Sharryse Piggott

5 days ago | wunc.org | Sharryse Piggott

State and local officials gathered on Friday in Raleigh to celebrate the renaming of a local post office after a civil rights leader, and a member of the only all-Black female World War II unit. Millie Dunn Veasey was a staff sergeant with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — nicknamed the Six Triple Eight. They deployed to Europe towards the end of World War II to tackle a burgeoning crisis: a backlog of some 17 million pieces of undelivered mail.

6 days ago | wunc.org | Sharryse Piggott

The State Department of Health and Human Services officially kicked off an initiative on Wednesday that aims to provide virtual mental health services for more than 400,000 K-12 students. The partnership is with Hazel Health, which is a telehealth service, and UnitedHealthcare. Virtual mental health services are currently live at Harnett County Schools and Durham County Public Schools.

1 week ago | wunc.org | Sharryse Piggott

Wake County Public Schools has lost a five-year federal grant for more than $14 million. The grant would have allowed the district to expand the current School Board Mental Health Program for 106 schools. It was designed to fund 27 new positions as a part of a long-term goal to provide a mental health counselor in every school by the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

2 weeks ago | wunc.org | Sharryse Piggott

Durham County Commissioners are calling on Congress to protect about $16 million in Head Start funds due to possible federal cuts. Both Head Start and Early Head Start programs are dedicated to free early child care services. The programs support families with young children who are living in poverty, in foster care, or experiencing homelessness. Commissioners approved a signed letter on Monday in support of maintaining the funds, during a board meeting.

2 weeks ago | wunc.org | Sharryse Piggott

Some Zebulon residents say they're concerned about recent abrupt staff resignations. This comes after the town manager and assistant town manager resigned in the same week. Town Manager Gilbert Todd resigned during a public meeting, saying the town commissioners told him to take unwarranted disciplinary action against the assistant town manager. The assistant town manager, Kellianne Williams, resigned a few days later. Both Todd and Williams were hired by the town in 2024.