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Tag: Kyleigh Panetta

  • Priced out: Property tax increases worry some in growing N.C. cities

    Priced out: Property tax increases worry some in growing N.C. cities

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    DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina is set to become the seventh most populated state over the next 10 years, expecting to reach an estimated 11.7 million people by 2030, according to the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. Two things impacted by all that growth are property values and taxes.

    Charlotte, Wilmington, Raleigh, Cary and Durham are areas that have already approved or are proposing property tax increases for the upcoming fiscal year.

    What You Need To Know

    • Charlotte, Wilmington, Raleigh, Cary and Durham are some areas that have already approved or are proposing property tax increases for the upcoming fiscal year
    • Both the City of Durham and Durham County approved a property tax increase for a combined 8.5-cent increase
    • That makes the new property tax rate for Durham residents $1.39 for every $100 of assessed property value
    • Larry Hester, a Durham native and businessman, says he’s concerned people are being priced out of the city altogether


    When it comes to the Bull City, residents will be impacted by both the county and city’s increases, a total increase of 8.5 cents.

    A home in Durham valued at $400,000 will have a total tax bill of about $5,580, which is up about $340 from last year.

    Larry Hester, a homeowner and commercial property owner, says he’s worried about how this will impact property affordability in Durham. He owns a Durham shopping plaza so he’s been able to watch his son’s barber shop grow and his daughter’s restaurant thrive.

    “They are very independent in their thinking. I’m just glad that they chose to be here,” Hester said.

    Walking around outside, he knows exactly how long each of his tenants have been there, many of them for decades. He was born and raised in Durham, so it’s safe to say Hester has seen the Bull City change a lot.

    “Durham is a growing community and growing means that people are coming from everywhere to be here,” Hester said.

    Most recently, both the city and county approved a property tax increase of a combined 8.5-cent increase. That makes the new rate $1.39 for every $100 of assessed property value.

    Whether someone’s a homeowner, business owner or both, Hester says every little bit adds up and is part of a domino effect.

    “It’s going to increase the rent on tenants who have to in turn increase the cost of their goods and services to the public,” Hester said.

    Hester said he’s often thinking about the future, including if and when people, who call Durham home, will be priced out of the city all together.

    “I think we have a freight train that just left the station that’s going to be picking up steam,” Hester said.

    Hester also says he’s concerned about this increase because there’s a property reappraisal next year. The county will decide new property values for the first time in five years, which could in turn increase property taxes even more.

    The city says officials decided to raise the property tax rate in order to, “provide funding to fairly compensate city employees.”

    The City of Durham shared an online resource, a property tax bill calculator, to help people figure out their new county and city tax bills based on their property value and these new rates.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • One million students will soon get access to food assistance

    One million students will soon get access to food assistance

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    WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — For the first time, more than one million North Carolina students will be eligible for extra food assistance this summer. The state is taking part in a new USDA program known as SUN Bucks to help prevent child hunger while school is out until the fall.

    What You Need To Know

    • A new USDA program, SUN Bucks, helps prevent child hunger while school is out

    • SUN Bucks is a one-time $120 benefit that will be issued Friday, June 14

    • For eligible students, SUN Bucks will loaded onto current EBT cards and all others will get a SUN Bucks card in the mail
    • Any store that accepts EBT cards will take these SUN Bucks benefits as well

    Nearly 60% of public school students across the state qualify for free and reduced-price meals at school. This SUN Bucks program is meant to help those students, as well as others who may be eligible.

    “900,000 students in North Carolina depend upon meals at school during the school year for their primary source of nutrition,” Dr. Lynn Harvey, the NC DPI School Nutrition Services Director, said.

    Harvey adds that a well-balanced meal is something some kids only experience while they’re at school.

    “In fact, for many students, it’s the best, most nutritious meal they’re going to have. And for others, it may be the only meals they have,” Harvey said.

    Harvey says the impact food can have on growing bodies and minds has been proven time and time again.

    “Children can’t learn when they’re hungry. They’re limited in their capacity to pay attention in the classroom fully. When we make sure they’re well nourished, when they’re well-fed, they can concentrate, they can focus on the task at hand. They can achieve their best,” Harvey said.

    While these meals are consistent during the school year, there’s a gap the state is hoping to fill.

    “So what happens when school’s out for the summer months? Those meals are not there,” Harvey said.

    This year, for the first time, more than one million North Carolina students will be eligible for extra food assistance over the summer, a one-time $120 benefit known as SUN Bucks.

    “The SUN Bucks program will provide cash assistance to children and, of course, to their households that will enable them to purchase groceries throughout the summer months,” Harvey said.

    Those who already receive no-cost or reduced-cost meals at school, take part in Food and Nutrition Services, receive Medicaid with income below 185% of the federal poverty level or are in foster care, automatically qualify for the program.

    The program is just one way to make sure students aren’t forgotten about and are ready to learn when they come back to school in the fall.

    “We hope to close that summer gap so that children won’t be hungry during the summer months, as many have been in years past,” Harvey said.

    SUN Bucks benefits will be distributed starting Friday, June 14.

    Families and kids who currently receive food and nutrition services like food stamps will see their SUN Bucks loaded onto their current EBT cards. All others will get a SUN Bucks card in the mail. Any store that accepts EBT cards will take these SUN Bucks benefits as well.

    North Carolina is one of only three states in the Food and Nutrition Services Southeast Region to take advantage of this new USDA program.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • Meet Mo Green: Democratic candidate for N.C. Supt. of Public Instruction

    Meet Mo Green: Democratic candidate for N.C. Supt. of Public Instruction

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — As campaigns ramp up voter outreach in North Carolina, one race many are focusing on is the race to lead North Carolina’s public school system. Republican hopeful Michele Morrow and Democratic candidate Mo Green are running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

    What You Need To Know

    • One of the political races many folks are paying attention to is the race to lead North Carolina’s public school system

    • Republican Michele Morrow and Democrat Mo Green are running for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction

    • Green served as the superintendent of Guilford County Schools for seven years and worked as general counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

    • Green says one of his top priorities is increasing funding for public schools in order to pay teachers more

    Mo Green credits his mom, who was a special education teacher, for his admiration for educators and the public education system as a whole. The Duke University graduate started his professional career in the judicial system as a lawyer, transitioning to general counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in 2001.

    Green describes himself as a champion for public education, but he stills believes there are things that can and should be improved upon.

    This may be the first political office Green has run for but, having served as the superintendent of Guilford County Schools for seven years and working for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, he’s very comfortable in the world of public education.

    “The thing that I always think about, when I think about public education, is the transformative value that it has,” Green said.

    Green, who has spent much of his career in philanthropy, now has his sights set on a state level political post leading the Department of Public Instruction and making decisions for kids in classrooms across the state.

    “So this focus on certainly, knowledge acquisition being critically important, but also development of character being equally as important,” Green said.

    Education remains a top expense in the state budget year after year, but Green argues there’s more work to be done in properly funding public education.

    “We’re about $5,000 or so, per student, below the national average. You think about our teachers, our beginning teachers, we’re 46th in the entire country with regards to what we pay our teachers, our beginner teachers,” Green said.

    After winning the primary in this highly contested race, Green reflected on the commitment people have made to public education.

    “Our schools didn’t become these bright beacons of hope all on their own. Generations of North Carolinians have made the choice to invest in them and make them strong,” Green said.

    Green also says he doesn’t support the Parents Bill of Rights law. It bans discussions of sexuality and gender identity in kindergarten through 4th grade and requires schools to tell parents if students change their pronouns. He says it does more harm than good.

    “The title itself raises a deep concern for me, because it might suggest to many that parents don’t already have a lot of access to our schools, that our schools are somehow not welcoming. And then there has to be sort of this enumerated set of rights provided to parents so they can engage with public schools. That’s a false narrative,” Green said.

    In fact, Green believes a majority of decision making around public schools should be left to those with experience in the field, which would include an overall curriculum plan being established and then allowing educators as much freedom as possible when it comes to teaching that material.

    “There are opportunities for local school systems, once the standard courses of study are set, to develop how they want to teach various subjects and, they know their communities well, what will work in their communities,” Green said.

    But, he says, don’t take his calls for action as criticisms of public schools. Green says he’s a staunch advocate and believes there are already countless positive things that deserve recognition.

    “We’ve got to be sure that folks truly understand how much good does happen, even while we absolutely have room to improve and must improve here is a lot that that that’s worthy of daily celebration,” Green said.

    Green also says there should be adequate and differentiated resources to prepare all students for life after they graduate, whether they go to college, trade school, join the military or go straight to work.

    Spectrum News 1 also talked with the Republican hopeful in this race, Michele Morrow, to get her perspective on this issue of preparing students for the real world.

    “I really think that our schools, this is the future of our state. If we are not preparing our children to be critical thinkers, to be problem solvers, to be able to handle conflict and then we are really doing ourselves a disservice because these are going to be the future leaders in North Carolina. And what I’m seeing is public schools, the majority of parents want their children to be in a public school. That’s kind of the easiest, you know, road to go,” Morrow said. 

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • Durham hosts forum as areas at five parks close for soil contamination testing

    Durham hosts forum as areas at five parks close for soil contamination testing

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    DURHAM, N.C. – The city of Durham is hosting a public forum Wednesday night to update people on the soil contamination testing at five city parks.

    This comes after a study by a Duke University graduate student in 2022 found unsafe levels of lead. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are all involved now.

    What You Need To Know

    • The city of Durham is hosting a virtual public forum Wednesday night at 6:30 to update people on the soil contamination testing at five city parks

    • East Durham, East End, Lyon, Northgate and Walltown parks all have fenced off areas that are being tested for soil contamination

    • Earlier this year, NCDEQ said a report on the soil samples should be done by April, but that report hasn’t been shared yet

    • Many community members, including Joseph Blue who lives right behind Walltown Park, are expressing concerns about the situation

    It’s been about 10 months since the city of Durham put up fencing and signs at five parks because high levels of lead were found in the ground. East Durham Park, East End Park, Lyon Park, Northgate Park and Walltown Park all have areas that are being tested for soil contamination.

    Earlier this year, NCDEQ said a report on the soil samples should be done by April. That report hasn’t been shared yet, but many community members, including Joseph Blue, are expressing concern.

    Living right behind Walltown Park in Durham for decades has its perks, especially when you have grandkids like Blue.

    “We could be cooking out and they run straight through the cut and then they’d be in the park,” Blue said.

    But the park is now lined with bright orange fencing and warning signs. Blue says it’s no longer the safe place he thought he knew growing up.

    “They’d play in the backyard and play over here at the park. My grandson, he would play football over here all the time. He actually would go in this creek and play because he’s heard the stories from me talking about how I played in the creek,” Blue said. “You want to go out and get some sunlight and feel like you’re safe, but then it’s not safe.”

    Signs posted at Walltown Park, warning visitors not to go into fenced off areas. (Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta)

    The Durham native says he’s always been involved in community meetings but became even more invested over the last year after learning the city was testing soil at five city parks, including Walltown, for lead and other contaminants.

    “They’re still saying they have to figure out what parts are infected. But you roped off the whole park,” Blue said. “This is going to be a process and it’s going to be ongoing, it looks like, for a while.”

    Blue says he doesn’t blame current city leaders but believes it is their responsibility now to make sure these spaces are safe for future generations.

    “A lot of questions. I’m going to find out who gives the answers and are the answers true answers to the questions,” Blue said. “They just need to come up with the solutions. And then what solution is going to fix the problem and not put a Band-Aid on the problem? That’s the main issue with me. If you’re going to do it, go on and fix it where we don’t have to worry about it again.”

    Map showing the five Durham parks being tested for soil contamination.

    He says he and other community members will stay on top of the progress and promises made as time moves forward.

    “So if we don’t continue to put the pressure on them, this could look like this for years. Who knows,” Blue said.

    Blue says he’s also concerned his property may be contaminated, but says he’ll look into testing after he learns more about the findings from Walltown Park.

    The last update from the city of Durham was in late April, and the statement reads in part, “We have been working with NCDEQ to actively assess and provide updated information on the remediation of lead and other hazards in the five parks that contain soil from pre-regulatory landfills.”

    The city’s virtual public forum is being held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Officials with the city, DHHS and DEQ are all expected to share information on the situation.

    For more details, visit the city of Durham’s Soil and Property Testing website.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • Birth doula advocates for better Black maternal health outcomes

    Birth doula advocates for better Black maternal health outcomes

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    RALEIGH, N.C. – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women.

    Wednesday is the final day of Black Maternal Health Week, which is recognized every year from April 11 to 17. It’s a way to raise awareness about that inequity and improve Black maternal health in the future.

    The CDC says that disparity in maternal health outcomes can be due to variation in quality of health care, underlying chronic conditions as well as structural racism and implicit bias in the health care system.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women

    • Black Maternal Health Week is recognized every year from April 11 to 17

    • Jekisha Elliot, a Triangle area birth doula, believes health care isn’t a one size fits all type of situation

    • Elliott says educating people about a variety health care resources, like doulas and midwives, can improve birth outcomes for everyone

    Jekisha Elliot has been a birth doula for about three years now and runs Jendayi Doula Services.

    “What can we do to make this a comfortable journey for you so that you have a great birthing experience,” Elliott said.

    Elliott often incorporates yoga and stretching into her clients’ services.

    “That will really help to open up your hips as well,” Elliott said.

    As a birth doula, she helps women and families on their reproductive journeys.

    “Having a doula helps to reduce the risk of a C-section. It reduces the amount of labor by 41 minutes. It also increases your chances of breastfeeding successfully. So these are all things that have been studied and have been proven,” Elliott said.

    She’s always been passionate about serving others, and this work also allows her to advocate for people during a life changing chapter.

    “This is a really special moment. It’s an intimate moment. And so, just being able to be with families during this time where a lot of people don’t get to experience that,” Elliott said.

    For Elliott, health care isn’t a one size fits all type of situation.

    “A lot of doctors, they get training and things like that but life is changing. The world is changing. I think we all have to be aware of people’s culture and things they would like,” Elliott said.

    When it comes to childbirth, she says she’s seen the impact a narrow approach can have, especially on marginalized communities.

    Jekisha Elliott helps guide a client during some stretching exercises. (Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta)

    “A lot of times women, especially women of color, have to advocate for themselves because our concerns are not heard. They’re dismissed. There’s many Black women who have lost their lives either before, during or after childbirth just because their concerns weren’t heard,” Elliott said. “They want to see someone in the room with them that looks like them and that can help advocate for them and encourage them to feel strong through this journey.”

    She believes as more people learn what doulas can offer, and as more insurance companies cover these types of services, it’ll only improve birth outcomes for women and children of all backgrounds.

    “We just need to have more of a movement behind it so that it’s pretty much equitable for everybody. It doesn’t just matter that it’s affecting the African American, the Black and brown community. This should be an issue for everyone,” Elliott said.

    According to the CDC, 80% of pregnancy related deaths in the United States are preventable, and there are things that can be done to change that number beyond expanding access to health care resources like doulas. The CDC says identifying and addressing social factors that influence maternal health can improve birth outcomes. That includes things like unstable housing, transportation access, food insecurity, substance use and violence among others.

    The CDC is also working to promote its “Hear Her” campaign to raise awareness about the potentially life-threatening warning signs during and after pregnancy as well as improve communication between patients and their doctors.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • Primary issues: New VA clinic in N.C. set to welcome veterans next year

    Primary issues: New VA clinic in N.C. set to welcome veterans next year

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    GARNER, N.C.  — The race for North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District is packed with 14 Republicans and one Democrat vying for that seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Veterans’ needs are a key issue for the candidates and voters in that district.

    What You Need To Know

    • North Carolina’s primary election day is on March 5 and Spectrum News is taking a look at some of the key issues in each district

    • Based on population and demographics, veterans’ needs are a key issue for the candidates and voters in that district

    • North Carolina is home to more than 600,000 veterans, making them a big voting block in the state

    • By spring of 2025, at least 30,000 veterans will be able to access VA services at a new clinic in Garner
    • It will be the area’s largest outpatient clinic and serve 27 counties in Central and Eastern North Carolina

    The Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System serves more than two dozen counties in Central and Eastern North Carolina. That includes Wake County, which has a high concentration of veterans, as well as Johnston County, one of the fastest growing counties in the state. Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is in neighboring Wayne County and Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, is just south of the district

    When construction is done on the new VA clinic in Garner, it will be the area’s largest outpatient clinic and serve 27 counties in Central and Eastern North Carolina.

    “This facility here is over 240,000 square feet. It will have various clinics here, mainly about 23 different types of services here,” Anthony Avery, the Wake Co. OPC Administrator for the Durham VA Healthcare System, said. “In our area we already have smaller clinics and their capacities are pretty full.”

    Avery, a veteran himself, has worked for the VA for more than 15 years. He says the Durham VA Health Care System currently has a 70% penetration rate, meaning 30% of eligible veterans in the area aren’t enrolled in services.

    Anthony Avery (right) watching construction progress at the VA clinic in Garner. (Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta)

    “A lot of times it’s the access to care is just being able to get to a health care clinic that offers the specialties they need. Most community outpatient centers so far only offer very limited specialty care,” Avery said.

    North Carolina is home to well over 600,000 veterans, making them a big voting block in the state. Having new resources, like this clinic, are key when many voters cast their ballots and while they’re deciding who they want making decisions about veteran issues in Washington, D.C.

    By spring of 2025, at least 30,000 veterans will be able to access VA services at the clinic in Garner. For many, that’s much closer to home.

    An aerial view of the construction progress at the VA clinic in Garner. (Spectrum News 1/Maurice Griffin)

    “This is some of the best care you could get. So we want our veterans, we want to be able to provide that care to them right where they live so they don’t have to travel up 40 or some of these drive times up 70. They’ll come right here in their community.”

    Spectrum News 1 asked the top candidates in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District about veterans’ needs and here’s what they had to say:

    Republican candidate Brad Knott said, “We need to devote more time, more energy and more dollars to the veterans to make sure that they can receive the care that they need. Homelessness, drug addiction, mental illness of every of every kind. Veterans are suffering and we need to reallocate the dollars that we are putting elsewhere. That’s, I would say, for lack of a better term, wasteful [spending] and reapply it to the veterans.”

    Republican candidate Kelly Daughtry said, “Veterans who defended freedom here at home and around the world deserve the highest quality of health care from the federal government…When we elect President Trump and send Joe Biden back to his basement, he will have a strong partner in me as your next Congresswoman to invest more on veterans and improving VA hospitals.”

    Republican candidate DeVan Barbour said, “In order to ensure our veterans have access to, and receive, the best care possible Congress must allocate appropriate funding to the VA system to provide for adequate staffing, integration of care, and continuity of care. Doing this will ensure our veterans will be able to receive the care they need, when they need it, where they need it from.”

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • N.C. florist encourages people to support local this Valentine’s Day

    N.C. florist encourages people to support local this Valentine’s Day

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — It’s Valentine’s Day and, according to the National Retail Federation, the average consumer expects to spend about $185 on gifts this year. That’s nearly $8 more than the average amount spent over the last five years.

    Surging restaurant and chocolate prices are playing a role that rising cost.

    What You Need To Know

    • The average consumer expects to spend about $185 on gifts for Valentine’s Day this year

    • Flowers are among the holiday’s top three gifts with about 39% of people planning to buy them

    • Tierra George, the owner of TG Floristry, says they plan months in advance for the holiday

    • George also believes it’s incredibly impactful for the entire community when people buy from local shops

    According to the January consumer price index, the price of food consumed at restaurants is up 5% year over year. That’s a complete reversal from last year when it was cheaper to dine out.

    Additionally, cocoa prices are surging so high that even the biggest chocolate makers are struggling to stay profitable. Climate issues in west Africa, where more than 60% of the global cocoa production is, are damaging crop yields and causing prices to soar.

    Meanwhile, flowers are among the holiday’s top three gifts with about 39% of people planning to buy them for their valentine, according to the NRF.

    Tierra George, the owner of TG Floristry in downtown Raleigh, says they plan months in advance for the holiday and she believes it’s incredibly impactful for the entire community when people buy from local shops.

    “We moved into this space about two and a half years ago. But we’ve been in business for about five years,” George said.

    Valentine’s Day is like the Super Bowl for the flower industry.

    “On what we do a day, we probably receive maybe four to five times that in this period,” George said. “I think that we have pretty steady day-to-day sales, but Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day definitely kind of blows those out of the water by a long shot.”

    Within the last year, George has made flower arrangements for some pretty impressive people, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, as well as Gov. Roy Cooper and musical artist Lizzo.

    She credits the success of her business to holding community workshops centered around the values they’re committed to.

    “A lot of the farms that we do use, they’re either going to be small farms, we use a lot of like BPIOC-owned farms and things like that. All of our farms are like woman owned. So that’s something that we definitely like kind of pride ourselves off of there,” George said.

    George says locally-owned shops might not be at the same price point as big box stores. However, she believes when people choose to support small businesses like hers, they’re investing in something much bigger.

    “I think we’re trying to do something good. And so I think that any support that we receive in trying to do that, I think that we can do more good than, you know, even more,” George said.

    George says she also plans for last minute orders as well as orders that come in tomorrow, the day after Valentine’s Day. She also says that good quality fresh cut flowers should last about two weeks as long as you change the water every couple of days and trim the stems.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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