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Community Corner

🌱 More Affordable Housing Plans + Three Major Durham Arrests

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

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Christina Fullford, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Saturday, neighbors! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening locallytoday.

First, today's weather:

Breezy with decreasing clouds. High: 33 Low: 15.

Here are the top five stories in Durham today:

  1. The Durham Housing Authority has announced plans to build three new affordable housing communities in the downtown area. The three sites are part of the DHA's Downtown and Neighborhood Plan, and will be mixed-income communities with a total of 1,700 residential units. Construction on the complexes is set to begin next year. (CBS17)
  2. Winter weather is expected to continue in central N.C. until sunrise today. (abc11) With the string of cold weather over the past few weeks, some Durham families are struggling to keep warm. Although Durham Public Schools has many services for families in the cold, one Durham mother is opening up about how her family had to squat in abandoned houses last year to find shelter. (abc11)
  3. North Carolina is working on creating a new curriculum that changes how the Holocaust is taught in schools. The N.C. General Assembly passed the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act last year and assigned Catherine Truitt, the N.C. Superintendent of Public Schools to collaborate with the N.C. Council on the Holocaust and the N.C. Center for Advancement of Teaching to develop an updated curriculum. The new lesson plans are expected to include survivor testimonies, primary sources and examine modern manifestations of antisemitism. (abc11)
  4. The Durham Police have made arrests in several major incidents:
    1. Two men were charged in a triple shooting in November that left 1 dead and 2 injured. Yahir Jacinto Gamasa and Javier Gutierrez Pascual were both charged with one count of murder among other charges. (abc11)
    2. The Durham Police Department has made one arrest in the hit-and-run of pregnant teenager, Heven Zariah Rooks. Teresa Hooker turned herself in on Thursday night for felony accessory after the fact and filing a false police report. The driver, Devon Jarandz Edwards is still wanted on several charges. (CBS17)
    3. On Friday, Joshalun Murphy of Durham turned herself in for the fatal hit-and-run that killed Darion Revels, who was lying in the southbound lane on Denfield Street. (abc11)

Today in Durham:

From my notebook:

  • It's National Puzzle Day and if you're looking to be puzzled, Bull City Escape can give you an exciting escape room puzzle experience.
  • Keep Durham Beautiful and N.C. Wildlife Federation are hosting a MLK Day Durham Cleanup today, from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm.
  • The deadline to apply for the North Carolina Department of Revenue Business Recovery Grant is January 31. (NCDOR.Gov)

Loving the Durham Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

Alrighty, you're all good for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— CJ Fullford

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