This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

🌱 New Durham Vision + Homicide Increase + Controversial Candidates

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

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

Happy National Tea Day Durham!

First, today's weather:

Sunshine and a few clouds. High: 73 Low: 52.

Here are the top five stories in Durham today:

  1. Mayor Elaine O'Neal introduced a new group known as New Durham Vision to prevent violence in the city. The "reformers" are 11 individuals who have a history with the justice system. Dennis Garrett, a team leader said, "We are all ex-offenders, we come from criminal-minded behavior." The group receives calls when there are threats of violence and responds, but they are hoping for better funding from the city to be able to increase their impact. (abc11, CBS17)
  2. A new study by WalletHub has ranked Durham number 12 among cities with the biggest homicide increases during the pandemic. The company said that overall, homicide rates increased by an average of 17% in 50 of the country's biggest cities between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2022. Raleigh and Charlotte were also on the list at 21 and 44 respectively. (CBS17)
  3. Durham police are investigating a fatal assault that left a 61-year-old man dead in his home. Frankie Delano Washington was found badly injured on April 5, and passed away on April 15. Police do not believe the assault was random as Washington was beaten when he came home by three men with guns who entered the home during an invasion. (WRAL)
  4. Durham Police Department investigators are asking for the community's help identifying a jogger who was seriously injured on Tuesday. The man is described as a white male in his early 20s with blonde hair and is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. The jogger was struck by a vehicle on N.C. 54 shortly after 5:30 pm on Tuesday. (Durham Police Department Facebook)
  5. A wave of conservative candidates are attempting to win seats on Durham County's Board of Education. The group refers to themselves as the "Better Board, Better Schools, Better Futures" (BBBS), and are not endorsed by any of the three most influential political action committees. The groups motives are being heavily questioned as at least one candidate is a Proud Boy member, and many share social media ideology with the Q-Anon group. (INDY Week)

Today in Durham:

From my notebook:

  • It's National Tea Day and Jeddah's Tea Room has all the ambiance and quality you'd want while sipping a nice hot tea.
  • The Downtown Durham Gift Card is now accepted by 50+ downtown Durham merchants. (Downtown Durham)
  • Durham County Library is now featuring artist Cornelio Campos' mural "Wings of a Migrant Butterfly" at the Main Library. (DCo Library)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

  • Prismatica Kaleidoscope Experience: A Color-Filled Exhibition of Lights and Reflections at The Streets at SouthPoint (See schedule)
  • Add your event

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

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— CJ Fullford

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Durham