How do local issues affect us? N&O journalists dug deep in 2023 to shed light on them

On Dec. 28, we published a list of some of the News & Observer’s best statewide-focused investigative reporting from 2023. Below, we turn local, sharing some of our best accountability reporting from this year focused on the Triangle and nearby communities.

What is accountability journalism? Fair, accurate and timely reporting that holds powerful people and institutions to account for their actions — or inaction — on issues that matter.

Much of the local reporting below benefited from contributions from N&O visual journalists Robert Willett, Ethan Hyman, Travis Long, Kaitlin McKeown and Kevin Keister.

Trianglewide & nearby

Chantal Allam dug into a spike in rents across the Triangle and evictions statewide, noting that more moves to force people out of their homes coincided with the end of federal pandemic legislation and policies aimed at assisting renters and preventing evictions and foreclosures.

• Rent trap: Triangle housing costs squeeze middle- to low-income workers to the brink

Virginia Bridges delivered revealing reporting on why a local district attorney dropped charges against a Roxboro woman. Her home was raided by local police hours after she challenged them about taking a dog from her home.

• They took a dog and knocked down the door. Why NC police say they did nothing wrong

• Woman & NAACP say NC police seized her dog and raided her home without cause

As part of a wider rethinking of criminal justice reporting, Colleen Hammond and other newsroom staff launched a Triangle homicide tracker, which includes updates on whether local killings are solved or unsolved.

• We’re launching a weekly homicide tracker for Wake, Durham and Orange counties. Here’s why.

Tyler Dukes documented what followed after human remains advertised as a Native American person’s skull were slated to be auctioned in Mebane. Native people asked law enforcement to prevent what could be illegal a sale. But no agency intervened.

• Native Americans protest, derail sale of human skull at North Carolina auction house

Using an N&O public records request, Aaron Sánchez-Guerra was able to report what occurred that prompted a Harnett County sheriff’s deputy to be charged with child sex abuse crimes and fired.

• How an NC sheriff’s deputy was investigated, fired and charged with child sex crimes

As part of his coverage of deaths among people locked inside North Carolina jails, Dan Kane detailed why the cellmate of an infirm, 64-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder. He allegedly beat Williams Surles to death.

• Cellmate charged with murdering infirm, 64-year-old man inside Harnett County jail

In his coverage of concerns about quality of care delivered at Wilson Medical Center, Dukes reported on an “inappropriate” encounter between a male nurse and a female psychiatric patient that the hospital failed to report to the state nursing board for more than a month.

• New trouble for NC hospital after ‘inappropriate’ conduct with patient, medical error

Wake County

Richard Stradling revealed that 29 pedestrians were killed in Raleigh in 2022, triple the average over the previous decade. Among the reasons: a lack of sidewalks, crosswalks and street lights in areas where people were on foot.

• Pedestrian deaths spiked in Raleigh last year. Why? And what can be done to fix it?

Virginia Bridges published an exclusive report revealing an unannounced court settlement where the city of Raleigh agreed to pay $1.25 million to the family of a man shot and killed by a Raleigh police officer in 2019. Soheil Mojarrad’s killing sparked protests and led Raleigh police to change their body camera policy.

• Lawsuit from Raleigh police killing of Soheil Mojarrad settled for $1.25 million

Kristen Johnson examined a fear-mongering flyer that targeted candidate who identified as transgender and non binary in in Wake County town election. She also explored why a Holly Springs PRIDE proclamation excluded mention of LGBTQ+ people.

• Wake County GOP invitation, flyer target candidate who is transgender, non-binary

• NC town’s Pride month proclamation leaves out LGBTQ+ people. Was it deliberate?

Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska followed local recycling steps from curbside to local sorting centers all the way through the process that turns waste into new consumer products to answer a reader’s question.

• Is recycling worth it? We dove into the process in Raleigh and this is what we learned

Anna Johnson revisited criminal activity at Raleigh’s low-rent motels and found little changed at one location. She also reported that Wake County is not ensuring that hotels provide refunds to longterm guests, as state rules require.

• ‘There’s no boss here.’ Raleigh struggles to curtail drugs and shootings at this hotel

• Homeless people in Wake County hotels are helping pay for PNC Arena, tourism upgrades

Bridges revealed that women victimized by a man a history of stalking and indecent exposure charges were frustrated by officials’ failure to protect them and others.

• After stalking, peeping and indecent exposure, women say criminal system fails them

In continuing coverage of the death of a severely disabled woman pulled from a tub in a Raleigh townhouse, Kane found her death was ruled a drowning but public officials remained unwilling to discuss her death.

• Autopsy finds severely disabled North Carolina woman did drown in townhouse bathtub

Amazon warehouse workers in Garner told Brian Gordon why heat inside their workplace needed to be addressed.

• Amazon workers at new Garner warehouse say the facility is too hot, even in winter

After obtaining public records, Andrew Carter revealed details in North Carolina State University’s decision-making process as it weighed whether or not to support ACC expansion to add Stanford, Cal and SMU.

• Four weeks in August: How NC State went from ACC expansion skeptic to voting to allow it

DURHAM & ORANGE COUNTIES

Years after paying Durham attorney Lisa Williams from $10,000 to $15,000 for help getting prison sentences reduced, Bridges reported. incarcerated men allege they have no evidence that local lawyer Lisa Williams advanced their cases.

• Lawsuits: Durham lawyer ghosted prisoners who paid thousands seeking reduced sentences

Tammy Grubb was first to report deep details on a behind-the-scenes battle between Chapel HIll schools superintendent Nyah Hamlett, a student and his father that were detailed in court filings for a successful bid for a no-contact order

• After outbursts, court bans father and son from harassing Chapel Hill superintendent

• After father, son banned from harassing her, Chapel Hill superintendent dismisses case

Mary Helen Moore reported on how tax credits that help build affordable housing only guarantee affordability for a limited time. She focused on one project whose low-income residents could lose their homes unless local government stepped in.

• Days numbered for Durham senior apartments, unless city and county step in

An investigation found jail guards let too much time pass between their required checks on an inmate who killed himself. It wasn’t the first time, Sánchez-Guerra reported.

• In a jail with past suicides, a man died after Durham detention officers broke the rules

Sánchez-Guerra also found insights on why concerns over gun violence are rising in Durham’s Latino community. Among the shortcomings noted: local police officer shortages and few Spanish-speaking officers on the force.

• Why gun violence concerns are rising in Durham’s Latino community

Grubb reported how a change in how Chapel Hill handles development plans could speed up and simplify the approval process, but remove one way the public has to influence individual projects.

• Do advisory boards have value? Chapel Hill wrestles with how to streamline development.

Mark Schultz, a metro editor who handles breaking news, contributed to this report.