🌳 Early Voting Is Open at 10 Durham Sites
TL;DR — 3 Things to Know This Week
Early voting in Durham County runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31 at 10 sites, and voters can use any of them.
Durham firefighter Andrew Brokes, 24, died Oct. 8 while searching for victims in a Marly Drive building where residents and relatives describe windowless units and electrical problems.
Commissioners unanimously approved a $525,668 increase to the Wellpath jail and Youth Home health contract after Commissioner Wendy Jacobs questioned whether the county can verify the promised care reaches patients.
Early Voting Is Open at 10 Durham County Sites Through Oct. 31
Early voting in Durham County runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31 at 10 sites, and voters can use any of them.
"It's a 14-inch, two-sided ballot," Durham Director of Elections Derek Bowens said. It includes three constitutional amendments, on photo ID, the state income tax and property taxes; the property tax amendment would give lawmakers authority to limit how much local governments can increase property taxes.
Residents who aren't registered can register at an early voting site. Same-day registration requires proof of residence, such as a current utility bill, bank statement or paycheck, in addition to photo ID.
County election officials said 20,000 new voters have registered in Durham County since the beginning of the year, more than 9,000 of them in the past four months.
Residents Raise Safety Concerns After Durham Fire Kills Firefighter
Durham firefighter Andrew Brokes, 24, died Oct. 8 while searching for victims in a Marly Drive building where residents and relatives describe windowless units and electrical problems.
Part of the building collapsed around 3:31 a.m., 10 minutes after crews arrived, trapping several firefighters on the first floor. Two others were treated at Duke Hospital and released, and all 14 residents had escaped before firefighters got there.
Melissa Reyes, whose father lived there and escaped, said she didn't see a fire extinguisher or smoke detector in the building and had told her father the conditions were not fit for families or children.
Durham County tax records list two of the property's three buildings as commercial, including one classified as an auto garage, yet residents and relatives said people were living in all three.
Property records list the owner as Admiral Properties LLC, which didn't return reporters' calls. The man Reyes said handles leasing didn't answer questions about the building's most recent fire inspection.
What to watch: The State Bureau of Investigation's Arson Unit is investigating the fire's cause and the fatal collapse. Investigators kept residents from retrieving IDs and passports because the rest of the structure could collapse.
Durham Commissioners Approve $525K Jail Health Increase, Face Tax Records Questions
Durham Board of County Commissioners · Regular Meeting · October 12, 2026
Commissioners unanimously approved a $525,668 increase to the Wellpath jail and Youth Home health contract after Commissioner Wendy Jacobs questioned whether the county can verify the promised care reaches patients.
Jacobs pulled the item off the consent agenda and said that during a Youth Home visit she found one nurse staffing the clinic, though the draft contract lists multiple staff positions and four hours of weekly psychological services there. Staff are preparing a new request for proposals.
A longtime Durham homeowner said his property taxes nearly doubled and he felt dismissed when he sought help; commissioners said Tax Administrator Keyar Doyle's office would follow up with him.
A commenter urged commissioners to publish Board of Equalization and Review minutes, arguing state public records law doesn't shield them. The county attorney said the minutes must first be reviewed for confidential tax information, and Jacobs estimated they run about 10,000 pages.
Commissioners unanimously adopted Jacobs's amendment requiring the Early Childhood Task Force to report to them at least every six months, and she asked staff to recruit a business representative who provides child care.
Quick Hits
Riverside High School locked down three times from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9, the last after an unverified app tip, and searches found no weapons or threats.
Durham is studying replacing traffic signals with all-way stops at 22 low-traffic intersections to cut crashes and confusion.
Gov. Josh Stein signed a law suspending North Carolina's gas tax through Nov. 30, though pump savings may only reach 30 to 35 cents a gallon.
Brogden Middle School moved from a D to a C grade after raising its overall proficiency rate by 11 points in 2025-26.
Lakewood Elementary rose from a D to a C grade and exited low-performing status, with fifth-grade math performance up 30 percentage points.
NCCU received a $4.9 million federal grant to expand research infrastructure and student funding as it pursues Carnegie R2 status.
Duke will end regular on-campus parking for first-years starting fall 2027 and plans to offer an off-campus lot with free transportation instead.
NCCU's preliminary estimate puts its annual economic impact at $735.5 million statewide, nearly $250 million above its 2021 study.
Events
8th Annual Pumpkinbeerfest
Thu, October 15 · Glass Jug RTP
The Glass Jug stocks pumpkin beers on draft and in bottles and cans.
Burnouts and Brews: Teacher Happy Hour!
Thu, October 15 · Ponysaurus Brewing Co.
Origins Counseling & Wellness brings local educators together for an evening of beer and unwinding at Ponysaurus Brewing.
Popsicle w/ The Connells
Sat, October 24 · Cat's Cradle, Carrboro
Popsicle is an afternoon lineup across Cat's Cradle and the Back Room featuring The Connells, Superdrag, Chuck Prophet, Young Fresh Fellows and more.
Go Figure
Thu, October 15 · Golden Belt Artists
A weekly figure drawing session for ages 18 and up; tickets are $15 and class size is limited to 15 people.
Mike Munson + Country & Western
Thu, October 15 · Shadowbox Studio
Winona, Minnesota guitarist Mike Munson plays indie folk and roots, with Butler Knowles's new pedal steel group Country & Western; $10-20 at the door.
North Carolina State Fair
Opens Thu, October 15 · State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
The fair features rides, shows, exhibits, animals, and food.
Real Estate
2106 Woodrow St
$1,225,000 · 5 bed, 4 bath, 2,473 sqft
A 1935 Watts-Hillandale home expanded and reimagined by CQC Home, near Oval Park.
500 N Duke St
$685,000 · 3 bed, 2 bath, 2,374 sqft
A condo in a 1927 building with soaring ceilings, timber beams, exposed brick, and original maple floors.
1305 Maryland Ave
$850,000 · 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,776 sqft
A 1920 bungalow in historic Watts-Hillandale with original character and modern comforts.
Opportunities
Manager of Studio Programs and Community Engagement
American Dance Festival · Durham, North Carolina
Run studio operations and youth/adult classes at American Dance Festival's Scripps Dance Studios, including a Parkinson's Movement Initiative.
Director of Facilities
Durham Arts Council
Oversee maintenance, safety, and capital repairs for Durham Arts Council's 52,000 sq ft historic downtown building.
Certified Medical Assistant - Cancer Center 5-1 Urology Durham, NC
Duke University Hospital · Durham, NC
Take vitals, run EKGs, and prep patients at Duke's Cancer Center urology clinic as a certified medical assistant.
From Reddit
A poster asked where the row of buildings drawn on Grub's bathroom wallpaper is. Commenters placed it on the 100 block of West Main Street downtown, seen from the back, with one pointing out the Pinhook.
anyone know where these buildings are? · r/bullcity