Federal dollars will help Apex fill in long gaps in public sidewalks along Old Raleigh Road.

At a Town Council meeting last week, transportation planner Reed Huegerich noted that the volume of requests from citizens living in neighborhoods along Old Raleigh Road for sidewalks has bumped the project to the top of a town wish list.

"Often we'll get calls or e-mails from people who say they would like sidewalks around their neighborhood," he said. "It seems like it keeps coming up because people don't feel safe walking along [the road]."

The sidewalk project would extend existing walkways along Old Raleigh Road from Apex Peakway to Altair Circle and from Heatherwood Drive to Wellstone Circle. The town also would add sidewalks along Shepherds Vineyard Drive from Old Raleigh Road to Chimney Hill Drive.

At a cost of $456,000, it's an expensive project, Huegerich said. But it's one he noted would have practical value for those who would use the walkways. "People want to be able to walk from their home to the library or to downtown," he said. "This will allow them to do that."

Thief steals women's lingerie

From Staff Reports

CARY An unidentified suspect stole more than $3,000 worth of brassieres from the Victoria's Secret store at Cary Towne Center on June 5.

According to a police report, someone entered the store between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and stole 101 pink bras. Officers said that employees noticed the missing merchandise as they began to restock the store.

The theft follows at least two other crimes at the store in the past eight months.

Apex probes house fires

From staff reports

APEX Apex fire officials are investigating whether two brand-new empty homes that burned over the weekend are related to three other vacant homes that have been destroyed by fires in recent months.

All the fires have been labeled suspicious, and a $10,000 reward has been increased to $20,000 following Sunday's fires, according to David Dillon, deputy fire marshal for the town of Apex.

Firefighters responded to the latest two fires early Sunday morning in the Reserve at Whitehall neighborhood.

The first home, at 1016 St. Emilion Court, was destroyed, Dillon said.

The second home, which is just down the street at 1021 Bexley Hills Road, is still standing, Dillon said, but is likely to be demolished because of extensive structural damage.

Both homes are owned by BRG Builders, Dillon said. The home on St. Emilion Court was scheduled to be in this fall's Parade of Homes.

Nearby homes are occupied but were not damaged, Dillon said.

The previous house fires under investigation are in the same residential area, where many neighborhoods open onto Olive Chapel Road.

In September 2009 and February of this year, two homes were destroyed in the L'Hermitage at Beaver Creek neighborhood, which now goes by the name The Park at Olive Chapel. And in October 2009, an abandoned home that had been moved to the Chapel Ridge neighborhood was destroyed by fire, Dillon said.