Author: Scott D. Yost

As homeowners across Guilford County open their 2026 revaluation notices and see sharply higher home values, state lawmakers in Raleigh are taking a closer look at whether North Carolina’s property tax relief system needs an overhaul.

A bill filed in the North Carolina General Assembly – House Bill 432 in the 2025-26 session…

The passing of Jesse Jackson has prompted tributes across the country – but in Greensboro, it’s also personal.

Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said Jackson wasn’t just a national civil rights icon to him…

The City of Greensboro will host a “Black Balloon Day” event on Friday, March 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. at LeBauer Park, located at 208 N. Davie St., to honor lives lost to overdose and to support families that have been impacted by substance use.

A press release from the city states that the event is being organized by the city’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) team in partnership with the Guilford County Division…

Commissioner Pat Tillman told the Rhino Times he believes Guilford County commissioners should seriously consider adopting a revenue neutral tax rate in the wake of the sharply higher 2026 property revaluation – and he also said he thinks he may already have four votes lined up to try.

Tillman, a Republican member of the nine-member board, said he’s been flooded with calls, emails and texts from concerned residents since the new property values were released…

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating another in-custody death at the county’s detention facilities – the latest in what appears to be a growing number of jail deaths over the last year.

The Sherrif’s Office announced on Monday, February, 23 that Scott Alan Fanter, died in the early morning hours after experiencing what authorities described as a medical condition while in custody at the Guilford County Detention Center in High Point….

The City of Greensboro will host a series of Community Budget Sessions beginning Thursday, March 5, giving residents a chance to learn how the city’s annual budget is developed before it’s adopted.

If you want to learn where all your hard-earned tax money goes and what it’s used for, this is your chance to learn a little about that and also a chance to offer some input…

With City of Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson set to retire at the end of February, the city has announced that Assistant Chief Chris Schultheis will step in as interim chief.

According to the city’s press release posted Friday afternoon, Schultheis will assume the role of Interim Chief of the Greensboro Police Department effective Friday, February 27…

Guilford County officials have informed the Rhino Times that if county commissioners were to keep the property tax rate exactly the same under the sharply increased 2026 revaluation, the county would take in about $175 million in additional revenue every year.

That’s the number.

The last time the county underwent…

Many Guilford County homeowners were stunned when the new 2026 revaluation numbers went live.

Some properties jumped far more than the 40 to 45 percent average increase county officials had previously projected. Some properties spot checked by the Rhino Times included homes that more than doubled in value compared to 2022.

Since those new numbers were posted, county officials say they’ve heard from a lot of concerned residents…

When the Rhino Times warned people that their housing values could go up by 50 percent or more in the new revaluation, it turns out that warning wasn’t anywhere near strong enough for a lot of homeowners in the county.

County tax officials have previously told the Board of Commissioners that overall property values were expected to rise roughly 40 to 45 percent on average compared to the 2022 revaluation…

Everything old is new again. 

While measles had basically become a thing of the past for the US, now there’s growing concern over the rapid rise in cases and that has North Carolina health officials very worried.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday, Feb. 17 that there have been 22 confirmed measles cases in North Carolina since late December 2025 – and state health…

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners plans to enter into a new $4.445 million agreement to provide School Resource Officers in local schools – a multi-year pact that would continue the county’s financial commitment to placing deputies in public school buildings across Guilford County.

The proposed interlocal agreement between the county and the Guilford County Board of Education would cover 16 School Resource Officers along with supervisory support over a three-year period….

If you’re a Guilford County homeowner and you don’t enjoy financial shocks, you might want to sit down before you log on to your computer on Tuesday, February 17.

That’s the day that the Guilford County Tax Department will post the new 2026 residential property values online.

At the same time, the county will begin mailing letters to every residential property owner stating the new assessed value of their home….

When people first started putting erasers on the other end of pencils there was a huge debate about whether it was a good idea or not because many thought it would encourage people – especially school kids – to be less vigilant about mistakes.  However, when it comes to issues like deaths by drug overdose or infection, Guilford County health officials want to make sure that one mistake doesn’t mean the loss of a life….

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is again asking for the public’s help in an ongoing homicide investigation stemming from a fatal shooting in McLeansville in October of 2024.

In a press release issued Thursday, Feb. 12, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers said the case remains active and ongoing.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on Oct. 21, 2024, at about 6 a.m. to a 911 call reporting an “unknown problem, man down” at 4925 Harvest Road in McLeansville….

The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce announced a change in leadership this week, with Geoff Foster officially stepping into the role of chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors during the organization’s Annual Celebration.

The event was held at Topgolf Greensboro and it brought together business and community leaders in an attempt to reflect on the past year of business life in Greensboro and look ahead to the future….

Guilford County officials will gather Thursday afternoon to officially cut the ribbon on a project that’s been years in the making – the Reverend Prince Edward Graves Recovery and Treatment Center at 1411 Lees Chapel Rd.

The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m., with county leaders hosting a ribbon-cutting and open house at the newly renovated facility….

A string of abrupt downtown Greensboro business closings has touched off an unusually public bout of anxiety and media coverage regarding the state of Greensboro’s center city – and it has also produced a predictable response from city leaders: a reassuring press release.

On Thursday night, February 6, the City of Greensboro sent out a press release announcing that the Greensboro Police Department had “increased downtown patrol presence” through its Center City Resource Team – the unit that’s assigned to downtown…

When it came to approving $2 billion in school bond funding in recent years and a total debt with interest of well over $3 billion, the voters of the county got to decide.  But when it comes to the next massive funding plan – a $572 million capital improvement plan that means tearing down the Truist Bank Building and building a new county government complex with a sky bridge connected to the Old Guilford County Court house – there are no plans to put the funding up to a vote of county residents….

City of Greensboro crews are continuing round-the-clock work following the last two major winter weather events, and now efforts are focused on clearing the remaining snow and ice from roads and catching up on solid waste and recycling collection.

Road clearing operations are still underway…

The Triad Business Journal announced this week that it will end its print edition and move to an all-digital format – marking another significant moment in the long, slow retreat of printed newspapers in the Triad.

The change is scheduled to take effect this summer and it will leave the Triad Business Journal as a digital-only publication after more than a quarter of a century in print…

n Thursday night, Feb. 4, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting in High Point, and the first item on the agenda will be symbolic – the adoption of a resolution honoring the Civil Rights Movement and commemorating both the Greensboro and High Point sit-ins of 1960.

The Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins at the F.W. Woolworth store on South Elm Street are…

n Thursday, Feb. 4, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting in High Point – something the board tries to do once a year since it’s the county’s second-largest city – and they’ll be doing so just after reaching an important milestone in the county’s fiscal calendar.

The end of December marked the halfway point of the county’s fiscal year, which began July 1, and county budget staff have now released their formal midyear Budget Performance Report….

Former Guilford County Commissioner Ray Trapp has taken a new job that brings him back to the Triad and back into a role centered on community, relationships and long-term impact.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad announced this week that Trapp has been named vice president of advancement – a senior leadership position that will focus on fundraising and development, brand management, and communications as the organization pushes forward with an ambitious regional expansion across High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheboro and the surrounding communities…

If you needed official permission to stay home Monday, you’ve got it.

Guilford County announced that all general county services, operations and facilities will be closed on Monday, Feb. 2, because of snowy and icy road conditions across the county.

At the same time, the City of Greensboro said all trash, recycling and yard waste collection scheduled for Monday has been postponed…

Based on remarks by the county’s tax director at the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ Friday, Jan. 30, annual retreat, most property owners are about to get a shock in their mailboxes….

When new reappraisal notices for the 2026 countywide revaluation of all property in the county are mailed out around Valentine’s Day, the Tax Department’s assessments aren’t likely to bring the same joy that Valentine’s Day cards from lovers will: The county’s overall real estate tax base value is expected to increase by an average of 40 to 45 percent – with some properties, especially housing, coming in higher…

On Friday, Jan. 31, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners held its annual retreat and heard from an economic development expert – who had both advice and warnings for Guilford County as it moves forward and faces serious challenges in the coming years.

The presentation was delivered by Ted Abernathy, managing partner of Economic Leadership LLC, a nationally known consulting firm that works with states, regions and private companies on economic and workforce strategy….

In October of 2025, Guilford County announced that Andrea Leslie-Fite accepted the position of City Attorney for the City of Charlotte, with her last day in Guilford County being Halloween, 2025. 

In the meantime, former Interim County Attorney Matt Mason, who had just had a very nice retirement celebration, came back soon after to run the attorney’s office once again.  Now perhaps Mason can enjoy a truly well-deserved retirement….

A Jamestown man is now facing multiple felony charges after a shooting early Wednesday morning that left another man critically injured.

According to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at approximately 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, to a reported shooting at 5305 Lenard Road in Jamestown.

According to Sheriff Danny Rogers, the caller reported that Evan Keith Aldridge, 31, had been shot by his roommate, Scott Alan Fanter, 44….

Guilford County government is facing a lot of challenges – mostly financial – ones that will only worsen in the coming years, so it’s good to know that the county has made an excellent hiring decision by promoting one of its wisest and most likeable employees to the level of deputy county manager.

Guilford County has named current Budget Director Toy Beeninga as its new deputy county manager – elevating a longtime member of the county’s leadership team into a role which requires broad oversight across departments and regional initiatives…

The City of Greensboro says that years of monitoring, enforcement and cooperation with local industries have led to a 97 percent reduction in levels of 1,4-dioxane – an unregulated, emerging contaminant – in wastewater discharged into the local environment.

According to a city press release, Greensboro’s Water Resources Department has reduced concentrations of 1,4-dioxane in effluent from the T.Z. Osborne Wastewater Treatment Plant by 97 percent since 2015….

The City of Greensboro remained under its full Snow and Ice Response Plan Monday night as crews reported major progress clearing roads following Winter Storm Fern – while also opening White Flag warming centers to protect residents from freezing overnight temperatures.

According to the city, crews cleared 96 percent of Priority 1 roads to bare pavement during the past 24 hours – roughly 1,130 miles of emergency service routes, multi-lane roads and other high-traffic corridors….

Guilford County offices and facilities will open under normal operating hours on Wednesday, January 28, county officials announced, as conditions improve following recent winter weather.

There are two exceptions…

Guilford County Schools will shift to remote learning on Tuesday, Jan. 27, because of hazardous road conditions across the county.

According to Guilford County Schools, all students will learn remotely for the day…

Guilford County administrative offices will open at noon Tuesday, Jan. 27, due to anticipated early morning road and weather conditions.

County officials said that the delayed opening is intended to allow time for conditions to improve before employees and residents travel to county facilities…..

According to the city, residents who normally receive trash pickup on Monday and Tuesday should place their carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28. Pickup will begin then.

Though officials say some areas may not be serviced until Thursday, January 29…

The City of Greensboro is seeking proposals from community organizations aimed at reducing violence and strengthening public safety through locally led initiatives.

The city’s Community Safety Department has issued a Request for Proposals for a range of anti-violence programs – with funding that’s provided through a federal Department of Justice grant focused on community violence intervention and prevention…

Guilford County has declared a local State of Emergency ahead of a potentially significant winter storm that’s expected to impact the Triad this weekend, and county officials are warning residents to prepare now for snow, ice and possible power outages.

The declaration took effect on noon Thursday, January 22, 2026, and is intended to give emergency responders time to stage equipment and supplies before conditions deteriorate…

After more than a year of operating out of a temporary courthouse location, Guilford County officials say the Family Justice Center is preparing to move back home.

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 22, the Guilford County Family Justice Center Courthouse Pop-Up, located inside the Guilford County Courthouse, will close. The pop-up site will be shut down Thursday and Friday, Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, as staff prepare to relocate services back to the Katie S. Cashion Center at 201 S. Greene St….

When you work as a deputy for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, you’re supposed to enforce the laws not break them – however, according to court records  and Vice and Narcotics officer – Lenaira Montea Ruffin – was arrested and charged with Driving While Impaired by the Burlington Police Department. 

The results of the administered breath test came in at 0.24, which is three times the 0.08 limit in the state of North Carolina…

Many people who like saying “Let it snow, let it snow,” look like they are about to get their wish.

A significant winter storm expected to move into central North Carolina this weekend could bring snow, ice and dangerous travel conditions across the Piedmont Triad, prompting airport officials and emergency planners to urge residents to prepare now and think twice before heading out….

Wow.

Just wow.

If you thought Guilford County had its hands full overseeing and funding $2 billion in school bond projects, a new Sheriff’s Office headquarters and lots of other ongoing projects – well, at a Thursday, Jan. 15 work session, county staff unveiled plans for another huge undertaking: Demolishing the county-owned Truist Bank building in downtown Greensboro, building a new Guilford County government complex and moving most administrative functions there…

On Friday, Jan. 16, a line of cars was backing up Lawndale Drive traffic as fans of Clutch Coffee Bar stacked up to get one last cup of their favorite coffee – or coffee-adjacent drink – at the Sunset Drive location in Greensboro.

By the end of the day, the lights were off, the drive-thru window was closed, and Clutch Coffee Bar’s Greensboro outpost was officially done.

The Sunset Drive location is now closed, and it won’t be reopening under the Clutch name…

The 36th Annual Greensboro NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade will take place Monday, Jan. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., continuing a tradition that traces directly back to the renaming of one of Greensboro’s major thoroughfares more than three decades ago.

The parade is sponsored by the Greensboro Branch of the NAACP and will once again travel, of course, along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive – a street whose name, and the parade itself, exist largely because of the persistence of Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston…

Guilford County commissioners are set to approve a one-month extension of the county’s contract with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies at their Thursday, Jan. 15 meeting in order to allow the full use of remaining federal pandemic relief funds without committing any new local dollars…

If you have business with the city to handle on Monday, you can forget about conducting it then and you might be wise to go out and enjoy a parade instead.

City of Greensboro offices will be closed Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – with a wide range of city services operating on holiday or modified schedules…

Greensboro residents – and Verizon customers in many other parts of the country as well – learned on Wednesday, Jan. 14, just how dependent they are on their cell phones and the phone service provided through them.  For many Verizon customers, they may as well have been carrying around a light brick because a cell phone without cell phone services is like sex without, well, without the sex…

Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers has been dreaming of – and working toward – the day when he and his leadership team could finally move out of the dilapidated, flood-prone and, depending on who you ask, possibly haunted Otto Zenke Building, which has served as the Sheriff’s Office headquarters for decades.

That day has arrived…