Durham
Durham, NC · Events
Raleigh News & Observer
Durham board rejects nearly 500 homes over traffic, environmental concerns
Residents fighting against traffic congestion and strained infrastructure in Durham celebrated a preliminary victory Tuesday night after the Planning Commission rejected two proposed developments. During a nearly three-hour meeting, the commissioners heard proposals for three new housing developments across the city, rejecting two controversial ones. Both the 437-home Morgan Farm II subdivision and a downsized 27-unit townhome project on Grandale Drive failed to secure the advisory board’s favorable recommendations. A 192-unit affordable housing project in Braggtown, however, got a unanimous recommendation for approval. The commission’s decisions are recommendations to the Durham City Council, which will vote on the projects at a later date. A fourth planned hearing, for 300 apartments on 10 acres along Slater Road in southeast Durham, was rescheduled to December. An approval for Bragtown Walk In the first case of the night, the Bragtown Walk project returned to the Planning Commission not for a rezoning, but for a “Statutory Development Agreement” to help the construction of a 192-unit affordable housing development and on-site daycare on eight acres at Old Oxford Road and Danube Lane. The project’s rezoning was successfully approved in 2023 under the name “Fairhaven Walk.” A Statutory Development Agreement is a legal contract between a
Raleigh News & Observer
Viral South Durham soul food restaurant has quietly closed its doors
Kale’s Kitchen Express, a build-your-own-plate soul food spot, has closed their Durham restaurant after more than 10 years in the catering business. The fast-casual comfort food spot announced on Instagram that they were no longer serving food from their 2100 Angier Ave. brick-and-mortar location in Durham after customers inquired about its absence. “Our messages are full of people saying y’all went by the location!,” the Oct. 21 post to followers said . “We decided it wasn’t in our best interest to renew our lease there... We genuinely appreciate all of the love and support! Please stay tuned as we transition and step into this new chapter of our journey.” The family recipe-inspired restaurant offered four-item trays in two sizes, standard and heavy. Guests could pick a main dish, two sides and choice of bread for their soul food combinations. Kale’s Kitchen featured Black American favorites like mac & cheese, fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, turkey wings, stuffed salmon, candied yams, baked beans and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @kales_kitchen While the storefront is no longer associated with Kale’s Kitchen, customers can still purchase meals through occasional pop-ups, catering, meal-prepping services and personal chef appointments, the
hoodline.com
14th Tornado From Isaias Remnants Confirmed Near RDU, Raleigh-Durham Total Climbs
Raleigh Central Business District — Weather Coverage Backdrop. A tornado nobody initially counted has been confirmed near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, pushing North Carolina's total from last month's Isaias-remnant outbreak to 14 touchdowns statewide. The newly identified twister was rated EF-0, with estimated winds of 80 mph, and it struck a heavily wooded area near Interstate 40 and I-540, between Pleasant Grove Church Road and Aviation Parkway.
The Spun
WRAL
200 families to receive housing through Duke and A.J. Fletcher Foundation investment
A new investment by Duke and the A.J. Fletcher Foundation is set to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Durham residents. The $1.65 million investment is going into Durham’s Flexible Housing Assistance Fund, one of the community resources that’s part of Durham’s new Strategic Framework To Make Homelessness Rare & Brief.
wunc.org
Durham's water supply dwindles as Triangle municipalities navigate relentless drought
After months of unrelenting drought, the City of Durham now has less than 80 days of easily accessible water left. When including less accessible sources and emergency storage, the city has enough water for just under 150 days. Durham, like much of North Carolina, has been subject to months of...
hoodline.com
hoodline.com
Durham Hosts Black Southern Writers Conference With Danez Smith Keynote
The Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference & Book Fest is scheduled for November 13-15, 2026, in the Durham/RTP area. The three-day gathering is built around the theme “We Were Never Meant to Survive: Rest, Resilience, and Radical Joy” and brings together workshops, panels, author conversations and a keynote address from poet Danez Smith.
Raleigh News & Observer
Duke Gardens' barred owl has a feisty side. Two visitors injured.
At first glance, the newest resident at Duke Gardens looks like a sleepy, fluffy mascot. However, some visitors around the garden have quickly learned that the cute barred owl in the bald cypress trees has a feisty attitude. Garden officials have issued a warning after multiple people encountered the owl at the Culberson Asiastic Arboretum around the red Meyer Bridge. The incidents, which have occurred during the early morning and twilight hours, began last week when a jogger reported being swooped by the bird. The jogger received medical care. In a separate incident, a family observing the owl eating prey got a little too close. That encounter left one of them with a wound. Kavanah Anderson, the director of learning at Duke Gardens, said the owl is a young male establishing his territory. He appears to have chosen the garden as the place to find a mate and raise owlets. “Owls want to make sure that they’re protecting that area, that it’s safe for them and their young, so they can exhibit some kind of defensive behavior,” Anderson told The News & Observer. Typical defensive owl behavior includes swooping down and using their sharp talons, which can pose a risk
wunc.org
The Durham Association of Educators sets its sight on district pay policies
Public employees in North Carolina are barred by state law from negotiating their pay and contracts. That has long hampered state employees from forming effective unions that bargain with their employers. But in Durham, the local chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators has amassed considerable influence with its...