News Updates

(News Updates can be seen Monday through Friday on MyRDC with Host Rhonda Keith)

VALENTINES DAY SPENDING

You can't buy love, but that isn't stopping Americans from spending plenty on jewelry, flowers, candy, and dinner-out on Valentines Day, according to a new report.  US shoppers expect to spend an average of $126 on their sweethearts and loved ones this year, up 8.5 percent from last year, according to the National Retail Federations annual consumer intentions survey.  The figure marks the highest level of Valentines Day purchasing in the surveys 10-year history. 

According to the survey, 19 percent of shoppers plan to buy jewelry for their significant others, up from 17percent last year.  Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach 4.1 billion, up from 3.5 billion last year, the trade group predicted. Half of consumers intend to buy candy and 36 percent plan to buy flowers and dinner-out.  The robust outlook for Valentine's Day follows a better-than-average holiday shopping season where retail sales rose 4.1 percent. 

SOCIAL MEDIA LOVE

How do we love Social Media?  Let me count the ways Social media combines the greatest advance in modern technology, the Internet, with a powerful and basic human need as old as the human race itself: the need to belong.  The desire to belong, to be a part of something greater than yourself, is the most basic and powerful of human emotional needs.  Friends hardly ever use email anymore they communicate through Facebook, Twitter, and text.

Social Media in many ways levels the playing field.  Anyone can reach out to anyone.  You tube allows anyone with a camera and a wee bit of know how to essentially have their own television show. More than one person has become a star this way.  And just when everyone thought the Internet was set, along came Facebook. Its now the second most visited site on the planet, second only to Google. Anyone with an internet connection can share their views and stay connected to anyone anywhere.

MLK DAY OF SERVICE

Scores of kids and adults, but mostly kids, gathered at White Plains Children Center last week to make cards for troops, pack groceries into backpacks for needy kids, and help with various chores onsite.  Jaden Fisher, who attends Brier Creek Elementary, came to the event with the Raleigh-Wake chapter of Jack& Jill of America, an African-American mom-led community service group that teaches children leadership skills they can carry into adulthood.

Triangle United way held similar events in Durham, Johnston,and Orange counties,as did other nonprofit organizations across the Triangle.

Everyone had jobs to do until noon,when they would break for pizza and a short program offering reflection on Dr.King and the value of helping others. Instilling in young kids the inclination to help others was a big part of the motivation for the adults who coordinated and supervised the activities.

COMPUTER GLITCH

Parents of 1191 Wake County students have to reselect which middle schools they want their children to attend this fall because of a computer glitch on the school systems computer system.  The school system sent out email messages to the affected families letting them know that an update to the computer software had erased their middle school choices.  School Officials say some couldn't be reached because they did not leave email addresses. The families have until 10pm on February 24th to reselect their choices.

Prior to last Friday, Wake County's student assignment website didn't let families applying to middle schools with split feeder patterns to choose the high school pathway they wanted.  Wake updated the software to correct the problem, but the resulting change reset the middle school selections for the affected families who had submitted their applications before that date.  Families who have any questions about the process can contact the Wake County Office of Student Assignment.

KOMEN CHARITY

For leaders of the nations pre-eminent breast cancer charity, it was a firestorm they didn't see coming and couldn't withstand.   Last week,Susan G. Komen for the Cure abandoned plans to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood.  The dramatic retreat followed a three-day furor that resounded across the Internet, in Congress, and among Komen affiliates who openly rebelled, suggesting the leadership had bowed to anti-abortion pressure.

Komen had adopted criteria excluding Planned Parenthood from future grants for breast-cancer screenings because it was under government investigation, citing a probe launched by a Florida congressman at the urging of anti-abortion groups.  There was no indication that the organization had come under pressure from its corporate partners, but many of Komen's own affiliates nationwide had objected to cutting off the grants, which totaled $680,000 in 2011. 

Community Features

Survivor Stories Inspirational stories along with information on area support groups. These stories offer hope.

Spare Some For Autism Come out to Sparians Bowling Boutique and Bistro on March 4th from 1p to 5p and Spare Some for Autism for their fifth annual signature fundraising event, the SSfA Celebrity/CEO Kids Bowling Challenge.

Black History Month CW22 and MYRDC would like to honor the achievements and contributions made by African Americans in the Triangle and around the world.

Secret Shopper Scam Alert A Secret Shopping Scam using the names of WRDC-TV and WLFL-TV has been identified. Learn how to protect yourself here!

Hey! It's Half Off! Hey! It's Half Off has 1/2 off deals for businesses where you live. Find deals for area restaurants, spas, stores, and more!

Pump Patrol Check out the MyRDC 28 Pump Patrol to find the lowest prices, report low prices and get gas saving tips!

Creature Feature We're pleased to join with Wake County Animal Care, Control & Adoption Center to place deserving pets in loving new homes!

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