Halloween house a ‘go’ in Oakwood after kerfuffle with Raleigh over rules
With Halloween three days away, the city said Wednesday that it will close the streets around the popular spooky house in Oakwood, clearing the way for a party that draws upwards of 5,000 trick-or-treaters. For more than a decade, attorney and former NC State football player Jesse Jones has spent more than a month decorating his Oakwood Avenue home with 20-foot monsters, animatronic zombies and a live deejay, drawing crowds from around Raleigh by the busload. But this year, the city would not give Jones a permit for a "block party" and instead issued requirements for a "special event permit" that forced him to spend roughly $1,000 on a liability insurance policy, pay a $350 filing fee and hire off-duty police officers. Negotiations reached what Jones has described as a "complete mess," but the city confirmed that it will issue the permit, close the surrounding streets with heavy…