The 9th Street Journal

1 month ago | 9thstreetjournal.org | Storey Wertheimer

For over a decade, North Carolina has issued vouchers to help families afford private school tuition. But this year, the number of affluent recipients surged after lawmakers removed income limits, opening applications to all families. In Durham County, 44% of students who were awarded scholarships this year would have previously been ineligible due to higher family income, according to February data from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.

1 month ago | 9thstreetjournal.org | Jothi Gupta

Toni Hall faces herself in a wall-length mirror, moving her arms and legs in rhythmic motions. Fourteen women follow behind her. There’s no music, just the clicks of Hall’s tongue twice before each numeric count, “one, *click*, *click*; two,*click*, *click*; three…,” and the sounds of feet colliding with the dance floor at the Hayti Heritage Center. The Monday afternoon African dance classes, hosted by instructors Hall and Ivy Burch, offer a bit of cultural continuity at the center.

2 months ago | 9thstreetjournal.org | Esme Fox

After months of waiting, residents along Roxboro and Mangum are finally seeing progress on a long-term goal: Conversion of the busy roads to two-way streets. In a March 3 meeting the City Council approved hiring a consultant, at a cost of $498,500, to begin design work on converting the two streets. “We’ve decided that we want this to be a two-way street. We’ve gotten some good feedback from NCDOT that they’re willing to work with us on this,” said city Director of Transportation Sean Egan.

2 months ago | 9thstreetjournal.org | Storey Wertheimer

The biography of a renowned national civil rights activist with deep Durham roots has been scrubbed from the National Park Service (NPS) website. Pauli Murray was a trailblazer in the world of civil rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and the Episcopal church. Until recently, the NPS site featured an in-depth account of Murray’s life and legal contributions. That page has now vanished, and visitors are met with a “Page not Found” message.

2 months ago | 9thstreetjournal.org | Storey Wertheimer

Riverside High School students and families are reeling after three false weapon reports in just five days, leaving many feeling anxious and on edge. On Friday, Feb. 14, the school went into lockdown after a tip warned of an armed person on campus. Students say they huddled in classrooms with the lights turned off while officers conducted a safety sweep. The tip was deemed unsubstantiated and the lockdown was lifted after about an hour.