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Community Corner

🌱 Masking Updates + Fraternity House Removal + Missing Puppy

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Durham.

Christina Fullford's profile picture
Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy National Chocolate Mint Day Durham!

First, today's weather:

Sunshine. High: 57 Low: 23.

Here are the top five stories today in Durham:

  1. On Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper expressed that with the decline in Omicron cases, vaccination rates and boosters, local officials and schools are encouraged to end mask mandates. (WXII12) The N.C. General Assembly approved the bill that would give parents control over masking in schools, and it is now headed to Governor Cooper for consideration. (WECT)
  2. Durham residents are petitioning to remove fraternity houses near Duke University's campus. Hundreds of residents have signed the petition, saying they've seen everything from students urinating on their homes to littering and drunkenness. The Lakewood-Tuscaloosa Resident Association has kept records of police logs with numerous complaints on each fraternity house and say they have reached their breaking point. (WRAL)
  3. Durham's Beyu Caffe joined an emergency alliance during the pandemic, and now it is providing a community solution for food insecurity. The Beyu Food Project started among small downtown Durham restaurants to help feed frontline workers, students, and families in need, and has continued expanding. Now, five days a week The Beyu Food Project is delivering individual nutritional meals to those in need. (abc11)
  4. On Thursday, The Public School Forum of North Carolina held it's annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. Several panelists argued for Leandro funding that lists several ideas to recruit and retain teachers while connecting students with learning opportunities. Panelists also talked about teacher burnout, the political climate, and struggles of teaching in a pandemic. (WRAL) Parents in North Carolina who have children that are not yet school aged are also becoming increasingly overwhelmed with childcare costs now exceeding many university costs. (abc11)
  5. The Animal Protection Society of Durham is seeking community help after a 7-week-old puppy was stolen on Wednesday. The female puppy is a German Shephard-Boxer mix and was taken around 5:00pm from the animal shelter. The abduction is especially concerning because the puppy should be on pain medication sue to a recent spay, and is still very small and in need of care. (CBS17)

Today in Durham:

From my notebook:

  • It's National Chocolate Mint Day and if you want to get a cake to celebrate, Mad Hatter Bake Shop has an after dinner mint cake that will surely put you in the spirit.
  • "Portrait Mode," a Pop Box Gallery arrived to Boxyard RTP Friday and will remain there through March 12. (Facebook)
  • Triangle Beagle Rescue is hosting a February Adopt-A-Thon at Boxyard RTP (12:00 pm - 2:00 pm)
  • The INDY Week Best of the Triangle 2022 nominations ballot is open now thru March 6!
  • If you're still looking for N95 masks, CBS17 has a list of places you can find them.

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— CJ Fullford

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