Author: John Hammer

DGI has announced that Open Streets would be extended through Saturday, Oct. 3. Open Streets – “We’re closing it down to open it up” – closes South Elm Street to vehicular traffic from Market Street to Lewis Street on Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who has been ruling the state since March by executive order, announced Thursday, Sept. 17 that he would allow elementary students to go back to school under plan A starting Oct. 5.

Greensboro City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter is finally going to get a long time request granted. For months Abuzuaiter has been pushing for a mini-police academy course for members of the City Council.

The News & Record and Winston-Salem Journal had more blood letting Tuesday, Sept. 16. The N&R reportedly laid off five journalists.

The City Council once again discussed “8 Can’t Wait” at the virtual work session on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Police Chief Brian James at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 14 was finally allowed to talk about the racial disparities in police traffic stops.

The Greensboro City Council voted down a resolution that would have required police officers to have a consent-to-search form signed before conducting a consent search.

renaming the Human Relations Commission moved to the top of the list of major concerns by the City Council, which has stated as two of its top goals economic development and jobs. Fortunately, no one suggested that changing the name of the Human Relations Department would bring more jobs to Greensboro.

The Guilford County Republican Party held an actual meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at the Guilford County GOP headquarters. A political party holding a meeting in an election year – where people get together in a room and discuss the upcoming election – in a normal year wouldn’t be news, but it is 2020.

The number of people in North Carolina who have COVID-19 continues to drop.

the presentation for the GDOT update includes the news that the City of Greensboro is not issuing tickets for parking violations.

The annual “Big Sweep” to clean up Greensboro starts Saturday, Sept. 20 and runs through Saturday, Sept. 26, so you have plenty of time to participate.

Despite intense opposition by the Greensboro Police Officers Association (GPOA), the Greensboro City Council is set to approve a new policy on consent searches by police officers at its virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m.

The Greensboro City Council will hold a virtual work session on Tuesday, Sept. 15 beginning at 3 p.m. with two items focusing on the Human Relations Department.

A bipartisan group of senators and representatives have introduced legislation in Congress to name the new air traffic control tower at Piedmont Triad International Airport for the late Sen. Kay Hagan from Greensboro.

Over 23 acres along West Cone Boulevard is coming up for rezoning at the Monday, Sept. 21 meeting of the Greensboro Zoning Commission. The land owned by the Koury Corporation is on the south side of Cone Boulevard generally between Cleburne Street and Lafayette Avenue adjacent to the Kirkwood neighborhood and is currently vacant.

District 2 Greensboro City Councilmember Goldie Wells held her quarterly community forum, via Zoom, on Thursday, Sept. 10.

US Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced Wednesday, Sept. 9 that North Carolina would be receiving $46.9 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for affordable housing.

The Greensboro Transit Agency will be offering free rides to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to help people vote.

The NC Folk Festival is being held Friday, Sept. 11, Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13 beginning at 6 p.m. each day and, as expected, it is being held virtually.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that there are 7,322 cases of COVID-19 in Guilford County. What that actually means is that since March a total of 7,322 people in Guilford County have tested positive for COVID-19, which is entirely different.

President Donald J. Trump gave the crowd at the Smith-Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem what they came to hear, speaking over an hour at the outdoor event on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8.

President Donald J. Trump will be making a campaign appearance at the Smith-Reynolds Airport at 3821 N. Liberty St. in Winston-Salem on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper released a statement Friday, Sept. 4, saying that he would sign the Coronavirus Relief Act passed by the North Carolina legislature earlier in the week.

National Night Out has been officially cancelled by the Greensboro Police Department.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No.163, which he calls Phase 2.5 of the reopening process that began in May with Phase 1, with executive order No. 138, will result in many of the Greensboro Parks and Recreation facilities that have been closed since March reopening on a limited basis.

This week Gov. Roy Cooper slightly relaxed the shutdown of the state’s economy because of COVID-19 with Phase 2.5. On Friday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. gyms, fitness centers, museums, bowling alleys, skating rinks and similar businesses were allowed to open at 30 percent capacity.

Moving to Phase 2.5 of the reopening process from Gov. Roy Cooper’s shutdown of the state’s economy means that the City of Greensboro will be reopening some of its long closed facilities.

Twice the Greensboro City Council has heard the same report on leaving the Guilford County Continuum of Care (CoC) and forming a Greensboro CoC.

The North Carolina legislature with Republican majorities in both houses doesn’t always agree, but it could hardly have been more united in its support of $1 billion COVID-19 relief package it passed this week. The North Carolina state Senate passed the bill by a 44-to-5 margin on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and the state House on Thursday, Sept. 3 passed it 104-to-10.

The Greensboro City Council is supposed to vote on Tuesday, Sept. 15 on a policy requiring police officers have a form signed before conducting a consent search.

For whatever reason, Cooper on Tuesday, Sept. 1 announced that he was going to allow gyms in North Carolina to crack their doors open on Friday, Sept. 4 beginning at 5 p.m.

Greensboro Fire Chief Bobby Nugent on Tuesday, Sept. 2 announced he would be retiring on Jan. 31, 2021.

The high degree of animosity some members of the City Council have toward the Guilford County Board of Commissioners was on display at the City Council virtual work session on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Councilmember Justin Outing made what seemed to be a reasonable suggestion and was repeatedly interrupted by Mayor Nancy Vaughan.

The Greensboro City Council has now completely eliminated public comment from its virtual monthly meeting to hear public comment. In the past, Mayor Nancy Vaughan has at least talked about the comments received. At the virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Vaughan simply noted that comments sent to the City Council would be available on the city’s website on Wednesday.

The people of North Carolina keep seeing reports that the data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) was flawed and needed to be corrected.

The Greensboro City Council is holding a work session on Tuesday, Sept. 1 on the “Housing GSO, Creating Opportunities to Build A Better Community” report.

Some days it seems like the world hit the pause button in March and is waiting for someone to hit play to get started again. But, despite all the COVID-19 restrictions, some companies keep moving forward. Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar officially opened two new high-end storage facilities in North Carolina this summer.

North Carolina District 24 Sen. Rick Gunn (R-Alamance) is being sued for alienation of affection and criminal conversation.

Every state wants to be first in something. North Carolina on Tuesday, Sept. 1 will move into first place in the nation on restrictions on gyms and fitness centers.

The Greensboro Coliseum announced on Friday, Aug. 28 that the Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) will be hosting the 2020 USA Diving Winter National Championships.

The National Education Association and the state chapter the North Carolina Association of Educators have a huge disagreement about the status of education funding in North Carolina.

In the “better late than never” category, Gov. Roy Cooper submitted his proposed budget to the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

The Greensboro City Council is holding its virtual public comment meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m. The main purpose of the first meeting of the month is to hold a public forum where people can speak on any topic.

A lot of people didn’t expect to see a hero of the civil rights movement speaking at the Republican National Convention in support of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

The Greensboro Police Department on Wednesday, Aug. 26 released the police body worn camera videos of the incident on Meadowview Road on Aug. 18 where Theotis Kindell was shot.

When is finding an extra $457 million in your bank account not a cause for celebration?

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has repeatedly said that his decisions regarding COVID-19 restrictions are based on “the science, the data and the facts.”