Welcome back to your weekly dose of Raleigh buzz! From basketball rankings to new eateries, here’s what’s making waves in the City of Oaks.

🏀 NC State Women’s Basketball Cracks the Top 10

The Wolfpack is howling into the Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll at No. 10 with a solid 19-4 record. Even better? They’re ranked just above UNC at No. 12. Catch them in action at their next home game on Thursday, Feb. 13.

🎤 Dreamville Festival Welcomes GloRilla

Grammy-nominated rapper GloRilla is hitting the stage at Dreamville Festival on April 6 at Dorothea Dix Park. This might be your last chance to experience the legendary festival—after five years, Dreamville is calling it quits. Don’t miss out!

🚧 Complete 540 Project Nears the Finish Line

The final phase of the Complete 540 project kicks off this summer, finally closing the highway loop around Raleigh. With a $1.2 billion price tag, Phase 2 will stretch from I-40 to I-87 in Knightdale, wrapping up by fall 2028.

⏳ ER Wait Times on the Rise

Flu season is hitting Wake County hospitals hard, with some ER patients waiting over an hour—some even overnight. Officials urge residents to take precautions and seek alternative care if possible.

📣 Wakefield High Cheer Team Wins Nationals

What a glow-up! In just two years, Wakefield High’s cheer team went from non-competitive to national champions. The squad took first place at the NCA Nationals in Dallas, marking the school’s first-ever national title.

🖼️ NC Museum of Art’s Bold New Exhibit

Art lovers, mark your calendars! The NC Museum of Art is hosting “The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure” from March 8 to June 29. The exhibit features 23 contemporary African diasporic artists exploring identity, joy, and complexity.

✈️ New Nonstop Flights to Louisville

Ready for a quick getaway? Breeze Airways is launching nonstop flights from RDU to Louisville—home of world-famous bourbon, thrilling horse racing, and a seriously underrated food scene.

🏈 Raleigh Ranks No. 43 for Football Fans?

WalletHub placed Raleigh at No. 43 on its “Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans” list. Clearly, they’ve never met a Wolfpack, Tar Heel, or Blue Devil fan.

🍕 The Triangle’s Best Pizza Deal Is…

A study of 97 local pizzerias found that Big Cheese Pizza & Wings serves up the best value for a large one-topping pie. The rankings were based on price per square inch (because math matters when pizza is involved).

🛠️ Cary Greenlights Alston Yards Project

Big changes are coming to Cary! The 46-acre Alston Yards project, recently approved for rezoning, will bring 815 apartments, a 380-room hotel, office space, commercial areas, and a town park to NC 55. Bonus: plans include efforts to address traffic and affordable housing.

🔋 Duke Energy’s Big Battery Project

Duke Energy is building a 100-megawatt battery storage facility in Knightdale to keep up with the Triangle’s growing energy needs. Slated for completion by the end of the year, this project will help expand grid capacity.

📍 Raleigh Launches New Event Permit System

Planning a big event? The City of Raleigh just launched Eproval, an online platform that simplifies special event permit applications and tracking. Organizers can now get real-time updates and streamline their event planning.

📖 Free Blood Pressure Monitors at Wake County Libraries

Wake County is teaming up with the American Heart Association to offer free blood pressure monitors at six local libraries. Residents can check them out like a book—because heart health should be easy and accessible.

💎 Diamonds Direct Moving to a Bigger Space

Luxury lovers, take note—Diamonds Direct is upgrading to a 6,100 sqft showroom near Crabtree this fall. Expect a stunning new space for all things sparkle.

🍷 Sixty Vines Opening in North Hills

Wine lovers, rejoice! Dallas-based Sixty Vines is bringing its wine-on-tap concept to North Hills with a two-story restaurant. Expect an impressive brunch, great food, and patios on both floors.

🎶 Dolly Parton Tribute Concert in Raleigh

Dolly fans, this one’s for you! On Nov. 21-22, Meymandi Concert Hall will host Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, featuring seven vocalists performing her greatest hits with orchestral arrangements.

🏡 Downtown Cary’s Ashworth Village Gets a Makeover

The historic Ashworth Village is getting a facelift, transforming into a mixed-use development with family housing and retail space. Academy Street Bistro is sticking around, and Once in a Blue Moon is moving into the old Ashworth Drugs space.

🥗 More Restaurants Coming to Flowers Plantation

Get ready, Clayton! Panera Bread, Chipotle, and Mellow Mushroom are just a few of the new restaurants under construction in Flowers Plantation.

🌱 Free Soil Testing from NC State

Want to protect local waterways? NC State offers free or low-cost soil testing to help you determine if your lawn actually needs fertilizer (spoiler: it probably doesn’t). Less fertilizer = less pollution.

💰 Is Disneyland Worth $200+ for One Day?

A one-day adult pass to Disneyland now costs $200+. Maybe it’s time to spend that money closer to home—Charleston has plenty of kid-friendly fun!

🏆 Triangle Companies Make Forbes’ Best Employers List

Thirteen Triangle-based companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Duke University, and Epic Games, were named among America’s Best Employers by Forbes.

🚲 Raleigh Wants Your Input on Transportation Safety

The City of Raleigh is collecting public feedback on Tarboro Street Corridor, the Bikeshare program, Glenwood South safety, and the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. Got thoughts? Now’s the time to share.

🥞 New Diner Alert: Tucker Street Diner Opens in Smoky Hollow

The team behind Shiny Diner has opened Tucker Street Diner at Smoky Hollow. Expect comforting diner classics with an elevated twist.

🎬 Rare Screening of “Negro Durham Marches On”

The Durham Library is screening a newly restored version of the 1948 film Negro Durham Marches On, showcasing the history of Bull City’s Hayti neighborhood and Black Wall Street. Join the waitlist for the Feb. 22 screening.

🏨 The Umstead Named Best Hotel in NC

Looking for a luxe staycation? The Umstead Hotel in Cary was ranked No. 1 in NC and No. 73 in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report.

That’s a wrap on this week’s biggest Raleigh stories! Stay tuned for more updates, and follow DoRaleigh.com for all things local.