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Community Corner

🌱Durham Schools: Masks Optional + Open Container Districts?

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Make Up Your Own Holiday Day Durham!

First, today's weather:

Increasingly windy. High: 55 Low: 34.

Here are the top five stories in Durham today:

  1. The Durham Public Schools Board of Education voted 4-2 to recommend rather than require the wearing of facial coverings in district schools. The new policy will be effective as of April 11, and the school board issued a statement encouraging families of students who are not yet vaccinated to do so. Durham is one of the last school districts to maintain the mask mandate, and now major U.S. airline leaders are lobbying for a rollback on the federal mandate around public transportation. (abc11)
  2. Durham's City leaders are considering creating a social district that will allow people to have an open container as they walk the area. Downtown Durham Inc. is pushing for at least one social district to be approved in the coming months, in time for the summer. Businesses hope that the potential social districts would bring a rise in business, and if done-well will encourage the walkability of downtown. (WRAL)
  3. A woman living in an apartment community for seniors was robbed and assaulted in the community's parking lot on Wednesday night. According to police officers responded to the assault and robbery call at 11:45 and found a 68-year-old woman who told officers she was assaulted while investigating a loud noise in the area. The woman was taken to the hospital with a broken nose and other non life-threatening injuries. (CBS17)
  4. The Durham Police Department is joining a national movement to recruit more women. The DPD is part of 140 agencies across the country who signed the 30x30 pledge, aiming to "go above and beyond" to increase female representation. The objective of the pledge is have women represent 30% of police recruit classes by 2030. Chief Patrice Andrews notes that for years the DPD's sworn female ranks have typically been above the national average. (WRAL)
  5. Three adults have been displaced after a Friday morning fire. The Durham Fire Department was dispatched to the home on N. Mangum Street around 3:30 am. It took 40 firefighters around 25 minutes to get the blaze under control. No one was home at the time as the home was undergoing renovations, and the cause of the fire is unknown. (CBS17, WRAL)

Today in Durham:

From my notebook:

  • It's Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, and that means today options are endless! Celebrating an accomplishment, something you love, some other awesome thing? I'm dying to know, let's all celebrate together, just reply here! It's your turn to tell me about your favorite gem and make your own holiday!
  • Worried about snakes? Bryan Smith, owner and operator of Advanced Wildlife Removal L.L.C. has the run down on what to look out for. (abc11)
  • The City of Durham and Durham Police Department announced details about the Durham's Police Department Summer Camp, with a May 8 deadline. (CBS17)
  • Hope Animal Rescue is hosting a benefit adoption and fundraising event at The Glass Jug RTP today from 3:00pm-5:00pm.
  • A Closet of Dreams is hosting its $10 Stuff Your Own Bag event today! (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— CJ Fullford

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