• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 📰 News: Wake County Awards $750K+ to Help Prevent Youth Substance Abuse
• 📰 Scrollback: Summer, You Can Go Now
• 📰 Scrollback: Ready to Vote? Cary Readers Are Ready
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Start Your Day with a Smile
• ❤️ Some stories are worth revisiting: Thank You For Your Gift
• 📅 Events: Weekend Events Preview (Top Picks)

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Question: The shoe company Converse is owned by what major corporation?

(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

Wake County has awarded more than $750,000 in opioid settlement funding to four community organizations focused on preventing substance use and providing earlier support to young people and families.

NAMI Wake will receive the largest award, $250,000, to expand its Young Minds Collective. El Futuro will receive $213,908 for a new initiative serving Latino youth and families, while SouthLight Healthcare will receive $168,848 for a program serving young people ages 12 to 25 who may be at risk of substance use, overdose or justice system involvement.

UCA WAVES will receive $125,000 for overdose prevention training, peer support and health education, with a focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, including Asian refugees.

The awards are part of approximately $70 million that Wake County expects to receive over 18 years through national opioid settlements. County officials are using this portion of the funding to emphasize prevention, education and intervention before substance use challenges develop into more serious problems.

The programs also reflect an effort to reach different populations with services tailored to their communities. That includes initiatives specifically serving Latino families and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents, along with broader programs for young people and the adults who support them.

Wake County officials say the larger goal is to strengthen behavioral health support for children, teenagers and families and give residents places to seek help earlier, rather than waiting until they are facing a crisis.

Read Full Report

We’re rewinding the feed to spotlight a standout moment, story, or snapshot from Cary’s past. Let’s scroll back and see…

Monday's 30-inch water main break in Cary's Central Pressure Zone left more than just low water pressure in its wake, it also left residents with a clear opinion on what they need most when infrastructure fails. With a precautionary boil-water advisory in place and N.C. 55 traffic disrupted, we asked readers what matters most during a major water main break. The results point to one dominant concern.

Issue #1065 — "Ready for Cooler Weather?"

🙌 Bring it on, I'm ready for a break from the heat – 55.2%
🚶 Excited for more comfortable outdoor weather – 34.5%
😄 I actually like the warmer weather – 3.4%
😂 I'll believe it when I feel it – 3.4%
🌰 Ready for the first real taste of fall – 1.7%
👕 Not ready to put away the shorts yet – 1.7%

This one wasn't much of a contest. Nearly nine in ten readers are either counting down the days until the heat breaks or already planning time outdoors once it does. The top two answers combined for roughly 90% of the vote.

The heat fans are out there, but they're a small and loyal group. A handful of readers still prefer warmer weather or aren't ready to retire their shorts, and a few skeptics are holding off on celebrating until they actually feel the change. Given how many "fake falls" North Carolina tends to deliver in late September, that caution is fair.

Even among the relief crowd, there's nuance. Several readers welcomed the cooldown while making it clear they aren't in a hurry to jump straight into winter. Cary's sweet spot, it seems, is the stretch between sweating and shivering.

One reader also marked the occasion by noting that the autumnal equinox landed on the evening of Tuesday, September 22, making fall official on the calendar, if not quite yet on the thermometer.

Here's to open windows, porch evenings, and a fall that actually sticks around this time. Keep the shorts handy for now, though. This is North Carolina.

What are your favorite places to eat in Cary?

Cary’s food scene keeps growing, and we want to hear from the people who know it best: Cary Spotlight readers.

Take our quick Cary Restaurant Survey and tell us your favorite local spots, from date-night restaurants and hidden gems to pizza, burgers, coffee and more.

Your answers will help us create a reader-powered guide to some of the best food Cary has to offer.

With Election Day on Nov. 3 now just weeks away, we asked readers how prepared they feel heading into the voting season. The answer: Cary Spotlight readers are well ahead of the game. Most respondents said they're either fully ready or already planning to cast an early ballot, with only a handful still working out the details.

Poll Results

✅ Ready to go, I've checked everything: 42.6%
🗓️ Planning to vote early: 33.3%
📋 Registered, but still need to review my ballot: 20.4%
📬 Planning to vote absentee by mail: 1.9%
⏰ I still need to make my voting plan: 1.9%
🔎 Still researching candidates and races: 0%

This is a readership that shows up prepared. More than three out of four respondents are either fully set or planning to vote early, and a fifth are registered and just need to sit down with their ballot before heading out.

Early voting is clearly the preferred route. A third of readers plan to take advantage of the early voting window, which runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31, while mail voting barely registered. Perhaps most striking: not a single respondent said they were still researching candidates. Whether that reflects confidence or simply a very decided electorate, Cary readers appear to know where they stand.

Oct. 9 at 5 p.m.: Regular voter registration deadline
Oct. 15: Early voting begins
Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.: Absentee ballot request deadline
Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.: Early voting ends
Nov. 3: Election Day, with polls scheduled to be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wake County voters can use ReadyToVote.com for local election information, including registration, sample ballots, voting options and polling information. Statewide voter requirements and official guidance are available from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Whether you're voting early, by mail, or on Nov. 3, we'll see you at the polls, Cary.

What’s faster than word of mouth? Cary Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.

Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few great ways to enjoy the weekend:

• Saturday: ITA All American - Women's Tennis All Day
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Fall Litter Sweep | Kildaire Farm Road 9AM-10:30AM
• Saturday: Organic Gardening 9:30AM-10:30AM
• Saturday: American Dance Festival: Made in NC 7:30PM-9PM
• Sunday: ITA All American - Women's Tennis All Day
• Sunday: American Dance Festival Masterclass 1PM-3PM
• Sunday: Cary Players presents The Prom 3PM-7:30PM
• Monday: Stretch and Refresh 10AM-11AM

But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar