Good people of Cary,

Well, at least we can drink the water again.

A massive water main break on N.C. 55 disrupted a pretty large portion of Cary on Monday, triggering a system pressure advisory, closing roads, businesses, sending some students home early. Residents were advised to boil their water before consumption as a precaution.

Thankfully, testing came back clean and the advisory has since been lifted.

I also finally get to share a story I have been teasing in this newsletter for more than a month. My investigation into Littles of Cary was published last week by INDY and The Line. It became by far the biggest reporting project I have taken on, so for this week's featured story, I thought it would be interesting to take you behind the scenes of how it came together.

And for the weekly destination, we are going somewhere slightly unexpected for a good cup of coffee - a Lowe's parking lot.

Thank you for continuing to support local,

James

If you woke up Monday morning to low water pressure, discolored water, or an alert telling you to boil your water, you were definitely not alone.

In the early morning hours on Monday, September 14, Cary crews responded to a break involving a 30-inch water main along N.C. 55 near Jenks Road. The break caused a temporary drop in pressure across Cary and Morrisville's Central Pressure Zone (which covers most of the town) and initially forced N.C. 55 to close in both directions.

Because a loss of pressure can potentially allow contaminants into the water system, Cary issued a System Pressure Advisory and asked affected customers to boil water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and other consumption for at least one minute.

The disruption still had a pretty noticeable impact around town. Some schools dismissed students early, several restaurants closed, bottled water started disappearing from store shelves, and Cary shut down Town-operated spraygrounds and water fountains as a precaution.

Thankfully, this story has a pretty boring ending.

Bacteriological testing came back clear, and Cary lifted the advisory at 5:05 a.m. Tuesday. Customers can resume using their water normally. Cary says flushing your pipes is not required, although you can run faucets for about a minute if you are still noticing discoloration or air in the lines.

Road repairs are taking a little longer. At least one lane remains open in each direction along the affected portion of N.C. 55 while crews continue working on the main, so expect some delays if you travel through that area.

If you didn’t receive any notification when this started, I’d highly recommend signing up for ReadyWake Alerts, which is the official system for the county.

Additional reading: Town of Cary Water Main Break Updates

A little over a month ago, I was making a TikTok/Reel about Modern Service moving down the street.

While walking down Chatham Street, I noticed the little blue building next to RBF, which used to be Littles of Cary, was suddenly empty.

I planned on making a quick post saying they had closed, so I went looking for a statement from the owner. It was then that I saw there was a six-figure lawsuit from a children's brand, a vendor publicly documenting her difficult experience trying to get paid, and new stores opening up along with additional ones seemingly planned.

My alarm bells were going off, so I made a post in the Downtown Cary Facebook group asking folks to share their experiences with Littles.

Within the first hour, I was bombarded with messages, emails and phone calls.

I ended up interviewing 49 people for the story, many of whom wished to remain anonymous and couldn't make the final cut, who described a pattern of similar experiences.

Christine Wells, the owner, has repeatedly been accused of telling vendors, customers and contractors that payments had been sent or initiated when they had not received the money. Many say they are still waiting to be paid. At least three complaints were filed with the state Department of Justice, former employees filed complaints with the Department of Labor, and at least four lawsuits have been filed involving Wells and Littles.

The amounts involved in the allegations varied. For one small business owner, it was $200. For others, it was tens of thousands of dollars. For Rylee + Cru, a California children's clothing brand, the allegation involved more than $188,000 in merchandise.

And while all of this was happening, new stores were opening, businesses were being registered and new employees were being hired.

After I conducted my initial set of interviews, I knew this story was too big for my small community media outlet. I decided to reach out to The Assembly, which publishes INDY and The Line, and they agreed to support me and publish the story.

And I am very glad that I did. Pretty early into my reporting, I received a cease-and-desist letter from a lawyer representing Wells. Had I been self-publishing this article, it is very possible that I would have killed the story.

Media lawyers are expensive, and the story itself had so many moving pieces that if I hadn't been 100% focused on reporting, I don't know if I ever would have gotten to a final draft fit for publication.

We went through a very robust editing process to ensure that the article did the story, and the people who said they were harmed, justice. Their media lawyer helped tremendously with navigating the legal elements involved, while their photographer and graphic designer helped bring the overall presentation together.

I want to give a huge shoutout to The Assembly, INDY and The Line for helping bring it to light. The Line is their western Wake-focused newsletter, which, if you enjoy The Cary Report, you should absolutely check out.

Read the full story here.

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out at [email protected] and let's find something that works for you.

What: Downtown Cary Park hosts its monthly Night Market with Triangle-area artists, makers and vendors selling locally made goods alongside food, drinks and live entertainment.

Where: Downtown Cary Park (327 S. Academy Street)

When: Fri, September 18 | 5–9 p.m.

More Info

What: One of Cary’s largest cultural festivals returns with nearly 100 exhibits and activities, food vendors, live performances and dragon boat racing on Symphony Lake. Around 10,000 people attend the festival each year.

Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Parkway)

When: Sat, September 19 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

More Info

What: The Cary Farmers Market’s annual fall festival returns for its ninth year with farmers, local food, arts and crafts, kids’ activities, live music and its famous pie-eating contest. The event also serves as the market’s biggest annual fundraiser and helps support its year-round operations.

Where: Downtown Cary Park (327 S. Academy Street)

When: Sat, September 19 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

More Info

Would you expect one of the best places to get coffee in Cary to be located in a Lowe's parking lot?

Tucked toward the back of the Lowe's parking lot at 2000 Walnut Street is ABOUND, a small coffee cart that has quietly become considerably less of a secret.

ABOUND currently sets up Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it is not unusual to find a line of people waiting for drinks despite the somewhat unusual surroundings. You are technically standing in the parking lot of a hardware store, but the cart itself feels like its own little destination.

The menu covers most of the espresso basics, including lattes, cappuccinos and seasonal drinks like pumpkin spice lattes. If coffee is not your thing, there is also hot chocolate, flavored lemonade and a small selection of snacks.

So next time you find yourself at Lowe's because you need a lightbulb, a bag of dirt, or some plywood, maybe grab a latte while you're there.

ABOUND Coffee
2000 Walnut Street
Tuesday–Saturday | 7 a.m.–1 p.m.

https://www.aboundcoffee.com/

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