Good morning, readers.
Last week, Danielle Jones was sworn in as the new superintendent for Orange County schools. INDY’s Jasmine Gallup reported the story from Hillsborough.
“This is a tremendous honor, and I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Orange County Board of Education for the trust and confidence they have placed in me to lead our district,” Jones said after she was sworn in.
Jones is currently an assistant superintendent for Durham Public Schools and will officially start in Orange County on February 1. She started as a teacher in Youngsville and worked in Wake County and Franklin County. Jones said her goals are “to make sure we’re supporting teachers, supporting our administrators, and that we’re meeting the individual needs of students, every child.”
If you think those statements sound well-rehearsed and diplomatic, you’re not the only one—Jones is treading lightly in a district that’s been caught up in the nationwide culture wars around LGBTQ+ and racial equity policy, COVID protocols, and even the confederate flag.
Barry Yeoman reported that story for The Assembly in August. The short version: Last year, the board pushed out the last superintendent, Monique Felder.
“I’ve come to know that no veteran superintendent would ever apply for the superintendency here because of the dynamics of this district,” Felder said. Lee A. Williams II, who was appointed the district’s chief equity officer in 2022, also left his job this month.
And in March, three of the board’s seven seats are up for election. All three incumbents—Carrie Doyle, Bonnie Hauser, and Jennifer Moore—are running to keep their seats. Four challengers have filed to run against them. Some of Felder’s supporters see the coming election as a referendum on her ouster.
Have a good Tuesday.
— Chase
Durham
Millennia, the company that owns the JFK Towers low-income senior living facility in North Durham, has been barred from entering new contracts with government agencies. Residents have complained of living conditions at the property over the last year.
NC Central Chancellor Johnson Akinleye announced he will step down from his position in June.
Wake
The former Hyatt Place hotel on Navaho Drive near North Hills has seen its 127 rooms converted to rentals.
More than 200 people are signed up to speak on a ceasefire resolution at Raleigh’s city council meeting this evening, but Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin says the council is unlikely to adopt one this week.
Orange
Two local newspapers, The News of Orange County and the Mebane Enterprise, will merge at the end of this month. The new publication will cover Mebane, Hillsborough, and Efland from The News of Orange County’s current office in Hillsborough.
Kevin Guskiewicz’s last day as UNC Chancellor was Friday. Read a thank you letter Guskiewicz sent to the UNC community upon his departure.
Meanwhile, a small group of political organizations on campus signed an op-ed stating their opposition to Lee Roberts’s interim chancellorship.
North Carolina
An Arctic blast is headed to the Triangle today and is expected to stick around for the rest of the week.
Today’s weather
Cloudy with a chance of rain and a high of 48 degrees.
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