In partnership with
🧭 Here’s what’s in today’s issue:
• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 💪 Wellness News: The Germiest Pharmacy Surfaces You May Be Overlooking
• ⚠️ Health Alert: Weekly U.S. Food Recall & Safety Roundup
• 😄 Meme of the Day: Laughter is the Best Medicine
• ❤️ Communities need strong connections: Show Your Support
• 📅 Events: Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
👉 Browse the highlights. Click your favorites.
Did someone forward you our Cary newsletter? Then subscribe here
Question: Which planet was discovered by mathematical prediction before it was directly observed?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)
Need to promote your event or business in Cary?
If you have questions about advertising, email: [email protected]
Elon's new company is private. These 3 tickers aren't.
The next Apple may already exist. Insider sources say Elon has spent two years building a secret device inside Tesla's facilities — one he claims will be "10x bigger than the largest product in history."
There's just one problem: the company is private, and unless you know Elon personally, you can't buy a single share. That was true until Guardian's research team found three public ticker symbols sitting in the launch supply chain.
Click here to see all 3 tickers, free of charge.
You won't hear these names on CNBC — Wall Street hasn't published a word on the connection. But when the launch hits September 21, that quiet ends.
Some are already calling this the biggest opportunity since AI. For anyone who missed Apple before the iPhone, this may be a second look at that kind of setup.
CARY SPOTLIGHT: HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION
These articles in our Cary Spotlight Wellness Wednesday Special Edition are for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
The Germiest Pharmacy Surfaces You May Be Overlooking
Cold and flu season means more people heading to the pharmacy for prescriptions, medicine and other supplies. It also means many of the surfaces customers touch are being used by people who may already be sick or caring for someone who is.
Health experts say some of the easiest places for germs to spread are also among the most ordinary: touchscreens, payment terminals and door handles.
The concern is not that visiting a pharmacy will necessarily make you sick. Instead, shared surfaces can provide another opportunity for germs to move from one person's hands to another's.
💳 Watch Those High-Touch Surfaces
Pharmacy customers may interact with several shared surfaces during even a quick visit.
Sign-in screens, blood pressure machine touchpads, checkout terminals and door handles can be touched by many people throughout the day. Microbiologist Jason Tetro explained that contact can transfer microorganisms to a person's hands.
Gastroenterologist Supriya Rao noted that pharmacies are somewhat different from ordinary stores because many customers are there precisely because they or someone close to them is ill.
Some viruses can also remain on surfaces for extended periods, although touching a contaminated surface does not automatically mean someone will become sick.
🧼 What You Can Do
One of the simplest precautions is also one of the most familiar: clean your hands and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
The experts recommend washing your hands after returning home. When soap and water are not readily available, alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be a convenient option for many common germs.
Tetro recommends using enough sanitizer to thoroughly cover the hands and rubbing them together for about 15 seconds.
Hand sanitizer does not work equally well against every pathogen, however, which is why regular handwashing remains important.
For most people, the takeaway is not to worry about every pharmacy touchscreen or door handle. Instead, cold and flu season can be a useful reminder that a little extra attention to hand hygiene after touching frequently shared surfaces can go a long way.
Just curious…
What’s your hand-hygiene habit after a pharmacy or grocery store run?
One idea shouldn't take six rewrites to post.
Posting everywhere means rewriting one idea six times, so you post to one, or none. SureThing turns one idea into native posts for every platform.
Weekly U.S. Food Recall & Safety Roundup
Reporting period: September 23–29, 2026
Bottom line upfront: The most consequential development is a new E. coli outbreak linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw-milk cheese. Thirteen people in nine states have become ill; eight were hospitalized and three developed kidney failure. More than half of the patients are children age five or younger. The cheese was sold nationwide and online, so consumers should check refrigerators and freezers. A separate alfalfa-seed recall directly affects North Carolina.
1. Sierra Nevada Graziers raw-milk cheese — E. coli outbreak
Products: All Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw-milk cheeses: medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack and Monterey jack. Retail packages are 8 or 16 ounces; foodservice and wholesale packages are five-pound loaves.
Hazard: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26:H11.
Outbreak: 13 illnesses in nine states, 8 hospitalizations, 3 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome and no deaths. More than half of the patients are age five or younger. All nine patients interviewed reported eating Graziers raw-milk cheese.
Distribution: Retailers nationwide and online. Reported illnesses occurred in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah.
Consumer guidance: Do not eat, sell or serve any recalled cheese. Return it for a refund or discard it, and clean surfaces and containers it touched. If cheese was removed from its original packaging and cannot be identified, throw it away.
2. Berlin Seeds alfalfa sprouting seed — E. coli and Salmonella risk
Product: Approximately 950 pounds of Berlin Seeds Alfalfa Sprouting Seed, sold in quarter-pound, half-pound, one-pound, five-pound and 50-pound packages. Five- and 50-pound packages carry lot SAL2-24JB; smaller packages have no lot code.
Hazard: Potential contamination with STEC E. coli O26:H11, O103:H25 or O168:H8 and/or Salmonella Agona.
Distribution: Sold at Berlin Seeds’ Ohio store and online from February 13 through August 23 to customers in 44 states, including North Carolina.
Illnesses: Berlin Seeds reported one illness directly associated with the seed. The seed was identified through traceback connected to the broader multistate alfalfa-sprout outbreak involving 55 illnesses across 15 states.
Consumer guidance: Do not sprout, plant, eat or give away the seed. Seal it in a bag and discard it. Throw away sprouts grown from it and sanitize jars, trays, sprouters and nearby surfaces.
3. Lior ground cinnamon — elevated lead
Product: Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning, 90 grams, UPC 794711005484, lot GAP11304.
Hazard: Elevated lead levels detected through Maryland Department of Health testing. Lead exposure may be especially harmful to children.
Distribution: Retailers, grocery stores, delis and supermarkets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Illinois, distributed from November 18, 2025 through September 7, 2026.
Illnesses: None reported.
Consumer guidance: Do not consume the cinnamon. Discard it or return it for a refund.
4. Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini — possible pest contaminant
Product: Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini, Medium Heat, 32-ounce jars, SKU 10106328, lot 720106.
Hazard: Possible foreign material described as a pest contaminant. The recall followed a consumer video showing a possible contaminant inside a jar.
Distribution: Limited to customers identified through company distribution records; the FDA notice does not provide a state list.
Illnesses or injuries: None reported.
Consumer guidance: Do not consume the affected product. Contact Mezzetta for assistance. No other Mezzetta products or lots are included.
5. Deano’s Pasta ravioli — undeclared lobster
Product: Deano’s Pasta Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli, frozen one-pound bags, UPC 644216993994, lots 090126126, 082526126, 081826126 and 073126126.
Hazard: Undeclared lobster, creating a potentially life-threatening risk for people with crustacean-shellfish allergies.
Distribution: Massachusetts retail stores between August 10 and September 22. Approximately 20 pounds were recalled.
Illnesses: None reported.
Consumer guidance: People with a lobster or crustacean-shellfish allergy should not eat the ravioli. Return it for a full refund.
Other important federal outbreak updates
FDA opened two investigations involving foods that have not yet been identified:
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involving 25 illnesses. FDA and USDA FSIS are jointly investigating and traceback has begun.
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak involving 40 illnesses. FDA has begun traceback.
An unidentified Salmonella Newport outbreak increased from 111 to 116 illnesses.
Because officials have not identified products or brands in these outbreaks, there is currently nothing specific consumers are being told to discard or avoid.
When you hear about a major food recall, what do you usually do?
Meme of the Day.
Brought to you by Cary's Daily Newsletter.
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.
❤️ Communities Need Strong Connections
Your support helps keep Cary Spotlight free, community-powered, and arriving in inboxes every morning.
Choose the option that's most convenient for you:
🎟️ Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few ideas for the week, so plan ahead:
• Wednesday: Tai Chi: Downtown Cary Park 6:30PM-7:30PM
• Wednesday: Dandiya & Garba: Craft + Dance Workshop 6:30PM-8:30PM
• Wednesday: Cary Players presents The Prom 7:30PM-10PM
• Thursday: Sustainability Tour (Seniors Only) 10AM-11:30AM
• Thursday: Live at Lunch: Savanna Bassett 11:30AM-1:30PM
• Thursday: Zumba 6PM-7PM
• Friday: Triangle Oktoberfest 5PM-10PM
• Friday: Bands, Bites, and Boats 5PM-7PM
• Friday: Movie Night: Frankenweenie 6PM-10PM
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Triangle Oktoberfest 12PM-8PM
• Saturday: Puppy Yoga 8AM-12:30PM
• Saturday: Cary Players presents The Prom 7:30PM-10PM
• Sunday: Tricks & Treats: Dog Training 2PM-3PM
• Sunday: Cary Players presents The Prom 3PM-5:30PM
• Sunday: Jazz’d Up Sundays: Tia Fuller 6:30PM-8PM
• 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
The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇
A: Neptune
Neptune was discovered through mathematical prediction before it was directly observed.
Following the discovery of Uranus, astronomers noticed that its orbit did not match the path predicted by Isaac Newton's laws of gravity. It experienced slight "wobbles" or orbital irregularities.
Learn more, Discovery of Neptune