night, and don't miss out on the parade today! Raleigh is such an incredible place to be this time of year with so much festive joy taking place. In a city that has so much going on, I'm glad we're all able to keep up with the Raleigh Patch Daily! Read below to find out all about:

• The return of the STEM in Red event.
• The return of the skating rink in downtown Raleigh.
• Get to know the grand marshal of this year's parade.

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But first, today's weather:

Sunny much of the time. High: 56 Low: 35.

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Here are the top six stories today in Raleigh:

1. After almost 6 months without a contract, United Healthcare and WakeMed have struck a deal that will bring the hospitals back in-network for thousands of United Healthcare insured patients. From June 1 through November 14, services performed at WakeMed facilities were charged out-of-network prices for around 20,000 United Healthcare patients. The agreement is described as a "multi-year relationship" but details regarding the length of contract or new costs have not been revealed. (WRAL)
2. Former NC State football player, Joseph Boletepeli has been charged with communicating threats to current coach Dave Doeren. The warrant says that a threat was made via Twitter, saying, "Imma get him I promise. Dave Doeren and the rest." Boletepeli is also facing misdemeanor stalking and resisting a public officer. Boletepeli was on the NC State rosters for 2018 and 2019 before transferring to Maryland. He is not listed on Maryland's 2022 roster on the university's athletics website. (CBS17, WRAL)
3. The suspected gunman of October 13's Hedingham shooting in Raleigh will be represented by a public defender. Austin Thompson does not currently have a hearing date scheduled, but Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has already said she will pursue charges against Thompson as an adult should he recover enough to stand trial. Thompson will first have a probable cause hearing in juvenile court. (WRAL)
4. More than a hundred middle schoolers from the Triangle came to Raleigh on Thursday for the American Heart Association's STEM goes red event. The event was held at Allscripts at North Hills for the first time after a two year hiatus. The event's goal is to introduce girls to opportunities available in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students got to participate in hands on demonstrations, panel discussions, and speed mentoring. (abc11)
5. GoTriangle has announced that it will be suspending two routes that connect Raleigh with Chapel-Hill and Durham due to a driver shortage. The Chapel-Hill Raleigh express and Durham Raleigh express routes will be suspended beginning in early December. The CRX and DRX routes are reported to transport more than 520 passengers a day, making up about 9% of GoTriangle's ridership total. GoTriangle hopes to hire more drivers to bring the routes back in coming months, but it is short approximately 23 drivers at this time. (abc11)
6. A Friday morning crash closed the intersection of Chapel Hill Road and Hillsborough Street. Officers said that the crash involved one vehicle that hit a power pole overnight, bringing down power lines. There were no major power outages reported due to the lines being down. (CBS17, WRAL)

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From our sponsor:

Today's Raleigh Daily is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today's Raleigh Daily possible.

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Today in Raleigh:

• The 78th Annual ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade (9:30am-12:00pm)
• KoreaFest at The Exposition Center at the State Fairgrounds (10:00am-7:00pm)
• American Indian Heritage Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of History (10:45am-4:00pm)
• The RINK at Red Hat Amphitheater Returns, presented by UNC Health (11:00am-11:00pm)
• Holiday Bazaar with Live Music & Santa at Transfer Co. (12:00pm-4:00pm)
• Magic and Mischief: A Wizards Market at Fred Fletcher Park (1:00pm-6:00pm)
• Downtown Raleigh Coffee Stroll starting at Marbles (2:00pm-3:30pm)
• Tree Lighting at Lafayette Village (3:00pm-6:00pm) & North Hills (4:00pm-7:00pm)
• WRAL Night of Lights Fun Run at Dix Park Conservancy (6:15pm)

Sunday in Raleigh:

• KoreaFest at The Exposition Center at the State Fairgrounds (10:00am-7:00pm)
• Sunday Funday Yoga at Seven Saturdays Taproom (11:00am)
• Friendsgiving Potluck at Peakway Taps (1:00pm)
• Winter Wonderland at Park West Village Morrisville (2:00pm-5:30pm)
• Beats & Brunch at Umami Asian Bistro (2:00pm-8:00pm)
• KW Raleigh and Wake Forest Fall Festival at Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard (4:00pm-6:30pm)
• F.R.I.E.N.D.S.Giving Trivia Night at PourWorks (6:30pm-9:00pm)

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From my notebook:

• It's National Adoption Day and if you're considering a different kind of gift this holiday season, Wake County has a helpful page to get you started on an adoption journey.
• Meet the 2022 grand marshal of the ABC11 Leeithcars.com Raleigh Christmas Parade, Sylvia Wiggins. (abc11)
• North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has announced an investigation into Ticketmaster after the company cancelled the general sale for Taylor Swift tickets on Thursday. (CBS17)

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (November 22)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!

— CJ Fullford

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