Cary Spotlight | Issue #292

Federal Funds for NC Power Grid, Urgent Adoption Push in Wake County, and an Olympian's Path from Foster Care

In this Cary Spotlight Issue…

💭Spotlight Hook Trivia

☀️ Cary NC Weather

😀 Meme of the Day

📅 Lots Of Events This Week (The Week at a Glance)

📰 North Carolina Secures $57 Million in Federal Funds to Strengthen Power Grid

📰 Wake County Animal Center Waives Adoption Fees to Prevent Euthanasia Crisis

📰 From Foster Care to Olympic Glory: Kenny Bednarek’s Inspiring Journey

💡 Real Talk: Wake County Cyclospora Outbreak Ends, No Restaurants to Blame

🏛️ Support Cary Local Businesses

Question: What business and habit did the founder of Cary fight against?

(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

Discover Bee Banhmi as the newest local business sponsor of Cary Spotlight. They do catering, online ordering, home delivery and in-store.

Partner with us to reach our local audience in Cary, NC.
email: [email protected]

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.

Who else do you know in Cary who might also want enjoy reading the Cary Spotlight?

Meme-o-meter

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North Carolina Secures $57 Million in Federal Funds to Strengthen Power Grid

North Carolina has been awarded $57 million in federal funding to upgrade its electrical grid and enhance renewable energy storage capabilities.

The funds, announced by Governor Roy Cooper and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, will be used to reconstruct a vital 35-mile transmission line serving multiple counties.

Duke Energy will match the federal investment, with the project expected to reduce power outages for thousands of customers and support the state’s growing energy demands. This initiative is part of a broader national effort to improve grid resilience and expand access to reliable, clean energy. Read Full Story

Wake County Animal Center Waives Adoption Fees to Prevent Euthanasia Crisis

In response to a critical overcrowding situation, the Wake County Animal Center has initiated a month-long fee waiver for adoptions from August 9 to September 8.

The "Clear the Shelters" event aims to find homes for at-risk animals that have been in the shelter for over 90 days, helping the center avoid euthanizing animals due to space constraints for the first time in eight years.

With nearly 580 animals in their care, including dogs, cats, and other pets, the shelter is urging the community to adopt.

All adopted pets will be spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations, with additional support available for dogs with heartworm.
Read Full Report

From Foster Care to Olympic Glory: Kenny Bednarek’s Inspiring Journey

Credit: Dream Makers

Editor’s Note: Printed below (from FB Post) without edits or addition. (Source: Dream Makers). Kenny Bednarek won a Silver medal in the 200m at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Born in Oklahoma, Kenny was placed in foster care after experiencing abuse and neglect. After months of moving in and out of foster homes, Kenny felt afraid for where he might end up. Thankfully, Mary met Kenny and adopted him at age 4.

Though Kenny had the stability of a permanent, loving family, as a child, he struggled with the impact of being in foster care. He had difficulty processing his emotions and trusting those around him. As a response to the experiences he had been through, he’d sometimes act out in anger or frustration.

“When I was in high school, I loved sports, but I also had a lot of feelings of insecurity and a lack of belonging,” recalled Kenny. “I always said I wanted to be an Olympian, but I think at the time, I wasn’t really thinking about what that required. I was just going through the motions.”

When Kenny discovered track and field, he unlocked a new part of himself. He finally had a way to channel his energy into a positive and productive outlet. He defied the odds and started breaking records while running track there, quickly going pro.

Most recently, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events.

In all of Kenny’s success to date, he credits his past with driving him forward.

“Every single previous version of me is still a part of me, including the trauma from my childhood. I own my past and my present,” said Kenny. “I am who I am, and I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved by buckling down and doing the really tough work — work on myself, working through emotional trauma and setbacks, and tough, hard work on the track.”

His message to those touched by foster care and adoption is one of hope.

“I want to inspire others and those who may have similar experiences and promote safety and stability for all children,” said Kenny.

What aspect of Kenny Bednarek's story resonates most with you?

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Gourmet meal and white wine

Real Talk: Wake County Cyclospora Outbreak Ends, No Restaurants to Blame

Editor’s Note: Printed below (from email communication with one of our readers) without edits or addition is real talk about yesterday’s article in Cary Spotlight: "Cyclospora Outbreak in Wake County Traced to Contaminated Herbs and Vegetable”.

Subscriber: Hi Chris,

The link to WRAL on the Cary Restaurant issue does not work. What I also wonder, why are the names of the restaurants being kept a secret from WRAL since they first reported this on TV? That is poor journalism on the part of WRAL, and you too if you know the restaurants.. So I will not be going to ANY restaurants in Cary until I know the details. Others will do the same. Is that what journalists are trying to accomplish? Punish all restaurants because 3 of them do not properly wash their incoming supplies?

Thanks for your great newsletter.

Cary Spotlight: Thank you for your feedback. We have fixed the broken link in the Cyclospora Outbreak in Wake County story.

You can read it here in the online edition https://www.caryspotlight.com/p/cary-spotlight-issue-291

We cannot name the 3 restaurants since the names were not released. Per the full report, "We have not identified any restaurants as the problem but more with the products themselves," officials said.  Officials say that "investigations suggest herbs and vegetables may be the causative agent."

Please note that the outbreak appears to be over.  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said the outbreak was identified in July. A spokeswoman with DHHS tells WRAL, “We have not identified the specific contaminated food item, and the outbreak appears to be over.”

The quotes come from the WRAL report were made by Wake County Health Department officials.

Subscriber: Chris, thanks for the quick response!

And more for the thoughtful response. This helps immensely.  Glad I can go back to eating at my local restaurants again!

Appreciate your newsletter, great job.

Just curious…

What is the most important factor for you when considering food safety in restaurants?

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After learning that the outbreak has been declared over, how likely are you to dine out again in Cary?

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Pet Spa Gives Back to the Community

Mosa Pet Spa & Boutique in Cary is hosting a special event this August to support local dog rescue efforts. On August 18th, the spa will hold a “Wash-a-Thon” to benefit Perfectly Imperfect Pups (PIPs), a rescue organization dedicated to helping at-risk dogs, particularly those with special needs.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mosa Pet Spa will offer discounted grooming services, including baths, nail trims, and ear cleanings for dogs, at a price of $40. Half of the proceeds from these services will go directly to PIPs. Current fosters with PIPs can take advantage of these services for free.

Upcoming Local Events

Looking ahead to events happening in Cary, NC for the rest of the week.
Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information.

August 10th (Saturday)

August 11th(Sunday)

August 12th (Monday)

The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇

Frank Page, who started the town of Cary, strongly opposed the sale and drinking of alcohol. He was part of the temperance movement, which thought alcohol was very harmful and should be stopped by the government. Frank felt very strongly about this because of his religious beliefs. (Around about Cary, p25)

For more historical insights into Cary's development visit these resources:

Friends' newsletters with great Cary history articles
https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/newsletter

Blog posts with a wide variety of Cary history https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/Cary-Me-Back