Durham County

The Durham Association of Educators says at least 75% of school employees at 12 Durham public schools called out of work Wednesday to protest recent cuts to raises for classified staff. Educators gathered at the Minnie Forte-Brown Staff Development Center on Hillandale Road in Durham on Wednesday morning to protest.

A majority of school employees at 12 schools in Durham Public Schools plan to be absent Wednesday after submitting their leave requests Tuesday afternoon. The Durham Association of Educators (DAE) says at least 75% of school employees at each of these schools are walking out to protest recent cuts to raises for classified staff.

In a tense meeting Thursday night, Durham Public Schools’ Board of Education approved a budget amendment that allows classified staff to continue receiving recent raises through the end of January. Earlier this month, the district informed staff their raises would end abruptly due to an accounting error.

In August, Durham County launched a guaranteed income pilot program that provided a monthly stipend to 125 families. Youth reporter Sofia Basurto interviewed participants to understand how the program has impacted their lives.

Durham County is receiving a $3.3 million in federal infrastructure funds to build a new solid waste drop-off facility and improve its recycling programs.

Welcome Baby, a Durham County program, has launched a new initiative aimed at giving Spanish-speaking fathers a supportive space to learn parenting skills.

Two years after resettling, Afghans face legal delays in the U.S. immigration system while adapting to a new life.

DoCo Thrives will provide $750 a month to 125 families.

Tuesday's severe thunderstorms caused damages, outages, car accidents, and road closures. One 78-year-old Durham woman died after a tree fell on her car.

The recruitment push comes as many state agencies are struggling to retain workers.