Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a Raleigh service dog seller ended up owing $353,000

Also check out Christmas Eve Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club on the Raleigh Patch calendar

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Hello Raleigh! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a Raleigh service dog seller ended up owing $353,000
  • How busy was Raleigh’s Village District on Super Saturday?
  • See how a Raleigh church turned Christmas giving into year-round support

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Eve Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Raleighfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the balloon say to the doctor? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Raleighfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 60 and low of 29 degrees.
  • Monday: Sunshine and cooler, temps: high: 49, low: 33.
  • Tuesday: Some sun, then turning cloudy, with a high of 63 and low of 43 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Man pleads guilty in service dog scam that targeted families with special needs members (abc11.com) — A Wake County man who ran a Raleigh-based service dog business has pleaded guilty to dozens of fraud charges after families paid thousands for dogs that allegedly weren’t properly trained. He received supervised probation, must pay substantial restitution to 50 families, and is now barred from training or selling service animals, bringing some long-awaited closure to affected Raleigh-area parents and children.
   

2. Raleigh's Village District sees last-minute shopping surge amid economic concerns (wral.com) — Raleigh’s Village District was packed on the final shopping weekend before Christmas, with extended store hours drawing last-minute, budget-conscious shoppers. Local retailers say these crucial days could determine whether they turn a profit, even as tariffs, supply chain issues, and tighter consumer spending shape this year’s $43 billion North Carolina holiday retail season.
   

3. Raleigh church provides toys for 130 children, food for families at Christmas event (cbs17.com) — Families in Raleigh and across Wake County lined up at Covenant Life Fellowship for a Christmas “gift-away” that provided toys for 130 children plus free fresh and nonperishable food. The Raleigh church, partnering with Toys for Tots, highlighted its broader mission of serving thousands of neighbors year-round and shared its vision for a new community center to expand services.
   

4. Raleigh heartwarming Christmas free haircut event: Joy, giving, and community support for hundreds (cbs17.com) — Families in Raleigh packed The Bar Ber Shop on New Bern Avenue Saturday for an annual Christmas Free Cut Event offering free haircuts, food, health screenings, and even legal aid. Organized by Grooming Resources and Opportunities and local partners like NC Healthy Blue and UNC’s Suicide Prevention Institute, the gathering focused on year-round mental health and community support for hundreds of residents.
   

5. Triangle foreign policy expert discusses impact of strikes against ISIS at home and abroad (abc11.com) — From Raleigh, a UNC-Chapel Hill foreign policy expert is helping Triangle viewers understand the Trump Administration’s latest retaliatory strikes on ISIS targets in Syria. He explains why the action looks more like a limited response than a broader buildup, and how it fits into the administration’s wider strategy on terrorism and shifting military focus toward the Western Hemisphere.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please share & repost to help reunite this stray dog!
    FOUND on December 19, 2025 in Raleigh, NC 27610 near Cotten Drive, MORRISVILLE, NC, 27560 Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to… (Nextdoor Cornerstone Park)
  • MISSING DOG!!
    Iko is still missing! He has not been spotted in over 24 hours. Please please share in your community groups. If you see him, do not acknowledge… (Nextdoor Harrington Pines)
  • The holidays are among us! This morning, officers visited community members in our Northeast District to connect, listen, and share important holiday... (X: raleighpolice)
  • Meeting notice for Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology: January 8, 2026 at 9:00. in room 544 LOB - CANCELLED #ncga ... (X: NCLeg)
  • Firebirds Wood Fired Grill posted a job opening for Back of House Team Member in Raleigh. Apply here.
  • Food Lion posted a job opening for PT Center Store Stocker in Raleigh. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Raleigh here.

Ok Raleigh! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I feel lightheaded!
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