Author: John Hammer

The weekly report from the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) shows that violent crime continues to be down from 2020. However, the number of homicides is creeping up closer to the figures for 2020, when the city had 61 homicides during the year – an all-time high.

The Greensboro City Council will hold its public forum meeting for the month on Tuesday, Oct. 5 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The City Council work session on the Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) program on Thursday, Sept. 30 was postponed.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, the Greensboro City Council gave final approval on the city’s application process to give away some of the $59.4 million in American Rescue Plan money.

It didn’t take the Greensboro Redistricting Committee long to decide which City Council redistricting map it planned to recommend to the City Council.

With temperatures in the 80s, it doesn’t feel like the time to be planning an outing to see a winter light show, but it is. Tickets are currently on sale for the Greensboro Science Center’s “Winter Wonderlights,” which will run from Nov. 6, 2021 through Jan. 2, 2022 for a total of 54 nights at the Science Center at 4301 Lawndale Dr.

The agenda for the 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30 City Council virtual work session lists an “update” on the city’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) program.

Zack Matheny, president and CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc., has been elected president of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Downtown Development Association (NCDDA).

The best opportunity for people to provide input on the new City Council district map will be at the public hearing during the virtual meeting of the Greensboro Redistricting Committee, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30.

The Greensboro City Council has a virtual work session scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. As usual, only the most basic details about the work session have been released. It will be virtual and begin at 2 p.m. and the agenda includes two items, “Minority Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Update” and “American Rescue Plan (ARP) Update.”

The 2020/2021 Financial Capacity report recently released by Action Greensboro begins with a lot of good things about living in Greensboro and Guilford County but then details a number of disturbing trends. The Greensboro City Council talks about the need to attract new good paying jobs to the city, but according to the report Guilford County is far behind most peer counties, the state and the nation in job growth from 2008 to 2018.

Friday Night Live, the First Friday concert series, will be back in downtown Greensboro on Friday, Oct. 1.

The Greensboro City Council has set the facilitating of more affordable housing as one of its primary goals, and Monday, Sept. 27, it was announced that more affordable housing is on its way.

In 2020 the annual Art in the Arboretum was held virtually, but in 2021, like so many other events, it’s back to a real live in-person event on Sunday, Oct. 3 from noon to 5 p.m.

The Greensboro Citizens’ Redistricting Committee held its second meeting on Thursday, Sept. 23 and selected three maps of redrawn City Council districts to present to the public.

The Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (TREBIC) has named Jon Lowder as its second president.

Greensboro City Councilmember Sharon Hightower brought up the need to do something about panhandling at the Tuesday, Sept. 21 City Council meeting.

The Greensboro City Council voted to deny a rezoning request in East Greensboro at the Tuesday, Sept. 21 meeting. The Sept. 21 meeting was the first in history with a majority of black city councilmembers, and the vote to deny the rezoning request was on straight racial lines.

Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 21 announced it was more than doubling the maximum reward available for an anonymous tip. Crime Stoppers will now pay a maximum of $5,000 for an anonymous tip that leads to an arrest.  The former maximum payment was $2,000.

The Greensboro City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21 was doubly historic. First, new Councilmember Hugh Holston was sworn in virtually by Greensboro City Clerk Angie Lord. Holston became the first city councilmember to ever be sworn in via Zoom, and Lord became the first city clerk to ever swear in a councilmember virtually.

Two homicides were reported in Greensboro on Tuesday, Sept. 21, including a 14-year-old.

Residents of Greensboro got some great news during the transportation update at the City Council work session on Friday, Sept. 17. The Greensboro Department of Transportation is finally going to start taking action to slow traffic through residential neighborhoods.  Cockburn said that GDOT had been getting complaints about speeding through neighborhoods, usually about “cut through” traffic, for at least a decade.  It has actually been at least three decades, but Cockburn said the city has had limited options available to reduce cut through traffic in neighborhoods.

The Greensboro City Council could get hung up on the consent agenda at the Tuesday, Sept. 21 virtual meeting.

The Greensboro City Council has about $58.5 million in American Rescue Plan money that it is trying to decide how to spend.

At the Tuesday, Sept. 21 virtual meeting the Greensboro City Council will consider approving a revised ordinance that allows the expanded outdoor dining areas, which were originally permitted due to COVID-19 restrictions, to continue.

For at least the past several years homeless people have been allowed to occupy areas at night around city hall in downtown Greensboro. On Thursday, Sept. 16, Interim City Manager Chris Wilson sent out an email to city employees announcing that people would no longer be allowed occupy the ‘immediate premises’ of our buildings.”

On Friday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m., the Greensboro City Council will get a briefing from the Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT).

A total of 47 people felt strongly enough that they should be appointed to the City Council that they filled out applications.

The Citizens’ Redistricting Committee held its first more or less public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at City Hall.

Next week the City Council will once again have nine members when Hugh Holston is sworn in at the Tuesday, Sept. 21 meeting.

The Greensboro City Council unanimously selected Hugh Holston, who is currently chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, to fill the vacant at large seat on the City Council at the Tuesday, Sept. 14 virtual meeting.

The Greensboro City Council is planning on selecting a new at-large city councilmember at the Tuesday, Sept. 14 virtual meeting. The City Council has 47 applicants to consider.

The Greensboro City Council virtual work session that had been scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, has been rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m.

Funding for education is always a huge issue in the state and county budgets, and in North Carolina, on Monday, Sept. 13, education funding got a big boost from the federal government.

The City of Greensboro and Greensboro Beautiful, in partnership with the Piedmont Triad Big Sweep, is hosting the annual Big Sweep litter cleanup days Saturday, Oct. 2 through Monday, Oct. 18.

The article, “Members Of The Citizens Redistricting Committee Now Have Names,” incorrectly stated that the first meeting of the committee would be in the Plaza Level Conference Room.

The Greensboro City Council is scheduled to select a new councilmember at the virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 14, and there is no lack of choices.

The North Carolina Folk Festival kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 and ends Sunday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m.

Even the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE) can’t escape the pandemic. NC A&T State University has announced updated safety guidelines for the GHOE festivities during the week of Oct. 24 to Oct. 31.

The Greensboro City Council is in for a long night at the special virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 14 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The names of the members of the Citizens’ Redistricting Committee have been released by the City of Greensboro Legal Department.

The 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack is Saturday and Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) is sponsoring an outdoor concert on Saturday, Sept. 11.

The Greensboro Farmers Market has announced its lineup of events for the remainder of 2021.

The 2021 North Carolina Folk Festival is almost here. The NC Folk Festival kicks off in downtown Greensboro on Friday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

It has been announced that UNCG Athletic Director Kim Record has resigned effective today, Friday, Sept. 3.

The traditional end of summer is Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.

For those hoping to gain a seat on the Greensboro City Council without devoting the time and expense of going through an election, Tuesday, Sept. 14 is a key day.