Steve Rhode

In today’s episode of Good Morning Wake County, Steve brings you three stories of quiet strength and unexpected comebacks, from a historic wool mill in Minnesota to a mother’s long-awaited graduation in Alabama, and a talent-filled triumph right here in Wake County, North Carolina.

We begin in Faribault, Minnesota, where the Faribault Woolen Mill, founded in 1865 and once shuttered after 144 years, has roared back to life thanks to former Dairy Queen CEO Chuck Mooty and a merger with American menswear company CircleRock. What started with knocking on doors and asking, “Do you remember how this machine works?” became a full revival of a piece of American manufacturing history.
🎩 Source: Forbes – Faribault Mill Is An Inspiring Story Of Industrial Rebirth

Then we head to Gadsden, Alabama, where Candida Pedro Aguirre, a mother of three, finally walked the stage in cap and gown at Gadsden State Community College, nearly 12 years after giving birth just months before her original high school graduation. Her story of perseverance, mentorship, and a scholarship surprise will stay with you.
🎓 Source: Gadsden Messenger – Candida Aguirre earns diploma and scholarship

Finally, Steve shines a light on Wake County’s own brilliance. Raleigh recently ranked #2 for “talent density” in the South, thanks to steady performance in STEM education, patents, and innovation infrastructure. With neighbors like NC State, Wake Tech, and startups in RTP and Fuquay-Varina, it’s no surprise our region is quietly shaping the future.
🧠 Source: CommercialCafe – Southern US Innovation Hubs: The Top 20 Cities Ranked

Plus — stick around to hear today’s Dad joke and a few ways you can help keep this good news flowing.

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Acts of Kindness

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Meet Jevin Millsaps, an 8-year-old from Axtell, Texas, who’s turning roadside cans into a retirement plan and a vending machine business, with a little help from KCEN News reporter Brandon Cote.

Then, travel to Redding, California, where students at Parsons Junior High are changing lives just by telling the truth at their school’s ROAR Assembly.

And in Mercer County, New Jersey, The College of New Jersey and the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber are helping teens turn big ideas into real businesses through the state’s first Young Entrepreneur’s Academy.

These are feel good news stories about courage, community, and the power of believing in a kid before they believe in themselves. Good news, good stories, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest change starts small.

🎩 Sources:

• Jevin’s story: KCEN News, reporter Brandon Cote – https://www.kcentv.com

• ROAR Assembly: KGET News – https://krcrtv.com/news/local/parsons-junior-high-students-inspire-peers-with-stories-of-triumph-over-adversity

• YEA! in Mercer County: Community News – https://www.communitynews.org/business/first-young-entrepreneurs-academy-in-nj-comes-to-mercer/article_db0c9244-67fe-448

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In this feel-good episode of Good Morning Wake County, we head back to the Fuquay-Varina Growers Market to meet Alison Haggerty of Purple Martin Farm, who swapped logistics for heirloom tomatoes and now teaches us why knowing your farmer matters.

Then we shift gears to the tech scene, where Scot Wingo and Robbie Allen just invested $9 million into startups at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park during the Raleigh-Durham Startup Summit. It’s innovation with a local soul — pulled pork included.

And finally, we ride along with Kendrick Scott from Wake County Public Schools to check out new mobile command vans funded by the Center for Safer Schools — high-tech calm in plain white wrappers.

It’s Stories of Good, Feel Good News, and Good News with deep local roots and universal heart.

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In this episode of Good Morning Wake County, host Steve takes listeners on a gentle ride through some of the most heartening local stories of the week.

We head to Franklinton just beyond the Wake County line, where the Funkytown Festival is gearing up for a retro night of live music, DJ Funk, food trucks, and disco-inspired dancing on Main Street.

Then, it’s off to Fuquay-Varina, where the Fuquay-Varina Growers Market is doing more than selling produce — it’s championing food access and community wellness. Learn about Senior Day on June 14, a Summer Meal Program for kids, and hear from farmer Alison Haggerty of Purple Martin Farm, who’s growing much more than vegetables.

Back in Raleigh, we celebrate the unsung success of Wake County’s job market — now boasting the lowest unemployment rate of any major metro in North Carolina at just 2.9%. With comparisons to counties like Mecklenburg, Durham, Orange, Guilford, and Edgecombe, Steve breaks down what the numbers really mean.

Finally, we take a sunset stroll through Raleigh’s best golden-hour spots, from the skyline views at Dorothea Dix Park and wraparound porches at Heights House Hotel, to hidden corners like Lassiter Mill Park, The Raleigh Times rooftop, and the hush of WRAL’s Azalea Garden — all inspired by a thoughtful list from Raleigh Magazine.

If you’re craving quiet victories, warm light, and a deeper connection to your own backyard… this one’s for you.

As Raleigh’s Dix Park blossoms into a crown jewel of public space, it also reopens questions about history, progress, and who gets to stay.

In this episode, Steve explores the complicated legacy of the land — from its Indigenous roots and time as Spring Hill Plantation, through its transformation into the Dorothea Dix Hospital, and now into one of the most ambitious urban parks in North Carolina.

You’ll hear a quote from Kane Realty’s Stacey Buescher and Dix Park Executive Director Kate Pearce, as well the story of a Wake County schoolteacher whose front yard marks a very real line between growth and displacement.

Then we tumble into something a little lighter: Abby Lampe, an NC State graduate and Johnston County native, just rolled her way to second place at the infamous Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Race in Gloucestershire, England. Dressed in her Wolfpack shirt and full of grit, Abby tells the BBC and Raleigh’s Adam Gold why she’s already planning a comeback in 2026.

Finally, we meet Benji — a Yorkie found abandoned outside the Wake County Animal Center. With help from Nicole Kincaid and her team at Perfectly Imperfect Pups, Benji’s journey from pain to healing is a reminder of what grace, empathy, and second chances really look like. Steve shares his own story of a rescue dog named Karl, and why these stories stick with us.

From blooming playgrounds to muddy hillsides to cardboard boxes that carry more than they seem — this episode is about second chances, and the hope that transformation can still lead to joy.

From slides to spotlights, today’s episode is packed with Wake County joy — and a few moments that might just stick with you.

We begin in Raleigh, where the brand-new Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park is finally open for play — complete with a swing terrace, sunflower sculptures, and a splash-ready waterfall grand plaza. You’ll hear about 9-year-old Susanna Scheffel’s first trip down the slides, a memory shared by longtime Raleigh donor Tom Gipson, and why city leaders like Stephen Bentley and Ruffin Hall believe this park is unlike anything else in the Southeast.

Then, Steve reflects on what growth has really given Wake County — from new neighbors and coffee shops to international listeners tuning in from Germany, Canada, the UK, and Spain. There’s even a grocery store moment with a brand-new transplant from upstate New York. Growth isn’t the enemy… it might just be the invitation.

And finally, we head to Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, where Alexia Jorge made baseball history. She’s the first woman to start in a Coastal Plain League game — and she didn’t just show up, she was named Player of the Game after leading the Holly Springs Salamanders to victory over the Carolina Pirates. With a gold medal from the U.S. Women’s National Team and a dream that started when people told her “no,” Alexia’s story is the kind of Wake County moment worth remembering.

If you’ve got a good news story to share from Wake Forest, Wendell, Cary, Clayton — or anywhere in Wake County — visit TapYourNews.com to send it in.

From traffic cams to fire rescues and a miracle growing out of red dirt — this episode of Good Morning Wake County goes deeper than headlines.

Steve shares the personal story of how he moved from Rockville, Maryland to Wake Forest, North Carolina — drawn by nothing more than live footage of 540 traffic cams and a feeling that Wake County just “felt right.”

We visit Method Road in Raleigh, where more than 40 local Raleigh Fire Department firefighters responded to a house fire and made a heartwarming discovery: 14 tiny kittens, rescued with reverence and care. Captain Ralph Ripper of Raleigh Fire Department shares why pets are family, and how Wake County Animal Services stepped in to give those kittens a future.

Then there is a story of reverence after a disaster. It will warm your heart.

Then it’s off to Knightdale Eagle Rock Road, where the Raleigh Rescue Mission is building The Garden — a $25 million campus offering second chances for women and children facing homelessness. With support from CAHEC and a powerful quote from Brian Oxford, we explore how this new community will serve 350–400 people annually with job training, healthcare, childcare, and more.

Towns like Garner, Cary, Apex, Zebulon, Knightdale, and Clayton are changing fast — but maybe that change is something to grow with, not fear.

👂 Tap play to hear why growth might be the greatest gift of all — and what Wake County is doing right.

On this Memorial Day, we’re tuning in to the quiet kind of service — from a Raleigh weather radio giveaway to a Fuquay butcher offering ribeyes wrapped in hope, to a screen printer keeping Raleigh’s best memories alive on soft cotton. It’s the kind of good news worth waking up for.

Each story in today’s episode highlights a different kind of resilience in Wake County — the kind that doesn’t ask for recognition but leaves a mark all the same.

In Raleigh, hundreds of free NOAA weather radios are being distributed to help families prepare for storms and power outages, thanks to a local grant from Duke Energy. It’s emergency preparedness with a human touch — a reminder that sometimes, safety starts with a signal and someone who thought ahead.

Down in Fuquay-Varina, the Fuquay Meat Market is drawing long lines and even longer grocery lists with their now-famous $19.99 meat deal — five packs for just under twenty bucks. It’s gone viral on TikTok, thanks to Tiffany Pearce’s real-world testimonial, and it’s helping families stretch their budgets without sacrificing quality or dignity.

And back in Raleigh, Logan King of Cardinal Apparel is reviving the soul of the city through RaleighRewind.com — a project that turns beloved but shuttered local institutions like 42nd Street Oyster Bar and Sadlack’s into shirts, pint glasses, and wearable memories. It’s nostalgia with purpose, preserving the character of a community that’s constantly changing.

Whether you’re in Apex, Cary, Wake Forest, or right here in the heart of Raleigh, this episode is a tribute to those who serve — in uniforms, behind counters, or through memory and meaning.

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One son helps his father give up the car keys before it’s too late. A mobile market brings dignity to those in need. And an African chef in Apex stirs up more than just stew — he stirs the soul.

This episode of Good Morning Wake County weaves three true stories about loss, love, and community resilience right here in Wake Forest and Apex, North Carolina. If you’ve ever wondered how small choices — like letting go, showing up, or cooking with your whole heart — can ripple through a neighborhood, this one’s for you.

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