The Durham County Commissioners opened their July 10 meeting by acknowledging the devastating community trauma from the previous week's shooting that killed a five-year-old child and wounded a 15-year-old who shielded younger children from gunfire. Board Chair Brenda Jacobs and other commissioners expressed frustration that gun violence occurs "almost too frequently" and called for community-wide action beyond government solutions, noting July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
A transparency concern emerged when resident Jacqueline Wagstaff challenged the ABC Board application process, claiming she could not find the posting online despite monitoring the county website daily in June. Wagstaff submitted her application on July 1st, after the deadline had passed. County Attorney Andrews recommended proceeding with the vote, but Chair Jacobs suggested delaying the appointment until the August 24th meeting to allow staff to investigate the claim. The board voted to hold the ABC Board appointment pending review.
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