🌱 Brining Begins Again + Winter Warning + Hospital Overcharges

Christina Fullford
Updated ·4 min read
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Happy Data Privacy Day Durham!

First, today's weather:

Cloudy and chilly. High: 47 Low: 29.

Here are the top stories in Durham today:

  1. North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls of Durham is on a list of nominees to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer after he announced his plans to retire. President Biden vowed on the campaign trail to fill an open position in the Supreme Court with a Black woman, and N.C. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley says this is an opportunity for him to make good on that promise. (abc11)

  2. Thursday night, instructional assistants (IAs) took their demands to the Durham School Board of Education. IAs have been pushing for more equitable pay in the district over the past several months, as they have been stretched to substitute and take on many other roles during the pandemic. (WRAL)

  3. NCDOT began gearing up for potential winter storms again this week. Crews began brining roads in Durham County on Wednesday, and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern N.C. says there have been more inquiries for help these last two weeks. Officials are working to keep food bank shelves stocked as COVID spikes and winter weather persists. (abc11)

  4. As winter storms continue to be in the cards, one Durham woman is sharing her experience as a warning to others. Beverly Clayton was driving on Interstate-40 when flying ice hit her SUV, shattering her windshield. The ice chunk lifted up off of the car driving in front of her and pierced her window so severely that ice and snow made it inside her vehicle. North Carolina is one state that does not have specific laws requiring drivers to clear snow and ice off their vehicles before driving, making similar stories common for AAA of the Carolinas. (CBS17)

  5. A new report from the state treasurer's office has shown that nonprofit hospitals in North Carolina are billing poor patients at a rate "three times the national average." According to state Senator Jay Chaudhuri, medical debt is the leading debt cause of bankruptcy in the state. Based on documents provided by various hospital systems, WakeMed was the only large system to spend more on charity care than it received in tax breaks. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers addressed the issue, stating there should be more oversight and reforms. (WNCT9)

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Today in Durham:

Bonus: WRAL weekend best bets (WRAL)

From my notebook:

  • It's Data Privacy Day, and if you're not familiar with some of the laws North Carolina has in effect, DataGuidance.com has quick summaries of some of your privacy rights

  • Fed Up in the South's food distribution is happening today, from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.

  • Any community-based organizations can now order adult N95 masks from NC Department of Health and Human Services using this form. (Council Member Javiera Caballero Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new update!

— CJ Fullford

This article originally appeared on the Durham Patch