Triangle Tribune

At a specially called meeting Tuesday night, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education approved the 2026–27 classified salary schedules.

“I am very grateful that our employees' well-earned raises will be included in their next paychecks. I can’t thank our DPS employees enough for the work they do every day to ensure that our scholars are learning, that their needs are met, and that our learning and work environments are comfortable and safe. We’ve had to wait 1,014 days for a budget (from the state). They (employees) deserve at some point to be paid on time. Quite frankly, they’re tired of waiting,” DPS Superintendent Anthony Lewis said.

In addition to the Board-approved classified salary schedules, the recently enacted North Carolina state budget provides compensation increases for public school employees. State-funded salary increases are effective July 1, 2026, and will also be reflected in employees' July 2026 paychecks.

Read more here: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/07/21/focus/dps-approves-salaries-for-the-2026-27-school-year/

Optus Financial Corporation, based in Columbia, South Carolina, is the parent company of Optus Bank. M&F Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of M&F Bank.

Under the terms of the agreement, MFBP will merge with and into Optus, and M&F Bank will merge with and into Optus Bank. The transaction value is expected to exceed $105 million.

This transformative partnership brings together two mission-driven financial institutions with more than 220 years of combined banking experience and a shared commitment to expanding access to capital, advancing economic opportunity, and strengthening underserved communities. The combined organization will build upon a legacy of community development, wealth creation, and economic empowerment that has impacted generations across the Carolinas.

Click here for more: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/07/23/business/black-owned-banks-optus-financial-and-m-f-bank-to-merge/

We almost can’t help ourselves. When we gather with a group of friends or people who share something in common, we often start talking in a way that excludes others.

We don’t mean to leave others out, but if someone else happened to hear our conversation, they’d likely have no idea what we were talking about.

If we wanted to invite them into the discussion, we’d work to explain ourselves and try to make it all understandable. We might start with the basics, using common words and phrases. We’d simplify everything and try to correct any large misunderstandings they may have.

That’s an issue with Christianity in the United States. People have assumptions about what we believe in the church, but those outside our congregations often have no way to know the truth because they can’t understand us.

Click here for more: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/07/23/religion/how-to-eliminate-confusion-for-unchurched-in-your-worship-services/

Operation Stop Child Protective Services, a grassroots organization in Durham, hosted a teach-in July 11 to educate residents on how the court will operate at The Burrow on North Church Street in downtown Durham.

OSCPS founder Amanda Wallace, who previously worked for multiple county child welfare services in North Carolina, describes the child welfare system as a “system of carceral control.”

“When you go and say you want to abolish the department of social services, people are like, ‘woah, you want people to lose their food stamps? You want people to lose Medicaid?’” Wallace said. “When we think about the world that we’re trying to build, are we trying to build a world where people have to go to the government to eat? Where people have to go to the government to get their medical needs met? Or are we trying to build a world where people have the resources to live?”

Click here for more: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/07/23/local/operation-stop-cps-questions-durham-co.-s-treatment-court/

Howard University understands the concerns and challenges that students and families are experiencing related to the recent enrollment update for some first-time-in college students. The University is reviewing information related to enrollment status, anticipated scholarship funding, and other financial aid, where appropriate, and will consider relevant circumstances regarding pending scholarship awards and financial aid resources for impacted students.

If you have questions, please contact the office best equipped to assist you:

• Enrollment Status: [email protected]

• Financial Aid: [email protected]

• Pending Scholarships & Student Accounts: [email protected]

We remain committed to supporting students and families and reviewing individual circumstances, where appropriate.

Tensions ran high at a recent community meeting between North Raleigh residents and an attorney representing a local developer.

The July 13 meeting between Toby Coleman, a Land Use and Planning attorney, and Litchford Forest residents concerned rezoning a historic tract of land.

6309 Litchford Road was built in 1904 by Henry Evans Litchford, a Raleigh banker and former chairman of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. He also was among the first presidents of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. Litchford’s grandfather was one of the original framers of the city of Raleigh.

If Raleigh City Council approves the developer’s petition to rezone the $1.3 million property from R-4, which only allows four units per acre, to R-6, the home could be demolished to make way for 47 townhomes on the 3.79 acres.

Click here for more details: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/07/22/local/historic-million-dollar-property-at-center-of-north-raleigh-battle/

Historic million-dollar property at center of North Raleigh battle The Triangle Tribune is a newspaper serving the black communities in the Durham, Raleigh Cary and Chapel Hill

From Norfolk State to USA Baseball: Thomas Ealey Found Confidence Among the Nation's Best - Norfolk State University Athletics USA Baseball From Norfolk State to USA Baseball: Thomas Ealey Found Confidence Among the Nation's Best By Noah Schlekeway, Assistant SID 7/22/2026 10:37:00 AM Thomas Ealey arrived at the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp knowing he belonged on the field. Believing it took a little....