Question: What countries share land borders with Suriname?

(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

Three years ago today — October 24, 2023 — we hit “send” on our very first edition of Cary Spotlight. Since that morning, we’ve shown up every single day without missing one. Rain or shine, holiday or headline, you’ve opened your inbox to a little slice of Cary — and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Whether you've been with us since Issue #001 or joined us just last week, thank you.

Thank you for opening our emails, sharing our stories, answering our polls, supporting local businesses, and cheering us on.

You are the reason Cary Spotlight has become more than just a newsletter.

We've built Cary Spotlight on one simple promise: to show up daily for the people who show up for Cary.

That's the spirit of this community.

People stay because they care.

Because they see that we care, too. About you, your neighborhood, your story, and your town.

And after three years, that commitment is stronger than ever.

More local stories. More hidden gems. More community conversations. More reasons to smile. And more opportunities to celebrate the people and places that make Cary special.

As we begin our fourth year, we're excited about what comes next, including welcoming more neighbors as we work toward our next milestone of 10,000 subscribers.

But no matter how much Cary Spotlight grows, one thing will never change.

We'll keep showing up for Cary, one morning at a time.

Thank you for reading, clicking, sharing, and cheering us on for three amazing years.

Here's to the next chapter, filled with more stories, more smiles, and more reasons to be proud to call Cary home.

With joyful gratitude,

Chris Coetzer, PhD
Founder & Publisher, Cary Spotlight
— Still shining bright, every single day.

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

Earlier this week, we shared the story of a Wake County man who called 911 in severe pain and ended up being offered a rideshare. He said dispatchers told him no ambulances were available and arranged a Lyft through the county’s 911 Nurse Navigation program. He canceled the ride, got himself to WakeMed, and was diagnosed with appendicitis.

The program itself isn’t new: it launched to connect callers with non-life-threatening concerns to telemedicine or urgent care instead of an ambulance ride and a long hospital wait, and over the past year it screened more than 6,000 patients, with 43% not needing ambulance transport. So we asked you: how do you feel about it?

Issue #1093 — "How do you feel about Wake County offering Lyft rides instead of ambulances for certain 911 calls?"

⚠️ Concerned that serious medical conditions could be overlooked – 32.88%
🚑 Anyone who requests an ambulance should receive one – ~19%
🏥 Prefer transportation by trained medical personnel – ~16%
💰 Support it if it saves resources for life-threatening emergencies – ~14%
👍 Support it if medical professionals determine it’s safe – ~12%
🤔 Need more information about how the program works – ~5%

The clear message: Cary readers aren’t rejecting the idea outright, but they want guardrails. Concern about missed diagnoses led the field by a comfortable margin, and when you add in those who want an ambulance on request and those who prefer trained medical personnel behind the wheel, roughly two-thirds of respondents leaned toward caution. One reader noted that those last two choices are really two sides of the same coin, and it’s a fair point.

Still, about a quarter of readers said they could get behind the program with conditions attached, whether that’s a medical professional making the call or the savings going toward true emergencies. Notably, some of the most thoughtful responses came from people who’ve worked the other side of the call: a retired fire chief and medic, and a registered nurse. Both understood the strain on EMS, and both wanted more clarity on how the line gets drawn.

💬 What Readers Said

Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Here’s hoping none of us needs to find out firsthand, but if you do, may your ride come with sirens when it counts.

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.

If your phone seems to ring more often with strangers lately, you’re not imagining it. U.S. consumers received more than 4.35 billion robocalls in July, the highest monthly level in a year, and scam calls rose from 24% of all robocalls in June to 27% in July 2026. So we asked Cary Spotlight readers how it’s playing out on their own phones. The verdict was loud and clear.

Poll Results

😩 Major problem. I get several calls every day. 51%
🔇 I use call-blocking features to filter them out. ~18%
📞 Annoying. I get a few unwanted calls each week. ~15%
⚖️ I want stronger enforcement against robocall companies. ~10%
🛡️ I rarely get spam calls anymore. ~4%
✏️ Other ~1%
🤖 I’m most concerned about Ai-powered phone scams. 0%

More than half of respondents called spam calls a daily problem, and that was the only option that came close to a majority. Add in the readers who say they’re getting a few unwanted calls each week, and roughly two-thirds of you are dealing with this regularly.

The call-blockers make up the second-largest group, but the comments suggest that blocking is more of a coping strategy than a cure. Several readers described layering defenses (spam filters, the Do Not Call registry, custom voicemail greetings, a flat rule against answering unknown numbers) and still getting through the day with plenty of rings.

Only a small handful said spam calls have mostly gone away for them. And interestingly, not a single reader picked Ai-powered scams as their top concern. That may say less about the threat and more about where the frustration lives right now: in the sheer volume of calls, not the sophistication of any one of them.

💬 In Your Words

One reader who wants stronger enforcement shared a detailed personal playbook. Their advice: treat every unknown caller with suspicion, stay silent until the caller speaks, avoid saying “yes,” and hang up if there’s a long pause before anyone answers, since that usually signals an automated system.

They also warned that spoofed numbers often mimic your local area code to seem familiar (one even showed up with the reader’s own number) and argued that spoofing a caller ID should be outlawed outright. Their closing tips are worth repeating: never give personal information over the phone, never pay with gift cards, and verify any business independently before trusting it.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in. And if your phone rings while you’re reading this, you already know what to do.

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.

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: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Downtown Scary Park: Haunted Hotel 2PM-10:30PM
• Saturday: Movie Night: Halloween Double Feature 6PM-10PM
• Saturday: Haunting at the Old Hotel 6:30PM-9:30PM
• Saturday: Me...Jane: Applause! Cary Youth Theatre 7:30PM-8:30PM
• Sunday: Tricks & Treats: Dog Training 2PM-3PM
• Sunday: Haunted Walk Night 2 7PM-10:30PM
• Sunday: Legacy of Jazz: Devine and Dexterous 3:30PM-5PM
• Monday: Downtown Cary Park Diwali Celebration 6:30PM-8PM

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