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Community Corner

🌱Varsity Spirit Faces Federal Lawsuit + Wake County Voting Safeguards

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 Chocolate Day Raleigh!

Here's to hoping today is extra sweet; I mean it is National Chocolate Day after all. Today's news has a lot of great information, and let me tell you, Raleigh is hoppin' this weekend and there is no shortage of things to do. Catch up on everything in this Raleigh Patch Daily, including:

  • Raleigh ranks again, in three areas
  • Book-O-Ween, we went last year and it was incredible!
  • A breakdown of ballot initiatives for Wake County

But first, today's weather:

Sun mixing with clouds. High: 64 Low: 49.

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Here are the top six stories today in Raleigh:

  1. The Strom Law Firm announced that a federal lawsuit has been filed against Varsity Spirit after a Raleigh survivor came forward on Thursday. The athlete, referenced as "John Doe 1," claims that coaches at Cheer Extreme gyms in Raleigh and Kernersville and a choreographer sexually abused him, often openly. The lawsuit claims that the survivor reported abuses to coaches, but the police were not notified, and they did nothing to stop it. This lawsuit marks the third state that has uncovered allegations against Varsity Spirit gyms. (abc4, abc24, Fox Carolina, WRAL) In an unrelated case, a Raleigh man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. (WRAL)
  2. Early voting is underway, and Wake County elections officials are confident that no counterfeit ballots are being cast in Wake County elections. Elections director Gary Sims says that mail-in ballots have a barcode that identify who it was sent to, as does the envelope, making it easy to identify if someone was attempting to copy ballots and cast multiples. In-person ballots are checked for the number of voters who came to vote versus the number of ballots issued and counted. Ballots are then held in a secure location, with a tabulating machine that could not read any fake ballots. (WRAL)
  3. Wake County will be setting aside $200,000 for a two-year pilot program to help with septic and well repairs for disabled or low-income residents. The county's Department of Environmental Services and Division of Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization are teaming up to make the program possible. To qualify, residents should have a well or septic problem that is a health or safety hazard, with an income that is less than 50% of Wake County's median income. Wake County has other grant programs that can help with other types of repairs, info here. (CBS17)
  4. WellCare of North Carolina announced a series of grants and coalition-building initiatives to support Raleigh organizations. The funding will go towards community supports for victims and those impacted by recent violent crime, as well as community violence intervention and prevention programs. Some of the organizations receiving grants are Raleigh's ACORNS, the Raleigh Violence Intervention Program set to launch in 2023, the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network, and Focus Church. (PR Newswire)
  5. Raleigh has been selected as the Best Host City for sporting events by Sports Travel Magazine. During the 2022 SportsTravel Awards during the TEAMS '22 Conference & Expo, the win was announced. Visit Raleigh's President and CEO, Dennis Edwards was on-site to receive the award for the Greater Raleigh area. (CBS17) Raleigh was also featured on a list of the Most Valuable Places to invest in Commercial Real Estate by Cadre (Business Wire), as well as a list of the top places Millennials are moving by SmartAsset.
  6. Crews in Cary are driving snowplows over Cary roads in preparation for the upcoming winter weather. The plows are out as part of Cary's annual winter exercise to test best practices, equipment, and adapting to changing conditions. Cary officials say they are ready for winter with, "roughly 75 vehicles consisting of spreaders and plows along with 3,500 tons of salt." Officials are reminding residents that they can sign up for ReadyWake Alerts, and they should know how to turn off the home's "master water shut off valve in the event of frozen/broken utility pipes." (CBS17)

Today in Raleigh:

Saturday in Raleigh:

Bonus: 6 ways to celebrate Halloween in Raleigh/Durham (CBS17), 27 Things to do in Raleigh This Week (RaleighMag)

From my notebook:

  • It's National Chocolate Day and while you probably know of at least one amazing Raleigh chocolatier, there are so many confectionaries in and around Raleigh you should explore. The Trippy Life has compiled a list of 14 Chocolate Shops to check out!
  • Three bonds are on the Wake County ballot, if you're weighing how you want to vote, abc11 is breaking down what you get and what it will cost.
  • A recent poll from Marist College shows that the U.S. Senate race is tight. (WRAL)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning 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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