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- 🌳 H&H Bagels Sets Chapel Hill Opening
🌳 H&H Bagels Sets Chapel Hill Opening
Plus: City Council Approves Highway 98 Annexation
Jordan Parker
January 08, 2026
In this issue:
Durham Homicide Clearance Lags Raleigh
H&H Bagels Sets Chapel Hill Opening
DSS Warns Durham Child Welfare Strained
Council Opens 2026 With Violence, Growth Focus
Council Approves Highway 98 Annexation
Approx Read Time: 4 mins
Durham Homicide Clearance Lags Raleigh
New data from a WRAL News investigation shows a stark gap in homicide clearance rates between Durham and Raleigh, as Durham begins 2026 with multiple fatal shootings and families still waiting for arrests.
Lower clearance rates: Durham’s homicide clearance rates ranged from 31.6% (2020) to 78.8% through Q3 2025, consistently below Raleigh’s 81%–100% over the same period.
Human impact: The report highlights families like Dominique Lamberth’s, whose 17-year-old son was killed in 2024, underscoring the emotional toll of unresolved cases.
Limited response: WRAL requested comment from Durham police but did not receive an interview, while Raleigh’s higher clearance rates continue to draw contrast.
H&H Bagels Sets Chapel Hill Opening
A legendary New York bagel brand is officially headed to the Triangle. H&H Bagels announced it will open its first North Carolina location in Chapel Hill on Jan. 15, marking the start of a planned five-location expansion across the state.
NYC legacy: Founded in 1972, H&H is known for its classic water-boiled bagels and pop culture fame from shows like Seinfeld and Sex and the City.
First NC location: The Chapel Hill shop will open at University Place, 239 S. Estes Drive, serving bagels plain, with spreads, or as sandwiches.
Part of bigger rollout: The opening is one of several new food additions coming to University Place, alongside brands like Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and The Salty.
DSS Warns Durham Child Welfare Strained
Durham County’s child welfare system is under growing pressure, according to leaders from the Durham County Department of Social Services, who urged county commissioners this week to increase funding amid rising caseloads, staffing challenges, and delays in courts and behavioral health services.
Calls and custody rising: DSS received 1,069 abuse or neglect calls in November alone, accepted 651 for assessment, and currently has 174 children in county custody.
Systemic delays: State guidelines call for investigations within 45 days, but officials say cases can stretch two years or more due to court backlogs and long waits for mental health and substance-use treatment.
Public criticism and funding limits: Residents and advocates criticized DSS during public comment, while agency leaders emphasized that restricted state and federal funding and housing shortages are major barriers to reunifying families.
Council Opens 2026 With Violence, Growth Focus
At its Jan. 5, 2026 meeting, the Durham City Council opened the year by confronting a recent spike in gun violence, approving contested annexation and zoning decisions, and reaffirming priorities around public safety, affordable housing, and managing rapid growth, all amid heightened community concern about whether infrastructure and services are keeping pace.
Violence reduction urgency: Council members cited recent homicides and shootings, committing to a coordinated, evidence-informed violence reduction plan with Durham County.
Annexation approved amid pushback: Council approved annexation and commercial zoning for 5502 Wake Forest Highway, despite resident concerns about traffic, environmental impacts, and infrastructure strain.
Development tensions highlighted: Public comment revealed growing unease about rapid growth, road safety on Highway 98, environmental runoff, and whether development is outpacing city services.
Council Approves Highway 98 Annexation
The Durham City Council voted 5–2 to annex and rezone a small parcel along Highway 98 in southeast Durham, clearing the way for future retail development despite strong neighborhood opposition over traffic, safety, and infrastructure concerns.
What was approved: Council annexed 2.33 acres at 5502 Wake Forest Highway and rezoned it from rural residential to commercial general, with restrictions on certain uses.
Why it matters: Supporters framed the move as a modest commercial addition at a fast-growing intersection, while critics warned that Highway 98 is already overburdened and lacks adequate fire, EMS, and road improvements.
Conditions added: To secure approval, the developer agreed to ban nightclubs, payday lenders, and car washes, limit access to right-in right-out only, and add a 10-foot multi-use path with a raised pedestrian crossing.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Durham Performing Arts Center
Through Sun, Jan 11 (multiple evening & weekend performances)
The Tony Award–winning Broadway spectacular brings the wizarding world to life with spellbinding effects and a new Harry Potter story.
Details >>
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