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With a significant drop in student enrollment over the past decade - from around 34,000 to about 29,000—questions arise about how to manage existing resources effectively. Wes highlights that while DPS has fewer students, it operates three more buildings than it did a dozen years ago. This raises a critical question: What would you want to know before a school closure decision is made? As the boar...

South Durham neighborhood news guy Wes Platt explains what Durham is considering before approving new data centers, including public review, size limits, water and power demands, noise, and protections for nearby neighborhoods. He lays out the planning timeline and the decisions residents can still influence before the city and county moratoria expire in May 2027. Read Southpoint Access and stay i...

Nearly 30,000 people in Durham County rely on SNAP to help buy groceries and put food on their tables. As of October 1st, significant changes are coming to this vital program, but they might not be what you expect. Starting Oct. 1, the federal government will decrease its contribution to the administrative costs of SNAP, dropping from 50% to just 25%. This means that states, like North Carolina, w...

A teenager died after contracting primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, a rare and usually fatal brain infection caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri . A state investigation identified an interactive garden water feature at El Futuro’s Durham clinic as the most likely source of exposure, although investigators couldn’t reach a definitive conclusion. The teenager reportedly splashed water o...

Wes Platt discusses the recent Durham Public Schools test scores, exploring what the numbers reveal about student progress, school performance, and how parents and administrators should interpret these results. Thanks to sponsors for supporting local news in Southpoint Access !

This episode explores the Durham Public Schools' plan to address the shortage of exceptional children teachers through a contract with Unlimited Instruction LLC. Neighborhood News Guy Wes Platt analyzes the implications, costs, and potential long-term impacts of outsourcing teacher staffing. Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors and subscribers for supporting local news in Durham!

In this episode of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Wes Platt ponders Durham Board of County Commissioners Vice Chair Nida Allam's decision to vote against the data center moratorium (while authoring amendments to it before the rest of the board approved it). Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local journalism.

In this episode of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Wes Platt talks with Ashley Melzer of Mettlesome about the improv theater organization's 10th anniversary. Check out dozens of shows this weekend and next at their theater in Golden Belt! Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local journalism.

In this episode of ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Wes Platt talks with Matt Whitnack of Vets to Vets United about the organization's mission to pair rescue dogs with military veterans, and the upcoming 5K9 Dog Jog in September. Plus: Discussing the proposed data center moratorium and high school mental health. Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local jo...

In this episode of ⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠⁠⁠ , Wes Platt talks about the Durham Public Schools handbook, technology fees, recent power outages, and the drought situation. Plus: How you can help grow Southpoint Access readership and make it possible to expand coverage! Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local journalism.

In this episode of ⁠⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠⁠ , Wes Platt brings readers up to speed about the new Durham Public Schools Board of Education, Alexan Farrington, and record-setting swimmers at the Durham Summer Swim League championship. Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local journalism.

In this episode of ⁠ Southpoint Access Office Hours ⁠ , Wes Platt talks with Matt Sears of RootEd in DPS about what lies ahead for the Tickets for Teachers program - and what a new group of Board of Education members can expect during the start of their journey guiding Durham Public Schools. Thanks to Southpoint Access sponsors for supporting independent local journalism.

In this episode of Southpoint Access Office Hours , Wes Platt catches listeners up on a busy stretch in Durham and South Durham, from end-of-school-year chaos to the latest local government decisions. Topics include: Durham County’s newly approved budget, including a 2.5-cent tax increase to support raises for classified Durham Public Schools workers. Funding approval for family drug treatment cou...

In the quest for quality education, families often find themselves overwhelmed by the options available, especially when relocating to a new area. In this episode of Office Hours, Emmy Renquist of SchoolUp offers insights into that process. She's an education consultant with deep roots in the community. SchoolUp's team primarily covers Wake and Durham counties. Plus: Data center moratorium...

The "Tickets for Teachers" initiative was born out of a simple yet powerful idea: utilize unused event tickets to benefit Durham educators. Many community members have tickets they can’t use, whether due to illness or scheduling conflicts. By donating these tickets, educators and their families can enjoy local events that might otherwise be out of reach. This initiative not only prevents...

Today is Local News Day , and it feels like the right moment to talk about why local journalism still matters — especially here in South Durham . South Durham deserves local news that is actually local. It deserves coverage that helps people make sense of the changes happening around them, not just broad countywide headlines. That means reporting people can actually use in daily life — reporting t...

Today, we’re talking about a proposal that’s back on the table in Durham Public Schools — and one that is likely to get a lot of attention from families ahead of the school board’s April 9 work session. DPS is again considering a shift to what it calls an express-stop transportation model for secondary magnet students. Here’s the basic idea: instead of neighborhood bus stops, students would be pic...

Richard Dansky joined me on Office Hours to talk about his new novel, Ghosts of Smoke and Flame , a horror-comedy he describes as “Good Omens meets The Amityville Horror.” We talked about the book’s mix of ghosts, angels, demons, grief, and humor, plus the local writing community and upcoming events. Then we shifted into Rich’s longtime home turf: video games. We discussed the shutdown of Red Stor...

As Hope Valley prepares to celebrate 100 years , Preservation Durham's Julia Lasure and Grace Wilson (also a Hope Valley resident) join neighborhood news guy Wes Platt to talk about the upcoming home tour . ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is sharing revenue with Rogers-Herr Middle School Music Boosters until March 31.

On Thursday, I had the privilege of presenting at career day at Rogers-Herr Middle School. I talked about my experiences as a journalist and the motivation for creating Southpoint Access to serve neighbors in South Durham. Also in this episode, I talk about afterschool program costs and the grim budget process ahead for Durham Public Schools. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is sharin...

About a month into his new job as executive director of Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham, Dr. Kelvin Bullock takes a few minutes to discuss his role, his experiences in Durham Public Schools, and a possible future where traditional public schools and charters like Maureen Joy can coexist and thrive. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is sharing revenue with Rogers-Herr Middle School...

Durham’s latest controversy started with something that sounds small: first names versus titles in a formal meet-and-confer meeting between DPS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis and Durham Association of Educators president Mika Twietmeyer. But the reaction was anything but small. In this episode of Southpoint Access Office Hours , I walk through what was said on the record and why many community l...

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, more than 350 Durham Public Schools students will put on a show at the Durham Performing Arts Center through a partnership between the school district and the nonprofit DPS Foundation. Get a look behind the scenes at a rehearsal at Riverside High School and hear from K-12 arts director Lester Turner and Murray-Massenburg Elementary School teacher Mikey Truzey. Plus: What's...

Xavier Cason , candidate for Durham Public Schools Board of Education District 4, joins ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ neighborhood news guy Wes Platt for a discussion about board priorities and challenges facing the school district. Early voting starts this week, and even though the ballot's going to say "primary" in March, the vote is one and done. Don't miss the chance...

Natalie Bent Kitaif , candidate for Durham Public Schools Board of Education District 1, joins ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Southpoint Access ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ neighborhood news guy Wes Platt for a discussion about board priorities and challenges facing the school district. Early voting starts this week, and even though the ballot's going to say "primary" in March, the vote is one and done. Don't miss the chance to cast your...