Tuesday, Jan. 6: Legal Spotlight + Retiree Benefits + School Shift
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
🎧 Prefer to listen to the news?
Find Wake Up, Raleigh! on
Spotify,
Apple Podcasts,
YouTube,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Murder suspect sought mental health hearing weeks before arrest.
A month before his arrest for the killing of Raleigh science teacher Zoe Welsh, court records show Ryan Camacho’s attorneys requested a hearing on his mental capacity. Camacho, 36, was homeless and recently released from prison for firearm charges. His 2024 arrest record includes multiple breaking and entering charges, and in December, public defenders sought involuntary commitment for mental health treatment. That same day, charges from a previous larceny case were dismissed. Camacho’s legal history also includes an attempted prison escape in 2021. He now faces murder charges in Welsh’s death.
State retirees’ health lawsuit still delayed after 13 years.
More than 13 years after retired North Carolina state workers sued over changes to their promised health benefits, the legal fight is still unresolved. The lawsuit stems from a 2011 law requiring retirees to pay health care premiums, breaking what plaintiffs argue was a long-standing agreement for lifetime, premium-free coverage. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that retirees had a vested right to those benefits. Now, state agencies are seeking a third Supreme Court review, which retirees’ attorneys say is another delay tactic. The trial remains on hold.
Top Wake school forced into virtual-only instruction.
Students at Crossroads FLEX High School in Cary are returning from winter break to a sudden switch to virtual-only learning. The Wake County school district announced just two days before break that zoning violations at the school’s office space prevent continued in-person classes. Crossroads FLEX, ranked among the top schools in the district, serves students with flexible needs like athletes and performers. Families say they feel blindsided and are urging the district to find alternative sites for in-person learning this school year. A move to a new Garner campus is planned for next fall.
Raleigh-area road projects to disrupt traffic in 2026.
Drivers in the Triangle can expect major traffic disruptions in 2026 as North Carolina moves forward with several large-scale road projects aimed at easing long-term congestion. The $1.2 billion Complete 540 loop will enter full construction mode, while the long-running $368 million overhaul of I-440 nears completion. Orange County’s I-40 widening continues, targeting a 2027 finish. At RDU Airport, a $175 million revamp of John Brantley Boulevard begins. And the final phase of I-95 widening near Benson is underway, with completion set for 2028.
Cary activist group grows rapidly ahead of 2026 election.
A grassroots activist group in Cary has grown from 30 to over 700 members in less than a year. Cary Indivisible, founded last February by retirees Steve and Martha Glass, organized No Kings 2 in October, drawing 5,000 people in joyful protest with serious resistance over authoritarian politics. Fueled by frustration over national politics and recent Democratic victories in Cary’s city council races, the group advocates for progressive causes like Medicaid expansion and immigrant rights. And as the 2026 election season ramps up, their organizing reflects a broader mobilization of older, civically engaged voters.
* Subscription required.
✉️ Do your neighbor a favor — forward this newsletter or send them to our signup page.
