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Durham’s JFK Towers Owner, Millennia, Restricted by HUD
Unsafe living conditions at North Durham’s JFK Towers apartment complex made headlines this past summer, with complaints including sewage filled bathtubs, widespread trash pile ups and breeding maggots, broken AC and heating units, and inoperable elevators. JFK Towers is an elderly living, low-income facility. All tenants have housing vouchers, and 12 units are designated for mobility-impaired residents.
NCCU Chancellor to Step Down at End of Academic Year
This story originally published online at NC Newsline. North Carolina Central University Chancellor Johnson Akinleye will step down from the university’s top leadership position at the end of this academic year, he told the campus board of trustees in a Friday morning meeting. His last day will be June...
Durham Public Schools Will Add 38 Electric School Buses to Its Fleet
This story originally published online at NC Newsline. Fifteen school districts, charter schools, and tribal schools will share nearly $27 million in federal dollars to purchase 114 electric buses as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. Cooper said in a statement...
DPS School Board Candidate Accused of Sexual Harassment
Durham school board candidate Atrayus Goode, who is running against Joy Harrell in the only contested school board race on March 5, was accused of sexual harassment in a meeting on Saturday. The INDY reviewed a recording in which the alleged victim’s father, Keith Corbett, spoke during the time allotted...
Exclusive: A Q&A With Sophia Chitlik Abram, Candidate for Durham’s NC Senate District 22 Seat
After a failed bid last fall to become Durham’s next mayor, longtime state Senator Mike Woodard faces his next challenge: a Democratic primary opponent in the NC Senate District 22 race. Sophia Chitlik Abram, a first-time candidate for a seat in North Carolina’s General Assembly, is running against Woodard...
2023: The Year in Pictures
The last year in news and culture was an eventful one for the Triangle—and the world. As 2023 commenced, it felt clear that the region was returning to some semblance of normality after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants were full again, and music halls and theaters drew crowds; INDY photographer Brett Villena expertly captured exciting new openings, such as those of Chapel Hill’s bold barbecue restaurant Bombolo and an underground location for the classic comedy club Goodnights, as well as long-loved destinations such as Love Bao and Banh’s Cuisine. Angelica Edwards brought downtown Durham’s new Ella West Gallery to life and documented the second coming of Raleigh’s beloved Rialto Theater.
A Former Durham Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Will Lead Orange County Schools at a Troubled Time for the District
A new superintendent will step into the top spot at the Orange County school district next month, following the departure of four-year superintendent Monique Felder last year. Danielle Jones, who currently serves as an assistant superintendent for Durham Public Schools (DPS), will start in Orange County on February 1. Jones was selected by the Orange County Board of Education from a pool of 26 candidates from across the country, according to a news release.
A Youth Program at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles Offers a Primer on Running a Restaurant
Every Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 the sound of children laughing at Michael Newell’s jokes, singing along to SZA, and sharing what they want to be when they grow up resounds throughout Dame’s Chicken and Waffles in Chapel Hill. As one of this year’s after-school activities, the children of...
A Durham League of Their Own
Game day atmosphere is electric. Bleachers are lined with fans; music blares through speakers, hyping up players as they go through their warm-up routines. Die-hard fans can watch highlight reels and check team stats on Instagram. No, this isn’t the NBA or WNBA—this is a game in the Durham League,...
Backtalk: ‘Every tool at our disposal to attack the gun violence plaguing Durham’
Last month, we published a report about the Durham City Council’s 4-2 vote to suspend the use of ShotSpotter as the city awaits data from a Duke University review of the gunshot detection technology’s pilot in a three-mile area covering East Durham. Following publication, we received a statement from Durham sheriff Clarence Birkhead, who supports the city’s use of ShotSpotter and calls the decision not to extend ShotSpotter “a setback to law enforcement’s ability to effectively address gun violence in Durham.” Here’s an excerpt from Birkhead’s statement:
David Menconi on Rounder Records and the State of American Roots Music
Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music by David Menconi | UNC Press, Oct. 2023. David Menconi has been writing about North Carolina music since 1991, when he joined the News & Observer staff. He retired from the newspaper in 2018, but that doesn’t mean he’s slowed down: His first UNC Press book, Step It Up and Go, a comprehensive reader on the state’s musical history, was published in 2020, and he launched a podcast, Carolina Calling, on the same subject in 2022.
Incoming! High school drama, Tokyo utility workers, and Jesus
As the 21st century rolls on, the venerable tradition of movie night continues to change. For decades, the phrase “movie night” meant going out to a theater with family or friends. Broadcast networks and then VCRs brought the tradition to the living room TV, and now digital tech means movie night can happen anywhere at all. You can even watch a movie on your phone—should you want to live that kind of diminished life.
Chapel Hill Leaders Look to Future Plans for Growth, Connectivity, and Affordable Housing
Last month, new mayors across the Triangle took their oaths of office and laid out their visions for the near future. In Chapel Hill, Jess Anderson took the top job with a promise to fight a trio of crises threatening the town. “Municipalities across the country are facing very real...
Coal Ash More Hazardous Than Previously Known, EPA Says, Could Alter Chapel Hill Cleanup Plan
This story originally published online at NC Newsline. You can read the full EPA draft risk assessment report that address more than just structural fill (82 pages) or excerpts that are specific to that use (10 pages). We’ve annotated the second document to help readers understand what it means.
Durham City Council Selects Four Finalists for Ward Three Vacancy
The Durham City Council today announced four finalists for the Ward Three council seat that was left vacant when Leonardo Williams moved to the mayor’s chair last month. The four finalists—Amanda Borer, a healthcare administrator; Chastan Swain, a law and policy advisor; Chelsea Cook, an attorney; and Shelia Huggins, an attorney who unsuccessfully ran for council last fall—will be interviewed in a special council session at City Hall on January 8. Supporters of each candidate will have the opportunity to weigh in during a public comment period on January 10 before the council makes a final decision at its meeting on January 16.
Linda’s Bar & Grill, Chapel Hill Watering Hole for Decades, Closes Its Doors
On January 5, Linda’s Bar & Grill will close its doors after 47 years of business in Chapel Hill. Best known for its generously loaded tater tots, wide-ranging beer, and weekly trivia nights, the restaurant has become a beloved watering hole for decades of students and Chapel Hill residents.
Durham One of Ten Counties Selected in NC Elections Board’s Ballot Signature-Matching Pilot Program
This story originally published online at NC Newsline. Durham is the most populous county that will take part in the ballot signature-matching pilot program for the upcoming primary elections. The State Board of Elections on Tuesday approved the 10 counties that will participate in the mailed ballot signature-matching pilot as...
At a Loss: NC Rape Crisis Centers Struggle as Federal Funds Dry Up
This story originally published online at UNC Media Hub. There are cubicles but no distinct offices, the room a hum of soft voices, and the scratching of pens on paper. The overhead fluorescent lights are off, and the natural light gives the wide space a calming, rather than corporate, feel.
Phoebe Judge Brings a Voice of Calm to ‘Criminal’
This story originally published online at the 9th Street Journal. You open your podcast app, put your earbuds in, and momentarily savor the silence. You press play. The hushed cadence of Phoebe Judge’s voice floods your head. Your surroundings have melted away. It’s just you and Judge, the host of Criminal and the owner of the most amazing vocal cords in podcasting. Get ready to be soothed as she tells you about true crime. The podcast is a blend of whodunits and horror with a dose of conspiracy.
Who Applied for Durham’s Open City Council Seat?
When Leonardo Williams became Durham’s mayor last month, he left his Ward Three seat vacant until 2025. Per the city’s charter, the council must make a good faith effort to fill the seat within 60 days of the vacancy. If the six sitting council members can’t reach a consensus, the seat will be up for a special election in 2024.
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