Wake
County, North Carolina
is constantly improving! Being rated as one of the
best places to live and work in
America came as no surprise
to
Wake County. That was the goal its planners
had set, and one that county officials intend to maintain. The
estimated population of Wake was 794,316 in 2007
according to the
U.S. Census Bureau, and Wake has ongoing preparations to
accommodate more.
Families made up 65 percent of the households
in Wake County and 34.5 percent of the families had at
least one child under 18 years old residing in the
household.
Current road conditions for Wake County are monitored daily for the
residents of Wake County, so that the constant
improvements and refinements in the road system are
done with the least inconvenience to all. The road
system is one of the best in the nation; I-95 and
I-85 are major interstates, and I-40 connects the
East and West Coasts of the United States. The I-440 and I-540 Beltlines
provide easy access or bypass to Wake's cities,
surrounding communities and
Research Triangle Park.
Public transportation is served with an extensive
network of routes by the Triangle Transit Authority
bus service, the CAT (Capital Area Transit) bus
system and CAT Connectors.
RDU International
Airport, an East Coast hub, is at the western edge of Wake County, near Research
Triangle Park and midway between the cities of
Raleigh and Durham. The facility offers regional and
international flights on 25 airlines. Amtrak train
and Greyhound bus service are also coordinated into
this transportation haven. For the best in
sightseeing, the Raleigh Trolley provides rides for
historic tours.
Employment is significantly
above the average for the state of
North Carolina, and the
business community is constantly and creatively
developing new venues and business associations. The
world-renowned Research Triangle Park
is consistently ranked in the top 3three most popular
employment sites in major metro areas, but
Wake
County also stresses its
high-end employment in industry, research, tourism
and agriculture.
Wake County's percentage of
population with a bachelor's degree or higher is
extremely high. Access to education is easy and
within a local commute are
North Carolina State University at Raleigh,
Meredith College,
Wake Technical Community College, Durham Technical
Community College, Vance-Granville Community
College,
Duke University, and
Shaw University,
among others.
Cultural resources abound in an
area settled in the 1700s and the county which is
home to the
City of Raleigh,
the state capitol of
North Carolina. The
State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark, the
North Carolina
Executive Mansion, the
North Carolina Solar Center, the
Raleigh
City Museum,
BTI Center for the Performing Arts,
Historic Oak View County Park,
The African
American Cultural Complex,
the
Pope
House Museum,
the
RBC Center,
ALLTEL
Pavilion,
the
North Carolina
Museum of Art,
and the
Ray Price Legends of Harley Drag Racing Museum are examples of the
diversity of interest here.
Wake County Parks and Recreation Department has a head start with its recreational
offerings. The beautiful Neuse River, the Cape Fear
River,
Lake Wheeler,
Lake Johnson,
and
Pullen Park,
are known for the fishing, swimming, picnicking,
hiking, and camping provided here.
Located on the eastern edge of
the Piedmont Plateau,
Wake
County has not sacrificed
its rural heritage for progress. Despite the
convenience of ultra-modern shopping centers and
world-class specialty stores, the countryside is
still dotted with farmhouses, small community
churches, and mom-and-pop stores.
Family courts in
Wake County are
committed to providing a
prompt resolution of domestic cases. The goal for child custody
case resolution is 45 days for temporary orders to
be issued, 150 days for mediation sessions to be
completed and trials completed in 180 days. For
child support cases, the goal is 180 days for
permanent orders to be entered (from the date the
complaint is filed).
The goal for post-separation support cases is
to have permanent orders entered within 90 days, and
alimony cases finalized within 365 days.
All domestic complaints and
subsequent motions are initiated by filing with the
Clerk of Superior Court
of Wake County. All family law
issues such as divorce, child support, custody,
visitation, and division of the marital property are
considered civil issues and all actions relating to
family issues are handled in the District Court
division. Cases assigned to Family Court include
juvenile delinquency charges; neglect and abuse
charges; termination of parental rights and
adoptions; domestic violence; child custody and
visitation rights; divorce and related financial
issues like child support, alimony, or equitable
distribution of property; abortion consent waivers,
paternity; involuntary commitments and
guardianships.
The county courthouse location is at
316 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. The Wake County Courts and the
State of
North Carolina
offer programs designed to help families and
children, which they describe as therapeutic
justice, meaning less time is spent in the
courtrooms. For example, The North Carolina
department of Health and Human Services maintains a
Child Support Enforcement
Web site for parents to get details about a
North Carolina child support
enforcement case that handles many details that
would normally require a visit to the clerk of
court.
|
