TL;DR — 3 Things to Know This Week

• Former DPS deputy superintendent Tanya Giovanni now faces six felony obstruction charges, with a new count alleging she blocked an HR staffer from creating a written record police could obtain.
• Durham's proposed city budget holds the property tax rate flat but cuts nine jobs and raises water and sewer rates about 12%, with public hearings starting June 1.
• AC failed at Hillside High School and Lakewood Montessori Middle School during a 90-degree heat wave Wednesday, with no repair completion date announced.

A Sixth Felony Charge for the DPS Official at the Center of the Abuse Coverup

Tanya Giovanni's new indictment alleges she specifically instructed HR staff not to interview the Eno Valley principal in order to prevent law enforcement from getting a written statement.

• The new count brings Giovanni's total to six felony obstruction of justice charges. The original five, filed in January, accused her of delaying a Durham police investigation into an Eno Valley Elementary teaching assistant who allegedly tied a student with autism to a chair.

• Giovanni previously posted a $10,000 secured bond but missed a court appearance last month when her attorney moved to withdraw. Judge Brian C. Wilks warned on April 20 that another missed appearance could trigger an arrest order.

• Newly released emails show the Durham County District Attorney's Office contacted Superintendent Anthony Lewis in early November about compliance concerns. Lewis didn't respond until January 5, apologizing and saying he had missed the message while in Austin for a Durham Chamber trip.

• Giovanni, Eno Valley principal Tounya Wright, and senior executive director of employee relations Ayesha Hunter were all indicted in January. All three cases remain pending in Durham County Superior Court.

What to watch: Giovanni's next court date will test whether Wilks follows through on the April warning. Lewis has not publicly addressed the two-month gap in responding to the DA's office.

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Former Chair of Durham's Most Powerful Black Political PAC Indicted for Embezzlement

Cassandra Stokes, who led the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People's PAC, faces three felony counts over nearly $75,000 allegedly taken through unauthorized checks, ATM withdrawals, and personal charges in 2023 and 2024.

• A grand jury indicted Stokes, 35, following a year-long State Bureau of Investigation probe. Prosecutors allege she wrote checks to herself and to cash, made unauthorized withdrawals, and used the PAC debit card for personal care and entertainment.

• The scheme surfaced during a 2024 leadership transition, when former Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr., Donald Hughes, and Elaine O'Neal found missing bank statements and a near-total lack of financial transparency. A CPA audit confirmed the irregularities.

• The fallout reshaped the organization. Hughes, O'Neal, and two other committee members resigned after the discovery. McKissick referred the matter to District Attorney Satana Deberry, whose office worked alongside the SBI's financial crimes unit.

Why it matters: The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People is more than 90 years old and has long shaped voter education and candidate endorsements across the state. The case puts the organization's finances and internal controls under public scrutiny at a moment when it is still rebuilding leadership.

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Durham's City Budget Holds the Tax Rate, Cuts Nine Jobs, and Raises Water Bills

A $9 million hit from property tax appeals forced City Manager Bo Ferguson to trim operating expenses and eliminate positions, but fare-free transit and a minimum wage hike survived the squeeze.

• The proposed $766 million budget is about $40 million larger overall, but the core operating budget shrank by roughly $500,000. Ferguson called it a difficult reset driven by refunds owed after a wave of successful appeals following last year's countywide revaluation.

• Nine positions are eliminated, four of which were already vacant, out of a nearly 3,000-person workforce. All city employees get a 2% pay scale adjustment, and the Durham Minimum Livable Wage jumps 14% to $25.09 per hour.

• Water and sewer customers will see about a 12% average rate increase due to higher chemical costs and capital needs. Stormwater and parking rates hold steady.

What to watch: Budget work sessions are May 27 and 28, with a public hearing June 1. Durham County is separately weighing a 2-cent property tax increase in its own $1.045 billion budget to cover slowing commercial revenue and a $28 million DPS funding request.

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Quick Hits

• AC systems failed at Hillside High School and Lakewood Montessori Middle School during Wednesday's 90-degree heat wave, with indoor thermostats at Hillside reading in the 80s. Durham Public Schools said repairs have been underway since Tuesday but warned that ordering parts could push the timeline further, with no completion date set for either building.

• DPS classified staff asked Durham County to raise the school system's minimum wage from $17.15 to $19.22 per hour, calling the county's proposed 3% raise for workers like cafeteria staff and custodians inadequate. Hillside cafeteria manager Angelique Parkstone calculated that 3% amounts to $19 more per paycheck.

• A $7 million repair proposal for Durham's aging tennis courts entered the city budget draft May 18, driven in part by advocates for Elmira Avenue Park in East Durham, where players have gathered since the courts opened in 1978.

• Montwood Cafe opened its first permanent location at 123 Market Street in downtown Durham on May 15, after roughly a year of Sunday pop-ups at Northgate Park. Soft-opening hours are Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Durham firefighters fear merit raises will be cut for the third time in seven years, with union president Jason Davis warning a similar pay squeeze five or six years ago drove firefighters to neighboring municipalities. Firefighters filled City Council chambers Monday when the proposed budget was unveiled.

• Five critically endangered red wolf pups were born May 5 at the Museum of Life and Science, the facility's third consecutive year of successful breeding. Fewer than 300 red wolves exist in human care and the wild combined; a SAFE meeting this summer will determine next steps for the litter.

Events

Forest Bathing Walk
Thu, May 21 · Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Future Islands
Thu, May 21 · Cat's Cradle

WUNC Youth Reporting Institute Listening Party
Thu, May 21 · Motorco Music Hall

Funny Marco
Fri, May 22 · Raleigh Improv

Iration
Fri, May 22 · Red Hat Amphitheater

euuan
Sat, May 23 · The Fruit

Taste of Soul
Sat, May 23 · Durham Central Park

Real Estate

314 Eagle Spur Pl — The priciest new listing, a nearly $3M Colvard Farms estate with 6,587 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 82 photos.

512 W Geer St #302 — A $1.45M condo at The George puts the click angle downtown, with 1,527 square feet overlooking the Durham Athletic Park area.

4204 Kerley Rd — A 7.5-acre Kerley Road listing is less trophy-home and more land play, with a 1951 homestead near the Durham-Orange line.

Correction

Last week, we said Durham County's FY 2026-27 budget had passed. It had not. County Manager Claudia Hager had proposed a $1.045 billion budget with a 2-cent property tax increase; county commissioners still needed to adopt a final budget. We corrected the story: County Proposes 2-Cent Tax Hike in $1.045B Budget.